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At Kawama

The community rules that matter most during your stay, from the Kawama HOA rules and pool rules.

  • Arriving: we register your name with the front gate before you arrive. The driver shows a photo ID and receives a parking pass; please display it in the front window. Two cars maximum. The gate staff cannot hold keys or packages.
  • Holiday weekends: guests not registered in advance are turned away at the gate, and each unit is limited to two parking passes. A boat and the car towing it each need their own pass.
  • Pools and lagoon are open dawn to dusk. Children under 16 need an adult with them, and children who are not potty-trained must wear swim diapers.
  • At the pool: no glass inside the pool fence, and no food or drink within 4 feet of the water. No bikes, skateboards or pets in the pool area or on the lagoon beaches and decks. Please don't hang towels on the pool fence. Life rings and poles are for emergencies only.
  • No fishing in the lagoon. Snorkeling and kayaking are welcome in the lagoon and at the ocean beaches.
  • Tennis and pickleball: courts are open 8 AM to 11 PM. Pick up the court key at the front gate with a valid ID, and return it when you are done. Play is limited to one hour when others are waiting.
  • Terraces: please don't hang towels, swimsuits or laundry over the railings; the HOA rules don't allow it.
  • The marina is private and reserved for slip owners and their renters. If you bring a boat, check in at the gate with the registration, proof of insurance and a photo ID. Empty trailers may use the 24-hour lot by the marina entrance.
  • Trash goes in the dumpsters across from Building M, behind the wood fence. Recycling goes loose in the blue dumpster. Please never leave trash on the porch; the wildlife will find it.
  • Driving: 10 mph everywhere, on the streets only, and follow the one-way signs. Bikes and golf carts need lights after dark. Golf cart drivers must be 16 or older with a driver's license, with no more passengers than seats.
  • Fireworks are not allowed anywhere in Kawama.
  • Quiet hours: evening gatherings end by midnight.
The saltwater lagoon at Kawama Yacht Club

Where to eat

Our short list, from the fish market down the street to a special night out. Hours change with the season, so check the website before you go.

Walk or bike from the villa

A few minutes from the Kawama gate.

Key Largo Fisheries Backyard Cafe

1313 Ocean Bay Dr, same street as Kawama

Waterfront seafood market and cafe, open since 1972.

Pilot House

13 Seagate Blvd, MM 99.6

Waterfront seafood restaurant and marina. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

The Key Thai & Sushi

99611 Overseas Hwy

Inexpensive Thai and sushi. Closed Tuesday.

Our favorite breakfast spots

Both are a few minutes from Kawama and open daily at 6 AM.

High Tide

99411 Overseas Hwy, MM 99.4

Locally owned diner with breakfast served until 3 PM and bottomless mimosas; lunch and dinner too.

Doc's Diner

99696 Overseas Hwy, MM 99.7

Family-owned diner where the locals eat: homemade pancakes, waffles and omelets. Breakfast and lunch, 6 AM to 2 PM.

More breakfast and coffee

Denny's Latin Cafe

99610 Overseas Hwy, MM 99.6

Cuban coffee and breakfast from 6 AM, plus lunch and dinner.

Harriette's

95710 Overseas Hwy, MM 95.7

Local breakfast institution, known for its key lime muffins.

Casual

Mrs. Mac's Kitchen

99336 Overseas Hwy, MM 99.3

Key Largo favorite since 1976; save room for the key lime pie.

DiGiorgio's Cafe Largo

99530 Overseas Hwy, MM 99.5

Family Italian trattoria, dinner only.

C&C Wood Fired Eats

99201 Overseas Hwy, MM 99.2

Wood-fired pizza and more; easy takeout night.

Sunset and waterfront

Snook's Bayside & Grand Tiki

99470 Overseas Hwy, MM 99.5

Bayside tiki with sunset views and live music.

The Caribbean Club

104080 Overseas Hwy, MM 104

Historic 1938 bar tied to the film Key Largo; bay sunsets and live music.

Sundowners

103900 Overseas Hwy, MM 104

Bayfront dining room built for a sunset dinner.

Special occasion

Sol by the Sea at Playa Largo

97450 Overseas Hwy, MM 97.5

Oceanfront resort restaurant, open to non-guests.

