Filed at January 30, 2010 under Florida Keys and Resorts and Tourism and Vacations by Keys
Forget everything you thought you knew about resorts. These 10 escapes deliver thrilling activities, plush amenities, and sweeping views, from $119 a night.
Casa Marina Resort
The 311-room beachfront Casa Marina is in tropical, laid-back Key West, Fla., where Ernest Hemingway bummed around in the 1930s (The Old Man and the Sea is based on his experiences here).The historic resort, built in the 1920s, hosts the largest private beach on Key West, a sinewy strand of white sand over 1,000 feet long. Book a day of water sports—which range from snorkeling with dolphins at a nearby coral reef to jetting around on WaveRunners—or relax in a cabana by one of the two oceanfront pools. On-site Spa al Mare offers treatments like the full-body Sun Soother Water Lily Mask, which soothes sunburned or windburned skin with naturally hydrating water lily oil. The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum (admission $12) is a 10-minute walk—see the house & original furnishings from Paris, the $20,000 pool, and 60 cats, some with six toes on one paw, descendants of Hemingway’s beloved litter.
All-inclusive? No.
On the beach? Yes.
Price From $149.
via Best U.S.Budget Resorts.
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Filed at December 22, 2009 under On the Water and Vacations by Keys
Everglades National Park has opened two new backcountry campsites.
The remote, open-air chickees are accessible via open water to boaters, canoers and kayakers.
The Shark Point site is 7.5 miles east of Flamingo and the Johnson Key site is 6.25 miles south of Flamingo.
Camping is limited to one night and two parties with six or fewer people in each.
Required backcountry permits are available at Flamingo Visitor Center or the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City no more than one day in advance of a trip’s departure. The basic permit fee is $10, plus $2 per person per night.
For more information, go to http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/camping.htm.
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Filed at December 16, 2009 under Florida Keys and Resorts and Tourism and Vacations by Keys
By Gail Nettles
Florida Keys hotels rank among the worlds finest when it comes to style, design, value for money. The quality customer service welcomes you and attends to your every need during your stay. There is something for everyone here, whether you are after glitz and glamor or just quality at affordable prices.
So, where to stay in this tropical paradise? Here is a hand-picked selection of what is available for you to enjoy.
Ocean Pointe Suites at Key Largo
This resort sits in the middle of 60 acres of mangrove forest and it has some lovely nature trails in the grounds, which appeal to both children and adults. It has its own small private beach, perfect if you want to keep a close on the little ones. The suites are of a high standard and generous size.
The Mariner’s Resort Villas & Marina, Key Largo
The Mariner’s has an oceanfront position and offers gated security. It is close to some of the award winning restaurants on the island, but you can also cook up your own tasty barbecue on one of the many grills that are located around the resort for you to use. The lagoon style swimming pool here is the largest in the Florida Keys.
Banana Bay Resort & Marina, Marathon
The Banana Bay hotel is located on the sunset gulf side of Marathon. It is situated amid beautifully maintained tropical gardens, which are home to a great variety of birds. You can see and hear these colourful birds singing during the day. They offer a delicious complimentary breakfast, every morning by the pool.
The Southernmost in Key West
The Southernmost is a lovely small quite hotel, but is located slap bang in the middle of Key West old town on Duval Street. You could not be more immersed in Key West life. The hotel is a great base to explore the old town. Even though it is centre town, the hotel does have two small pools. If you really want to get down with locals then staying here will give you a genuine Key experience.
Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club, Key West
The Casa Marina is one of the original Florida Keys hotels and one of the greats. It is listed on the Register for Historic Places and offers something special and different. There isn’t anything that this hotel does not have. A fine grand dining room, bars overlooking the ocean and the rooms are simply stunning.
You Know Where to Stay — Here’s What to Do! Now that you know some places you can stay in the Florida Keys, what about finding things to do? There are beaches, parks, attractions and diving, to name just a few. Did you know that scuba diving Key Largo is totally awesome? And what about those Key West beaches! And shopping! And more!
