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An
Information Guide
to
Activities,
Attractions, and Family Friendly Accommodations in the
Florida Keys
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FLORIDA
KEYS BEST KIDS
IN KEYS NAVIGATION BAR
Many
of the providers listed below are located in Key
Largo, home of world famous John Pennykamp Coral Reef
State Park . Excellent snorkeling is also available in
the Middle and Lower Keys. Tour operators in the Duck
Key and Marathon areas provides trips to Coffins Patch
or Sombrero Reef. Operators in the Big Pine and the
Lower Keys either go to Looe Key or other favorite
snorkeling areas. Make
reservations ahead of time and reshedule if conditions
aren't good for children. Usually a good tour operator
will cancel a tour or advise you if the water is too
rough or visibility isn't good. Several
of the larger tour operators with large roomy boats or
unique providers are listed below: .
The
SNORKEL CENTER at Hawks Cay
Resort
- MM 61
-
The
Snorkel Center on Duck Key is the island headquarters
for Snorkeling. Located at the Hawk's Cay marina
docks, the Snorkel Center is less than a two minute
walk from resort rooms at the Hawk's Cay Inn and
villas at Hawk's Cay Village and about a fifteen
minute drive from Islamorada or Marathon. For
reservations and information, contact (305) 743-9000
or snorkeling@hawkscay.com for mom, dad and the kids.
Tropical
Reef Snorkel Trip - The Snorkel Center
goes to Coffin's Patch Reef in the early afternoon -
$30 per person includes equipment and beverage on
the"Osprey" . The Snorkel Center also provides
Snorkeling lessons for kids on site for patrons of the
Resort. .
SCUBA
RANGER PROGRAM offered at TILDEN'S SCUBA
CENTER
- MM 61
-
Certified
scuba instructors and the Scuba Ranger Program are
available for kids 8 to 12 at the Tilden Dive Center
located at the Hawk's Cay marina docks, 61 Hawk's Cay
Blvd. Children work their way through 5 levels from
basic water safety techniques, swimming and snorkeling
skills, scuba skills and underwater photography. They
learn through fun and gamesand at skill level 5, Demo
Ranger, dremonstrate their newly learned skills to
parents, family and friends. More information contact
the Dive center at 305-289-4931 or 305-743-7000 Ext.
3717, Fax 305-289-4932 - Also 1-877-FUN-DIVE
(386-34830 For
general information on the national scuba Ranger
Program visit http://www.scubarangers.com E-mail:
diving@hawkscay.com Websites
- http://www.divingathawkscay.com
and http://www.tildensscubacenter.com .
John
Pennekamp Coral Reef State
Park
- MM 102.5 Entrance
fee for car $4 and 50 cents a person. Snorkel
Boat - The snorkel concession at John Pennecamp
offer 3 snorkel tours a day. The trip which lasts
about 2 1/2 hours and provides 1 1/2 hours of water
time costs $20 for children under 18 years of age.
Adults are charged $25. Rental of mask, fins, and
souvenir snorkel costs another $5.
305-451-1621 Sail
and Snorkel - Two trips a day which includes a
sail on a 38 foot catamaran out to the snorkel area
and 1 1/2 hour water time costs $32 for adults and $27
for children under 18. Rental of mask, fins, and
souvenir snorkel costs another $5.
305-451-1621 .
Strike
Zone Charters - Big
Pine
- MM
29.5 Snorkeling
is just one of several activities Strike Zone provides
for children. Strike Zone uses a large catamaran with
glass bottom to take patrons touring the back country
. Visitors experience the Keys history, see an
assortment of aquatic birds and marine life, fish a
bit, snorkel over a coral reef, and enjoy
Strike Zones fish cook-out on a private island. $45
pp. for 5 and 1/2 hour tour. 800-654-9560 or
305-872-9863 .
Capt.
Anne Baxter - Adventure
Tours
- MM
81.5
at WideWorld Sportsman. Islamorada,
305-852-4553 Easy
Adventures offers private snorkeling charters for
families and groups up to 6. Snorkeling sites are
shallow, sometimes only 2 feet, ideal for
beginners. Cheeca Rocks is a nearshore patch reef with
7 foot tall coral formations in 10-12 foot depth, the
tops of the corals in many places only 3 foot deep.
