"Sport fishing Capital of the World" Islamorada !

Located southwest of Key Largo on Upper Matecumbe Key, Islamorada (pronounced EYE-la-mor-AH-da) is the self-proclaimed "Sport fishing Capital of the World". People who visit here take their fishing seriously, and Islamorada fulfills its promise of excellent angling with the largest concentration of charter fishing boats in the entire island chain. If you are planning a vacation to the Florida Keys, consider the village of Islamorada as your destination. Our town is changing rapidly but you can still get a feel for the laid back attitude that has made the keys such a great escape from the stress and busy lifestyles of the mainland. Bring your family, friends or lover and escape to the Florida Keys where enjoying life is the order of the day and having fun a real priority. The tropical weather and the beautiful waters that surround our islands are the main ingredients in a sweet recipe. So whatever your taste, you and your family are sure to find a slice of paradise here in the Florida Keys village of Islamorada. Please do your part to preserve the natural beauty and wildlife of the Florida Keys and the township of Islamorada. Come and enjoy!

A Brief Description

The Florida Keys are an archipelago or cluster of about 1700 islands in the extreme southeast of the United States. The Keys extend from the southeastern Florida peninsula near Miami, run south and then curve west to Key West, and out to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The average temperature in the Florida Keys for January is 74 degrees. Temperatures in the daytime & nighttime differ only about 10 degrees. In fact, being surrounded on water, the Florida Keys have a very temperate climate. Much more so that the Florida mainland. There is no known record of frost, ice, sleet, or snow. Fog is rare. The islands lie in the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and creating Florida Bay. At the nearest point, the southern tip of Key West is just 90 miles (145 km) from Cuba. Key Biscayne is actually attached at the north end to the mainland, and is therefore not considered part of the Keys by some Floridians. It is, however, part of the same geological formation, atop which sits coral rock islands, as well as partly-submerged mangrove islands. The city of Key West is the county seat of Monroe County, which covers mostly the Everglades on the mainland, and all of the islands from Key Largo south and west. Islamorada

"Village of Islands" is a village located in Monroe County, Florida and is part of the chain of islands know as "the Upper Florida Keys". Within this chain, Islamorada encompasses: Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, and Lower Matecumbe. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 6,846. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,772 [1]. The name "Islamorada", meaning "purple isle", comes from early Spanish explorers in the area. Now one of the largest towns in the Keys, Islamorada offers a number of attractions in addition to fabulous fishing. You can explore the wreckage of the Dutch-built ship San Pedro (located in 18-feet of water about 1.25 nautical miles south of Indian Key) or the Underwater Coral Gardens of both Upper / Lower Matecumbe Keys. Hundreds of years ago, Spanish explorers sailed by Islamorada, saw the purple hue of its coastline (from the lavender shells of sea snails, Janthina) and gave it its name "islas moradas", Spanish for purple isles. Indians lived on this small clump of islands nearly 4,000 years ago. It's not likely that you'll see any purple snails, but there's plenty of local color to take in. Make sure you see the sun set over the water and the fish take the bait in Islamorada, a fisherman's paradise.

Imagine two seas brimming with the world's most sought-after gamefish; Sailfish, tuna and dolphin in our Atlantic, and a grand slam shot at permit, tarpon, and bonefish in the backcountry waters of Florida Bay. Add to that a selection of some of the finest charter boat captains and backcountry guides around, and you're in Islamorada, Sport Fishing Capital of the World. Every month offers a wide range of fishing tournaments, races and other sporting challenges. An array of marine life inhabits the patch coral reef alongside our islands, making Islamorada a favorite also for divers. Landlubbers, on the other hand, may prefer viewing acrobatic dolphin and other deep sea stars at Windley Key's Theater of the Sea. Islamorada, long recognized as the "Sport Fishing Capital of the World," is now an icon among sport divers for much the same reason, a massive population of tropical marine life. High profile coral heads and broad ledges shelter huge congregates of French grunt and goatfish, while regal queen angelfish casually graze amid the reef recesses. Friendly green moray eels swim freely along the spur-and-groove channels, and reclusive nurse sharks lurk beneath the overhangs. With the warm waters of the gulf stream just a few miles offshore, Islamorada offers a wide variety of shallow coral reefs, mini walls, shipwrecks, and even an underwater habitat for scientific research, the Aquarius. Anglers from all over the world come to sample the fabulous Florida Keys fishing. Islamorada Sport Fishing Online will provide you with the information you need to target the Florida Keys fish you want to catch. There are hundreds of Charter Boats and Backcountry Guides in the Florida Keys and we strive to provide you with the most accurate, up to date listings anywhere. Florida keys boat rentals, Scuba diving, snorkeling and fishing on the coral reefs from 5-90 feet deep all along the Florida Keys island chain, and the skinny waters of the Florida Bay backcountry a short boat ride away, it's easy to see where Islamorada got it's name.

Enrichment and History

The Florida Keys are famous for harboring such historical luminaries as playwright Tennessee Williams, novelist Ernest Hemingway, and bird-chronicler John James Audubon. In truth, aspiring artists continue to be drawn to the Keys. They come not just for the spectacular sunsets and stunning wildlife but for the free-spirited way of life embodied by the Keys. That spirit is evident at the many festivals and events you will find listed on our cultural calendar. Here you can visit a tiny gallery, take in a community play, enjoy an open-air festival or attend a symphony orchestra. You'll find that the Keys are rich in cultural opportunities.

