The Florida Keys
A coral archipelago curving off the tip of Florida
The Florida Keys are a long, curving chain of low coral and limestone islands that arc southwest from the tip of mainland Florida toward the Gulf of Mexico, ending at Key West - the southernmost city in the contiguous United States. Strung together by the Overseas Highway and its 42 bridges, including the famous Seven Mile Bridge, the chain runs about 120 miles out into warm, shallow turquoise water.
The keys are fringed by the only living coral barrier reef in the continental U.S., a magnet for diving, fishing, and boating, much of it protected within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Built on ancient reef and sand, the islands rise only a few feet above the sea, leaving them acutely exposed to hurricanes and rising waters. Key West, with its pastel houses and literary history, anchors the chain's easygoing, end-of-the-road culture.