Frankly, I was shocked at how much I liked The Florida Keys. I was excited to go, of course. Eager for bright green water, grilled grouper and epic sunsets. I was ready for the kitsch of rusted license plates and Jimmy Buffet, the smell of suntan oil and sea spray. I was ready for a Florida vacation!

But, I was not prepared for how exotic this trip felt in moments, from telling Chris to make sure we had our passports when packing in Islamorada to feeling like I was in Thailand at Little Palm. Within an hour of our first stop, we saw a nurse shark from three feet away. That’s three feet up on a dock, not in the water. Thank god.

We’d see six or seven more, a 15-foot tarpon and two wild loggerhead turtles. The latter were mid-coitus, in the middle of the ocean. We saw Navy Seals drop from the sky with parachutes, before they began a 6-mile swim to shore. We watch a re-enactment of the largest drug bust in Florida Keys history, and had dinner with two fishing pros, one of whom spent eight hours once pulling in a Marlin.

The Keys are not all exotic. Far from it. The main drag of Highway 1 is littered with tax offices and tackle shops, tacky t-shirt huts and grungy dive bars. Every place wants to sell you on their conch fritters and the traffic can be as thick as the humidity.

But, if you get good advice before going … or while you’re mid stream from Marathon on the way to Key West … pull off down the gravel roads, past petite inlets, on streets lined with Bahamian architecture. They wear names like Banana Boulevard, Raccoon Run and Aloha Drive. Stop at the local lunch places, where captains refuel and stock up on the planet’s most-perfect cocktail sauce.

Here are my thoughts on a most-perfect week in The Florida Keys.

In Islamorada …

Go … to Bud & Mary’s Marina to watch the nurse sharks and the 9-foot tarpon that swim around the boat docks. It’s so clear, you can see straight to the bottom.

Stay … at Cheeca Lodge & Spa. Book one of the private, new casitas for your own tiny house, with a private beach, giant hammocks and an adult’s-only private pool.

Drink … at Atlantic’s Edge at Cheeca Lodge. We also went by Florida Keys Brewing, but honestly, all their beers tasted the same. The garden was cute, however.

In Marathon …

Have a Beer … at Burdine’s Waterfront. Bob Marley on the stereo, breeze on your sunburnt shoulders, fried shrimp, tartar sauce and a rooftop vantage, over the slow-cruising ships and thick mangrove thickets.

Lunch … at Key’s Fisheries. Gah, I love this little place, where you rock up to a window and order from a huge list of island staples: battered fish, coconut shrimp, crab claws, hushpuppies, or their gooey lobster reuben. Instead of assigning you a ticket number, they ask you a question. The answer becomes your table number. When pressed on my favorite animal, I answered the obvious. You’ll notice on our receipt below.

Visit … the Turtle Hospital. One of the premiere groups working to save endangered turtles, from leatherbacks to loggerheads, this is a heartwarming, mind-opening experience that reminds us how fragile our planet really is.

In The Torch Keys …

Splurge … on a night’s stay at Little Palm Island. It will set you back more than $1,500, so it’s truly a splurge, but they pick you up in a private speedboat and whisk you to a Robinson-Crusoe-Meets-Nate-Berkus paradise of egrets and key deer, fine wines and buttery scallops. At night, your villa’s private fire pit is lit, guiding you home down the weathered docks, where you don’t have to look very hard to spot an iguana or a manatee. PRO TIP : You can book an advance reservation and just have dinner on the island.

In Key West …

Before you even arrive … stop at Baby’s for coffee, about 15 miles north. The frozen option here, with an addition of salted caramel swirl, is heaven on a hot day. Plus, it’s enough caffeine to kill a whale shark.

Take a fishing charter … with Compass Rose. I cannot say enough nice, impressive things about Captain Mike. And, we caught a freaking barracuda!

Dine … on whatever you catch at Kaya Island Eats, where they will take your filets and prepare them three separate ways.

Don’t skip … a dinner at Pepe’s Cafe either. It’s a really fun time for a shrimp cocktail, a rare ribeye, no-frills, a few stiff drinks and a salad heaped with ranch.

Breakfast … at The Garden Cafe. I was waited on by two ladies from Hungary and Kazakhstan and had an unforgettable toast with cream cheese and beets. Felt like a whole new world after all the fried food.

Lunch … absolutely at Frita’s Cuban. It’s plucky (and clucky : there are literally chickens running underfoot), with cold Michelada-styled beers and the best Cuban sandwich I’ve ever had. Y’all that’s saying a LOT. I eat one Cuban sandwich a week.

Swim … at the southernmost beach in America. Fort Zachary Taylor Park is really gorgeous and the water is crystal clear. You can rent snorkel gear at the Chicky Hut right on the beach.

Stay … at The Kimpton Winslow Bungalows. Rates around $200/night in low season, cute individual white houses with tiny porches and two swimming pools on-site. Plus, it’s only a 10 minute walk to the action of Duval Street.