For most cruisers, Key West is either a beginning or an end. For those adventurers headed farther west or north, Key West says "last call" for services, provisioning, and shoreside luxuries. The things we take for granted on land are not available again until you reach southwest Florida, Texas, or Mexico. But Key West is also the destination, or the turn-around point, for many cruises. The island has all the amenities a cruiser needs: a deep-water harbor, wellequipped marinas, upscale resorts, free anchorage, first-class restaurants and provisions, well-stocked marine stores, and a distinctive rebellious charm. Key West itself is a little bit of Venice Beach (Calif.), the French Quarter, Haight- Ashbury, and WallyWorld. The term "melting pot" is an apt description, but with a whole lotta spice in the pot.
The blending of long-time Conchs, nouveau Conchs, military, and tourists results in a place where there truly is something for everyone. This is even the right place to be a dog, cat or chicken. Most restaurants don't mind a well-behaved pet at your table, particularly in the outdoor and street-side venues. Most of the dogs in this town are as mellow as their…owners? You can't always be sure who the "master" is.
And chickens! They've had their run of Key West for decades. No one is quite sure if they first came as pets, as food, or as sacrificial creatures. A crackdown in 2004 resulted in the city hiring a chicken catcher. For various reasons it didn't work out. The following year, friends of the chicken convinced the city fathers to make the chicken the "official bird of Key West," but only during the four days of ChickenFest Key West in June. You can't make this stuff up, folks…the Ripley's museum in Key West has nothing on day-to-day life in this neighborhood.
For shear fun, the ritualistic sunset celebration at Mallory Square is street theater at its finest. There's the sword shallower and the walk-on-coals mystic, the dancing dogs and amazing cats, the cookie lady and the fearless chain saw juggler. It all happens on the quay as the sun is setting and a green flash hides just over the horizon. This festival is so hip it has a website: www.sunsetcelebration.org. The nightly gathering includes concession booths for artists, craftsmen, and food vendors.
Mallory Square, named after native son Stephen R. Mallory, Secretary of the Confederate Navy, was once a prosperous wrecking center in the 1800s. The old chandlery now houses the Chamber of Commerce (305-294-2587), where you'll find bundles of brochures on the town's attractions, entertainment, and restaurants.
It's easy to get around on foot, bike, or scooter, but you can quickly get a perspective of Key West proper by hopping aboard the Conch Train (305-294-5161 or www.conchtourtrain. com) or the Old Town Trolley (305-296-6688). These funky but informative guided tours ramble past the historic seaport, infamous drinking establishments, and the lovely homes and gardens showing Bahamian, Cuban, and New England influences.
Key West in January brings the top sailors from around the world for the Acura Key West Race Week (www.premiere-racing.com). Hundreds of race boats work the wind, crewed by Olympians, professionals, and your everyday Joes and Janes. It's kinda like getting to play golf with Tiger Woods... you can share the race course with "rock stars" during the day and rub elbows with them in the party tent at night.
For speed of another kind, the World Superboat Offshore Championships (www.superboat.com) are held in the fall. Moving at a much slower pace, Hemingway Days fill in the lazy, hazy days of summer in July. The Conchs won't rest on their laurels so they commemorate the Conch Republic Independence Celebration (www.conchrepublic. com) annually to mark the secession from Florida in 1982. December brings the lighted boat parade, but the ultimate crazy Conch experience comes with Halloween's Fantasy Fest. It's so bawdy we can't publish our pictures.
Numerous attractions both historic and downright kitschy make the should-do list. You can dredge up salvage memories of the "wrecking" era at the Key West Shipwreck Historeum (305-292-8990) at Mallory Square, where actors portray stories of the seafarers who heeded the cry, "Wreck ashore!" Dive into neighboring Key West Aquarium (305- 296-2051) for an up-close look at octopi, sea turtles, stingrays, and sharks. Kids especially enjoy the touch tanks at this open-air facility.
When visiting Mallory Square, check out Custom House (305-295-6616). This imposing, Romanesque-revival structure has been a post office, Navy and Coast Guard offices, district court, and court of inquiry during the investigation of the U.S.S. Maine sinking in Havana.
