Why do they call them keys and not Islands?

When explorer Juan Ponce de Leon charted the islands of the Keys in 1513, he called them Los Martires (meaning “the martyrs”) because he thought they resembled men in distress. The more popular name, simply the Keys, is derived from the Spanish word Cayo (“small island”).



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A key is a small, low-lying coral island. Like all coral islands, keys are the remnants of ancient coral reefs, and many keys are still ringed by healthy reef ecosystems. Over time, the top of a coral reef is exposed to the surface.

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A: “Key” and “cay” are just different spellings of the same 17th-century word for a small, low island, especially in the Caribbean or off the coast of Florida. “Key” is more common in Florida and “cay” in the Caribbean, and it's likely that local customs and place names have kept the different spellings alive.

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You see, Key West and the rest of the Florida Keys are coral islands – former reefs, created when the ocean was deeper and the region was submerged below the sea. Today, the ocean is shallower and the living coral reefs are six miles offshore, providing a barrier to waves and swells.

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You can also swim and enjoy other water sports like windsurfing and snorkeling as well as kayaking and paddleboarding in the clear, clean water inhabited by tropical fish.

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A key is a small, low-lying coral island. Like all coral islands, keys are the remnants of ancient coral reefs, and many keys are still ringed by healthy reef ecosystems. Over time, the top of a coral reef is exposed to the surface.

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A surprising 1,700 islands make up the Florida Keys of which 882 are charted and 30 inhabited. Though we've enjoyed exploring many of the island treasures found throughout the Keys, we have a few that you shouldn't miss.

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The 7 Best Islands In the Florida Keys, Florida
  • Key West. Key West is one of the most coveted places for beach holidays in the Florida Keys. ...
  • Little Torch Key. This Florida Key is one of the best-kept secrets in the United States. ...
  • Big Pine Key. ...
  • Key Largo. ...
  • Long Key. ...
  • Duck Key. ...
  • Marathon Key.


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Largest of the keys is Key Largo, about 30 miles (50 km) long and formerly known for its plantations of key limes (used to make key lime pies).

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Key West (Spanish: Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it constitutes the City of Key West.

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Ballast Key is an island in the Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is the southernmost point of land in the contiguous United States. It was the last privately owned land within the boundaries of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge.

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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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