Florida Keys Blog

After driving about an hour south of Miami, you will reach Florida City. 

Florida City is known as the "gateway to the Keys" because all roads merge into one and funnel all traffic from this point on down into the islands of the keys. Plan your next vacation in the keys after reading all about what to do while here in this post. 

The islands of the Florida Keys are mainly just called "Keys" not islands. 

So, how many islands are in the Florida Keys? 

There are actually over 1,700 named islands that make up the Florida Keys. 

Maps show us there are even more tiny islands that have no names. But don't get this confused with No Name Key, one of the islands.

When a lot of folks think of the islands of the Florida Keys, they just think of seeing the underwater statue of Jesus at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Key West. Totally oblivious to everything else our little chain of islands holds in between these. 

Don't get us wrong, you will want to book with Sail Fish Scuba for a stop in Key Largo, to do our guided snorkeling or scuba diving tour to go see the (Christ of the Abyss) with us. Our guides take the coolest photos during tours and all photos are always 100% Free with the tour cost.

Let's start with clearing up confusion about Key Biscayne. Key Biscayne is not one of the Florida Keys, but it is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida. 

Starting just off Florida City in the Northern Upper Keys as they are called you will encounter Soldier Key, Ragged Keys, Boca Chita Key, and Sands Key. These are called "transitional keys", and the islands are actual ancient reef that is now exposed. 

The keys north of Broad Creek are in Miami-Dade County, unlike all the rest which are in Monroe County. These are true Florida Keys and are also exposed ancient reef. 

These keys make up part of the Biscayne National Park: Elliott Key, Adams Key, Rubicon Keys, Reid Key, Totten Key, and Old Rhodes Key. 

Coming more south you will find the "town" of Key Largo, just after traveling over the very high bridge on US route #1 south. Many folks do not even realize they are in "the Keys" at this point.

Owner of Sail Fish Scuba, Jennifer Kerr has been working in scuba dive shops along US#1 in Key Largo since 2006 and states:  I can't tell you how many times tourists walked into our Key Largo dive shop and say, "we are on our way to The Keys and stopped to ask how far yet is the drive to get to the Keys? We are booked into a hotel in Key West." They are not even looking around to realize they have been traveling over "keys"/islands for the past half hour already. 

Key Largo starts at mile marker 107 and ends at mile marker 91. 

When you are in "The Keys" all locals refer to your destinations as mile markers. With the southernmost point marker in Key West being mile marker 0 and Florida City being mile marker 126.

As you drive down our only main road, US #1, which connects all our islands, you will notice green highway makers stating which mm# you are currently on. 

Key Largo is known as the diving capital of the World, as we have more pristine dive sites than anywhere on the planet. Diving Key Largo is explained like this; 17 miles long and nearly 7 miles wide of nonstop living coral reef with thousands of historical shipwrecks scattered everywhere, and the World Famous John Pennekamp Underwater Coral Reef Park with the (Christ of the Abyss) Jesus statue. 

To top off our World class diving, we intentionally sunk the USCG Cutters Bibb and Duane in November 1987 to form an artificial reef system in Key Largo. These shipwrecks quickly grew massive corals and attracted reef fish, making them World Class scuba diving sites. Diving tourism exploded for Key Largo at this time. 

All the Key Largo scuba diving shop owners realized quickly that if they could sink yet another shipwreck it would help their business even more. 

So, they banded together to raise over a million dollars in funding to bring the USS Spiegel Grove (former Navy vessel) to Key Largo and sink it. 

In 2002, after years of planning and fund raising, the Spiegel, as she is commonly called was sunk.

 She did not sink as planned (to sit upright on the bottom), but she lay on her starboard side on the 140 feet deep sandy bottom. 

Hurricane Dennis in 2005 was so powerful, causing the wave height to get so high, the USS Spiegel Grove was swept up in the water column like a toy boat in a bathtub, and left sitting perfectly upright on the bottom of the sea!

She still stands tall in the same place today, nearly 20 years later.

Opps! Sorry! We got off topic there for a second. That happens when you get a diver talking about the Florida Keys scuba diving. 

Now, back to our story of telling you about your question: How many islands make up the Florida Keys. 

Going by boat, just offshore from Key Largo's south end, you come to Rodriguez Key. 

No one lives on this Key, but it is a "local safe harbor" anchoring place for many hardworking locals to live on their sailboats. These folks' dinghy to shore and back daily. 

Let's travel south of Key Largo and on our way to Tavernier (which is the name of the next town south) we do cross over a portion of Rock Harbor Key. Almost no one ever mentions this Key, they just say Key Largo runs down to Tavernier.

In Islamorada, the keys are known as "The Village of Islands" and here you have Plantation Key, and Lower Matecumbe. These are incorporated as "Islamorada".

Plantation Key is mile marker 90-86. Windley Key is mile marker 85-83. Upper Matecumbe Key is mile marker 83-80.

Moving more south you will encounter many islands that seem only wide enough to support the US#1 highway and a few trees. Here is where most travelers realize quickly, they are on islands and not a continent any longer. 

With the turquoise blue green sparkling water of the sea all around you and palm and coconut trees swaying, you feel you have arrived in "The Florida Keys" as most image it. 

Tea Table Keys mile marker 79.5, Indian Key Fill mm 79, accessible only by boat - Indian Key on the East side of the highway and Lignumvitae Key on the West. 

No trip down through "The Keys" is complete without a stop at Robbie's Marina at mm 77.5 on the West side of the highway. Pay a small fee and get to walk out on the dock to hand feed the giant wild tarpon fish and nurse sharks. Just don't feed the wild pelicans, they bite!