Sunken ships were the livelihood of Key Westers in the early days, yet it was Mel Fisher who came up with the biggest booty in the 1980s. More than 350 years after several Spanish galleons sank in the Florida Straits, Fisher discovered the remains of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita off the Marquesas Keys. It took him nearly 20 years, scanning 100,000 square miles of ocean, before he came across this sunken Fort Knox, valued at more than $60 million (some say $2 billion). Find the treasure for yourself at the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society Museum (305- 294-2633), less than two blocks from Mallory Square.
If you treasure the undersea environment and the creatures that live there, Reef Relief (305-294-3100 or www. reefrelief.org) has a gift store and information center at the historic seaport in the Waterfront Market building. Their efforts include installing mooring buoys near the reefs so we all can enjoy the coral safely, and without doing damage. A stop at Reef Relief is a win-win.
There is no record of a salvager ever placing a misleading light on a reef to cause a wreck, but many were convicted for illegal practices. The court's infamous blacklist hangs on a wall at the Wreckers Museum (305-294-9502), the oldest house in Key West. Study the architecture carefully, and you'll notice the landlubber's tilt. The home, like so many of the time, features a hatched roof in the bedroom, a design taken from ships.
Pop over to Hemingway House (305-294-1136 or www. hemingwayhome.com), once the home of Ernest "Papa" Hemingway. Today, it's a cat house, where you'll find a colony of six-toed felines guarding the grounds. While living here, Hemingway wrote in the morning, swam or fished in the afternoon, and caroused at night.
Hemingway's biggest addiction was fishing, and the charter captains in Key West can satisfy anyone's passion. Most marinas offer deep-sea or backcountry trips. The biggest fleets are located at Harborwalk (305-296-3838) and Charter Boat Row in Garrison Bight.
How about catching up on military history at Fort Zachary Taylor State Historic Site (305-292-6713), named after the 12th president. Begun in 1845, the brick fort took more than 20 years to build and was active during the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and both world wars. If your interests are more suntan-inspired, there's a beautiful beach next to the fort that will keep you occupied while others in your group tour the facility.
The 44-acre former Truman Annex Naval Station nearby was auctioned in 1986 for $17 million to a New England developer. Most of the significant historic structures at the Annex have been rehabilitated, including the Little White House (305-294-9911). Built in 1890 as the commandant's quarters, the house evolved into the base VIP lodge.
While Presidents Taft, Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy all visited Key West, only Truman actually stayed overnight in the building. From 1946 to 48, Truman made 11 visits to the island, and his casual demeanor and gaudy tropical shirts endeared him to the citizens.
For the ultimate in kitsch, head southeast of the Annex to the very end of Whitehead Street, the southernmost point in the continental United States. Have your photo taken in front of the large black, white, red, and yellow concrete buoy. This is undoubtedly the most photographed attraction in all the Keys, yet one that you're obliged to visit.
For cruisers who don't have wheels to get them around, the Key West Transit System (305-292-8160 or www.keywestcity. com) is an efficient service rarely found in Florida communities. It's a buck a ride, no change provided. The red and blue routes go almost everywhere you need, including the airport, shopping centers, Searstown, Garrison Bight, and Stock Island. They also have shuttle service as far north as Marathon. If you prefer to drive, the Moped Hospital (305-296-3344 or www.mopedhospital.com) has scooters and bicycles rentals to fit the bill. Their "vehicles" are a good solution to the limited parking in Key West.
When the sun goes down, Key West lights up. There's a local "dance" called the "Duval Stumble" and it needs no music. Let's just say Duval Street is a fun-loving playground for adults.
Restaurants and Provisions
Boaters looking for food along the waterfront have multiple options. The Half Shell Raw Bar is a fine place to start for ample portions of fresh seafood served up on throw-away dinnerware. If you'd rather sit down and use a cloth napkin, crawl over to her sister restaurant, Turtle Kraals (305- 294-2640), where live music often accompanies the meals. Want to shoot the breeze with other boaters? Head around the corner to Schooner Wharf Bar (305-292-9520). It's rumored that more lies per hour are told here during the January race week than a year's worth of UN negotiations.
Next door, the Waterfront Market (305-296-0778) offers upscale take-out options and provisioning opportunities, including sushi, sandwiches, wine, espresso, and freshly-squeezed juices.
Just off the water on Caroline and Williams Streets, B.O.'s Fish Wagon (305-294-9272), produces some of the best food you'll ever eat in a place that looks, well, let's say it has a lot of "character." No breakfast (that's across the street), eight tables, some barstools, and you place your order under the rusty tin roof.
