SCUBA MIAMI News

Oh, The Places You'll Go
Why now? Central America's first Four Seasons, relatively little clutter (yet) First came the backpackers and the birders, then the package tourists. Costa Rica, with more than a million visitors in 2003, hardly qualifies as a secret (even "cosmetic surgeon" Dean Faiello chose this paradise to await the long arm of the law). But now this country, dotted with low-rent all-inclusive hotels and reasonably priced independents, offers true decadence: Central America's first Four Seasons Resort, which opened at the end of the narrow spit of land that is the Papagayo Peninsula, in Costa Rica's Guanacaste Province.

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A decade ago, Cozumel was home to a tiny fishing village. It was best known by divers and vacationers looking for an alternative to Cancun booming nearby. That sleepy village is long gone. Piers have been added, and cruise ships make more than 1,000 visits every year. Hotels have sprouted, and air service to the island is increasing. Day visitors now are drawn to shopping, beaches and an enthusiastic night life. Bars are often in full swing by early afternoon. But there still are quiet corners of Cozumel -- places to dive, swim and enjoy an island in the sun.

East Coast escape: Swim with the fish in the sea
But once you get to Key Largo, those black-and-white movie images are wiped out by the rainbow of reality: The turquoise sea, the green mangroves, and the brilliant colors of tropical fish and other marine life found in the only contiguous coral barrier reef in North America. The reef is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, just 3 miles from the shores of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. You can reach the reef via a glass-bottom boat called the "Spirit of Pennekamp" that departs from the park three times a day.

Magical boat ride over the coral reef
KEY LARGO, Fla. - For those who haven't been there, the name Key Largo probably brings to mind Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson and a hotel full of gangsters waiting out a hurricane with booze and gunplay. But once you get to Key Largo, those black-and-white movie images are wiped out by the rainbow of reality: The turquoise sea, the green mangroves and the brilliant colors of tropical fish and other marine life found in the only contiguous coral barrier reef in North America. The reef is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, just three miles from the shores of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Magical Boat Ride Over Key Largo Coral Reef
KEY LARGO, Fla. (AP) - For those who haven't been there, the name Key Largo probably brings to mind Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson and a hotel full of gangsters waiting out a hurricane with booze and gunplay. But once you get to Key Largo, those black-and-white movie images are wiped out by the rainbow of reality: The turquoise sea, the green mangroves, and the brilliant colors of tropical fish and other marine life found in the only contiguous coral barrier reef in North America. The reef is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, just 3 miles from the shores of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

The Ledger: Lakeland, Polk County, Florida
For those who haven't been there, the name Key Largo probably brings to mind Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson and a hotel full of gangsters waiting out a hurricane with booze and gunplay. But once you get to Key Largo, those black-and-white movie images are wiped out by the rainbow of reality: The turquoise sea, the green mangroves, and the brilliant colors of tropical fish and other marine life found in the only contiguous coral barrier reef in North America. The reef is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, just 3 miles from the shores of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

For weekend release, March 6-7, and thereafter
or those who haven't been there, the name Key Largo probably brings to mind Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson and a hotel full of gangsters waiting out a hurricane with booze and gunplay. But once you get to Key Largo, those black-and-white movie images are wiped out by the rainbow of reality: The turquoise sea, the green mangroves, and the brilliant colors of tropical fish and other marine life found in the only contiguous coral barrier reef in North America. The reef is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, just 3 miles from the shores of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.