There is no better place for families to forget sweating the small stuff, soak up the sun and have nonstop fun than in The Florida Keys. The entire chain has something for everyone in the family, even for those who are nondivers or beginners.

One of the greatest joys of traveling as a family, especially while kids are in their formative years, are all the firsts you get to experience together. There’s nothing like seeing the smile spread across the face of a young snorkeler or diver upon spotting their first nurse shark tucked under a ledge or spying a moray eel peeking out from the reef. Their first giant stride off a dive boat is something they–and you–will never forget.

In The Florida Keys, family memories in the making play out in so many wonderful ways because you can truly choose your own adventure. Divide your time between shore-based fun, paddling out onto the water’s surface in a kayak and scuba diving under the surface. So many vibrant sides of the archipelago will come into view. A family dive vacation in The Keys wraps in an ideal balance of relaxation (picture hanging in a hammock under a swaying palm) and thrilling experiences on and under the water.

This is a year-round dive destination with just a few small seasonal adjustments. From late spring through the fall months, you can scuba dive in just your bathing suit since water temperatures hover in the balmy mid-80s. You’ll want to put on a wetsuit during the winter months, however, to maximize your bottom time as temperatures drop into the low to mid-70s. You’ll find clear conditions and reefs teeming with a parade of tropical fish that includes rainbow parrotfish, butterflyfish and angelfish as well as iconic creatures like sea turtles and rays.

Consider kicking your family adventure off at the start of the island chain in Key Largo, just 65 miles south of the Miami International Airport. Then make your way south through The Florida Keys together on a true journey of discovery.

The longest island in the chain, Key Largo stretches for 33 laid-back miles and is home to one of the country’s most famous snorkeling and diving sites. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first undersea park in all the U.S., is known for colorful and shallow coral reefs as well as the famed Christ of the Deep statue, with its outstretched hands carpeted in soft corals and reaching skyward.

Accessible in just 25 feet of water, the reefs here are ideal for all levels of divers and the warm, clear waters are busy with marine life. The conditions are perfect, in other words, for the new divers in your group to dive right in and get more experience with the sport.

Key Largo’s Molasses Reef is one of the closest to the warm clear waters of the Gulf Stream and another tried and true favorite for divers of all skill levels to enjoy lots of bottom time together in the 18- to 35-foot depth range.

Off the coast of Islamorada, healthy coral heads surrounding Alligator Reef Lighthouse make for a fun place to snorkel or dive in just 20 feet of water during daily boat trips. And the easily navigable spur and groove formations of Sombrero Reef off Marathon can be enjoyed in less than 30 feet of water. Lots of sunlight at these depths make the colors really pop, providing plenty of photo opportunities for beginning underwater photographers practicing their skills under the surface.

The big draw in Big Pine Key is the rainbow array of life and healthy coral stands that make up Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, with the bulk of dive sites at depths of 20 to 40 feet.

Key West offers a carnival of nonstop entertainment on land and a varied range of diving offshore. Choose between advanced sites like the wreck of the Vandenberg or sun-dappled reefs like Western Dry Rocks, where thick clouds of grunts and snappers swirl in the shallows.

While you can’t spend all day underwater, The Florida Keys makes it easy to spend your surface intervals out on the water when you’re done diving, too.

You might consider paddling out on a guided kayak eco tour to scout for manatees and navigate tunnels of mangroves or opt for a dose of adrenaline on a thrilling jet ski excursion in places such as Key West, Marathon and Duck Key. Such outings often include stops to snorkel and time spent at magical sandbars that materialize in the clear, shallow waters at low tide.

And for the animal lovers in your family of all ages, more stellar wildlife attractions await on dry land. Birds like pelicans and raptors are rehabilitated at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center on Tavernier and you can see sea turtles undergoing surgery and feed them, too, at The Turtle Hospital on Marathon. You can even get into a saltwater lagoon with the resident bottlenose dolphins for up-close encounters at the Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key.

When the sun starts its dip toward the horizon at day’s end, there’s only one thing left to do.

Settle in with your family for a delicious Florida Keys meal at any place with a view of the water (and maybe even your toes in the sand, too). Then raise your glasses in a family toast to beautiful travels and dive memories you’ll carry through all your life.

Contact Info

The Florida Keys

Fla-keys.com/diving

1-800-FLA-KEYS

Key Largo:

Amoray Dive Resort

Horizon Divers

Marathon:

Captain Hook’s Dive Center

Islamorada:

Islamorada Dive Center

Key Dives

Big Pine:

Capt. Hooks Looe Key Reef Adventures

Key West:

Capt. Hooks Dive Key West