Breakfast is a must at nearby Pepe's (www.pepescafe. net). Hurricanes or not, they haven't closed for 20 years, serving three meals a day seven days a week. As their menu suggests, after almost 100 years of restaurant experience, "you'd think we'd have our act together." Trust us, they do. As a general rule in Key West, if you've never seen the restaurant name anywhere else, and if it looks somewhat dicey, it's probably will be one of the better experiences in you culinary lifetime.
The Conch Republic Seafood Company (305-294-4403 or www.conchrepublicseafood. com) is on the waterfront near A & B Marina. Open spaces, live music, and a Caribbean feeling say it all.
The locals thrive on Caroline's (305- 294-7511) on Duval Street for inexpensive but tasty lunch and dinner. According to the menu, they deliver anywhere in the continental U.S. (some restrictions may apply). But the fresh food, and the free local delivery, is no joke.
For some Mediterranean flavors, Abbondanza Italian Restaurant (305-292-1199) provides casual dining with fresh pasta and seafood. The blackened chicken pasta and shrimp baskets keep them coming. Other favorites of the locals include The Deli (305-294- 1464) at Simonton and Truman, Camille's (305-296-4811) on Simonton, Harpoon Harry's (305-294-8744), Alonzo's Oyster Bar (305-294-5880), and Mangia Mangia (305- 294-2469).
Antonia's (305-294-6565 or www.antoniaskeywest.com) on Duval Street is something special, truly special. They provide five-star service and indescribable gourmet Italian meals. You can't do better than this in New York, Boston, or Palm Beach.
Closest to the waterfront docks, Key West Marine Hardware (305-294-3425) has an extensive inventory and knowledgable staff. They've been serving the commercial and recreational boaters for some 30 years. The nearby West Marine (305-295-0999) is a reliable alternative with systemwide connections to find what you need in a hurry.
Pharmacies, banks with ATMs, small convenience stores, photography shops, and other specialty stores are found along Duval and the side streets.
Farther east at Garrison Bight on US 1, you'll find several fast-food restaurants, a Winn-Dixie (305-294-0491), Searstown, theaters, department stores, pharmacies, hardware stores, banks with ATMs, marine supplies, moped rental, and the ubiquitous souvenir shops. As we said earlier, it's all here in Key West.
Separated by distance only, Stock Island's marine facilities are usually less crowded than downtown Key West. West Marine has a store on Second Street at Maloney (305- 294-2025).
If you're hungry for an authentic Cuban breakfast or lunch, don't miss El Mocho (305-296-7490) on Maloney Street. They're open for early risers from 5 a.m. until 3 p.m. The food is excellent, and their homemade watermelon juice will bring you back again and again.
For dinner, it's the Hogfish Bar and Grill (305-293- 4041). This is Old Key West at its finest with fish tacos, lobster BLTs, and fresh shrimp to die for.
Bridges
There are two bridges of note in this area - one crossing Fleming Key Cut, which leads directly to Key West's north side. This passage features strong tidal currents, shoaling, and a fixed bridge with 18 feet of vertical clearance. Transients should circumnavigate Fleming Key north, then south into Garrison Bight. A 19-foot bridge limits access to the southern portion of Garrison Bight.
Anchorages
Around Key West there are assorted anchorages - some okay, some not okay. Just be sure to stay away from restricted military areas and private islands. The sandgrass mix of the bottom provides a good hold but the change in tidal currents can easily trip an anchor not well set. The mean tidal range is only 1.3 feet. Making the anchoring choices more difficult is the lack of water taxi services in the Key West Harbor waters. It can be a long and wet dinghy ride.
The most attractive anchorages are located on the west and north side of waterfront Key West. As you approach Tank Island (now renamed Sunset Island with mega-million dollar Caribbean-style estates) along the Key West Channel, you will see dozens of boats at anchor. One of the preferred anchorages is north of Wisteria Island, a.k.a. Christmas Tree Island, which is best approached by passing west of Tank Island. Leaving Fl G 4s 16ft 4M "19" to port, continue north along the west side of Tank Island. Stay at least 300 yards off neighboring Wisteria Island to avoid the shoals and the partially submerged obstructions extending from the shoreline.
