Who originally owned the Florida Keys?

Originally inhabited by Native American tribes, The Spanish claimed The Keys during Ponce de León's 1513 expedition. They saw little of value in the stony islands, but they mapped and named The Keys to help their ships navigate The Florida Straits as they carried gold and silver from the New World to the old one.



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The Florida Keys' seafaring history, shaped by pirates and wreckers and treasure hunters, still lives in magnificent vessels like the Schooner Wolf. In 1822, when Key West was a brand-new seafaring settlement, the U.S. government sent Commodore David Porter to banish pirates from area waters.

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The pristine waters of the Lower Keys highlights the area's stunning natural beauty. The 125-mile Florida Keys island chain is home to the continental United States' only living-coral barrier reef, which runs the length of the Keys about five miles offshore.

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Did you know the Florida Keys is home to the third-largest barrier reef in the world? John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the USA's first underwater park (read: underwater adventure playground). From shipwrecks to underwater statues to colourful coral reefs teeming with tropical fish, there's so much to explore.

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Most of us realize that St. Augustine is the oldest city in Florida and is considered by most historians to be the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States of America.

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There are a few local families that dominate the political end of the Island (bubbas), but the grand majority of the residents are from all walks of life. I've lived in Key West my entire life, born and raised a salt water conch.

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While Key Largo is undoubtedly the prettiest of all the Florida Keys, it's also one that's home to plenty of activities for the avid beachgoer. With scenic views like this, it would be tough not to fall in love with such a beachside beauty!

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Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key For years, there has been widespread agreement that the best beaches in the Florida Keys are the beaches at Bahia Honda State Park at MM 36.8.

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The Islands of Marathon have virtually no crime or traffic congestion and thus is seen to many as the best place to live in the Florida Keys.

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