Marathon - the Heart of the Florida Keys

Way down below the Everglades is the tropical Florida paradise of Marathon, in the heart of the Keys. This is almost as far south as you can head on the mainland of the USA, with the Keys curling round into the Gulf of Mexico. If you want to discover to water wilderness of Florida, far from Orlando, Miami and Tampa - come down to Marathon via Highway 1.

In Marathon, you are level with The Bahamas and the heart of Mexico. You're protected from the Atlantic waves and the mighty Pacific. You have ten miles of island beach paradise to explore, perfect for families. It's well under one hundred miles to the equator, giving year-round balmy temperatures under a tropical sun. The temperatures rarely fall below 30 degrees centigrade all year long. September and October are the rainiest months but there is never any snowfall.

Getting here represents an amazing start to your vacation. You could take a private charter flight over the crystal clear, coral waters to the local airport, which is also a hub for light aircraft. Or you could drive across the spectacular bridges from Miami International Airport. It's a journey of just over two hours, but one you will never forget. After Homestead, you truly enter the keys. Pass through Key Largo and Islamorada before reaching the world famous and simply stunning seven mile bridge. You'll cross over the island of Pigeon Key, with its museum and National Heritage status, before gaining the tranquil environment of Marathon. There are thirteen small islands here, joined together as a city at the very end of the twentieth century. Though city may be a slight exaggeration, with just over 10,200 people resident here. Of course, tourists do swell the population but not to the same extent as Key Largo to the north and Key West to the south. Marathon is unspoilt.

The origins of the name were far from tranquil and pay little more than a passing nod to the Greek. The Florida East Coast Railroad was a mammoth construction task for the early 1900s and workers remarked that to complete it to schedule and budget would be 'a real marathon'. They gave the name to the local station, and it stuck.

Marathon was and is a fishing community. For sports fishing, there is nowhere finer. Here, you can fish in the ocean, off the bridges, on reefs and in the flats. Tarpin is one of the most sought-after prizes and is readily available here. For those who want to see marine life under the water, there are coral reefs and wrecks: ripe to explore through scuba or snorkelling. Particularly recommended is Sombrero Reef.

There is a new and safe combination of the two dubbed SNUBA. This is an introductory experience for beginners that takes you much lower than surface snorkelling. You have a line at all times, with a regulator, but don't have to be certified. This is the ideal compromise and your first start to diving.

You can also get up close with some of the most loveable mammals of the seas at the Dolphin Research Center with an interactive program which will see you getting in the water with these friendliest of creatures.

Younger members of the family in particular will also delight in the turtle hospital, with the opportunity to see and touch green, loggerhead and hawksbill turtles as they go through rehabilitation under certified conditions.

Come to Marathon in the Keys at any time of the year and you'll find a place to enjoy the natural world beneath the calm seas, to relax and to play, to fish and feast.