Key Largo, FL Watersports

If you’re looking to get everything you can out of your Florida Keys vacation than it is important to make sure to embrace the Key Largo, FL water sports experience. Water sports are a popular past time throughout Florida, and the Florida Keys in particular offer visitors and locals alike a lot to do.  Whether your ideal time involves checking out local parks like the Everglades National Park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, or Blackwater Sound or hitting the backwaters for kayaking and relaxing sunset cruises, there’s something for everyone.  Adrenaline junkies will love jet skiing or parasailing all around the waters surrounding scenic Key Largo, Florida.


Located only a sixty to ninety minute drive from any of the major airports you find in South Florida.  Many tourists show up for some Key Largo saltwater fishing charters only to find they love the incredible watersports Key Largo offers, as well.  No reason to take it easy on an off day unless you prefer gentle kayaking to parasailing!

First you need to learn more about the area.  The Island of Key Largo is the northernmost of the major Florida Keys a great location.  To the north you will find the world famous Everglades National Park and to the immediate north off of the mainland is the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.  This coral reef is an underwater park open to scuba divers and snorkelers and is definitely worth a see.  If you prefer to stay on land, you can always visit the always popular Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park.  If you enjoy scuba diving and snorkeling, you can’t ask for many areas better than Key Largo.

Going back to Key Largo’s nickname of “The First,” this Florida Key boasts of two major world titles, proclaiming themselves the Diving Capital of the World and the Saltwater Fishing Capital of the World.  Add in the gorgeous beaches and plenty of opportunities to go ocean kayaking, backwater kayaking, water skiing, driving wave runners, parasailing, and some of the most enjoyable and laid back sunset cruises in the world and it’s not hard to see why Key Largo, FL water sports have gained such a strong reputation.   

The Florida Keys Overseas Highway is your lifeline to and from the Florida Keys, including Key Largo.  The Overseas Highway even has actual fishing platforms designed for anglers to pull over and fish right off of the bridge for a convenient and relaxing day that doesn’t require a guide or charter.  Two bridges that are especially worth visiting are Long Key Bridge and Toms Harbor.  Visit the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to see some of the best scenery in and around Key Largo (and that’s really saying something) and don’t forget about the also excellent Old Bridge landmark or the Dry Tortugas National Park which is easy to forget with all the other surrounding sights.

When you’re looking at some potential Key Largo FL water sports you’ll be happy to know that you can enjoy several different bodies of water from Sunset Cove to Rock Harbor.  You can even kayak through the John Pennekamp State Park.  

One of the best ways to fully appreciate the beauty of Key Largo is to see it from 600 to 1,000 feet in the air.  Parasailing is one of the most popular Key Largo, FL water sports and it’s not hard to see why.  Prices can vary from one provider to another, but prices often fall in the $40 range for a 600 foot parasail and around $60 for a 1,000 foot ride.  You can see for many miles and enjoy a spectacular bird’s eye view of Key Largo and all the other surrounding Keys.  Tandem rides will cost more most of the time, and most boats will charge something like $10 a person for observers to come along.

Perhaps the second most popular Key Largo FL water sport tourists and locals alike enjoy is jet skiing with wave runners.  These are popular almost anywhere you go, and when you have a setting as beautiful as the Florida Keys it’s not hard to see why.  Most marinas and wave runner rental places in Key Largo will charge around $60 for a half hour of fun and many give a discount in the $80-$90 range for a full hour renter.  

Places that rent wave runners and offer parasailing are also the best places to inquire about water skiing or tubing.  Key Largo is home to several piers where you might find these water sports offered, including the Marina Del Mar, Pilot House Restaurant & Marina, Bluefin Marina, Cross Key Marina, and Garden Cove Marina.

Kayaking takes form in two major ways from the Key Largo Island.  One of the major ways is saltwater kayaking off the shore, enjoying the shallows and sights off the shore.  This can be a relaxing way to see the shallows and get a better look at the shoreline.  The other popular choice is to take the kayaks and explore the backwater streams and sounds that are also found throughout Key Largo and the other Florida Keys such as Largo Sound or the Little Buttonwood Sound.  Both types of trips are worth taking, and many places rent kayaks for half days and full days.

Finally, Key Largo, FL sunset cruises are as good as it gets when you talk about enjoying the beautiful natural scenery of the area.  Florida sunsets are famous worldwide, and there’s no better way to view these beautiful occurrences than on the water.  Sunset cruises are common out of Key Largo and often allow relaxed enjoyment of drinks or even dining while enjoying the gorgeous sunsets that the Keys are famous for.

If you’re looking for a great time on vacation, or something to do in between days of amazing saltwater fishing, check out the 8 watersports providers in Key Largo, FL watersports.