This crowded anchorage is protected against heavy seas by Frankfort Bank and Pearl Bank to the north, but it's exposed to northerly winds. Once you have a good hold and have secured your boat, you can dinghy in to Key West Bight. It's too far to row and can be a very wet ride when tide and wind are opposites.
There is a small and often tight anchorage off the southeastern end of Wisteria Island. It's closer to the waterfront but can be choppy from boat traffic and the wind/current dance. Approached from the Key West Channel, space may be available between G "25" Fl G 2.5s and Fl G 4s 16ft 4M "27."
Anchoring in Key West Bight is prohibited, but north of the bight and the Coast Guard base you'll find 6- to 12-foot depths along the western shore of Fleming Key. This key is owned by the U.S. Navy and has a restricted area around the perimeter of the island.
On the east side of Fleming Key, south of Fl G 4s 13ft 4M "17," you'll find the large municipal mooring field. Contact the city dockmaster (305-292-8167 or VHF 16) before tying up to one. It's a five- to 10-minute dinghy ride in to the municipal basin.
Charts
Use ChartKit Region 7, pages 12 and 14, or Region 8, pages 12A and 14A. Also, Maptech electronic or NOAA charts 11447 (1:10,000), 11441 (1:30,000), and 11446 (1:40,000).
For coverage from Saddlebunch Key to Key West, use ChartKit Region 7, pages 10, and 14 to 17, or ChartKit Region 8, pages 10A and 14A to 17A. Also, Maptech electronic and NOAA paper charts 11446 (1:40,000), 11441 (1:30,000), 11447 (1:10,000), and 11442 (1:80,000).
For navigation to the Marquesas Keys, Dry Tortugas, and Loggerhead Key, use ChartKit Region 7, pages 1, 10, 11, and 13, or ChartKit Region 8, pages 1A, 10A, 11A, and 13A. Also, Maptech electronic and NOAA paper charts 11438 (1:10,000 and 1:30,000).
Tides and Currents
The tidal change in this area is minimal. The mean tidal range at Key West is 1.3 feet, and at Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, it is 1.1 feet. The most significant currents in the Key West area are along the Key West waterfront and near Middle Ground in the Northwest Channel, where average maximum currents are 1.7 and 1.4 knots respectively. West of Key West, the average maximum currents are found near Boca Grande Channel (1.2 knots), Isaac Shoal (1 knot), and Southeast Channel, Dry Tortugas (0.6 knots).
Navigation
Approaching from Hawk Channel you'll pass Boca Chica and Stock Island channels. From Fl G 4s 16ft 4M "57," change your course to 274ºM and aim for R "12" Q R in Key West's Main Ship Channel. Follow the deep water and parallel the shoreline on a northerly course past Whitehead Spit. A slight bend to the east at G "15" Fl G 4s takes you between Key West and the two islands to the northwest, charted as Tank Island and Wisteria Island. Another sharp turn to the east at R "24" Fl R 4s leads to the entrance to Key West Bight.
Approaching Key West from the north, you must use Northwest Channel. Pick up G "1" Fl G 2.5s Bell, which marks the approach, and head due south toward RN "2," which leads you smoothly into the well-marked, deep channel. The charted jetties at the entrance are a significant hazard and are generally submerged. As long as you keep the speed down, watch for traffic, and stay within the markers, you should have no trouble. A night approach can be confusing due to the assorted flashing lights on radio towers, other distant nav aids, and by the lights of the city. Be sure your course matches the plotted course down the channel.
As you approach Key West Harbor along Northwest Channel, don't cross Middle Ground and Frankfort Bank to the east. Shoaling and shallow spots come up quickly. Continue south along the channel to Fl G 4s 16ft 4M "19," and then round the southern shore of Tank Island.
Cruise ships dock alongside the quays running along Key West's southwestern shore. For security reasons, you must keep at least 200 feet away from any cruise ship.
Approaching Fl R 4s 16ft 4M "2" just off the Hyatt Hotel piers, you officially enter Key West Bight Channel. One hundred yards east of here you will see an opening in the rock breakwater protecting the Galleon Resort and Marina docks. This cut is for PWCs and kayaks only! As you round the eastern end of the breakwater, keep your speed down and watch for other craft. The piers jutting out from these establishments are largely indistinguishable and can cause confusion. Most marinas have a sign or a fuel logo at the end of their pier, but it may help to ask the appropriate dockmaster to give a description of a vessel at the end of their dock.
