This Hidden Florida Island Is A Small Town For Nature Lovers With Unique Wildlife And Backcountry Kayaking

The Florida Keys are a beautiful representation of Florida's best features and a favorite vacation destination for anglers, divers, beachcombers, and honeymooners alike. Comprised of roughly 800 islands that sprawl across a large fringe of coral reefs, the Keys stretch about 200 miles from the top of the first, northernmost island, Key Largo, southwest in an arc to the bottom of the archipelago at Key West and Dry Tortugas National Park, the least visited national park in the U.S. and a paradise of coral reefs and beaches. Highway 1 runs down the center of the main Keys, connecting them via a series of bridges. Also known as the Overseas Highway, the road down the Florida Keys is one of the prettiest, most scenic road trips in the U.S. You can drive its length in about four hours from Miami, but you'll want to make the most of it, with stops to explore, eat, and snorkel. One of the must-see stops you'll want to include is Big Pine Key, a unique island oasis that has retained a sanctuary of nature in the tropical heart of an otherwise bustling, developed vacationland of tourists and traffic.

Big Pine Key is about 70 miles south of Key Largo, and about 30 miles north of Key West, in what is considered the Lower Florida Keys. Big Pine is a unique island that was once covered with ancient pine trees. While many trees have been lost to storms and climate change, Big Pine Key has retained much of its pristine nature, including a refuge for the endangered Key deer, a small, white-tailed deer species that roam freely throughout the island. It's also not far from Looe Key Reef, where you can experience some of the most incredible snorkeling in Florida.

Lonely Planet calls Big Pine one of the top five islands in the Florida Keys, and it's easy to see why. It encompasses thousands of acres of backcountry featuring multiple habitats and miles of hiking trails, plus the National Key Deer Refuge, which includes the Jack C. Watson Wildlife Trail and the Blue Hole, a beautiful quarry blending fresh and salt water. Small, rare Key deer are found on several Florida Keys islands but nowhere else in the world. Among the islands, 75% of them reside between Big Pine and neighboring No Name Key, a quiet, residential island just across the bridge. 

The mangroves and shallow lagoons of Big Pine Key are perfect for kayaking and offer calm paddling experiences to coral reefs and the Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve, a protected aquatic reserve surrounding the key. You can rent kayaks daily or weekly through Florida Keys Kayaks or take a kayak tour with Big Pine Kayak Adventures and get to know the fascinating history and unique marine life of the area. While kayaking in Big Pine Key, you may see wildlife like turtles, snakes, and even alligators, as well as an abundance of birds such as Green Herons and Belted Kingfishers, as Big Pine is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail.

Snorkeling or diving at Looe Key Reef is a must-do while in Big Pine Key. Just a few miles offshore, Looe Key Reef is a marine sanctuary rife with fish and coral. Book a charter boat or a tour through one of several companies operating in the area: A single snorkeler can expect to pay about $54 for a four-hour tour as of this writing.

Big Pine Key is part of the Lower Keys, along with Sugarloaf Key, Summerland Key, and others along with Bahia Honda State Park, a gorgeous state park with a campground where you can pitch your tent or RV right on the Caribbean-clear water. And take advantage of state park amenities like a boat ramp and bathrooms. Some of Florida's best, uncrowded beaches are in the Keys, and Bahia Honda boasts three where you can snorkel, swim, or picnic. The Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve surrounds the area, bringing tropical fish and rare birds to its protected waters. 

No Name Pub is a quirky, cultural touchstone off the beaten path of the Overseas Highway. It's actually located on Big Pine Key, just across the bridge from No Name Key, and was dubbed the "best casual dining experience in the Florida Keys" by ZAGAT. You can get your fix of fresh Key Lime pie there, as well as pizza, coconut shrimp, smoked fish dip, and meatball sandwiches. The pub was founded as a general store and bait and tackle shop in 1931, whose upstairs floor was turned into a brothel in the late 1930s. There are plenty of other options for wining and dining along the Overseas Highway crossing through Big Pine Key. Get juice and the famous "tuna everything" sandwiches at Good Food Conspiracy, an organic health food market.

If you don't want to camp, there are a few hotels and rental homes on Big Pine Key, like Deer Run on the Atlantic, a charming, on-theme beachfront bed and breakfast in the heart of the Key Deer Refuge, or the upscale Barnacle Bed and Breakfast, with a private beach and complimentary bikes and kayaks.