Snorkel the First Undersea Park in America

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was established in 1963 as the first undersea park in the United States, protecting a section of the Florida Reef — the only living coral barrier reef in the continental US, and the third-largest barrier reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef and the Mesoamerican Reef. The park extends three miles out to sea from Key Largo's Atlantic coast, encompassing mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and 40 square miles of coral reef in water ranging from 10 to 60 feet deep. The signature experience is a 2.5-hour snorkel trip to Molasses Reef or the Elbow, where staghorn and elkhorn coral formations — some of the largest remaining in Florida — shelter parrotfish, angelfish, queen conch, moray eels, nurse sharks, and sea turtles. The Christ of the Abyss statue stands at 25 feet at the edge of a ledge at Key Largo Dry Rocks: a 9-foot bronze figure with arms raised skyward, originally cast in 1954 by Italian sculptor Guido Galletti and placed here in 1965. Non-swimmers should book the glass-bottom boat tour instead. Book all tours in advance — they sell out on weekends.

Use the afternoon to explore a different trail, cool off at a swimming hole, or find a scenic spot to watch the sunset.