Alligator Lighthouse is an offshore bank-barrier reef
with 3 foot depth in the shallowest portion. More
advanced snorkelers can try their luck at catching a
lobster. Lessons and equipment provided, free. For
more information, click on Easy
Adventures
- Adventure tours for the kids and family, specialty
tours, Indian key ruins, Everglades, ocean reefs,
photography, wildlife identification, learn ecology
and science while in search of dolphin, reddish
egrets, bald eagles, roseate spoonbills and sea
turtles. half day or full day of exploring the waters
of the Florida Keys, remote shallow bays and narrow
creeks where tropical wildlife lives. For
more information click on Easy Adventures at
www.keysboats.com .
Glass
Bottom Boat Tour with Hooka
Diving
- MM 54 Snorkel
or try "Hooka Diving" with Captain Donna
Browning, which requires no scuba certification, but
enables youngsters to duck under the surface and see
the reef and fish really close up. Hooka diving is a
lot less expensive than scuba diving and is a great
way for kids and beginners to experience the thrill of
diving. 305-289-9933 or cell phone 305-393-9919,
leaves from Rainbow Bend on Grassy Key. .
Sharky's
Snorkel and Dive
Trips
- MM 100
Holiday
Inn Marina at Key Largo - High speed catamaran travels
to shallow reefs of John Pennycamp for
snorkeling three trips a day. 1-800-935-3483 or
305-451-5533. About $25 for adults and $19 for
children. Snorkel gear $5 extra. A non- diving parent
may go along for the ride for $15. .
Snuba
Tours of Key Largo -
Key largo The
SNUBA ® Adventure - Half-day Snuba/Snorkel. SNUBA
® gear, and underwater guide, Orientation and
SNUBA ® diving on a guided tour of the marine
environment of coral reefs of John Pennekamp Coral
Reef State Park - $75 per person - Pool
Lesson - one hour lesson in pool before diving, gear
included - $45 per person (305)
451-6391, E-Mail: snuba@pennekamp.com http://www.pennekamp.com/sw/snuba.htm SNUBA
® Locations - Silent World Dive Center, Key Largo,
MM103.2 Bayside, (305) 451-3252 or (800) 966-3483 .
Spirit
Snorkeling Catamaran
- MM 47.5
Next
to Porky's Bayside Restaurant in Marathon Spirit
Snorkeling travels twice daily to Sombrero Reef
Marine Santuary and Lighthouse on a power
catamaran. Spirit takes no scuba divers and goes to
only shallow water snorkeling locations. Trip includes
equipment and floats and costs $26. First timers and
families welcome. Free snorkeling instruction. Kids
can float on toys or snorkel or watch if they choose.
305-289-0614. .
Quicksilver
Catamaran
- MM 100 Sailing
and snorkeling combined at John Pennycamp Park
on a 50 foot catamaran. Twice daily, AM trip has one
stop for snorkeling $22, PM trip starts at 12:30 and
includes two stops and two hours of snorkeling $30.
Family rates available, Special summer rates, Holiday
Inn Docks, Key Largo 305-451-0105. .
Key
Divers
- MM 100
Office located next to Wendy's, Boat at Marina del
Mar Resort Offers
3 Snorkeling tours - 9 AM in Morning for price $24, 1
stop and 1hour water time, Afternoon Tour begins
12:15, $32, 3 stops and over 2 hours water time .
SunDiver Snorkeling
- MM 103
- SunDiver
Station is red building and located Bayside
Ask
about family rates, feel safe and comfortable while
snorkeling at Pennekamp State Park's shallow-water
reefs, 3 trips daily. No Scuba allowed to assure so
that crew may devote attention to snorkelers.
1-800-654-7369, 305-451-2220 It's
A Dive -
Key Largo - MM
103,
103800 Overseas Highway, 305-453-9881 or 800-809-9881
snorkel and dive trips, equipment rentals, rental
boats, parasailing, eco-tours and more Captain
Hook's Marina and Dive
center.
