Riptide RV Resort

There is nothing more relaxing than sitting by the warm waters of Florida Bay and listening to the seagulls while the sun sets magnificently over the bay. Enjoy all the water sports that Key Largo has to offer — swimming, fishing, diving, jet skiing, parasailing and boating. Savor some of the freshest seafood in the world at one of Key Largo’s many fine dining restaurants. The night owls can visit one of Key Largo’s lounges most of which feature live entertainment seven days a week. And those who want to relax don't have to step much further than their front door.

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Key Largo Cook-off

Do you have a secret recipe or an award winning culinary creation? Enter the Key Largo Cook-off, coming up November 10. Local chefs will be part of the competition, but if you want to test your cuisine, amateurs are allowed to enter with the best of them.

There will be 5 categories for judging – soups and chowders, appetizers, entrees, desserts and sides. Professional chefs will also be separated in their own judging group. The other groups are amateurs, juniors younger than 16 and family recipes.

The cooking will take place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn (MM 100) with samples from all the entries at 7 p.m. Entry for competitors is free but guests who just want to watch the action and taste the results can pre-purchase tickets from the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce or buy them at the door for $15.

Key Largo is home to tasty seafood and international cuisine, so sample some cooking from local chefs or visit one of the many restaurants located near Riptide RV Resort.

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Safe reservations with Riptide

We just saw an alarming story on the Key Largo tourism website about vacation home rental scams. With an increasing amount of online rental companies popping up, it was easy for one scammer to set up websites and take payments for fake rental properties. John Williams was recently arrested by the Monroe county Sheriff’s office for setting up rental sites with fake names and other personal information. Investigators are still looking into the case, but many people transferred money or sent him credit card payments for fraudulent rentals. These internet scams have become a problem far outside the Florida Keys and whether you’re visiting for a weekend or staying for the winter, you’ll want to avoid untrusted sites or out-of-country transactions. And you’ll have no problem booking your vacation or winter stay with us at Riptide RV Resort. We’re managed by trusted company Carefree RV Resorts and all of our online reservations are made through a secure connection. Book your vacation with Riptide today and avoid the hassle and worry of finding an online rental.

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Road to the Keys

The new 18-mile stretch of highway connecting southern Florida and Key Largo is finished, and that means it will be easier and safer for visitors to get to our park and all the activities and attractions on the islands. The bridge will connect to U.S. Highway 1, making it more convenient to get to us and all the restaurants, shops and attractions off the main highway.

The $330 million project has been in progress for 7 years, so we're excited and relieved the road is finally finished. It features a concrete barrier to eliminate accidents, as well as more shoulders, underpasses and culverts to allow for more water flow, less pollution into the ocean and make sure animals can still cross under the road, undisrupted by the bridge and cars driving on it.

There was a partial opening of the bridge in 2008 when the Jewfish Creek bridge was completed. It created a better scenic view coming into Key Largo, but now the entire bridge is finished and will allow our visitors to get the best view and safest route coming in. Make your reservation with us today at Riptide RV Resort and take Highway 1 straight to your vacation destination!

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Key Largo Pirates Fest

We told you about an underwater pumpkin carving competition last week, but believe it or not there is something stranger you can do underwater. This video shows pirates playing poker in the clear blue waters of the Florida Keys!

This is one of the many under and above water events in the Key Largo Pirates Fest, running from October 20-23 this year. Visitors and locals alike come to this festival to enjoy the live entertainment, food, parade, fireworks and a lot of other pirate themed fun. The Pirates’ Bazaar and Thieves’ market will also be open Oct 22 and 23 with jewelry, art, clothing and pirate memorabilia for sale. There will be live entertainment including cannon demonstrations, staged sword fights and storytelling. And there will be adult and kids' costume contests, so put on your best hat, coat and eye patch. Many events are free, so check the full schedule for all the pirate-themed activities at the event website. Start planning your pirate-themed getaway now by reserving your spot at Riptide RV Resort!