Golfing info

There are no public golf courses in Islamorada, however visitors of Cheeca Lodge can play on the resort's 9-hole, par-3 course. In addition, the golf courses of Marathon are about a 45-minute drive south. Key West's course is approximately a 90-minute drive south.

Underwater sites to explore

• The Eagle - This 287-foot ship was intentionally sunk in 110 feet of water as a dive attraction and rests on her starboard side cloaked in a colorful patina of encrusting sponge and coral, populated by huge schools of grunt, tarpon, and jack.
• Davis Reef - This reef is revered for its incredible concentration of grunts and schoolmaster snapper, as well as several amiable resident green morays, long accustomed to benign interaction with the dive masters.
• Alligator Reef - Now marked by a 136-foot-tall lighthouse, on this spot in 1822 the USS Alligator grounded and sank while protecting a convoy from pirates. Now all that remains of the wreck are the twin piles of ballast stones, but the coral reef - in just 25 feet of water - is vibrant and alive.
• Conch Wall - Offering an exciting change of pace from the normal spur-and-groove profiles of most Keys' reefs, Conch Wall presents a precipitous sloping wall and captivating concentrations of barrel sponge and gorgonia punctuating the seafloor.
• Crocker Wall - A 450+-foot-long wall in 50 feet of water. The wall has a thirty-foot decline and features grunts, yellowtail and grouper with spur-and-groove coral and block coral on the wall.
• Pickles Reef - For macro photo enthusiasts, Pickles provides a wonderful opportunity to encounter the reef's minutia, from flamingo tongue cowries to banded coral shrimp, all amid a dynamic coral reef in only 15 to 25 feet of water.

Holiday Isle is home to the World-Famous Tiki Bar, where the infamous Rumrunner was originally created. The first establishment on the spot was built from driftwood in 1968 and was known as the Happy Hula Hut, with the first ten-foot section of the Tiki Bar being added in 1970.To this day, the legend of the Rumrunner brings people from far and wide to experience the unique atmosphere of the Tiki Bar at Holiday Isle. You can also listen to live entertainment seven days a week. Eat at Jaws Raw Bar or dance at The Kokomo located at Holiday Isle, is an extra attraction on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, we open up the Beach Barbecue Shack, just a couple of dance steps from the stage.

For the Family

Your children can enjoy a full schedule of eco-tours, fishing trips, dive-snorkel outings and visits to attractions. In Islamorada, you'll also find free activities to entertain your children between excursions. The leaders of the Village of Islamorada have turned their stretch of U.S. 1 into a beautifully landscaped scenic roadway. Families are welcome to park and take in the view, or go fishing from one of the old railroad bridges. Here are other suggestions for free, or low-cost, activities for children:

Tarpon Feeding

For a small fee, your child can feed tarpon at Robbie's Marina, Mile Marker 77. Robbie's Marina on Lower Matecumbe Key sells buckets of bait for feeding swarms of tarpon that linger off the dock. Tarpon and sharks also hang out at many waterfront restaurants, such as the Islamorada Fish Company at Mile Marker 81.5, bayside, where they sometimes put on free shows.

Anne's Beach

Mile Marker 80 Oceanside, This small beach offers a scenic walkway and great views of the shallows surrounding Islamorada. It has bathrooms and picnic tables.

Islamorada Fish Co./Worldwide Sportsman

Mile Marker 81.5 Bayside, World's Largest Fish Tank in the center of this sporting-goods store and restaurant complex houses live samples of the major shallow-water sport fish of the Keys including bonefish, tarpon, snook and others.

Founder's Park, Marina and Beach

U.S 1, Mile Marker 86.5 Bayside, Many activities at this well-maintained waterfront park. The park is equipped with playgrounds, a sandy beach, olympic size pool, fishing pier, sporting facilities, and a skate park for older children.

Shopping and Galleries

Mile Marker 87 Bayside, The shops and galleries at the Rain Barrel Art Village offer a colorful collection of arts, crafts, and other creative island treasures and outdoor cafe. Islamorada and its surrounding areas also boast several state parks. At Long Key State Recreation Area, campers can kick back or meander nature trails. Added trails are offered at Windley Key Quarry Fossil Reef State Geologic Site, where acres of fossilized coral and an environmental center are at-hand, and at Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site-an island with the highest elevation in the Keys: a dizzying 18 feet.

Theater of the sea

Mile Marker 84.5 Bayside, An educational and entertaining marine animal park where performances are up close and personal and marine animals live in natural salt-water lagoons. Several animal interaction programs enable guests to get up close and personal with dolphins, sea lions and stingrays. Advance reservations by phone or in person for these programs is highly recommended as they are extremely popular. The lagoons and lush, tropical gardens at the facility are home to Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, sea turtles, tropical and game fish, sharks, stingrays, crocodiles, alligators, marine invertebrates, parrots, and birds-of-prey. Theater of the Sea is open 365 days a year. The ticket counter opens at 9:30 a.m. EST daily.