- 11833 Overseas Hwy. Marathon,
FL 33050 Two
dive and snorkel trips daily,
http://www.captainhooks.com, 305-743-2444
(800)278-4665 Email:info@captainhooks.com Snorkel
and Fish at Sea Dog
Marina - 1/2 day
fishing plus 1/2 day snorkeling 305-743-8255 located
MM 47.5 next to Seven Mile Grill,
Marathon
- www.seadogcharters.net,
wwwstarfishswimandsnorkel.com KeyLypso
-
Snorkeling aboard power catamaran , mask, fins,
snorkel included, rest room on board, safety vest -
Marathon, MM 53 at Vaca Cut Bridge at Marathon Lady
Docks - 305-743-7655, 1-888-248-4452 -
http://www.keylypso.com Sombrero
Reef Explorers -
19 Sombrero Blvd., Marathon,
FL 33050 , 305-743-0536 - snorkel
trips twice daily to Sombrero Reef Marine Sanctuary ,
children welcome. http://www.sombreroreef.com
SunDiver
Snorkeling
- MM 103 - SunDiver
Station is red building and located Bayside
Ask
about family rates, feel safe and comfortable while
snorkeling at Pennekamp State Park's shallow-water
reefs, 3 trips daily. No Scuba allowed to assure so
that crew may devote attention to snorkelers.
1-800-654-7369, 305-451-2220 San
Pedro Under Water Archeaological
Preserve
- offshore about 1.25 miles south of Indian Key,
305-664-4815. For
this you need a boat. You can tie up at mooring buoys
and snorkel or scuba to explore the San Pedro Under
Water Archieologigical Preserve. The ship San
Pedro
is
part of a fleet of Spanish treasure ships which left
Cuba with a cargo of gold and silver for Spain. A
hurricane sent the entire fleet to the bottom of the
sea on July 13, 1733. Divers and snorkelers who
explore the San Pedro site will see "concrete"
cannons, an anchor, other relics, tropical fish and
other marine life in 18 feet of water. Loran
coordinates: 14082.1 by 43320.6 Looe
Key National Marine
Sanctuary,
MM
30,
Big
Pine Key,
(305) 872-4039. Looe
Key Marine Sanctuary is located five miles offshore.
The water is extremely clear and very shallow which
makes Looe Key a popular diving and snorkeling
destination. Visible are a variety of coral reef
formations, sdand flats, sea-grass beds, marine life
and tropical fish. Kids can also view the remains of
the HMS Looe, a British frigate that sank in 1744.
Key
Cut -
snorkeling trips aboard the catamaran Key Cut,
305-294-4515, located at Sunset Pier Marina, Ocean Key
Resort, zero Duval Street,
www.keycat.com Florida
Keys Best
SNORKELING
- SCUBA
-SNUBA
Viewing
the reef is one of the main reasons visitors come to
the Keys, and with proper supervision snorkeling and
SNUBA are safe ways for children to view this
underwater paradise. If you children love the water
and are comfortable in it they should be able to
snorkel with a little basic instruction. Make sure you
have provided the right equipment for them such as a
mask that fits well and an opportunity to get
comfortable with the concept of breathing through a
tube by practicing in a pool prior to your snorkeling
adventure. Also see SNUBA and Hooka Diving
below.
SNUBA ® is an exciting shallow water diving system
- bridging the gap between snorkeling and scuba
diving. Enjoy breathing underwater with SNUBA ®
and Sunset trip departs at 5:30 PM, $24, 1 stop, 1
hour of water time
305-451-1177for reservation or purchase tickets
dockside
To
find out more about Kids' activities and places to
see to make your children's visit to the Keys a
rewarding and worthwhile experience, CLICK on the
links in the navigtion bar to the left or provided
below.
MUSEUMS
.
WATER
SPORTS
.
MOVIES
.
DOLPHINS
.
KAYAKS
.
GOLF
BOATS
TOURS
.
SNORKEL
.
DAY
PROGRAMS
.
ATTRACTIONS
BIKING
AND SKATING
.
FISHING
.
CHILD
HEALTH TRAVEL
. ICE
CREAM
.
READING
.
MESSAGE
BOARD
The
links below are for charity organizations providing
services for children in the Florida
Keys.
[
CHILDREN'S
SHELTER
]
[
FLORIDA
KEYS KIDCARE
]
[
KIDS IN SPECIAL
SIUTUATIONS
]
[
GUARDIAN
AD LITEM GUILD
]
[
OPERATION
BRAVE KIDS
]
THIS
PAGE CREATED BY FLORIDA KEYS BEST
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http://www.floridakeysbest.com
email@floridakeysbest.com
386 East Seaview Drive
Marathon, Florida 33050
305-289-1872