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Underwater Pumpkin Carving

There are many ways to celebrate Halloween, but you may think of candy and costumes, and you'd probably never think of diving in the Florida Keys. Key Largo aims to change that idea, with their Underwater Pumpkin Carving challenge on October 16. The event will take place at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at 8:30 a.m. and you can register with a friend or watching the judging afterward. Folks from the Amoray Dive Resort will judge all the pumpkins when the divers are done carving out their artwork underwater. Sign up for the competition early, and start thinking about your pumpkin designs now, there will be prizes awarded at the contest. And Key Largo is a great place for divers to visit any time of year. A lot of folks who stay with us at Riptide RV resort like to see the wide variety of shipwrecks, fish, coral and other wildlife in the ocean. Key Largo is the diving capital of the world and the island has many scuba diving and snorkeling charters for beginners. Book your RV site with us today at Riptide RV and experience the holidays in a new way!

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Fishing in the Keys

The Florida Keys have some of the best fishing waters around, and amateurs and pro fisherman come to make reel in big fish. Some may be catching their dinner and some may throw the fish back, but there's no doubt that you'll have a good time and catch a lot of fish.

There are many fishing charters if you want a guide to show you exactly where to go for the big fish, and Riptide RV makes it easy for our guests who bring their own boat. We have a dock and boat ramp right on the park property, making it convenient for visitors to go out on the water whenever they please without having to pay for a charter.

And if you're a little more serious about fishing, there are plenty of tournaments to enter throughout the year. Entry fees and prizes vary and you can find all the events here.

Reserve your spot at Riptide RV to experience all the great fishing in key largo and bring your own boat so you'll be able to go out on the water whenever the ocean calls.

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Postcards from the Keys

We love our guests sharing photos and videos on Facebook and Youtube from their stay at Riptide RV Resort. People love the wildlife that comes and goes at the park, as well as the sunsets, fishing, diving and local restaurants and bars.

We wanted to share a couple amazing photos from guests' recent vacations, and we encourage you to share your photos whenever you visit!

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Labor Day Ride

Folks coming to visit us for Labor Day weekend will be able to have a lot of fun in the water and in the sun. The northern part of the Florida Keys are the gateway into all the attractions and sights on the islands. This weekend the Islamadora Historical Bike Tour will let visitors see the island in a different way, with a leisurely tour along Highway 1.

The tour will start relatively close to the RV Park. Just make the short drive south on the highway and the tour starts at the Hurricane Monument at mile marker 81.6. You can rent a bike or bring your own, and the tour will last from about 10 a.m. to noon. There will be tours on Saturday, September 3 through Monday, September 5.

The tour is free but donations to local youth sports programs are accepted, and the tour is limited to 16 people so call Mark Terrill at 786-897-5190 to reserve and call Backcountry Cowboy at 305-517-4177 for rentals. And don't forget the water and sunscreen!

The bicycle tour will go by historic landmarks, showing what island life was like in the 1800s and historical beach houses built in the 1930s. A guide will lead this tour through the sights until Bud n' Mary's Marina at mile marker 79.8. Grab a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants or head back to Riptide to spend the Labor Day weekend with your family and friends.

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Dive in

Key Largo is known for its beaches, fishing and seafood. Lobster season has started, so it's the perfect time to visit and enjoy the local restaurants, bars and many water activities, especially diving and snorkeling.

The Florida Keys are so popular for diving because the climate is perfect year round, the waters are clear, and there have been many efforts to conserve the marine areas so wildlife and tourists alike can enjoy the waters and coral reefs.

There are many things for divers to explore along the Keys, and in Key Largo we have a few statues and shipwrecks that are popular for guests. The Statue of Christ of the Abyss is located in the Key Largo Dry Rocks reef, close enough to the surface for divers and snorkelers to see it.

Spiegel Grove is a huge sunken Navy transport ship and is the most recent in the many shipwreck sites in the area, including the Benwood Wreck from WWII and the Bibb and Duane Coast Guard ships sunk intentionally for divers to explore in the 80s.

Visit Key Largo's tourism website for more information on what to explore while diving in the beautiful Florida Keys and reserve your site at Riptide RV Resort to be close to these and many more attractions!

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Events at Riptide

We get a lot of winter guests who stay at Riptide RV Resort to get away from the cold and onto the much warmer and friendlier beaches of Key Largo. A lot of people visit to boat, fish, dive and enjoy some great seafood. We’ve made a lot of improvements to the park and will be adding a pool soon. We’d also like to get a winter activities schedule planned out to entertain our winter guests. We’ve already gotten a lot of great suggestions on Facebook including zumba, yoga, chili cookoffs, shuffleboard, dominoes and games when we do get the pool. But we want to get as much input as possible, so keep posting your suggestions on Facebook, comment on the blog, or tell us when you visit the park. And as we make improvements and additions, let us know what you think. We want to keep our guests as happy and entertained as possible at Riptide RV Resort!

