Best Snorkeling in the Florida Keys
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The best snorkeling in the Florida Keys is in Key West, Florida!
Key West is a U.S. Island city and is part of the Florida Keys archipelago, a string of tropical islands stretching about 120 miles off the southern tip of the U.S. state of Florida between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
The Florida Keys are the perfect destination for boating, fishing, scuba diving, and snorkeling.
Key West is one of my favorite places in the entire world for so many reasons. There is something about the vibe of Key West that makes you feel simultaneously relaxed and alive. The main aspect that keeps the Florida Keys at the top of my list and keeps me returning to Key West year after year is the amazingly clear water and remarkable snorkel trips.
Here’s the best snorkeling in the Florida Keys.
Snorkeling in Key West
Key West has the Florida Reef, the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. It’s the only state with extensive shallow coral reef formations near its coast.
The reef is home to over 40 species of reef-building coral that provide food, shelter, and breeding sites for millions of plants and animals. This coral reef stretches 360 miles from Dry Tortugas National Park west of the Florida Keys to the St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County.
In June, I celebrated my birthday in Key West and had the chance to snorkel at a location that I had not been to before, Dry Tortugas National Park.
I am sharing all about my experience packing for, visiting, and snorkeling at Dry Tortugas National Park.
The Best Snorkel Gear
Before leaving for my trip, I knew I wanted to purchase my own snorkel gear. I love the water and visit Key West almost every summer, so I knew I would get my money’s worth.
I went to Scuba Adventures in Plano, Texas, to research the gear. Since Todd and I were packing light, we knew everything had to fit in our carry-on luggage. Most of our trips are shorter adventures, and we try not to check bags if we can help it.
The staff at Scuba Adventures Plano were fantastic! We tried on multiple masks and were educated on the differences between certain masks, snorkels, and fins.
Ultimately, I purchased a TUSA Tina Mask in pink and a Mares Ergo Dry Snorkel with Exhaust Valve in clear. Todd purchased a similar mask and a Mares Ergo Dry Snorkel with Exhaust Valve. We decided to skip the fins because they wouldn’t fit in our luggage and snorkeled in reef shoes instead, and it was perfect!
I highly recommend visiting a scuba store in your area if you think you will snorkel more than a couple of times per year.
It also gave us peace of mind not having to use a snorkel someone else used on the trip before us. That’s not something I minded in the past, but now that I’m more aware of spreading germs, it just made me feel better.
Visiting Dry Tortugas National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park is located almost 70 miles West of Key West and offers the best snorkeling in the Florida Keys, and I’d argue the best snorkeling in all of Florida!
This location is very remote open water with seven small islands. You can only access Dry Tortugas by boat or seaplane, so you must book a tour in advance. On the day of your tour, you’ll travel directly from Key West to Garden Key to visit Dry Tortugas National Park.
In addition to the best snorkeling, you should prepare yourself for a fantastic history lesson and tour. Garden Key is the largest island in the Dry Tortugas and is home to the historic Fort Jefferson, which is one of the nation’s largest 19th-century forts. It was built to protect one of North America’s most strategic deep-water anchorages.
Make sure you spend time with your tour guide, explore the fort independently, and check out the park store before darting off to swim and snorkel.
I loved visiting Dry Tortugas National Park so much because of the entire experience from start to finish. It is an adventure from the start when boarding the Yankee Freedom ferry. The crew accommodated and made for a special trip to the National Park and back. Once you arrive, there is nothing but spectacular views, amazing history, and the best swimming and snorkeling you can experience. I cannot recommend visiting the destination enough!
It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I hope you can experience.
Other Snorkel Tours I’ve Taken in the Past and Highly Recommend:
- Island Adventure Snorkel & Kayak Tour
- Do It All Water Sports Adventure
- Reef Snorkel & Sail Adventure
No matter where you snorkel in the Florida Keys, you will have a magical experience with some of the clearest water you’ll find in the U.S. However, Key West will always be my favorite!
Let me know your experience snorkeling the Florida Keys in the comments below!
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