Key Largo is the largest of the Florida Keys extending about 30 miles from end to end. Originally the Spanish called the island Cayo Largo, meaning long island. Through the years, the island has been home to pirates, and smugglers. The coastal waters are littered with many of their shipwrecks. Located within an hour's drive of Miami, it is a popular weekend getaway for residents of those areas. Key Largo offers excellent fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and the world famous Everglades are just a short drive away.

	Key Largo, is considered the "Diving Capital of the World", as it should be. The nation's foremost underwater parks, Pennekamp State Park, and Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary are just offshore. In total there are approximately 190 square miles of coral reefs made up of 55 types of coral, grass beds with 600-plus species of fish, and mangrove swamps. The area around the reef has areas shallow enough for snorkeling. In addition, there are areas of deeper water for the scuba divers.
Even if you don't want to go diving, there are still opportunities to have encounters with local animals and marine life. Dolphin Cove and Dolphins Plus both offer dolphin encounters. If you don't want to get in the water, you can watch other from land. Nearby, is Robbie's of Islamorada. From their dock you can feed the school of 50 to 100 tarpon who gather daily and linger for hours.
The Florida Keys residents are very sensitive their environment, and Key Largo is no exception. The Marine Lab, located in Key Largo, offers students from all over the country the opportunity to have a hands on experience in ecological concepts and observe marine creatures in their natural habitats. The Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center, also located in the area, rehabilitates sick or injured wild birds.
Key Largo has a subtropical climate with plentiful sunshine year-round. Most of the rain falls during the summer and early fall, keeping the area lush and tropical. Normally the trade winds are blowing over the island, helping to keep things feeling cool. View the Seasonal Weather Averages. The graphs say Homestead, which is only a few miles away. Due to the powerful rays of the sun, it is a good idea to wear a hat and sunscreen when outdoors. The dress in Key Largo, along with the rest of the Keys is very casual. Leave your formal attire at home. Shorts, T-shirts and bathing suits are all you will need. Want to see what it looks like right now? This is a link to a Key Largo Web Cam
Overseas Highway (US 1) is the main highway throughout the Florida Keys, from Key Largo to Key West. The best way to learn your way around is to know the Mile Marker (MM) of your destination. The Mile Markers are little green signs along the highway, located every mile. They act just like an address. If you know your destination's MM, getting there will be easy. The Mile Markers begin with MM 127 (south of Florida City) and end with MM 0 in Key West - the Southernmost city in the United States.

City                       Mile Marker        Miles From Miami        Key Largo                110-89                       58        Islamorada                 88-66                       76        Marathon                    65-40                     111        Big Pine Key              39-9                       128        Key West                      8-0                       159