Here’s a tropical paradise that’s about more than just lying out in the sun—one that invigorates, takes the breath away, and invites adventure. Halfway along the arc of The Florida Keys, Islamorada and its six-island community beckon adventurers of every stripe. Grab hold and don’t let go.

Fins – Sportfishing is big here, whether you’re into catch-and-release or bringing your prize in to a local restaurant and giving the cook your order. Go for bonefish, permit, and tarpon in the shallows; yellowtail snapper and kingfish on the reefs; sailfish and mahi mahi deeper. Strap on a pair of fins yourself and dive on the Eagle, a freighter scuttled in 105 feet of water and now a lively reef. Or, be a hero for a day: Join a restoration crew and help clean a coral nursery.

Get Vertical – What else? —just about anything marine you’ve ever dreamed of doing. Kiteboard the wind and waves; kayak a shimmering world of sea grass beds and tidal flats; paddleboard a watery backcountry; ecotour offshore marine life and see tropical fish, dolphins, and manatees. Venture out to Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, a hammock forest atop the remains of an ancient coral reef, and admire the gumbo-limbo, strangler fig, and other exotic flora. Or visit Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park to behold a reef without getting wet.