They sell seashells by the seashore
A stroll along one of South Florida’s many beaches is a different experience every time, not only because of the shifting tides or the position of the sun above the horizon. Sometimes just finding a new and peculiar shell or stone that’s washed up on shore can be a game changer. Stumbling upon a small pink-and-white strawberry trochus shell, like a dirty strawberry ice cream cone in the sand, serves as a tactile reminder of a great day at the beach. Unfortunately, finding these colorful keepsakes requires hunting, and more than 50 years of industrial pollution has spawned the disappearance of some of the most beautiful and abundant species. If the effort to find the perfect shell ends up fruitless, drive over to Shell World, whose name says it all.
Whether you’re in the market for a memento, starting a new craft project, or just have a shell fetish, you’ve come to the right place. Nary a native is found strolling the aisles of key chains and other stereotypically Floridian souvenirs inside Shell World. This place is certainly not lacking screened-on “Florida Keys” shirts and eight-count boxes of Key-lime coconut patties. But it’s called Shell World, not Souvenir World, for a reason. Buckets, barrels, and shelves from floor to ceiling showcase every shell imaginable. Spiraling nautilus shells show off their beautiful orange-and-white stripes like undersea lollipops. Huge pink conch shells sit idly on a table, waiting for guests to hold them to their ears and listen for the sound of the ocean. Bins of blue pearlescent solarium shells, very similar to snail shells, shimmer under the lights. Starfish, sand dollars, and restored horseshoe-crab shells and carapaces are on display for the picking.
Info
Address 97600 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037, +1 305.852.8245, www.shellworldflkeys.com | Hours Daily 9am–8pm| Tip If you’re willing to take the trip to the southwest coast of Florida, the beaches on Sanibel Island, where the number of shells seems to outnumber the grains of sand, are a sight to behold.
So when you’re leaving the beach and heading home, stop off at Shell World, between the eastbound and westbound lanes of US1 in the middle of Key Largo – and take a piece of the Keys with you.
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