Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you prefer coral reefs teeming with rainbow-bright tropical fish, you're in
luck…Florida has the continent's largest coral-reef system. The two best spots are John
Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, located in Key Largo (the uppermost of the Florida
Keys) and Biscayne National Park, located south of Miami, at the tip of the Florida main-
land. Biscayne is actually the only national park in the US park service system to exist
primarily under the waves - 95% of the park is located underwater. If you travel further
along the Keys, you won't be disappointed at Bahia Honda State Park or Key West.
Wreck diving in Florida is equally epic, and some are even accessible to snorkelers. So
many Spanish galleons sank off the Emerald Coast, near Panama City Beach, that it's
dubbed the 'Wreck Capital of the South.' But also check out wreck dives in Pensacola, Se-
bastian Inlet State Park, Troy Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Biscayne National Park and Key
West, a town that historically supported itself off the industry of wrecking, or salvaging
sunken ships and their cargo.
Named for its abundant sea turtles, the Dry Tortugas are well worth the effort to reach
them.