The two marinas seen immediately after turning into the Bight will be Key West Bight Marina (305-296-3838), operated by the city of Key West, and Conch Harbor (305-294-2933 or www.conchharbormarina.com). Both of these fine facilities offer fuel, pump-out, 24-hour security, and immediate access to the Key West waterfront. Conch Harbor also has a pool and on-site raw bar. Key West Bight Marina traditionally has had the lowest dockage rates in the area. For trivia buffs, the dockmaster's houseboat office was previously owned by Gary Burghoff of "Mash" fame.
Garrison Bight
Another popular harbor is Garrison Bight on the island's north shore. This is where you'll find the city-owned marina and Charter Boat Row. From Key West Harbor there are two approaches to Garrison Bight. Heading north past the Coast Guard station you will see unmarked Fleming Key Cut to the east. This leads directly to the island's north side, but it should only be traversed with local knowledge. This passage features a fixed bridge with 18 feet of vertical clearance.
The well-marked passage around Fleming Key has a controlling depth of 6 feet, but the bight entrance has limiting overhead power lines (vertical clearance: 50 feet at the entrance, 34 feet north of the channel inside the basin).
Garrison Bight Channel rounds the tip of Fleming Key and is narrow and bordered by shallows. Once you've passed Fl R 4s 16ft 3M "2," split Fl G 4s 16ft 4M "3" and R "4," favoring the east side of the channel and the red markers. The distinct water colors here will also be your guide, as dark, grassy shallows appear outside the channel. Round Fleming Key toward Fl G 4s 13ft 4M "17," then head south for Fl R 4s 16ft 3M "18" on the north shore of Key West. Along the way you'll be cutting through the municipal mooring field.
From Fl R 4s 16ft 3M "18," head east and parallel the island to Trumbo Point and the entrance of Garrison Bight, located south of Fl G 4s 16ft 4M "21."
Once you pass through the narrow opening into the harbor, you will see Key West Yacht Club to the east (port). Daymarks guide you past power lines and the city-owned slips into the inner basin, where you'll find Garrison Bight Marina and Charter Boat Row. It's less than a mile east to the large shopping centers and family restaurants on Roosevelt Boulevard (US 1) and two miles west to the heart of activity on Duval Street.
Houseboat Row, which had been a controversial subject when the "mature" boats were moored west of Cow Key Channel near the Key West Airport, was relocated and somewhat recreated in the outer basin in Garrison Bight. Mother Nature and several storms ultimately decided which boats were moved to a new home.
Stock Island
If Key West is FantasyLand, then Stock Island is Reality- World. The marine facilities include working boatyards and commercial vessels. The entire island is undergoing "housekeeping" and luxury residences are not far behind. The marinas do tend to have dockage available when the waterfront Key West marinas and resorts are full. Access to shopping and restaurants is limited without transportation but a bike, moped, bus, or taxi can get you back onto US 1 and the commercial shopping areas.
Separated from the oceanside Stock Island marinas by US 1, Sunset Marina (305-296-7101) on the northwest corner of the island facing Florida Bay is about as far from Sloppy Joe's as you can get…serenity-wise. The approach from Sigsbee Park (Navy property) is a little tricky. If eastbound, pass between R "36" and G "35," then quickly turn to port to line up three red markers running across the bay. A visual aid is to line up the microwave tower behind you on Sigsbee Park with the landfill (Mount Trashmore) to the southeast and the green roofs of Sunset Marina just to the right (south). Don't be misled by the channel running due south toward Cow Key Channel. Shallow rocks to starboard on the approach to Sunset Marina are marked by small white private aids.
Cruising west on Hawk Channel, past Sugarloaf Key, the path is wide and deep with only the rare charted shallows of less than seven feet. On the barrier reef, the 100-foot towers marking American Shoal and Sand Key are separated by less than 20 nm.
Along the oceanside channel you'll encounter no bridges unless you intend to cross under the Overseas Highway into Florida Bay.
To enter Key West Bight, the course takes a sharp northerly turn at the Main Ship Channel off the southern point of the island. The only underwater hazard is Whithead Spit, due east of G "13" Fl G 4s. Boat traffic and a proliferation of nav aids and lobster pots are the bigger concern.