At Robbie's Marina you can rent a kayak to paddle out under the US#1 highway and over to explore the Indian Key. There used to be a whole town on this island and everyone there was known as shipwreck salvagers. 

Google the history of Indian Key as it's very interesting. 

Mile marker 77 and down to mm74 you travel across Lower Matecumbe Key and then onto Craig Key at mm 72. Keep going south and you arrive at Fiesta Key (off to the North at mm70).

Long Key (formerly known as Rattlesnake Key) covers mm70 down to mm66.

BTW: The actual Rattlesnake Key is a privately owned island located just offshore near mm106, and you can see it from Garden Cove Drive in Key Largo. It is home to pristine kayaking and paddle boarding in and out of all the tunnels through the mangrove jungle. 

After Long Key, you encounter Long Key Bridge mm65 1/4 - mm 63 1/4 which separates the Middle Keys from the Upper Keys. 

Conch Key mm63-62 and then Duck Key mm61 are crossed before Key Colony Beach. 

Marathon needs some explanation, so let's stop here and give these details.

Grassy Key mm60-58, Crawl Key mm56 1/2, Long Point Key mm56, Shelter Key mm53 3/4, Fat Deer Key (most of it) mm55- mm53 1/4, Boot Key (off to the south at mm48 Bridge Closed), Vaca Key mm53-48, and Knights Key mm47 are "incorporated" and known properly as Marathon. 

Many tourists think of Marathon only as the small airport and the little bit of town along the highway. But there is a lot more to see and experience if you want to see all of Marathon. 

One of the favorite old bridges you can still walk on leads from the end of Marathon where the 7-mile bridge starts. The old US#1 Highway is a bike/hike 2-mile path over the ocean and ends on the famous Pigeon Key mm45 (access is at mm46 3/4 on South Bound side of US#1 free parking to walk/bike to Pigeon Key.)

This is a must do stop when you head south. 

Plan to arrive early in the morning, watch the sunrise over the ocean as you stroll slowly down the old historical bridge. Take your time looking down into the water below, and you will get to see giant sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, sharks, tarpon as large as adult men, dolphins playing and so much more!

Once you arrive at the Pigeon Key Island, there is a park enter fee that must be paid.

They have an App for that. 

If you brought a swimsuit and snorkel/mask, jump off the dock and check out all the beautiful reef fish and southern stingrays hanging out in the pilings. 

After the hike back to the parking lot, if you are thirsty and hungry, just follow the path under the highway to the oceanside.

If you are of drinking age, and you want the best frozen drinks, hike the path under US#1 from free parking over to Sunset Grill and Raw Bar, which offers a free outdoor pool to enjoy while sipping drinks!

The Seven Mile Bridge mm46 3/4 - mm40 separates the Middle Keys from the Lower Keys.

As you keep traveling south, you will cross: Little Duck Key mm39 3/4, Missouri Key mm39 1/4, Ohio Key mm 38 3/4 (aka Sunshine Key), and then you arrive onto Bahia Honda Key mm38 - mm37.

Bahia Honda Key is totally worth a stop along the way!

Bring your bathing suit, enjoy a lay on the beaches, snorkel just offshore from the beach on the oceanside and explore the field of sponges, soft corals and see loads of small reef fish. 

Hike around the base of the old Seven Mile Bridge that's still on the island and make sure to get some cool photos of you under the old bridge.

Scout Key mm35 - mm34 (formerly known as West Summerland Key), No Name Key, and then you arrive at Big Pine Key mm32 - mm30. This is actually quite a large key to pull off US#1 onto side streets and explore. If you can find it, sign a dollar bill and staple it to the wall or ceiling at No Name Pub. We won't tell you where it is located, half the fun is finding it!

Little Torch Key mm28 1/2, Middle Torch/Big Torch Key (off to the north at mm 37 3/4), Ramrod Key mm27, Summerland Key mm35- mm24, Knockemdown Key, Cudjoe Key mm23 - mm21, Sugarloaf Key mm20 - mm19, Park Key mm18, Lower Sugarloaf Key mm17, Saddlebunch Key mm16-12, Shark Key (off to the north at mm11 1/4), Geiger Key (off to the south at mm10 3/4), Big Coppitt Key mm10, East Rockland Key mm9 1/2, Rockland Key mm9, Boca Chica Key mm8 - mm7, Raccoon Key (off to the north at mm 5 1/4) and then you arrive at Stock Island mm5.

On Stock Island, check out Hogfish Bar and Grill. Do not be put off by all the trailer parks, this is how the locals live. And don't forget, any one of these 1970's single wide trailers costs on average over a million dollars if you wanted to buy one of them located here to live in! Island life real estate is not cheap!

Before you leave Stock Island, walk around and check out El Siboney restaurant and make sure to pop over and stroll around The Perry Hotel and marina. 

Sigsbee Park (off to the north at mm2 3/4), Fleming Key, and then you arrive at Key West mm4-0.

When in Key West, the most popular thing to do is walking Duval Street and do people watching. 

While on Duval Street in Key West, pop in and out of all the shops, bars, museums, and grab a street side outdoor table to rest and enjoy a great meal (while people watching).

Don't forget to wait in line and have your photo taken beside the Southernmost Point statue. 

Sunset is not complete in Key West unless you spend it at Mallory Square watching the locals perform and checking out the local pop-up vendor sites. 

We hope you enjoyed our suggestions here and your drive from Florida City to Key West. 

Now you have the answer to the big questions: How many islands are in the Florida Keys?

Thanks for reading and stay tuned monthly for our upcoming cool Florida posts.