A necklace of islands that begin just south of Miami, the Florida
Keys are connected by the Overseas Highway’s 42 bridges – one
seven miles long – over the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The area
is divided into five regions: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key
and Key West. Most dive and snorkeling vacations center around Key Largo,
Big Pine Key and Key West.
Key West, the nation’s southernmost city, marks the final
stop on the Overseas Highway. Situated closer to Havana than Miami, Key West
exerts a charm all its own, with quaint, palm-studded streets, century-old
gingerbread mansions and a relaxed citizenry of self-styled “Conchs.”
Offshore lies Stargazer, an undersea living work of cosmic art created by
sculptor Ann Labriola.
