The Conch Republic: Key Largo
Gateway to the Florida Keys

Diving for Deals

When you buy a cellular phone package these days, it's tough to compare apples with apples. The companies offer slightly different options for rates and equipment.

The same can be true of travel packages, and you will find this in the diving world. For example, is the low price on your SCUBA course for instruction only, or does it include transportation to the reef and equipment rental? Sometimes the deals that look best are nothing more than a lost leader.

That's why it's very tough to recommend the "cheapest" dive options in Key Largo or anywhere else.

One thing you have going for you here is competition. There are scores of dive shops along U.S. 1, and you can walk to the next one if a deal doesn't seem right.

In general, expect to pay roughly $45-70 USD for a two-tank dive, when your weights and tanks are rented. Snorkeling is about half that cost. FLKeysDiveshops.com offers a database where you can search by price range and mile marker. Their caveat is a good one: the lowest price isn't always the best value. Budget travelers must do their homework!

The same applies to lodging. Key Largo offers many otherwise ordinary hotel rooms that come with hefty rates simply because the property borders water.

Many times, it's worth a few extra dollars to stay where you want to spend the most time. Here, that privilege is expensive. A room that would cost $120 USD in Key Largo can be as low as $35 in Florida City. Staying there allows you very quick access to Everglades National Park, too. The drive is about 20 miles each way.

Use the savings to buy a few traditional seafood meals. A word of advice: you can sample the same conch fritters, grouper and key lime pie at lunch for a smaller price than what is extracted at the dinner hour.

Don't Miss Key Largo

This is a place like Venice that people often avoid if they're traveling on a budget. To do so only cheapens your range of experience and enjoyment. The Internet allows you to explore lodging, camping, dining and diving options that would have been hard to find a few years ago.

And just like the Venetians, the "Conchs" are a unique people you need to meet. This area that once unofficially "seceded" from the U.S. has a fiercely independent and colorful style. It's something that is preserved, but not at the expense of providing top-flight hospitality.