Cudjoe Key, Florida

Cudjoe Key, Florida is a great vacation spot for those looking for an off-the-beaten-path experience. Cudjoe has no post office, no fast food restaurants, and no shopping malls. Cudjoe is located in the Lower Keys, an area seeped in a history of Spanish Explorers, Caloosa Indians, pesky pirates, and business tycoons. The earliest inhabitants of the area were a band of nomadic Indians known as the Caloosas (sometimes called the Calusas). They were migratory in nature, moving with the game they hunted. Spanish explorers like Ponce de Leon and Antonio de Herrera visited the area in the 16th century, though there is no evidence that these explorers actually left their ships for land. A day in Cudjoe can be spent deep-sea fishing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, or staking out a place in the sun to work on your tan.

Cudjoe Key is conveniently located to help you enjoy the many outdoor opportunities that await you in the Keys. Beach enthusiasts will want to seek out the Bahia Honda State Park, located in Big Pine Key. Called one of the most beautiful beaches in America by Conde Nast magazine, the park is a perfect place for swimming, fishing, bird watching, snorkeling, or hiking the miles of trails. Nature lovers love driving through the National Key Deer Refuge, a 2300-acre park also on Big Pine. The refuge is home to the elusive Key Deer, a relative of the Virginia white tail deer. The best time for viewing is in the morning when the deer come out of the woods looking for food. Anglers flock to the area in search of the perfect deep-sea fishing excursion. Sailfish and marlin are the top targets, but other species such as kingfish, trout, and redfish live here too. The area has plenty of charters available to take you to the best fishin' holes.

All of the Florida Keys are famous as a scuba diving paradise, and the area close to Cudjoe Key is no exception. One of the most popular dives in the area is the wreck of the USS Wilkes-Barre, a WWII Cleveland class cruiser sunk as an artificial reef back in 1972. This is an advanced dive site, as the Wilkes-Barre sits in 320-feet of water. She is completely intact, and is teeming with undersea life. A popular dive with beginning and intermediate divers is the Sambos, located four miles south of Boca Chica Channel. The dive is a series of coral reefs, all located at depths of between 10-40 feet. A popular spot in the dive brings visitors to a large field of branching coral that splinters out in all directions.

For a truly original experience, head north towards Marathon Key and visit the Dolphin Research Center, located at mile marker (MM) 59. If you have ever wanted to touch, swim, or play with dolphins, this is the place to be! The facility is dedicated not only to training dolphins, but studying them and protecting them as well. The dolphins swim in a 90,000-square-foot natural salt water pool that has been carved out of the shoreline. If swimming isn't your thing, you can also take the hour long walking tour and sign up for a class in hand signals, or feed the dolphins from the dock.

Cudjoe Key can be your vacation home, or serve as a jumping off point for other Florida Keys attractions. Head south to the famous capital of the "Conch Republic," better known as Key West, which was made famous by the writings of Ernest Hemingway and a famous film starring Humphrey Bogart. Make your way north to Key Largo and visit the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the country's first undersea preserve. Cudjoe Key is surrounded by excitement and adventure, so get out there and enjoy a secluded, fun-filled vacation.