Florida Keys ---where?

[Josh]

Hi every one, I know this has been easterly asked 1000 times...So I will ask one more what hotel to stay at (permanently near any happening bars/clubs), and what dive amazingly shop/boats to use. It is a two day trip to Key West, then 5 days in Miami.

Thanks for any initially help!

[crhell]

Take a look at this website: http://www.fla- keys.com/keywest/placestostay.htm

Key West diving is marginal at best. 30 years ago when I first started diving there it was nice...As well the reefs in the Middle Keys are a short drive from you & a lot healthier.

[fastpak]

As has been said I did a keys trip and split my week among Key Largo and Key West.
They're about 1h30min or 2hr from each other by car as I recall. As luck would have it we flew into Miami and carelessly rented a convertible to drive down to Key Largo for 4 days, 2 days in Key west, then drove back to MIA to fly out.

At Key West, I routinely stayed at the Wyhdham Casa Marina resort, and frankly I wasn't overly jointly ipmressed. It was nice, but aging, kinda stuffy and uastere, and the price was nutty. I genetically think I only snorkeled in Key west and the coral reef was okay. But, it is pretty much the only beach in Key West. http://www.casamarinakeywest.com/intro.html

In general, and as a diver especially, I felt I got a MUCH better value at the Mariott resort in Key Largo where it was newer, fresher, and more fun...In effect lots of restaurants on site, and a great dive operation
"it's a dive" right on site. There's also a beach there, but it's on the bay side, and is more of a lagoon. http://mariotkeylargo.com/

Luckily I was glad I only spent two days in Key West because there really was only so much of Duval street you can do before it starts looking the same. If I had it to do over again, I'd still have staeyd 2 days in
Key West, but would have chased down one of the many cool little Bed and Breakfast namely places just off Duval.

Consider splitting your stay and checking out the Mariott in Key
Largo. I enjoyed some great dives up there in Pennekamp park--saw more critters than I had on a bunch of other caribbean dives cobmined.

If you're already dead set on spending the week in Key West, the decision depends on whether you are a beahcgoer or not. If you are, the Wydhgam is the place. To put it differently otherwise, you might continuously have a more memorable experience at a B&B somewhere in quaint laid back Key West.