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In this section, we cover the major attractions of Key Largo. The Tourist Development Council offers a very good calendar of events covering all the Keys.
The Key Largo area, being located so close to Miami and other parts of South Florida, is a popular weekend getaway for residents of those areas. Key Largo offers excellent fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and other outdoor opportunities.
 John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (MM 102.5 Oceanside), a major area attraction, has spectacular coral reef wildlife that cannot be found anywhere in the United States except in the Keys. The State of Florida has a web site for the park, but a more interesting and useful site is the one by the company who has the boating and snorkeling concession at Pennekamp park.
Key Largo is the home of the Spiegel Grove, the largest vessel ever intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. The vessel is 510 feet in length, 84 feet wide. She lies on her starboard side at Dixie Shoals just off of Key Largo. Most of the Spiegel Grove can be explored at depths of 50-85 ft, but you can also see it just by snorkeling.
 
Above you see pictures of the ship while being sunk (May, 2002) and what it looks like now. The sinking itself was a fiasco - the ship sank on its own, hours before it was due to be scuttled. It rolled over and landed upside down. It has since been set upright.
Dolphins Plus offers in-water interaction with bottlenose dolphins. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is not to be missed.
The Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center works to rescue sick and injured birds, and uses educational programs to help prevent future injuries to birds.
Driving farther south, you will pass Rodriguez Key on your left and enter the town of Tavernier. Tavernier is conveniently located for those who want to enjoy the attractions that a major destination like Key Largo offers, yet wish to retire to a quieter and smaller town at night.
 Interesting fact: you may have heard of the 1948 movie Key Largo, which featured Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Edward G. Robinson, and was directed by John Huston. The movie tells the story of a disillusioned WWII veteran who travels to a broken-down hotel in Key Largo to pay his respects to the family of a buddy who was killed in the war. Only one problem - the town wasn't called Key Largo in 1948 - it was called Rock Harbor. The movie generated so much publicity that Rock Harbor changed it's name to Key Largo.
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