Tropical rock has begun to seep into your dreams. You wake in the morning startled to find yourself in Last Chance, Colorado or Great Snoring, England or Nameless Cove, Canada, because you were just sifting starkly white sand through your sun-tanned toes as turquoise water lazily …

We understand. And we have done your homework for you: Here are 8 dreamy places in the Florida Keys where you can shrug off your hometown and slide into a groovier state of mind.

1. The Sea Turtles knows: Dry Tortugas National Park

About 100,000 Sooty Terns come to this national park of 100 square miles – which is mostly underwater – to nest, between the early spring and early fall: Sea Turtles bury their eggs on its alluring beaches in the summer.

And you can mingle, in an eco-conscious way, with these incredible creatures, while also talking long walks on beaches that echo paradise, or walk on the wall of historic Fort Jefferson – an abandoned military fort from the 19th century – where you might see a nurse shark or reef squid. As you do. – Link here

2. Go as far south as you can in the continental USA
The northernmost point in the continental USA lies in Lake of the Woods, the stark landscape made famous by Tim O’Brien in his novel of the same name: The southernmost point is all blue skies and water that seems to go on forever.

Imagine standing next to this marker of one the most extreme geographical points in America and saying “cheese,” while contemplating that this where it all begins for America, at least in the sublime south. Link here

3. Whoa. Was that a Silver King?
Your line is loose, you are one with the sea, lost in the dance of the sunlight on its surface when you feel a tug, a tightening … and everything changes. Fishing is a marriage of butterflies-in-your-stomach excitement and sublime peacefulness and Marathon is the place to go to ensure that you strike a balance between the two.

Perhaps you dream of snagging an elusive blue marlin in Marathon, and it is possible, but know that the snappers, groupers and pompano bring their own brand of thrill to the scene. Link here

4. It is all about the beach: Baha Island State Park
You are en route to The Keys, 40,000 feet or so above land and sea, and you are reading about an alligator wrestler who has seen better days in Carl Hiaasen’s Nature Girl but all you can think of is white sand and blue-green water.

You morph into your true self at the beach and you are always seeking that beach that will wrap you up in its arms and caress you until it is time to go home. Bahai Honda Key is where you want to be. (Yes, this rhymes. ) Link here

5. Get to know Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea draws the reader into the mind of a Cuban fisherman battling with a marlin in the waters off of Florida – how brilliant that we can now enter Hemingway’s home in Key West and get a sense of the man behind the words.

It is said that Papa Hemingway, as he was sometimes called, caught 7 Marlin in one day in 1938, elbowing other word record holders out of the way – he also survived two plane crashes. And, as you can see, he had a lovely home to return to when his adventures went south. Link here

6. Get all historical.
Harry S. Truman’s middle name is actually “S”, standing for no full name in particular but giving a sedate shout-out to all of the relatives who came before him whose names began with S. History is fun.

The Harry S. Truman Little White House stands in Key West Harbour: Truman spent 175 days of his presidency here, and other American presidents, like Clinton, Carter and Kennedy also visited this charming estate. Link here

7. Take in the street performers at Mallory Square.

Allow human beings walking on spindly stilts entertain you as an ethereal sunset paints the sky like Monet would. Link here

8. Swim with the dolphins at Theater of the Sea
Dolphins chatter and they splash and they love to meet new friends, even of the human belonging-on-land variety. And sure, some of you too-cool-for-school, jaded types may believe that swimming with these toothed whales is not for you, but we give you 30 seconds of frolicking before the giggling sets in. Link here

We would like to congratulate Luis Rodriguez as our winner!

Air Unlimited gave away one round trip ticket on our commuter airline from OrlandoSanford International Airport to Key West International Airport to the lucky winner!

Mr Rodriguez is still deciding when and where in the Florida Keys he will be visiting but we are very much looking forward to hearing back from him!

Do you think we should do another contest likethis? Don’t forget to Like our Page on Facebook and share this info with your friends!

Take advantage of our introductory price and visit Key West or Marathon Key for only $199 per seat for a limited time.

You are living in a time when, with a few lessons and some basic equipment, you can watch a shark being hand-fed by an expert. Or swim with a school of JackFish. Or marvel as a slow-moving octopus comes into sight. If you are a diver, you know the exhilaration of morphing, albeit temporarily, into an undersea being – if you are not, such wonder awaits you in the Bahamas.

1. THE GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND: THE UNDERWATER EXPLORER SOCIETY (UNEXSO) SHARK DIVE

Nail-biting theatregoers have devoured popcorn during such films as MegaShark versus Giant Octopus, Sharknado and – yes – Jaws, promising themselves as they left the theatre and walked into the dark night that they would never again venture into deep, blue water. But the shark is a totally misunderstood creature.

Shrug off any misconceptions you may be holding, consciously or subconsciously, about these captivating fish at UNEXSO’s Shark Junction, on Grand Bahama Island. You will hang with experts in shark behaviour, who will thoroughly brief you on what to expect on the unforgettable dive.

Watching graceful sharks of various sizes move about as if performing an underwater ballet, while being offered tantalizing tidbits from practised UNEXSO divers, is as exquisite as it sounds it is.

2. ANDROS ISLAND: THE OCEAN BLUE HOLE

A blue hole is nature at its most alluring, a dark blue circle surrounded by the familiar turquoise of the water of warm climes, signalling an intense depth of water that is a portal to underworld wonders. Jeff Birch, who vibrates with a passion for imaginative diving, manages Small Hope Bay Lodge where you can easily arrange a two-person dive in the iconic Ocean Blue Hole of Andros Island.

