Islands are any form of land completely surrounded by water. There are several types of islands, each with its own geological name. An example is the cay, or cayo, also called key. The Florida Keys, a tourist hot spot, are well-known islands of this type. Some men and women from other parts of the country decide they want to buy florida keys real estate and move to this region, where it’s almost always summer.
Cayo is the Spanish word for small island. Largo simply means long in Spanish. Originally, the island was called Cayo Largo. The Keys once were the most populated area of the region that eventually became Florida.
Coral Reefs
A key is associated with an ancient coral reef, which is one reason why scuba diving is so popular in this part of Florida. The same is true with other keys in the Caribbean Sea that are not part of the United States. The biodiversity of coral reefs is remarkable. The islands have gradually developed on top of these reefs, and they are characterized by low elevations. In contrast, volcanic islands may have mountainous terrain, which is characteristic of Hawaii and Japan.
The white sand beaches are another attraction, along with the near-continuous warm weather. This type of sand is made of tiny skeletal fragments of various organisms, such as algae and coral.
Island Sizes
Keys are small compared with most other types of islands, but large enough to offer national parks for the enjoyment of residents and tourists. Consider that Greenland actually is an island, although it covers roughly 840,000 square miles. Great Britain’s square mileage is nearly 89,000. Compare that with the square mileage of Key Largo, which is only 15.3.
Real Estate Pricing
As could be expected, most residential real estate in the Keys is not cheap. The average sale price on Key Largo as of 2019 is about $478,000, according to data from Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty. If that’s a bit too steep, people have the option of vacationing in luxury rentals in the florida keys until they reach a point where they can afford to buy a lovely home there.
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