Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Enter A New World Of Discovery With Key West Sail And Snorkel

By Janine Hughes


About ninety miles off the coast of Florida lies the Caribbean magic of Key West. This island is most south you can travel and still be in the United States. Ernest Hemingway once lived here with his poly-dactyl cats, and many come to visit his museum house. Fun seekers travel the distance looking for blue sea, sunshine and snorkeling through the colorful coral reef.

Year round, tourists arrive by bus from the mainland to see the bridges and islands of US Highway 1, which ends a mile zero about ninety miles south of coastline. Many opt to take rental cars along the route, too. Checking in the car once on the island is common, as the legendary place is only two or so miles wide. Rentals for the return trip can be scheduled easily. The trip is about four hours from Ft. Lauderdale and perhaps three from Miami. Booking a key west sail and snorkel adventure is the easiest part of a vacation there.

To dive into a glorious snorkeling day, is easy. Options include booking a catamaran cruise or yacht to the coral reef to visit the extreme colors and marine life. Some tour companies also offer kayaking ventures. All tours provide instruction and safety rules for beginning snorkelers. Because the weather varies unexpectedly, most tours will be certain to mention that the snorkel portion of any cruise may be cancelled due to inclement seas.

Excellent teachers are employed to provide each visitor with unique views of the underwater sea creatures and exquisite corals. They are wonderful at welcoming beginners who need extra tutoring with equipment and the swimming process. Serving as lifeguards and mentors, they guide each group member to safe and enjoyable jaunts into the ocean realm.

Excursions combining sailing and snorkeling the reef are day trips. Average time sailing is about two hours and time in the water takes about an hour or two. You will need to add in the round trip time, and then extra time to enjoy shopping and the sights and sounds of Mallory Square. There are restaurants and shops there to have a bite to eat. Seeing Hemingway House is a must. You may expect to take about twelve hours to enjoy this small journey.

For anyone wishing to have an up close to the ocean kind of sail, participating a kayak tour can be fun. There are companies that offer sturdy boats specially created to be very stable in the ocean. They often sail along the coastline and may land for different views.

Because Key West has many kinds of available lodging, it is completely possible to stay overnight. Hotels and inns located in Old Town are part of the historic section, while New Town lodgings are less so. But whatever the choice, there are options for locating in the middle of the city or on the beaches. Close access to cruise departure sites advertise so that combining overnight stays with the day trips is easier.

Flying to the island is easy. Major carriers provide flights to the main airports in Florida, with small connectors to Key West International Airport. Once settled in at their lodging choice, many guests then opt to walk or ride bicycles for the entirety of their visit. The distance from coast to coast is only about two miles in total, and getting around in town is only a few blocks of walking. Transportation to and from the mainland is an easy car rental or bus tour either way, so enjoying the character and flavors of this spot is pretty much worry free.




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