The Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary is home to the third largest coral barrier reef in the world.
Photo by Gregory Wrona/Alamy
This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on July 6, 2026, with current information.
For the past three summers, I’ve spent nearly every weekend with my family snorkeling or diving around the reefs of Key Largo, admiring graceful sea turtles, eagle rays, barracuda, and parrotfish. This extraordinary submarine world exists right across a bridge from mainland Florida. Key Largo is the first island you reach when driving over from Miami–Dade County, and it’s part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, a protected expanse of 3,835 square miles. Its waters contain close to 6,000 marine species, as well as purple fan, staghorn, and elkhorn coral.
Though a marine heat wave in the summer of 2023 caused coral bleaching, restoration work has continued to this day, and the reefs around Key Largo remain vividly colorful. The best spots to snorkel are accessible only by boat (don’t forget Dramamine), on tours leaving from John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park or by joining a snorkeling trip with a local operator. Remember to use reef-safe sunscreen, don’t touch coral, use snorkel vests to aid buoyancy, and know that snorkeling conditions vary depending on the wind and current, so the final choice of excursion sites is up to the captain. Here are six of the best places in Key Largo that invite you to dive in.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Best for: Beginners, families, and anyone who might get seasick
Want to skip the boat ride? The first undersea park in the United States, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, offers convenient shore-access snorkeling. Mere steps from Key Largo’s Cannon Beach, you’ll find seagrass beds, coral formations, and colorful fish weaving through shallow waters. Though you won’t get the same level of diversity as you would with offshore snorkeling, this area provides a relaxed option for families and first-timers (snorkeling gear is available to rent).
Outfitter: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park’s 2.5-hour snorkel tours to nearby reefs, including Dry Rocks and Grecian Rock, are available for individuals and groups, with vessels that are wheelchair accessible.
Molasses Reef
Sea turtles are commonly spotted at Molasses Reef.
Photo by Joe Quinn/Shutterstock
Best for: Intermediate and experienced snorkelers, due to its offshore location
About six miles offshore, Molasses Reef is one of the most impressive (and most visited) reefs in the Florida Reef Tract. This is the third largest barrier reef on the planet and has a unique spur-and-groove reef structure, where brain corals and delicate fan corals create a maze of textures and colors. Larger animals, including nurse sharks, eagle rays, and sea turtles, are commonly spotted too. There are a couple of downsides: The reef is popular among local dive and snorkel boats, so it can get more crowded than other spots around Key Largo, and conditions can become choppy on windy days.
Outfitter: Sea Dwellers Dive Center
As one of the oldest dive shops in Key Largo, Sea Dwellers Dive Center knows where all the good spots are. The company’s captains prefer to anchor in water that’s 25 to 30 feet deep—giving snorkelers ample space without disturbing delicate coral.
Related: 4 Days in the Florida Keys: Shipwreck Dives, Teeny-Tiny Deer, and Legendary Key Lime Pie
Grecian Rocks
Best for: Families and beginners
One of my favorites, Grecian Rocks is more protected than many other reefs, making it a fine option for choppy, windy days. A short swim brings you into a world of angelfish and parrotfish, while eagle rays glide over the sandy floor, and sea turtles seem as if they’ve been awaiting your arrival. The reef’s coral gardens are vivid, with bright-purple fan corals swaying gently in the current. Some shallow sections are four to six feet deep, so while snorkel vests are still highly recommended for buoyancy, exploration is easy.
Outfitter: Silent World Dive Center
Silent World Dive Center runs snorkel-only tours aboard a 40-foot Calypso Boat and often heads to Grecian Rocks, as it’s a favored spot.
Christ of the Abyss
Florida’s Christ of the Abyss statue was submerged in 1965.
Photo By Lawrence Cruciana/Shutterstock
Best for: Snorkelers interested in underwater photography
Christ of the Abyss, set in 25 feet of water near Dry Rocks Reef, within John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, is a unique Key Largo sight. The statue, one of three cast from a mold by Italian sculptor Guido Galletti (the others are off the coasts of Italy and Grenada), stands on a sandy bed, arms outstretched, as if welcoming visitors to this underwater kingdom.
Free divers can descend for a closer view and to snap a selfie, and snorkelers floating above can take in the surreal, ethereal scene. The sunken artwork isn’t the only attraction, either; the reef’s dome-shaped landscape is dotted with colorful spur and groove formations and tropical fish swimming around the statue. Keep an eye open for spotted eagle rays and southern stingrays.
Outfitter: Sundiver Snorkel Tours
Sundiver Snorkel Tours specializes in family-friendly excursions (2.5 hours) to shallow reefs six to eight feet deep, with 9 a.m. daily departures to Christ of the Abyss. Full-face snorkel masks are not permitted.
French Reef
Pirates Cove Watersports takes snorkelers to two locations and offers excursions in the morning, afternoon, and night.
Photos courtesy of Pirates Cove
Best for: Intermediate snorkelers and adventure seekers
For a more adventurous outing, head to the intricate coral formations and hidden caverns of French Reef. While exploring the tunnels and arches, snorkelers may encounter angelfish, parrotfish, moray eels, and even small reef sharks. Swim-throughs such as Christmas Tree Cave, 50 feet from buoy F3, are accessible to more advanced snorkelers. (Pro tip: Bring an underwater light to help you navigate the caverns.)
Outfitter: Pirates Cove Watersports
Pirates Cove Watersports caters to mixed groups of divers and snorkelers with morning and afternoon trips. Its website includes a daily reef report. Full-face or integrated-face snorkel masks are not permitted.
Pickles Reef
Best for: Snorkelers looking for healthy coral and underwater photography
Pickles Reef, named after the wreck of a 19th-century pickle boat, is often overshadowed by neighboring Molasses Reef. Yet many locals consider it one of Key Largo’s hidden gems. A mix of natural coral formations and artificial reef structures has created a thriving underwater habitat in 10 to 25 feet of water.
The relatively shallow reef crest is home to healthy populations of hard and soft corals, including mustard hill coral, fire coral, and sea fans, plus colorful sponges add texture to the reef. Schools of snapper, grouper, angelfish, parrotfish, and butterflyfish weave among the coral heads, making every underwater session seem like a treasure hunt. With typically clear water, healthy coral communities, and fewer boats than some of Key Largo’s best-known reefs, Pickles Reef rewards snorkelers willing to venture a little further offshore.
Outfitter: Rainbow Reef Dive Center or Island Ventures
Rainbow Reef Dive Center occasionally includes Pickles Reef on snorkel excursions when sea conditions are favorable. Other operators, including Island Ventures, may also visit the reef depending on conditions and the day’s itinerary.
