Key Largo is the northern-most island of the Florida Keys. It is the largest of the keys at 33 miles long and is the self-proclaimed “Diving Capital of the World”. Water sports are extremely popular here, from diving and snorkeling to fishing and boating.
I will be the first to admit that I did not fully understand the Florida Keys before our visit. I read about the beautiful Overseas Highway connecting all the different islands and pictured each island having its own town and individual vibe. I was really surprised to find that, with the exception of Key West, there aren’t really any central areas on each key. Key Largo was really a series of strip malls and hotels. There was no town to walk around, no pedestrian-friendly area with restaurants and shops, no main area with a beautiful view. It was completely different than I expected.
That being said, the main appeal of the keys is being out on the water and unfortunately for us, we didn’t have enough time to really take advantage of that. We spent our full day there driving down a stretch of the Overseas Highway and had planned to kayak when we returned. Our hotel was close to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and I had hoped to kayak through the mangroves. But this was a driving-intensive trip and it tired the boys out. All they wanted to do was hang around at the hotel for the afternoon. The key to making a trip like this successful (or really any trip) is to plan but be flexible and willing to change your schedule. Forcing them to do something they weren’t up for wouldn’t end well for anyone.
So we spent the afternoon at our hotel, the Hampton Inn Key Largo. The hotel itself was a somewhat run of the mill Hampton Inn but the location was fabulous. My youngest son’s biggest wish on this trip was to see a manatee and about 10 minutes after we arrived, we spotted two in the mangrove channel next to the parking lot. They were amazing. They would float up to the surface for a while and then kick their tails up and go back under for about 5 minutes and then do it all over again. JB spent a lot of time watching those waters for them to make another appearance… and they were kind enough to oblige.
JB was also excited to see lots of lizards running around the property. There were some really huge iguanas that hung out in the trees along the mangrove.
The hotel had a pool and a small beach and had both kayaks and SUP boards to rent. The boys swam and snorkeled right from the beach and did some fishing in the water too. For a short stay, it really had everything we wanted and everything was super convenient.
I had laughed a little when I was looking for hotels and found this one on a list of “best family resorts” in the Florida Keys. It’s a Hampton Inn after all! And the other resorts on the list were double or triple the price. But dollar for dollar, I don’t think you can beat the Hampton Inn. It was not luxurious but the location was stunning and it had everything we wanted for a short stay. And you’d be hard pressed to find a better sunset.
Overall, Key Largo was definitely not what I expected. I pride myself on my normally very extensive trip research before we travel and I just flat out didn’t have time on this one. This whole trip was very last minute and I was working 60 hour weeks right up until it so we flew by the seat of our pants a little more than usual. I fully admit that we certainly didn’t experience the Florida Keys the way they were meant to be experienced. But that being said, we still saw some gorgeous views and got in some relaxation time and despite my own disappointment, the boys really enjoyed our time there.