There lots and lots to do in the Florida Keys, and here’s some free information (not to mention neat photos) to get you started on your Florida Keys vacation. Come on down! We’d love to have you visit.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Nettles
Click Here for More Florida Keys Resorts
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Filed at February 18, 2009 under On the Water and Fishing and Florida Keys and Middle Keys and Long Key and Tourism and Vacations by Keys
February 18, 1910, the Key West Citizen reported: ” Things are humming at the Long Key Fishing Camp. Mackerel and king fish are plentiful; so are the tourists.”
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Filed at February 6, 2009 under Accomodations and Florida Keys and Upper Keys and Islamorada and Resorts and Vacations by Keys
Holiday Isle Resort and Marina, a major hotel resort in Islamorada, is in foreclosure after lenders filed to recover $77 million loaned on an aborted condotel conversion. VII Holiday Isle Funding LLC, a subsidiary of Connecticut-based Starwood Capital Group, filed against several companies affiliated with West Palm Beach developer Adam Schlesinger, and his company, Ceebraid Signal.
It’s unclear how the filing will impact operations at the property, located at mile marker 84.5. But news of the legal action brought reaction from Islamorada’s Mayor Cathi Hill. “In conjunction with the events at Cheeca, this could not have come at a worse time,” Hill said. A New Year’s eve fire closed down Cheeca Resort and Islamorada officials and business leaders are still are unsure when the tony oceanfront resort will reopen.
Holiday Isle is also well-know for its charter boat row, where deep sea fishing boats line up for guests drawn from Holiday Isle and other resort properties throughout the Upper Keys. Charter captains, already on edge over an uncertain future for the resort and marina, talked Friday about their concerns with a weak economy and fewer people willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for a day of fishing. “I don’t know what our future is right now,” said Capt. J.R. Rudzin of the Captain JR charter boat. Read more »
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Filed at January 1, 2009 under Florida Keys and Florida Keys and Upper Keys and Islamorada and Resorts and Vacations by Keys
A New Year’s Eve fire has heavily damaged part of a landmark Florida Keys hotel but there were no reports of injuries. The fire happened at the Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorada. The hotel was popular with President George H.W. Bush who visited on bonefishing trips.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Becky Herrin says a caller reported seeing flames burning through the roof of the main lodge building just before 10 p.m. Wednesday and that the fire was under control before midnight. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it apparently started in palm thatching that was attached to the main building.
The resort has nearly 200 guestrooms and was fully occupied. Some rooms during the winter start at around $269 a night. Damage to the hotel is still being assessed. Guests in the main building were relocated to other nearby hotels.
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Filed at January 13, 2008 under On the Water and Diving and Florida Keys and Upper Keys and Key Largo and Vacations by Keys
When guests visit Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida, they discover that the name is no marketing gimmick. Just to enter the Lodge, one must actually scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea. Jules’ really is underwater. Diving through the tropical mangrove habitat of the Emerald Lagoon and approaching the world’s only underwater hotel is quite an experience. Even from the outside, Jules’ big 42 inch round windows cast a warm invitation to come in and stay a while, relax and get to know the underwater world that so few of us have even visited.
Entering through an opening in the bottom of the habitat, the feeling is much like discovering a secret underwater clubhouse. The cottage sized building isn’t short on creature comforts: hot showers, a well stocked kitchen (complete with refrigerator and microwave), books, music, and video movies. And of course there are cozy beds, where guests snuggle up and watch the fish visit the windows of their favorite underwater “terrarium”. Jules’ Undersea Lodge manages to reach a perfect balance of relaxation and adventure.
Guests sometimes describe their visit to inner space as the most incredible experience of their lives. One couple decided on a career change after visiting Jules’ Undersea Lodge, and they now operate Aquanauts’ Dive Shop. Another couple named their baby after Jules’, when they later discovered their recently conceived child had accompanied them in their wonderful adventure in undersea living.
