Eco-Tourism

Islamorada: The Ecotourist's Playground

If you think Montana is Big Sky Country, you should check out Islamorada. It is a gateway to one of the most varied watery wildernesses in America. Climb onto an ecotour boat here and you are in a stunning marine environment of coral formations, tropical fish and dolphin pods. Now head northwest into the fabled backcountry, and in just minutes you are in a world of manatees, crocodiles and roseate spoonbills. Some tour operators will take you all the way to Flamingo, a national park outpost situated where the Everglades spill into Florida Bay in Everglades National Park.

If human-powered craft are more your style, you're in luck too. Vast sea-grass beds and shallow tidal flats are easily accessible from marinas, resorts, and parks along U.S. 1, the Overseas Highway. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent or you can hire a tour guide.

Tiny Lignumvitae Key is a fascinating stop for paddlers or boaters who want to stroll through a tropical forest thriving atop the remains of an ancient coral reef. Today, the island is home to Lignumvitae State Park and Botanical Site.

Lignum vitae is Latin for wood of life, and the lignum vitae tree was once used in ship building. The island bearing its name lies just a mile from U.S. 1 on the bay side, and is reachable only by boat, kayak or canoe. This raised patch of land, called a hammock, tops out at just 18-feet above sea level yet it is the highest point in the Keys. That might be why early 2Oth century settlers called it home. Today, you can still visit the Matheson House, built in 1919.

Indian Key on the Atlantic Ocean side of Islamorada is another site reachable only by private boat or tour. To walk on this island is to walk where Native Americans walked for thousands of years. In the 1830s, a Staten Island businessman set up an outpost here to salvage cargo from ships stranded on the nearby reef. Success was short lived for the settlers. In the early morning of August 7, 1840, a band of Indians attacked them. Some settlers survived by hiding in a turtle kraal, a pen used to raise sea turtles for food. Today, the island is home to Indian Key State Historic Site.

Islamorada is a playground for anyone interested in the environment, wildlife, and history.