Road trips don’t come more spectacular than the Overseas Highway. Sailing through tropical savanna over the Florida Straits, it links Miami on the mainland with the 180-kilometer-long Florida Keys island chain. Most visitors head straight to Key West, the southernmost city in the continental United States, but if they stopped along the way they’d find secluded … Read more
Florida’s 171 state parks vary in the natural and cultural resources that they have to offer. Many of them have at least one unique feature, and some of these are easy to miss. Pennekamp Park. The Florida Keys are an island chain surrounded by saltwater. Finding freshwater has always been a concern. Freshwater holes were … Read more
The Florida Keys has rich history, diverse culture and constantly evolving art scene make this unique series of islands a world-class destination. International influences, especially those from the Americas and Caribbean, have made the area a favorite getaway for artists and writers searching for a relaxed atmosphere with unrivaled natural beauty that serves as constant … Read more
Key Largo’s Snapper’s Waterfront Restaurant in Key Largo sold for $7.1 million this week. The popular eating and drinking spot at mile marker 94.5 was owned by Howard and Lynda Kolbenheyer for the past 27 years. Why did they sell? “Because it’s been 27 years and I’m tired,” Howard Kolbenheyer said. He and Lynda are … Read more
That’s a big one. Backcountry guide and fishing columnist for The Reporter, Capt. Mike Makowski, snapped a photo of this crocodile off north Key Largo last week while taking a charter on an eco tour. Capt. Mike estimates the croc to be about 12 feet long. Source: That’s a big one. – Florida Keys Crocodiles
Flood-prone neighborhoods could soon rise higher on the road repaving list after county officials told staff last week to make them a priority. At the Oct. 21 Monroe County Commission meeting in Marathon, Kevin Wilson, assistant county administrator in charge of Public Works & Engineering, was given a clear direction to address the flooding in … Read more
It was a busy day at the wreck of the Benwood. There were several dive boats tied to the mooring balls. As I approached the wreck, I saw all manner of scuba divers — from those decked out in rebreathers and other technical gear to others who appeared to be finishing up dives to get their … Read more
For the first time in more than two decades, a new hotel will open in Key Largo, with the 2016 debut of the Playa Largo Resort & Spa. “As the first new hotel built in Key Largo in more than 21 years, Playa Largo Resort & Spa will offer a level of luxury, service and sophistication … Read more
Summer may be slipping away, but you still have time to slip beneath some waves. The best part is — you don’t even have to leave the country to do it. Yahoo Travel went in search of easily accessible and interesting places to don fins, mask, and snorkels for a fun day of fish peeping. … Read more
Playa Largo resort, currently under construction at mile marker 97.4, bayside, is seeking Monroe County Planning Commission approval for 24 off-site affordable housing units to serve as employee residences for its staff. It is also proposing to build 28 single-family homes on the same parcel of land as the two 12-unit workforce housing buildings. The commission … Read more
Four Homestead men aboard a 15-foot skiff off North Key Largo were arrested Sunday on multiple conservation charges Sunday, state marine officers report. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers recovered a mesh bag from the bottom of Angelfish Creek, agency spokesman Officer Bobby Dube said. The bag held undersized lobster, snapper and grouper. … Read more
Kristopher G. Wagner, P.A., Director, Commercial Sales with Keyes Commercial Real Estate Company, negotiated the sale of Kona Kai Resort, Gallery & Botanical Gardens, located at 97802 Overseas Highway in Key Largo, Florida. The 11-room resort property, which also features an owner’s suite, is considered one of the most exclusive resorts known to the Florida … Read more
The Chica Travelsita, Travel Blogger and Travel Agent explores the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West! She stays at The Casa Morada in Islamorada, explores the waters with Upper Keys Sport Fishing and The Florida Fisherman and experiences delicious food and drinks at Lorelei’s Restaurant and Bar, Bitton Bistro and The Square Grouper. … Read more
Playa Largo, the Marriott Autograph property that will soon become the first full-service resort to open in Key Largo since 1993, has begun accepting room reservations, and plans a host of restaurant offerings, The Real Deal has learned. The resort’s booking engine went live on the Marriott.com website in the middle of this month. … Read more
We wanted to touch a little piece of movie history, so we headed down to Key Largo, Fla., to ride on the African Queen. The African Queen is a 30-foot steel-hulled steamship built in 1912 as the S/L Livingston to navigate the upper Nile River. John Huston leased it in 1951 to make the movie … Read more
It’s crazy and fun — an event for everyone! Grab your oars and anything that floats and come on down and enjoy this family-fun Key Largo festival, Anything that Floats Race on Blackwater Sound, mile marker 104, bayside in Key Largo, Florida Keys. The fun begins from Sundowners Dock, mm 104, bayside, Key Largo (305-451-4502). … Read more
An essay contest is underway to award an underwater wedding to mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic “Christ of the Deep” statue’s installation in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The 9-foot bronze “Christ of the Deep” has become a symbol for Key Largo’s John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, America’s first underwater preserve … Read more
The government’s first effort to mark Carysfort Reef came in the form of the 220-ton two-masted schooner Caesar. The Caesar was a lightship. Each of its two masts was fitted with a lantern designed to be visible up to 12 miles away. The ship also had a bell that would echo across the Atlantic with every … Read more
A father and son from Key Largo are facing charges after illegally catching lobsters near Tom’s Harbor Cut Bridge on Wednesday. Deputy Wilfredo Guerra was looking down from the bridge at about 1:45 p.m. when he noticed the two men as they were spearing, wringing and placing the tails of lobsters into a blue mesh … Read more