An island retreat with all the amenities

KEY LARGO

Florida has many fine restaurants where you can dine by the water. This might be the only one where you can eat in the water – table, chairs, feet all in the clear, warm waters of Florida Bay.

On a recent visit to Key Largo, my husband and I watched the setting sun while seated at one of the “water tables” at Playa Largo Resort and Spa.

“Look, there’s a horseshoe crab,” our server pointed out as it crawled past, its spiky tail leaving a distinctive trail in the sandy bottom just inches away.

A four-star resort that is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection of hotels, Playa Largo is among the upscale resorts that have made Key Largo a popular destination for those who want a taste of the Florida Keys without driving another 100 miles to Key West. It is the largest key and the closest one to the mainland, less than five hours from the Tampa Bay area depending on traffic.

Playa Largo, opened in 2016 as the first resort constructed from scratch in more than two decades, covers 14.5 well-landscaped acres that were once a pineapple farm. Guests have access to a private beach, pool, several restaurants and a small marina. Because the resort is on the west side of Overseas Highway,

the waters are generally calm and the sunsets spectacular.

The 178 accommodations include 10 bungalows and a three-bedroom beach house, most with views of either the bay or the tropical gardens where green iguanas can be spotted scurrying up the palm trees. Our large room, in a three-story building near the pool, had a seating area, rain shower head and a generously sized balcony. At cocktail hour, we took a quick stroll to Sol by the Sea, an open-air restaurant and bar with a beach shack vibe. My husband had what he called “the best Caesar ever” while I ordered a delicious crab risotto topped with tilapia and grilled shrimp.

After dinner, we settled ourselves into lounge chairs on the beach as the sky turned pink and purple. Up by the pool bar, a guitarist played old favorites including, of course, “Key Largo.” As night fell, a hotel staffer lit a fire pit and set up a table with marsh