Best Snorkeling in Key Largo

Snorkeling is one of those activities where it’s really all about location, location, location! I’ve snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, Barbados, and Fiji. All were great, though Barbados was to see turtles and not a reef. So when it comes to Florida, central Florida (where I live) does not really shine for snorkeling. However, south Florida boasts one of the largest barrier reefs! I recently found myself back in South Florida (my brother lives there) and I decided to finally try snorkeling in Key Largo.

You may also like:

Best Paddle Board Spots in Florida

Australia Vacation Guide | Queensland

Surf Lessons in Barbados | Learn to Surf in Paradise

Before you dive in, I want to be transparent: this article includes affiliate links. This simply means that if you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Rest assured, the article includes my genuine advice and it won’t cost you anything extra. Your support is greatly appreciated. Happy reading!

Florida’s Barrier Reef

I recently heard Florida’s reef is the third largest barrier (not simply coral) reef! Now, I’ve done some google searching (call it trust issues) and the Bahamas are claiming third largest though another site says the Florida reef is larger.

I’m sure you know the Great Barrier Reef is the largest, but the second largest barrier reef in the world is in Central America. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. It stretches from Mexico to Belize!

Florida’s reef is far larger than I ever knew!

The Florida reef is considered the second largest barrier reef on this side of the world and the only living reef in the in the continental USA.

So you might have noticed, I said barrier and not just coral reef and I said continental U.S. because Hawaii has reefs! Either way, Florida’s reef is larger than I ever knew!

The Florida Keys

Florida has miles on miles of sandy beaches to choose from, but the Florida keys does not have much beach to offer, making it more of a boating destination. This is important to know, because snorkeling off the beach like I did in Fiji isn’t really an option here.

Yes, you could try and there are places like John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park that rent out snorkeling gear and have a small beach. However, if you can’t book a tour or charter a boat to visit the reef, I’d recommend paddle boarding or kayaking the mangroves at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

The Florida reef is a barrier reef and not a fringing reef, so you need a boat to see it.

The Florida reef is a barrier reef and not a fringing reef. On my tour, the boat took about thirty minutes to get to the reef. It’s not far, but not something you can swim to either.

Best Snorkeling Key Largo

Snorkeling Key Largo is among the most popular activities and I recently booked a tour myself to experience the only living reef in the continental USA.

Why Key Largo?

Now if you are visiting Miami, one of the obvious benefits of snorkeling Key Largo is it’s the closest of the Florida Keys to Miami. It’s still an hour and half drive, but that definitely beats the three hours and forty minutes to Key West! So snorkeling Key Largo is an easy day trip from Miami!

---

The Florida reef does stretch north of Miami, but the best snorkeling is in Key Largo or other parts of the Florida Keys. However, if you just can’t make it to the Keys, snorkeling is offered in Biscayne Bay. There are not many tours focused solely on snorkeling, as it tends to be just one activity offered in a tour. This area is beautiful though, and would still be worth checking out!

→ Sail Biscayne Bay: An Intimate Eco-Adventure

---

Another reason why Key Largo is a great choice for snorkeling is to see what has become an iconic scene in the John Pennekamp State Park and that is the Christ of the Abyss statue.

Lastly, the Florida barrier reef in Key Largo is only a thirty minute ride from land, so you won’t be wasting a lot of time to get to the reef!

→ Book Key Largo Two Reef Snorkel Tour – All Snorkel Equipment Included!

Best Snorkeling Tour in Key Largo

What I Loved About This Tour

This tour was very well run and organized. It allowed plenty of time to explore the reef at two different locations. They provided everything you need and more! If you need advice on how to snorkel, they will help you. Masks were sprayed with anti-fog before each snorkel. And there were pool noodles for anyone who wanted a little extra flotation for snorkeling.

What this tour provides:

• Mask, Snorkel, and Fins!
• Reef Safe Sunscreen.
• Bathrooms at the check-in site.
• Showers at the check-in site so you have the option to rinse off and change when you return from the tour.
• Various types of snack chips on the boat.
• Sodas of various flavors on the boat.
• If you want to keep your own water or drinks cold, you can use the cooler also!
• A water station on the boat with little cups to use or you can fill your water bottle.
• Pool noodles were available for anyone who wanted a little help while snorkeling.
• Safety vests.

What You Should Know Before You Snorkel Key Largo

If you are prone to sea or motion sickness, definitely take something before you go! I have gotten sick a couple times in my life, and been completely fine other times. One of the times I got sea sick was in the Keys actually, but I never bothered going to the store for medicine.

Was I okay? Thankfully, yes! However, there were others who were not okay. I didn’t see anyone vomit, so that’s a plus! But the conditions weren’t easy, which brings me to my next point!