Although the underwater hotel may sound like the latest tourist fun spot, Jules’ Undersea Lodge, actually began its existence as La Chalupa research laboratory, an underwater habitat used to explore the continental shelf off the coast of Puerto Rico. The authenticity of the underwater habitat is what really sets it apart from amusement parks and other similar attractions. The mangrove lagoon in which Jules’ is located is a natural nursery area for many reef fish. Tropical angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, and snappers peek in the windows of the habitat, while anemones, sponges, oysters and feather duster worms seem to cover every inch of this underwater world. Guests of the Lodge explore their marine environment with scuba gear provided by Jules’ Undersea Lodge and are given an unlimited supply of tanks. Jules’ Undersea Lodge may have a comfortable futuristic decor, but its sense of history is inescapable. It is the first and only underwater hotel, but is also the first underwater research lab to have ever been made accessible to the average person. Read more »
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Filed at January 11, 2008 under Animals and Fish and On the Water and Fishing and Florida Keys and Upper Keys and Islamorada and Vacations by Keys
I am sure most of you have spent some time on the bank or dock or your favorite waterway feeding the local fish or ducks. If you were lucky you might have caught sight of that legendary 20 pounder nobody ever seems to be able to land.
What if I could guaranty you the chance to hand feed fish in the 100 pound range, and have your picture taken while shaking hands with the fishes mouth. All you need to do is find your way to Islamorada’s Robbie’s Marina in the Florida Keys.
Robbie and his wife Mona started feeding a tarpon they named Scarface 18 years ago. Scarface appeared floundering in the shallow waters near the dock; Robbie saw the struggling tarpon and, thinking it had swum too shallow and gotten stuck on the bank, went out into the water to free it. He lifted the fish and saw that the right side of its jaw was torn open. Hoping to revive the tarpon, Robbie placed it in the oxygen-rich shrimp tank and called old Doc Roach. The doctor showed up with his wife’s mattress needles and some twine, and Scarface became the first known tarpon with stitches. After several days of force-feeding, Scarface showed good recovery and weight gain; six months later he was released into the waters off the dock. Afterwards, Scarface continued to frequent the docks; sometimes bringing a friend. Soon more and more of the fish began to appear.
Today, the tradition continues, with visitors from all across the world coming to marvel at the spectacle and offer these magnificent creatures a snack.
More on Islamorada. Read more »
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Filed at December 9, 2007 under On the Water and Boating and On the Water and Diving and On the Water and Fishing and Florida Keys and Vacations by Keys
With scores of recreational activities that cater to women, the Keys are a perfect destination for women-only getaways or solo adventures. Each area in the island chain that stretches from Key Largo to Key West offers its own one-of-a-kind attractions. And while the Keys have a Caribbean appeal, they’re actually all American — no passport is required and English is the native tongue. A selection of girls’ getaway activities is listed here, but in reality the possibilities are as diverse and intriguing as the island chain itself. Underwater Stress Relief Just beneath the tip of mainland Florida lies Key Largo, the northernmost of the Florida Keys. There, women seeking renewal beneath the sea can plunge 25 feet to discover the statue of Christ of the Abyss at Key Largo Dry Rocks. This nine-foot-tall bronze statute rises so close to the surface that it can be seen by snorkelers as well as divers.
Key Largo is known as the scuba diving capital of the world, but it also offers a way to experience North America’s only living coral reef without getting wet. Sail aboard the Key Largo Princess, a 70-foot, glass-bottom, 129-passenger yacht to view the exciting underwater world of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the only undersea park in the United States. The Key Largo Princess is located at the Holiday Inn Docks off U.S. Highway 1 at mile marker (MM) 100.
Islamorada, just down U.S. 1 from Key Largo, offers a wide variety of fine restaurants and day spas for sybaritic pampering. For women seeking an all-over tan, the tanning bed can be the large forward couch on Two Chicks Charters’ 26-foot Leisure Cat. The smooth-riding boat accommodates up to six people for an eco-tour to experience the natural beauty of the mangrove islands, an underwater treasure hunt, or a sunset on Florida Bay. Catch the boat at Worldwide Sportsman Bayside Marina, MM 81.5 in Islamorada. Read more »
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Filed at September 1, 2007 under Vacations by Keys
The week after Labor Day marks the beginning of offseason at many local destinations.
What to Do: Vacationing during the offseason can cut lodging and air-fare costs significantly. Hotels in Key West, and the rest of the Florida Keys, have their lowest occupancy from September to November, and are likely to offer lower rates. September is the softest travel month in many Caribbean countries. Airlines generally run sales on such flights in late August extending through December. Check out the sales pages on major airlines such as American and Delta. One major caveat, hurricane season extends from August to October, so prepare for the possibility that your trip gets rained out or you face delays at the airport. You should look into travel insurance.
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