ancientdiver
Registered
Hey, for what it's worth, you can have both. Just about 25-30 miles from Key West is Big Pine Key, and off of Big Pine is an offshore reef called Looe Key. A national marine sancturary etc. etc. Best diving reef in the Keys, bar none, if you like coral formations. You have to go deep into the Caribbean to get better. But wait, there's more! Very close to shore is Big Munson Island and the $900/night Little Palm Island. Just a hundred yards south of Little Palm (the place where movie stars and ancient rockers like the Rolling Stones stay when in the area), there is a patch reef that is a protected sanctuary. 6 to 10 feet of water, incredible marine life, great coral, because it is protected. A great intro for new divers and kids. There are so many lobsters, all of whom know you can't touch them, they have no fear of divers. disgusting. (they should be a convicted of felony-diver-taunting, don't you agree?) This patch reef is used by the middle schoolers who spend a week at Sea Camp, which is a private youth camp on Big Pine out on the SW tip (my 12 year old has done it twice - he loves Sea Camp). You could stay at Parmer's on Little Torch Key (305-872-2157). Quiet, out of the way, bunch of cottages and apartments on the water. Not cheap for 3 star, but worth it - quiet, bay views, soul soothing. And then, there is Key West. We own a Hyatt Vacation Club membership, which is like a timeshare, but you can stay at any of 15 resorts in nation and Caribbean & Hawaii. You can stay at any one of the locations, anytime, or stay at other "networked" resorts. Not your daddy's timeshare. Way better arrangement. There are 3 Hyatt Vacation Club (4 star) properties in Key West (aka lala land). These are 2BR/2BA luxury apartments, with hotel like service. You can rent one of these from an owner on eBay, or rent from the property. Cheaper to go eBay. Everyone should do the "Duval Crawl" once, but get the little ones off the street by 10PM. Key West is an adult town. By 10PM it is 50% drunks, and that percentage increases as the night progresses. You definately want to see the shows at Mallory Square at sundown. An event worth the trip. I much prefer the quieter side of the Keys. Marathon has several nice resort style properties too, way more restaurants than the Big Pine/Little Torch/Sugar Loaf area, and still drivable to Key West, but a bit longer, 50 miles. We have stayed all up and down the Keys, from places "no woman would ever speak to you again" Hell holes, to 5-star properties. I'm mostly of the latter persusion, unless the diving is over the top good, then I'll sleep in a bathtub (there are no places like that in the Keys). Alll and all, we like Marathon the best as the best compromise - great, real local seafood, luxuary places to rest, and still in reach of Looe Key and the debauchery on steroids that typifies a Key West night in summer, but you can reach the Middle Keys dive spots pretty quick too. Hope this helps. feel free to contact me via private message if you want more info. Will in Sarasota