The waves while I was there were actually a factor! While swimming at the statue area, I couldn’t believe the swell, so you need to know how to swim! The reef is not shallow and you have no where to just stand up if you need (though you shouldn’t stand on a reef, but if your life depended on it, okay). If you aren’t a super strong swimmer, they offer pool noodles, but overall, I’d suggest being at minimum a decent swimmer before even attempting this tour.

Assuming no storms are making conditions crazy, the mornings are generally much calmer. I did go in the afternoon, so consider a morning tour to increase your chances of calmer waters.

What Gear You Need to Snorkel in Key Largo

Since the snorkel tour in Key Largo provides all the actual snorkeling essentials, you won’t need much!

I suggest bringing a long sleeve shirt or rash guard and a hat to help with sun protection! If you want to take photos or videos, bring a waterproof camera, or if you want to use your phone, bring a waterproof case. I’ve linked the one I use, but be sure to read whether it will fit your phone. Most negative reviews are people saying it didn’t fit their phone.

I took my dry bag, but any beach bag would be fine. Lastly, bring a towel. Oh and if you want to shower off and change clothes after the tour, bring extra clothes.

→ My Underwater Phone Case

My Experience Snorkeling Key Largo

I booked this Key Largo snorkel tour: Key Largo Two Reef Snorkel Tour – All Snorkel Equipment Included! I had waited until the day before to book, and while it was just me, only the afternoon time was available. The tour is run by Silent World Dive Center, so if you are interested in diving, they should be able to accommodate. I say “should” because though I read reviews that said there were divers on the tours, there were only snorkelers on my trip.

My tour started at 2:15PM and I wasn’t clear on whether that was the time to arrive, so I arrived a bit early to be safe. Well, it was the time to arrive, so no need to be early. I checked in and was given the run down.

There are bathrooms at their location, and showers for when you return if you want to rinse off. I really appreciated the tents with the misters to keep you cool! They also have stations with reef safe sunscreen. I think this is such a great thing to do as everything possible should be done to protect the reef (which is in need of care!). So I lathered up, then got fitted for fins. I had brought my own mask and snorkel, but typically you would also grab the rest of the gear from them as it’s all included in your tour!

When I told her I had my own mask, she asked if it was full face. I don’t have a full face one, but I’m guessing there might be an issue with that style, so if that’s what you have, I’d suggest calling ahead or being prepared to use one of their masks.

As I waited for the tour to start, I met a Parisian couple and enjoyed talking with them. There were people from all over the world which is one of the things I love about traveling. And one of the things I love about living in Florida.

→ Book Key Largo Two Reef Snorkel Tour – All Snorkel Equipment Included!

The boat arrived and we were soon boarding. The majority of the boat is under a covering which is great because the Florida sun is no joke! The tour also provides snacks and sodas, which was a nice perk. And they had a water station as well!

The boat took us to the part of the reef with the Christ of the Abyss statue first. This is a popular spot with plenty of other tours around as well, but it didn’t feel crazy crowded. There is a buoy marking the area where you would find the statue. Despite the buoy, it took me a couple minutes to finally locate it.

After snapping photos, I continued exploring the reef. The tour gave us about forty minutes which was plenty of time to enjoy and explore. After finishing up here, we went to Horseshoe Reef which wasn’t far! According to the captain, it’s called that because it looks like that from space.

This reef seemed to have more life to it. I’m wondering if that’s because the statue area is more popular? Because we essentially had this reef to ourselves. I can’t verify if that’s the case for the morning tours though, but when we got out to Horseshoe Reef, we were the only ones exploring it.

While sharks can be spotted on this reef, I didn’t see any. I really only saw various types of fish including barracuda, but it’s the ocean so anything is possible! We spent the same amount of time exploring this reef before we headed back to the dock.

Overall, this tour was great! It was well organized and well equipped! They take care of everything and give you plenty of time to explore the reef.

How to Get Around

It’s always best to rent a car! You can get away without renting a car in some major U.S. cities, however, in Miami you would need a car or Uber. Since the Florida Keys are an hour and half away, a car instead of an Uber is recommended!

Miami could feel intimidating, but once you are South, the driving is easier. In the Keys, the roads tend to be two lanes, with the occasional four lanes, but overall, it’s much more straightforward.

There are tours that offer transport from Miami to Key West and if driving is simply not for you, then this would be the most cost effective option. However, I think having the freedom of a car rental is the best way to go!

Snorkeling Key Largo was beautiful, fun, and made for a great afternoon! I hope this was helpful and that you have an amazing time exploring Florida’s barrier reef and the only reef in the continental U.S.