Dry Tortugas National Park

About Dry Tortugas National Park

In the Gulf of Mexico there are seven islands of coral reefs and sand known as dry tortugas.

Together they form the Dry Tortuga National Park, surrounded by shallow water. The area is known for its rich history as a place of legends about pirates and sunken gold, as well as for the rich biodiversity of the islands.

American coastal forts are the central feature with their fortifications, fortifications and fortifications, as well as a number of other historic buildings.

Tortugas were first discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513 and were dry, so there was no fresh water, but many sea turtles and tortugs provided fresh meat to ships. During the days of Spanish exploration, the reefs and shallows of Dry Tortuga posed a significant threat to the ships of the US Navy and its allies in the Caribbean. The US military attention was drawn to the strait during World War II, the Spanish Civil War and the American Revolutionary War.

Plans were made for a fortress in Dry Tortuga and construction began in 1846, but the invention of the weapon itself made it obsolete. The fort was never completed and the island was overrun by the US Navy during World War II.

As the military value of Fort Jefferson declined, the value grew, and President Franklin Roosevelt declared Dry Tortuga and the surrounding waters a national park in 1935. In 1992, the area was renamed the National Drought Park of the Tortugas to protect historical and natural features.

Air and commercial air traffic is served by Key West International Airport, which has a runway at the park's main entrance in the west of the island. Key - Seaplanes from the west provide the only direct access to Dry Tortuga National Park from the US mainland.

Private pleasure boats are welcome, but must be completely self-sufficient and there is no navigation in the dry tortugas. Public transport does not receive information about seaplanes and does not contact the National Park Service for information about the park.

Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the largest and most popular national parks in the United States, attracting more than 1.5 million visitors a year, according to the National Parks Service.

Transport is by seaplane from Key West to the main parking lot of the park, the visitor center of the Dry Tortugas National Park, and from there by seaplane to a parking lot on the north side of the road.

Fishing and diving can be organized in the Florida Keys and Naples. Please contact the park at 305 - 242 - 7700 for a list of services.