Fun in the Sun in the Florida Keys

You can dance to reggae or Cuban rhythms, visit some favorite places of Ernest Hemingway, or just lie in the sun.

21 March 2010

The sun sets over Islamorada in the Florida Keys

STEVE EMBER:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember. Today, Mary Tillotson and I welcome you to a group of islands that extends into the Atlantic Ocean from the southern state of Florida. These islands are called the Florida Keys. In Key West, a sign on a monument says "America Begins Here."

(JIMMY BUFFETT - “VOLCANO”)

MARY TILLOTSON:

The first European to see the Florida Keys was Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon in the year fifteen-thirteen. He was searching for special water that would keep people young forever. But he did not find that special water, or any other water that people could drink. Later, other Spanish explorers mapped the area as an aid to help their treasure ships return to Spain.

Many of the Keys still have Spanish names, like Islamorada, Bahia Honda and Key Vaca. The word “Keys” comes from the Spanish word “cayos” meaning “little island.” And many of the Florida Keys are little. Hundreds of the islands are only pieces of sand that extend a few feet out of the water. Many are only visited by sea birds.

Yet some of the Keys are big enough to support large numbers of people. One of the most popular is Key West. It is the farthest south of the Keys that can be reached by car.