Press Releases

This fall, new offerings greet visitors traveling to the Florida Keys & Key West, with 125 miles of places with wide-open spaces stretching over scenic islands and vistas of turquoise sea and sky.

As curator and historian at Islamorada’s Keys History & Discovery Center, Brad Bertelli is a storyteller who spins colorful, articulate tales with rich factual details about life in the Florida Keys.

Beginning Oct. 1 United Airlines is to resume daily nonstop service to Key West from Chicago O’Hare and New Jersey’s Newark Liberty international airports on United Express 70-seat Embraer E170 regional jets.

Creativity is seemingly built into the DNA of the Florida Keys. Without even stepping inside a gallery or studio, visitors exploring the island chain can encounter an eclectic variety of open-air artistry. Prime among the outdoor creations is a collection of thought-provoking large-scale sculptures.

The life that Mike Goldberg — co-founder of I.CARE and owner of Islamorada’s Key Dives — created in the Florida Keys is a long way from his previous life as a Bear Stearns money manager, raising $100 million a year.

As well as human visitors who come to the Florida Keys for rest and renewal, marine creatures in need come calling, too. Some arrive with health problems, while others are injured, orphaned or lost.

Sway to the infectious rhythms of an outdoor salsa band. Savor the rush of caffeine from a shot of café cortadito sold by a smiling vendor. Pause on Duval Street to gaze at an imposing 19th-century building where history was made. And as you do, breathe a fervent “thank you” for the Cuban heritage that enlivens and enhances Key West.

Divers can help preserve the Florida Keys’ native reef fish populations during the fun, socially distanced Reef Environmental Education Foundation 2020 Lionfish Derby. Scheduled Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 10-13, the derby challenges participants to capture and remove as many non-native lionfish as possible from Keys waters.

Talented Islamorada artist Jessica Ann Cecil, 30, is self-taught with a unique flair for capturing marine life with colorful personalities — and she’s on a mission.