The 31 islands that make up the Florida Keys are linked together by a series of 42 bridges and dozens of causeways.

They are divided into three regions: the Upper Keys, Middle Keys and Lower Keys.

Overseas Highway, a sometimes tedious but always panoramic road, snakes its way through the entire island chain and comes to a dead end at the creme de la creme – Key West.

Each of the three regions deserves at least one full day to explore and can obviously take longer if you have more time to spare. The itineraries we suggest highlight the principal places of interest, while following the Overseas Highway, and leave you to select the areas that most appeal to you.

Except for Key West, which can be explored on foot, it is almost impossible to travel in the Keys without a car. The itineraries refer frequently to the mile markers, which is how distances are given and locations identified in the Keys.

These have been highlighted in order to make the routes easier to find.

Continue reading »

In April of 1982, after the Federal government set up a series of road- blocks in the Keys to screen for illegal drugs and aliens, outraged residents banned together in a mock public protest.

It was not that they wanted to shelter illegal aliens or help drug traffickers, but they resented the intrusion.

Hoisting a flag adorned with a conch shell, hundreds of Key West residents gathered in Mallory Square, ceremoniously seceded from the state, handed out passports, and declared their land the new Conch Republic.

The celebration, done in jest with more than a hint of sarcasm, lasted for a week and has since become a popular annual event that reinforces the distinct island mentality of the Keys.

This island mentality pervades every aspect of life in the Keys.

Today, descendants of the original Conchs still call themselves by that name and relish their independence. Although dwindling in numbers, the Conchs (a true Conch is someone who was ‘born on the rock” of Key West) are granted a certain amount of respect in the Keys and are somewhat supercilious towards the many newcomers who revel in their new-found island lifestyles.

Continue reading »

Although Key West had already become a tourist mecca in the 1930s, the post-war years and the 1950s brought a substantial increase in tourism throughout the Keys. 

The fact that President harry Truman spent his vacations at the Key West Little White house no doubt added to the area’s popularity. 

What was good enough for the president of the United States had to be good enough or many of its citizens. Slowly but steadily, more and more Americans began piling into their station wagons and making the long journey down Overseas Highway in search of sunshine, sea air and the other components of relaxing vacations. 

Mom-and-pop motels, fishing lodges and campgrounds sprouted up to cater to their needs, as did restaurants, souvenir shops, and marinas. 

Continue reading »

During the 1880s the American government poured millions into the economy and Key West became a boom town. By 1890, it was not only the largest city in Florida, but the richest city per capita in the United States. 

Although the wrecking industry had died out, it was replaced by other money-making endeavors, which were within the law and far less anti-social and dangerous than wrecking had been, although not without their long-term problems. 

Sponging was one of them, and for a while the waters off the Keys provided 90 percent of all the natural sponges used in the US. 

Another prosperous industry was cigar-making. 

A group of Cuban settlers, employing over 6,000 Cuban workers, created a virtual gold-mine by manufacturing their world-famous cigars that usually you can find also in Ocean Drive in South Beach from a nice Cuban girls. 

Continue reading »