Stay & Play

Two Key Resorts

by Jennifer Merrick

Ocean Pointe Suites, Key Largo

After driving almost 2500 kilometres with our teens to reach the beautiful Florida Keys, it was a treat to relax for a couple of days at the Ocean Point Suites. There was just so much space! All of the 170 accommodation at the resort are suites, and ours had two bedrooms (a considerable distance from each other), two bathrooms, a living room, laundry and a full kitchen. Two cozy balconies overlooked the mangrove forest and the blue Atlantic Ocean behind it.

Not only did the suites give us plenty of breathing room, the resort itself felt expansive and secluded with a private, secure entrance and 60 acres of oceanfront property.

A definite highlight was its newly renovated Junior Olympic-size pool that included a 12-person Jacuzzi hot tub. Surrounded by gardens and with a pool-side bar, it was a perfect spot for some much-needed R & R and soaking up some of that Florida Keys sunshine. For more active pursuits, there were tennis courts, beach volleyball nets, kayaks, SUP paddleboards and snorkelling gear.

The Waterfront Café and Lounge served up refreshments and meals. A rum cocktail and a slice of key lime pie were a great way to end a day exploring nearby points of interest, like John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Of course, no one would judge if you just wanted to hang out at the pool all day.

Fisher Inn Resort & Marina, Islamorada

“I am happy anywhere I can see the ocean,” someone once said. I agree and was ecstatic to stay at the Fisher Inn Resort and Marina. A massive patio, which was half the size of the room itself, looked right over the sparkling blue waters the Florida Keys is famous for.

The all-new resort featured stylishly decorated modern rooms with cool touches, like a robin-egg-blue- coloured microwave and matching round metal chairs which accented the mostly white décor.

Also white was the sand beach lined with palm trees, perfect for lounging or playing games like the giant Jenga, chess and bean bag toss. The Atlantic water may have been on the cold side, but the outdoor pool was heated and had a view of the ocean. A private ramp and trailer park served guests with boats. Islamorada, 20 minutes south of Key Largo, called itself “The Sports Fishing Capital of the World”, known for catches like marlin, tuna and swordfish.

Other attractions in the vicinity included Theater of the Seas, History of Diving Museum, Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park and Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park. But personally, one of the most interesting draws was that Islamorada was where the Netflix series Bloodline was filmed. Its sultry tropical scenes were one of the reasons I first thought about The Keys for a holiday. We contemplated Rayburn family secrets as we sipped our sundowners and watched the sunset on the patio. Looking at the purple and pink streaks in the sky, we also mused how romantic and fitting the name was. “Isla morado” means “purple island” and was named by Spanish explorers when they saw the purple sky at sunset.

www.providentresorts.com/ocean-pointe-suites.com

www.fisherinnresort.com

www.fla-keys.com