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Discover what the Upper Keys has to offer. A place to relax and have fun -- with spectacular fishing and diving! Islamorada is known as the fishing capital of the world. Nearby, the Everglades will awe you with their natural habitat of salt water crocodiles, herons, egrets and roseate spoonbills. Year round you can enjoy fishing for yellowtail snapper, marlin, tarpon, snook, wahoo and sailfish.
"When Key Largo's Jewfish Creek bridge is raised on a sunny weekend afternoon during the 'season,' traffic on both sides of U.S. 1 can back up for miles. Heatwaves shimmer across the long thin line of cars, motor homes, trailered boats, asphalt, and humanity. The scent is repeated a few miles south at the entrance to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, where visitors are sometimes turned away because the park is full. Jet skis whine over shallow water flats surrounding the island, and cigarette racing boats roar across Blackwater Sound. Boats of every description filled with divers, snorkelers, fishermen, and landlubbers content to just peer over the side bob over the reefs of the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. Tourists crown into tiki bars, and motels proudly flash NO VACANCY in bright neon all along U.S. 1 from Key Largo to Key West. If the Keys are 'Paradise,' then Key Largo is the first port of call. More than four million people visit here or pass through on their way to Islamorada, Marathon, and Key West each year. Visitors to the Keys want to dive, snorkel, fish, eat, recreate, and vegetate. The may stay a day, a week, a month; some never leave. Gentle tropical breezes and bright sunshine are more than just the weather; they area a way of life. . ."
by Jeff Ripple, author, The Florida Keys - The Natural Wonders of an Island Paradise.
Key Largo is both an island and a town in the Florida Keys, located off of the southern coast of Florida. The population of this town is just 11,886, but its size can swell considerably when tourists visit the area during popular vacation periods. The island of Key Largo is 33 miles in length, but the town known by the same name is only 12.2 square miles. Relocating to Key Largo is often the dream of many retirees looking to get away from it all – this is evident in the median age of the residents, which is 43.1 years old...read more »
Key Largo, the northernmost island, is a great place to start your tour of the Keys. Known as the Diving Capital of the World, this area of land and sea will provide underwater explorers access to North America’s only living coral barrier reef, as well as Spiegel Grove, a 510 foot sunken navy ship. Sport fishing is also a popular attraction, so arrange for an experienced captain to take you out for a spin if you have your heart set on reeling in an exotic catch. Key Largo’s close proximity to the Everglades make eco-tours exciting prospects, and kayakers with a love for the environment can be seen paddling all around the lush marshland.
Next in line is Islamorada. Though ocean fishing is an activity common in all the Keys, Islamorada claims the title of Sport Fishing Capital of the World. Reel in a sailfish, tuna, tarpon, or bonefish, or just watch the saltwater hunters do their thing. Diving, too, is popular here, as the coral reef winds its way all around this enchanting string of islands. Islamorada has a few state parks for your enjoyment, and plenty of shops and galleries that surely contain the perfect souvenir....read more
UPPER FLORIDA KEYS EVENTS
May 17-19, 2010 ~ Golden Fly Tarpon Tournament - Islamorada
Contact: Charlotte Ambrogio (305) 664-2444
May 20-23, 2010 ~ Key Largo Singers & Songwriters Festival
Contact: Robert Stoky (305) 522-1300
June 2 & 3, 2010 ~ Islamorada Fishing Club Captain’s Cup Dolphin Tournament
Contact: Theresa Reineman at 305-664-4735
June 4-6, 2010 ~ Islamorada Dolphin Tournament
Contact: Dianne Harbaugh at (305) 852-2102
June 5-10, 2010 ~ Key Largo Reef Fest
Underwater photo competition, treasure hunt, underwater scavenger hunt
Contact: 800-822-1088
June 7-11, 2010 ~ Don Hawley Invitational Tarpon Tournament - Islamorada
Contact: Charlotte Ambrogio (305) 664-2444
June 11 & 12, 2010 ~ 17th Annual Original Ladies Dolphin Tournament - Key Largo
$10,000 in cash and prizes are given to the top 20 anglers.
Contact: Sara Hamilton 305-360-7727
June 21-25, 2010 ~ Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament - Islamorada
Contact: Charlotte Ambrogio (305) 664-2444
July 13-15, 2010 ~ Florida Keys Outfitters IGFA Inshore World Championship
Islamorada
Contact: Denise Scoble or Sandy Moret at (305) 664-5423
July 25 & 26, 2010 ~ Islamorada Fishing Club RedGhost Stalk
Contact: Jim and Sherri Trice (305) 664-3864
July 30 - August 8, 2010 ~ Key Largo Food & Wine Festival
Contact: (305) 394-3736
August 27 & 28, 2010 ~ Islamorada Swordfish Tournament
Contact: Richard Peeples (305) 282-1006
September 15-17, 2010 ~ Islamorada Invitational Fall Fly Bonefish Tournament
Contact: Charlotte Ambrogio (305) 664-2444
September 25 & 26, 2010 ~ Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Tournament
Contact: Charlotte Ambrogio (305) 664-2444
October 1-3, 2010 ~ Mercury Baybone Celebrity Tournament - Islamorada
Contact: Gary Ellis (305) 664-2002
October 6-8, 2010 ~ Women’s Fall Fly Classic – Multiple Species - Islamorada
Contact: Charlotte Ambrogio (305) 664-2444
November 5-7, 2010 ~ Mercury Redbone Celebrity Tournament - Islamorada
Contact: Gary Ellis (305) 664-2002
November 12 & 13, 2010 ~ Key Largo Bridge Run
Email: candy@keylargobridgerun.com
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