Centennial Bank

Florida Keys Florida

The Florida Keys. Just sit back for a minute, let it sink into your brain, and enjoy.

The Keys represent North America's tropical paradise, all right, but they're so much more than simple fun in the sun. The history behind the Keys is as interesting as the water is clear.  From the influences of former residents and renowned authors Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, to its geological and historical significance both as a coral reef and barrier islands separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico and as a military outpost, the Keys are awash in biology and history. Not to mention that crystal clear water, the white sand or the palm trees…

The Keys are an archipelago of roughly 4,500 islands extending westward from the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, beginning about 15 miles south of Miami and culminating in the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. About 80,000 people call the Keys home full time, close to half of them in and around Key West.

The Overseas Highway is that section of U.S. Highway 1 that connects the islands to the mainland, a 127-mile expanse that ends in Key West. Much of the current highway was built on the original right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, itself completed in 1912 and representing the first access to the islands not requiring a boat.

Internationally acclaimed authors Hemingway and Williams were former residents of Key West, and their influence in the city is significant. Key West also is home to Naval Air Station Key West. It served as an important military outpost in the Civil War and, as far back as several hundred years ago, served as an important trading post between Cuba and New Orleans.

The Florida Keys are home to unique wildlife as well, including the Key deer and the American crocodile, and the reef and islands that make up the Keys provide some of the best snorkeling, diving and fishing in the world.

They represent an experience unlike any other in the world, and Centennial Bank is proud to call the Keys home.



 

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