If your journey to Key West was offshore in the Florida Straits, the first aid you'll see is the sea buoy RW "KW" Mo (A) WHISTLE, followed by the pairs of buoys defining the deep main ship channel. There's plenty of water outside the channel so giving way to the cruise ships and occasional military warship should be without concern.
From the Florida Bay side, those who chose "the path less traveled" from Long Key have skirted a series of shoals and banks in open water. From Harbor Key Bank, due north of Big Torch Key, the route bends to the southwest and continues 28 nm to G "1" Fl G 2.5s BELL at Northwest Channel.
From Key West there are two basic routes west-either above (north of) the string of small keys or below (south of) the keys. The wind direction and where you plan to stop along the way will determine the better of two good options.
A third option for boats drawing 3 feet or less may use Lakes Passage through the near islands by following the markers (red on right, heading west) and blue-green water curving through the Barracouta Keys to Boca Grande Key. There is an anchorage along its northwestern shore, but plan for current.
It's 12 nm from Northwest Channel to the Marquesas Keys. About 16 nm from Key West along the northern route you'll pass south of Ellis Rock (Fl 2.5s 16ft 5M). Your next visible markers are a lighted tower 5.8 nm northwest of Ellis Rock, and New Ground Light (Fl 4s 19ft 7M). From south of New Ground, it's about 21 nautical miles to the Dry Tortugas park boundary.
From the southern side of Key West on Hawk Channel near Sand Key, the Marquesas Keys are 14 nm west with few hazards. After passing north of Coalbin Rock (RG N "CB") on the southern route, you can head for the southern side of the Marquesas Keys. Keep an eye out for the charted coral heads 1 nm south of the Gull Keys. Use eyeball navigation and a depth sounder to find an anchorage in the lee of the islands.
While all of the islands are excellent fishing grounds, the area around the Marquesas serves as a serene stopover to cruising boaters on their way to and from the Dry Tortugas. If the winds are out of the south or east, anchor on the northwest side of the islands where depths of less than 3 feet extend a half-mile from the shore. The bottom in all these areas is a mix of sand, hard sand, coral rubble, and grass.
In northerly winds you can find an anchorage in the lee, then dinghy into the harbor for a bit of snorkeling and exploring. There are several natural channels that wind into Mooney Harbor, but shoaling at their entrances has reduced depths. Charter captains on the docks at Key West are the best source of timely local knowledge. Visitors are prohibited from going ashore on the islands of the sanctuary.
The direct course from the south end of the Marquesas Keys to Garden Key and Fort Jefferson leads you across The Quicksands and Rebecca Shoal (Fl 6s 66ft 6M). Both are shallow and dangerous in strong winds. This is no place to take shortcuts. Stay well south of both hazards before turning northwest to Southeast Channel.
From the Marquesas Keys, it's approximately 40 nm to the anchorage at Dry Tortugas National Park at Garden Key. This beautiful, peaceful sanctuary is made up of seven islands of varying size, plus numerous reefs.
The largest of the islands is Loggerhead Key, which has a 151-foot-tall unmanned lighthouse. Garden Key, the hub of the Dry Tortugas, features an immense red brick fortification that has served the federal government since the mid-1800s. Its most famous temporary resident was Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, who was imprisoned for treating the injured assassin of President Abe Lincoln. Dr. Mudd was later pardoned for saving lives at the prison during a yellow fever epidemic.
The Dry Tortugas
By the time you approach R "2" Fl R 4s at the Southeast Channel, you should see the ruddy walls of Fort Jefferson looming on the horizon, with the Loggerhead Key Light in the distance. After the long trip to get here, these are welcomed sights. The boundary of the Dry Tortugas National Park protected area around these keys is marked by a series of yellow buoys - some lit, some unlit. Finding the unlit buoys on a night approach can be difficult without a full moon or radar.
Boaters heading west from the Dry Tortugas will find no provisions until Texas, about 800 miles away, or Mexico's Isla Mujeres, some 350 nm across the Gulf of Mexico. Naples and Fort Myers to the north on Florida's west coast are a bit closer, about 100 miles away. Travel to Cuba, 90 miles to the south, is difficult for Americans at this time with the heightened post-9/11 security and U.S. relations with Cuba.
Shoreside and Emergency Services
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