24 Things to Do in Key Largo, Florida

I loved Key Largo for its laid-back atmosphere and nature-exploring opportunities, my favorites being the wildlife centers, parks, beaches, and snorkeling sites. There’s so much to see and do here! 

Read on for 24 things that make Key Largo worth a visit:

1. The Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary

I anchored just off the coast of Tavernier, dinghied to Harry Harris Park, and walked the three miles to the Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary. Admission is free, but they ask that you leave a $10 donation. 

The heart-warming sanctuary nestled in nature provides safe and comfortable homes for injured birds that cannot return to the wild. I said hi to owls, bluejays, pelicans, red-headed woodpeckers, and numerous other species. If you arrive around lunchtime, the birds will also be chowing down! 

Many of the birds also have names and known histories. My absolute favorite was Junior, a great horned owl. He stared at me in pure exasperation, clearly not amused by the two giant iguanas who were crawling on the roof of his home!

Informational signs line the walkways, so you can learn about things like bird anatomy (for example, how they use their bodies to expel salt from seawater to make freshwater). You can even measure your own wingspan. At the end of the pathway, there’s a peaceful view of the mangroves, where I saw a roseate spoonbill. 

2. Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park

There are no reclining hammocks at Dagny Johnson, just one of the United States’ largest habitats of West Indian tropical hardwoods, which date back thousands of years ago. “Hammock” is a forest term that refers to part of the land that is higher than the rest and can support the growth of hardwood trees. 

You can walk or bike down more than six miles of trails, and observe any of the 84 rare and protected plant and animal species that reside here. The trails are self-guided, but you can read the signs or go on a ranger-guided tour. Admission is $5 at the gate.

This was one of my favorite parts of Key Largo, because of how enveloped I felt in nature. I could have easily spent half the day walking through the tiny loops that spiral off the larger and more central trail.

3. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Pennekamp is a national underwater park that spans 70 miles along the Florida coast and three miles out into the Atlantic. You can hop on a snorkeling excursion boat and explore the park with your mask and snorkel, or rent a kayak and ease through the…