A friend who is a dive instructor in Australia is coming over in February and we are heading down to Florida from NC. We'll only be in the keys for 3 nights and I'm wondering if we should stay in Key West or Key Largo. Diving is the agenda of the day of course, but we'd also like to experience a little of the nightlife. Trying not to spend a ridiculous amount on accommodation as well.
Key West or Key Largo for dive instructor
- Thread starter Red40
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Wookie
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The nightlife is certainly in Key West. The most reasonable accommodations are in Key Largo. The healthiest reefs in the keys are hands down in the Dry Tortugas but you gotta take a liveaboard to get there. There are excellent wrecks between Key West and Key Largo, with the highest concentration in Key Largo. Key Largo has hotels for around $100/night, Key West is closer to $150. A 2 tank with weights and tanks can be had in Key West for $70, in Key Largo for $55. It's not really that bad a drive from Key Largo to Key West, but the drive back at 2 AM can be a killer.
Sinbad the Diver
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Speargirl
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And knowing you have to get up and go diving in a few hours would really suck.
Key West = drinking
Key Largo = diving
Key Largo = diving
key largo is better for your agenda DIVING
Torontonian
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Two summers ago my wife and I planned 3 days in the keys, with 2 in Key Largo and 1 in Key West. Too bad tropical storm Faye kept us in a FLL hotel for the first 2 days. We still drove all the way down to KW for 1 day.
KW is a hip town, especially the sunset party at Mallory Square. Definitely more night life. Duval street is interesting to walk. Diving there was so so. More like Veradero, Cuba. (Well, Americans don't know Cuba, they are banned. But Bay of Pigs was good diving.)
This March I'm taking the family, so including the 3 kids. We'll be diving/snorkeling in Key Largo. It's supposed to have great diving.
Since diving is your priority, you might want to spend 2 days in KL and one day in KW. Even though others might say to stay in KL the whole time, if you are in KL, might as well do a day in KW. So you can say you drove thru the many islands of the keys, and get to experience a bit of KW.
KW is a hip town, especially the sunset party at Mallory Square. Definitely more night life. Duval street is interesting to walk. Diving there was so so. More like Veradero, Cuba. (Well, Americans don't know Cuba, they are banned. But Bay of Pigs was good diving.)
This March I'm taking the family, so including the 3 kids. We'll be diving/snorkeling in Key Largo. It's supposed to have great diving.
Since diving is your priority, you might want to spend 2 days in KL and one day in KW. Even though others might say to stay in KL the whole time, if you are in KL, might as well do a day in KW. So you can say you drove thru the many islands of the keys, and get to experience a bit of KW.
I'm going to try to add an additional day and stay one night in Key West. Hotels seem to be booked up and prices are jacked up though!
lol so true
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