5 Must-Do Things in Key Largo

My husband is a coastal engineer  (which is a really cool profession. If you have a STEM student who loves the water, you should really look into it!) which means that he has to travel to beautiful places like the Florida Keys for work. (I know. Rough life. I told you it’s a cool profession!)

Michael receiving an award!

We have been coming to the Keys every year since 2001 – sometimes to Key West and sometimes to Key Largo – depending on where the conference was being held. Since it was in Key Largo this year, here is my list of can’t-miss things to do there!5 Must Do's in Key Largo

Key Lime Pie on a Stick

We have made it a mission to try as many key lime pies as we can when we are down here and hands-down my favorite version is the frozen key lime pie on a stick. Several different places sell them. It’s delicious!

key lime pie on a stick

key lime pie on a stick

A new find this year is the key lime pie in a jar.

Key lime pie in a jar

An interesting version (but not MY favorite) is the fried key lime pie where a piece of pie is wrapped in dough and deep fried. The best one is at the Pilot House where you can see the fish through the glass floor squares. They even light it at night. Very cool!

fried key lime pie

This one was interesting because it was panko crusted. But the pie itself wasn’t very good. IMO.

fried and reg key lime pie

(An aside. Did you know that Oreo has key lime pie cookies? They’re not bad!)

Key Lime Pie Oreos

Snorkel Trip

You can try snorkeling at John Pennekamp State Park but we’ve never done that. Every year we go out on a giant catamaran to offshore reefs. Our favorite outfit is Snorkel Key Largo.

Reef Roamer

It’s seriously amazing to snorkel on a reef. It’s like swimming in a giant aquarium. Definitely bring your GoPro or borrow one from a friend! You can plan on about $45 per person. They provide you with all the equipment, go 3.5 miles offshore and make two stops. On the latest trip we stopped at Mosquito Bank North and then we went to Mosquito Bank South.

Shell World

Shell World
There are two locations in Key Largo but our preferred one is the second, more southern location (near MM 96). I remember the first time we stopped here I was a little skeptical, expecting it to be full of tacky touristy stuff. Although there is a little bit of that, most of the store is actually really, really cool! I like to buy a souvenir piece of jewelry. My collection is growing nicely.

Nautical trinkets and baubles

And of course they sell shells. It is *Shell* World after all!

Shells

Hang out by the Beach/Pool

I mean, it’s the Keys, right?? It’s all about laid-back and relaxing. People mistakenly believe that there are nice beaches in the Keys. Actually, most of the islands are surrounded by mangroves. However, hotels do a pretty good job of creating man-made beaches for hanging out on but they certainly are not the best beaches in Florida. The views are amazing, though, so taking time to just chill in a chair, under a palm tree while gazing out at the blue expanse is definitely on my to-do list when I’m down here! Extra points if there’s a cold adult beverage in my hand.

If you’re lucky (like I was) you might see a juvenile manatee swim by!

Cuban Food or Seafood

There’s a large population of Cubans so the food is very authentic and delicious! Stop by the Pinecrest Bakery for cafe’ con leche and a pastry! There was only one woman who spoke English this last time! Talk about authentic!

The Keys are pretty pricey but the seafood is so incredibly fresh that you just have to pay the piper. Personally, I do not eat any crustaceans but I have grown to like some types of fish. I had some really yummy yellow tail snapper and mahi mahi.

Cuban pork, plantains, black beans and rice
Cuban pork, plantains, black beans and rice

The Keys are pretty pricey but the seafood is so incredibly fresh that you just have to pay the piper. Personally, I do not eat any crustaceans but I have grown to like some types of fish. I had some really yummy yellow tail snapper and mahi mahi.

fish with plantains
fish with plantains
Mahi mahi salad
I think this was mahi mahi on a salad.

So there you have it! My list of things we do every time we go to Key Largo!

5 Must Do's in Key Largo

Be sure to pin this to help you remember for your trip to the Keys!

Have you ever been to the Keys? What’s your favorite thing to do there?

About Sheila @ Making the Most of Every Day

I'm a wife, mom, and a homeschool teacher. I'm always behind on housework and paper pile sorting. I'm fond of this crazy life but not of melted cheese. I want to follow hard after God, making each day really count. I like to run, read, cook (and eat!). Thanks for joining along on my journey!

16 thoughts on “5 Must-Do Things in Key Largo

  1. I haven’t been to the Keys, but they are on my bucket list! As much as I’ve traveled I’ve actually only been to Florida twice… once for the “homegrown STC” and once for FPEA. Didn’t see the ocean or Disney or anything at all really, either time. Some day we’ll drive down there. Disney is not on my bucket list, but I’m sure there are many other things I would enjoy.

  2. I’ve only had key lime pie once when a coworker made it… I’d definitely be down for trying ALL the kinds! So fun

  3. My mouth is truly watering over here and I just ate dinner. Kind of started with dessert first in this post, huh? Always a great idea in my book. The platanos look goey and delicious. I will eat your share of crustaceans. Love them. Was your underwater pic taken with a GoPro or ProGo or whatever it is? We tried used an underwater disposal camera with terrible results. Your pic is fab! Would love to go back to the Keys again some day.

  4. How lucky you are! That’s a beautiful place to visit. I’ve been there once, I think it was Key West. I was surprised to walk and walk into to ocean and the water was only up to my knees! As a good Latina, I love most of the food one can find in Florida, YUM!
    Hey, I love that underwater pic of you, I’ve never snorkeled, but I might give it a try.

Comments are closed.