Key Largo & Tavernier vacation rentals

Key Largo is the first island you reach coming down from the mainland and the longest key in the chain. On the ocean side is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first undersea park in the US, where glass-bottom boats, snorkel trips and dive boats head out to the reef. The bronze Christ of the Abyss statue sits underwater on the reef off Key Largo.

Bayside, the island faces Florida Bay and Blackwater Sound, which means calm water for paddling and wide-open sunsets. Tavernier, just to the south, is quieter and more residential. Because it is only about an hour from Miami, Key Largo works for a long weekend without the full drive to Key West.

Things to do near your rental

• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park reef trips
• Christ of the Abyss statue on the reef offshore
• Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park
• Everglades National Park, back through Florida City