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Live from Key Largo

Want to check the weather on Blackwater sound, or check out the Dolphin Cove before you visit Key Largo? Be sure to take a look at Key Largo’s new streaming web cam. There are cameras for many different locations around the island, and you can even control the camera for a 360 view or zoom in on something for a closer look. View animals at the dolphin care center, marine mammal conservatory, dolphin cove and wild bird center or watch boats come back to the docks. Watch a sunset or see divers go out from the dive charters. See all the cameras on the Key Largo tourism website and check out our Facebook for more pictures of the ocean and nearby restaurants and things to do. You can only experience the beauty of Key Largo first hand by visiting Riptide RV Park. Visit our website for more information on what to do and see around the island and make your reservation today!

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Key Largo Food Fest

The Key Largo Food and Wine festival has started and will feature over 30 events through August 7 to highlight the best food and drink on the island. If you’re visiting Key Largo during this time make sure you take advantage of at least some of these events. Sunday brunches, weekday happy hours and dinner around town are just some of the promotions at local restaurants and wineries like Sundowners, Senor Frijoles, Tasters Grille and Market and more. There’s even an instructional course at Ballhoo’s on cooking your own delicious lobster. The highlight of the festival will be the Grand Tasting on August 6 at Rowell’s Marina. This all day event will feature live music, wine tastings and cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs. Go for a wine tasting with the girls, a romantic gourmet dinner or buy tickets for the Grand tasting, but make sure to make your reservations at these restaurants and with your friends at Riptide RV.

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Photos from the Keys

The Florida Keys tourism website just launched Photo Adventure, a website to view and share photos from your Keys vacation. This site is perfect if you want to browse beautiful professional photos of the area, get tips from the pros on taking better vacation pictures, and upload and share your own snapshots. The site includes professional photographer bios, with their tips for amateur photographers as well as an option to search for different areas such as Key Largo, Marathon and Islamadora. It’s also easy to submit your photos with your information and where they were taken. When submitted, the photos will be reviewed and approved before going into the gallery. The photo gallery has tons of great photos taken by Keys vacationers and is sorted into categories such as animals, sunsets, underwater snorkeling and even “Keys Quirks.” This new site not only shows the beauty of the Keys but allows our visitors to share their vacations here with others. Visit Riptide RV park today, explore the sites with your camera handy, and enjoy your Key Largo vacation! http://www.fla-keys.com/photoadventure/

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Jazz in the Keys

The Key Largo summer concert series will bring talented jazz artists to the area for six evening concerts. This weekend Louis Armstrong tribute group, Troy “Satchmo” Anderson and the Wonderful World Band will perform at the Key Largo Cultural Center.

Other musicians in the series include contemporary artists, jazz pianists, and jazz and Broadway vocals by Lisanne Lyons to close out the series. The new Friends of the Key Largo Cultural Center are sponsoring all the Friday concerts, to bring a little culture and low-cost family fun to Key Largo.

All concerts are at 7 p.m. and guests can buy tickets at First State Bank of the Florida Keys on MM 97, or online.

Stay at Riptide RV for the diving, snorkeling, fishing and beaches that Key Largo has to offer, while exploring the arts and culture of the city. Keep checking our blog for more events and news about the park and what to see and do in Key Largo.

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July Fourth Fun

Celebrate the 4th of July in relaxing and beautiful Key Largo at Riptide RV park. There are many activities for the whole family here, and this weekend will be no exception.   Celebrate with the whole family at the 36th annual Fourth of July parade starting at 10 a.m. on Monday. Floats will start at Anthony's Clothing Store on mile marker 98.2 and will run along Highway 1.  

Head over to Founder's Park for the Spirit of Islamadora celebration from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Entertainment and games, including a Nathan's hot dog eating contest make this old fashioned festival fun for the whole family and the event will end in a firework finale.  

Spend the night watching fireworks and their reflections on Blackwater Sound starting at 10 p.m. The best viewing will be at nearby restaurants and clubs at mile marker 104, only a few miles from Riptide.

Visit http://www.keylargofireworks.com for more information. Reserve your spot at Riptide to enjoy all of these fun-filled 4th of July events!