This Underrated Florida Keys Destination Is A Top Snorkeling Spot With Turquoise Waters And A Haunting Shipwreck

There's truly no other destination in the U.S. like the Florida Keys when it comes to snorkeling, as the Keys are a gateway to the only barrier reef in North America, the Florida Reef. The reef is protected as part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, so whether you want to witness this rare ecological wellspring or are just looking for the best destinations to swim with turtles, the Keys are sure to fulfill. The Alligator Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area is a bank reef within the National Marine Sanctuary where some of the most diverse marine life is concentrated. It lies between the Upper Keys' shallow reefs and the Middle Keys' deeper seabeds, making it great for beginner snorkelers by combining the ease of shallower snorkeling with the excitement of seeing larger marine life from deeper waters.

A major draw of Alligator Reef is its historical structures, namely a 140-year-old shipwreck and an iron lighthouse. The shipwreck is from the USS Alligator, a Navy schooner that was first built in 1820 and spent its years of action fighting off pirates along the West African coast and in the Caribbean. In November of 1822, the ship struck the reef, and, as it was sinking, the crew set it on fire to destroy anything aboard that might be looted by pirates. The reef gets its name from this wreck. In the aftermath, some rudimentary markers were placed along the reef in an attempt to curtail future crashes. Eventually, after years of petitioning Congress, the Lighthouse Board got approval to build an iron pile lighthouse at the reef site in 1870. Today, the 136-foot-tall Alligator Reef Lighthouse has been deactivated, but its tower remains as the reef's visual trademark.

The Alligator Reef Sanctuary covers about 0.32 square miles, with three roughly distinct snorkeling areas. The reef is easy to find because of the lighthouse, so once you anchor, the first snorkeling area is a mound of stones just next to the structure. These stones are actually one of the ballast piles from the USS Alligator shipwreck, though the fact that these remains were ever once part of a ship is pretty unrecognizable. The main ballast pile, which includes the ship's preserved lower hull, is just to the south of the lighthouse.

The second distinct snorkeling area is directly under the lighthouse. The marine life here is the most bountiful, with throngs of fish congregating under the shade of the steel support beams of the lighthouse like a little fish metropolis. There are at least 630 different species of coral reef fish at Alligator Reef. Look for angelfish, barracudas, snappers, rays, and eels, just to name a few. The third area is a bit further east from the lighthouse, and it's where the waters become deeper, reaching 20 feet in depth at points. You're more likely to see larger marine life here, including sharks and sea turtles.

Alligator Reef lies about 4.5 miles away from the shores of the Upper Keys, with Islamorada being the closest village. You can get to Islamorada in about 1.5 hours by car from the Miami International Airport. As you drive in, you can see the Alligator Reef Lighthouse in the distant blue horizon, one of the only lighthouses visible from the Overseas Highway. You can sail out from Islamorada's shores to reach the reef sanctuary, either with your own boat or with a local tour operator.

You'll want to keep a few things in mind to plan the perfect snorkeling vacation. Even though Islamorada is nicknamed the "sportfish capital of the world," fishing is one of the activities you can't do at Alligator Reef, since it's a protected sanctuary. Boating and swimming around the area are allowed, but you have to be careful not to anchor on any of the coral — look for an available mooring buoy to anchor on instead. These rules are all in place to ensure that marine life thrives, and it means you'll get to see some incredibly diverse, undisturbed underwater communities.