Dry Tortugas National Park
Info
The Dry Tortugas National Park is made up of seven small islands situated 70 miles west of Key West Florida. The area is famous for it's pristine coral reefs, wrecks, white sandy beaches, bird watching, marine life and legends of pirates and sunken treasure. It is truly an unspoiled destination due to being the most remote and least visited national park in the USA. Fort Jefferson, the largest of the 19 th century coastal forts is the centerpiece of the park. Ponce De Leon discovered these islands in 1513 and named them "Las Tortugas" (Spanish for Turtles) because of the abundance of sea turtles and loggerhead turtles that he observed there. While the turtles provided fresh meat to sustain his crew, there was no fresh water on the islands so he added "Dry" to the name. It is also suggested that mariners added the work "dry" to navigation charts to warn of the lack of fresh water on the islands. The Dry Tortugas National Park is over 100 square miles of tropical ocean and shallow reefs.
Map
40 Key Haven Road , 33040 Key West