Things to do

Kawama sits minutes from the reef. Here is what is close, what is worth the drive, and a few day trips.

Within 3 miles

Mile markers (MM) run along US-1; Kawama is at MM 99.5.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

102601 Overseas Hwy, MM 102.5

The first undersea park in the US: snorkel and glass-bottom boat tours, kayak and paddleboard rentals, Cannon Beach.

Rainbow Reef Dive Center

100800 Overseas Hwy, MM 100.8

Snorkel and dive trips to the reef, including Christ of the Abyss and Molasses Reef.

Key Largo Dive Center

99480 Overseas Hwy, MM 99.5

The closest dive shop to Kawama; reef snorkel and dive trips.

The African Queen

Marina Del Mar, 99701 Overseas Hwy

Canal cruise on the steamboat from the 1951 Bogart and Hepburn film.

Sailors Choice

Holiday Inn Marina, 99751 Overseas Hwy

Party-boat fishing, day and night; gear and fishing license included.

Dolphins Plus Bayside

101900 Overseas Hwy, MM 102

Dolphin swims and encounters.

Keys Chocolates & Ice Cream

100470 Overseas Hwy, MM 100.5

Chocolate and ice cream; an easy evening stop.

Up the road and down the Keys

Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock

County Road 905, MM 106

Six miles of mostly paved trails through tropical hardwood hammock; good for a bike ride.

Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary

93600 Overseas Hwy, Tavernier, MM 93.6

Rescued pelicans and herons along a boardwalk; lovely at sunset.

Harry Harris Park

East Beach Rd, Tavernier

County beach park with a protected swimming area and playground.

PADDLE! the Florida Keys

90773 Old Hwy, Tavernier

Guided mangrove kayak and paddleboard tours.

Theater of the Sea

84721 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, MM 84.5

Marine park with dolphin and sea lion shows.

Day trips

Robbie's of Islamorada

77522 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, MM 77.5

Hand-feed the tarpon off the dock, then browse the market.

Everglades National Park

Homestead entrance, north of the Keys

Alligators, birds and sawgrass. Entrance fees are card or digital pass only.

Key West

MM 0, about 100 miles south

The end of the Overseas Highway; a long day or a night away.

Groceries and pharmacy

Everything you need is within a few miles on US-1.

Publix

Tradewinds Plaza, 101499 Overseas Hwy, MM 101.5

Full grocery with pharmacy; liquor store next door.

ALDI

105300 Overseas Hwy, MM 105

Opened 2026 in the former Winn-Dixie.

Good to know

Fishing and lobster

Visitors 16 and older need a Florida saltwater fishing license to fish or take lobster; a spiny lobster permit is also required for lobster. You do not need your own license on a licensed charter or party boat. Buy online from Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC).

Lobster season runs August 6 to March 31, with a two-day sport season on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July. No lobster may be taken inside John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Full rules are on the FWC lobster page.

Snorkeling and the reef

When snorkeling or diving from a boat, fly a dive flag and stay within 300 feet of it in open water, or 100 feet near inlets and channels. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary asks visitors to use reef-friendly sunscreen, never touch or stand on coral, and tie up to mooring buoys instead of anchoring.

Weather and hurricane season

Winter brings highs in the mid-70s °F and the driest weather. Summer highs reach the upper 80s °F, with short afternoon thunderstorms. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. If an evacuation is ordered, visitors are asked to leave the Keys first; please follow the cancellation policy on your Airbnb or Vrbo booking.

Everglades National Park fees

The park charges an entrance fee per vehicle and accepts cards or a digital pass only, no cash. Current fees are on the National Park Service site.

Emergency numbers

For any emergency, call 911 first.

Emergency (police, fire, ambulance)911
Kawama guard house, 24 hours305-451-3622
Baptist Health Mariners Hospital, MM 91.5, Tavernier305-434-3000
Mariners Hospital emergency department305-434-1600
Monroe County Sheriff, Upper Keys (non-emergency)305-853-3211
Key Largo Fire Rescue & EMS (non-emergency)305-451-2700
US Coast Guard Station Islamorada (VHF 16 on the water)305-664-4404
Divers Alert Network emergency hotline+1-919-684-9111

Guide updated September 2026.

Plan your stay

Check dates and book the villa on Airbnb or Vrbo.