There are numerous kinds of Florida Keys vacations, ranging from quick weekend getaways to family vacations and eco tours that involve camping. Key West vacations or a Key Largo vacation are the most convenient for quick getaways. The playground of Key West is only a four-hour scenic ferry ride from the Fort Myers and Naples area on the west coast of mainland Florida. If you take your getaway vacation in Key West during the midweek period, you're apt to find that even the Key West luxury hotels offer attractive vacation packages for a minimum two-night stay. Key Largo is the largest of the islands, and the one closest to the mainland by road, just about a one-hour drive south of Miami.

Florida Keys vacations also are popular with families. Several resorts throughout the islands have special programs just for children that include supervised activities both on land and on the water. Do check carefully when planning your trip, however, because some resorts and bed and breakfast inns will not take children under a certain age. Families can find excellent vacation rentals everywhere on the archipelago that can help save on costs. Dining out as a group can be quite expensive, and virtually all vacation rentals will have full kitchens. Additionally, most have multiple bedrooms, and some can sleep as many as twenty or more people.

An Islamorada vacation places you in one of the greatest sportfishing locations in the country. In fact, the island likes to boast that it's the fishing capital of the world, and many travelers come here for a fishing vacation. You will find deep sea fishing charters and fishing outfitters for flats and bottom fishing. You can even spend a part of a fishing vacation in the Everglades.

Florida Keys Map

Camping also provides excellent Florida Keys vacations both for those looking for an alternative to Florida Keys cheap hotels and for those interested in being as close to nature as possible. For the latter, there are many eco tours that take you kayaking in unspoiled nature reserves, out in the ocean on dolphin swims with true wild dolphins, and snorkeling off the shores of secluded beaches. For those who want a scuba diving adventure, a Key Largo or Big Pine Key vacation would be ideal. Key Largo places you near John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park, the first underwater park in the United States, and Big Pine Key boasts Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary.

A vacation in Key West can also place you close to nature, even though it's the most populous town in the archipelago with a sometimes boisterous nightlife. A one-hour ferry ride away are the uninhabited Dry Tortugas islands and pristine Dry Tortugas National Park. Other Key West vacations concentrate on history, as this town has a rich and colorful history encompassing swashbuckling pirates, Prohibition-era rumrunners, and the great writers of Ernest Hemingway's day. Numerous museums, including the Hemingway home and historic Fort Zachary Taylor, appeals to those who want to learn about the past.

A vacation in Key West also beckons the gay travel community. This sophisticated city is known for its active acceptance of all, and many resorts cater to the gay and lesbian community. Numerous world-class, luxurious resorts mean Key West vacations can provide you with all the pampering and fine dining you desire—as well as some of the best spas in the Keys.