The Florida Keys

The beautiful Florida Keys is the setting for the book Athlanmara: Seaborn Series Book 1. After all if you were a mermaid or merman isn't this where you'd want to be? The Florida Keys were "discovered" in 1513 by Ponce de Leon. The word "Key" comes from the Spanish word cayo meaning small island. The only residents of the Keys for centuries were the native Calusa and mainland tribes and of course the pirates! It wasn't until 1892 that the U.S. Navy finally chased away the pirates and settlers began to trickle down from the mainland. The Florida Keys have provided many products over the years, from pineapple to shark skin, cigars to sponges. The famous Overseas Highway was built in 1938 but it wasn't until the 1950's that the Florida Keys found it's true gold mine in tourism. Today over 3 million tourists visit the Keys every year and for good reason. With crystal blue waters and balmy breezes, the Florida Keys is a magical place where anything could happen, you might even see a mermaid!