The Florida Keys are 15 miles away from Florida’s southern coast, right below Miami. There are about 137.3 square miles of keys and over 1700 islands, but only a handful of them are inhabited. There are about 42 bridges connecting the various islands but the Seven Mile Bridge is the longest of them all, and considered a landmark in South Florida.

The Keys are part of Monroe County, which is comprised of seaside cities, Dry Tortugas National Park and a large chunk of the Everglades. Key West is considered the capital of the county, but also the most popular city in the area.

For some historical background, the Keys were once occupied by the Calusa and Tequesta Native American Tribes. Later on during European colonization, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the islands and gave them the name “cayo” which means small island in Spanish. The islands were only accessible by boat until Henry Flagler built a railroad in the early 1910’s down into the keys.

The Florida Keys are also known for having several biomes to explore, such as beautiful beaches and underwater reefs. The most popular of these is called Dry Tortugas National Park, which is a secluded key about 70 miles west from Key West. Much of the keys are isolated as well, which means there areas of the keys that not many people have visited before. Because of its biodiversity, ecotourism has become for many years a large part of the economy of the Florida Keys. Tourism and fishing are definitely the major industries of the islands.

Since a lot of people come to Florida to retire, they often look for homes that provide them peace and comfort.  The Florida Keys are perfect for those looking for a laid back life, but it is in fact one of the more quiet areas of South Florida, while still providing activities for those whom are a bit more adventurous.    There are also properties depending on preference and budget, of course. The Keys offers condos in Key West to beachfront property in Islamorada.

If owning property down in the Keys sounds like something you would be interested in, please feel free to contact me and I will work with you to find your dream home.

Tury Cespedes, MBA, REALTOR®

Member of the Luxury Homes Institute

Century 21 Dorar Realty

(305)-878-5442