                                                                                               Photo Credit

Jeff will be happy to arrange a dive to an inland blue-hole too: There are four different dives to chose from, all with intriguing names: The Guardian Blue Hole; Stargate; El Dorado and The Little Frenchman.

Link: Small Hope

3. HIGHBOURNE CAY: THE WASHING MACHINE DIVE

You’ve always wanted to know how your favorite Vince t-shirt feels as it dances around in the rinse cycle, right? Well, maybe not. But you will want to dance around in the Washing Machine, just south of Highbourne Cay, where the tide grabs you by the diving suit and essentially throws you off an underwater ledge – in a good way.

Check out what you could get up to in this video: The Washing Machine at Exuma Cays.

Link: The Washing Machine at Exuma Cays

4. ANDROS: THINK VERTICAL: WALL DIVING

There is diving and then, for the not easily daunted and visually hungry, there is wall diving. Floating in front of a dramatic cliff face, taking in its mesmerizing coral as Blue Angelfish, Cherubfish, Sunshinefish, Smooth Trunkfish and Midnight Parrotfish perform just for you, in an underwater ballet of motion, is sublime.

The Andros Beach Club offers wall diving, as well as wreck diving and drift diving. Oh, they also offer childcare for your wee ones, who are welcome to hang out with your instructor’s children. Nice.

5. PELICAN CAYS LAND AND SEA PARK

Great Abaco Island is home to the Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park, offering a series of spectacular caves under its seas: You will feel like a new world has opened up before you, like you were somehow able to walk (well, swim) into the pages of a magical book of hidden treasures.

This 2,100 acres of precious land and water was established as a park in 1972 – way back when the world first grooved to ABBA and Eminem was a wee baby.
Link: Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park

We would like to congratulate Luis Rodriguez as our winner!

Air Unlimited gave away one round trip ticket on our commuter airline from OrlandoSanford International Airport to Key West International Airport to the lucky winner!

Mr Rodriguez is still deciding when and where in the Florida Keys he will be visiting but we are very much looking forward to hearing back from him!

Do you think we should do another contest like this? Don’t forget to Like our Page on Facebook and share this info with your friends!

Take advantage of our introductory price and visit Key West or Marathon Key for only $199 per seat for a limited time.

You frantically text notes to the office as you sit in the taxi on the way to your flight while part of your brain reviews what you packed – you vaguely recall throwing some swimming trunks on top of a light-weight cotton t-shirt which was sitting next to your go-to summer sandals and you start to breathe.

A strange physical sensation begins to flow through your body and you barely recognize it as relaxation. Whew.

You knew you needed to be in the Bahamas.

1. YOU LOOK MARVELOUS IN THAT MASK
Find a Fairy Basslet at The Pillars, mingle with Moray Eels at Mermaid Reef, peer at the Puffer fish as they blow up at Sanka Shoal and ogle the octopi at Elkhorn Park. Seriously, you could spend your entire holiday floating on the surface of outstanding snorkeling spots marvelling at sea creatures.

Though you should take an occasional break to have a sublimely cold Sands beer – maybe while sitting on a beachside café, just before the sun is about to dip into the ocean.

Learn more at Abaco Snorkeling.

2. HANG OUT WITH A KITE
Imagine gliding across the crystal clear surface of the Atlantic Ocean – your feet begin to slowly rise from the water, making you feel like you might be able to fly after all. When you are physically attached to a powerful kite, which is propelled by wind high in the blue sky, all thoughts of the external world vanish: It’s just you and the kite.
Visit Lubbers Landing in the Abaco Islands to learn more about how you might spend the morning sipping coffee under a shady tree, losing yourself in a book, and the afternoon learning how to fly… well, kite surf.

3. RENT A GOLF CART AND EXPLORE MAN-O-WAR CAY
Man-O-War Cay is a people pleaser of an island, with its town’s narrow streets that seem to whisper to visitors and pretty flower gardens of striking colours: You will feel like an explorer as you head out on your golf cart in this quiet cay, immersed in the atmosphere that is often described the real Bahamas, the one where people live their lives.

There are six tiny churches on Man-O-War Cay that will bring you back to a Bahamas that you probably thought no longer existed: Be sure to drive your cart to the higher parts of the town, where the views will, well, blow your mind.

4. WALK ON A WINDY BEACH
Being in the Bahamas is easy: It always feels right. A memorable vacation includes experiences that bluntly contrast each other, quiet standing next to exhilaration.

At some point you will desire the experience of quiet, of being alone on a beach where you can walk for a few miles, feeling the resistance of hard wet sand under your bare feet as you live in the moment.

Windward Point in Treasure Cay lays out the experience of serenity at your feet. Learn more at Windward Point.

5. CHILL OUT WITH SWIMMING PIGS

The garden-variety pig is a confirmed landlubber, hanging out in a mucky pen near a barn, but in a small island near Green Turtle Cay, you will see a different kind of pig –one who strolls down the beach in mid-afternoon, with her piglets, and who is not at all averse to a refreshing dip in the alluring turquoise water.

You can hang with these charming porcine companions: Visit Alburys Ferry Service to learn about how to get to this small, unnamed island because when pigs swim, you’ve just got to join in.

 
6. DRINK GOOMBAY SMASH AT MISS EMILY’S BLUE BEE BAR
Let your sun-drenched, salt-water sprayed hair down at Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar where the Goombay Smash is smack-your-lips delicious and potent. You’ll know when the time is right for you to walk through the white doors of this tiny, authentic Bahaman bar where you walk out feeling a little more like a local. (And maybe like taking a small nap.)

The Bahamas provide a landscape of sublime beauty, awakening your physical self, challenging you to live differently for a while. Go with it.