Leonida Keys: Key Lento, Brian's Boatyard & the Reefs

The dress code is casual, the bars are loaded. The Leonida Keys are a tropical archipelago strung out below Vice City, connected by long bridges over the ocean. Rockstar's description: Life here isn't flashy but it's easy. Get your buzz on and pull up a deck chair — but look out, you're right on the doorstep of some of the most beautiful and dangerous waters in all of America.

This is where Jason's story begins.

Key Lento

The main island, based on Key Largo.

• Brian's Boat Works and Marina — Brian Heder's boatyard and the front for his smuggling operation.
• Jason's stilt house — a weathered green-and-blue house on stilts over the water, owned by Brian and lent to Jason rent-free. The Ultimate Edition parks a Dinka Enduro and a Crest kayak here.
• Leonida Marine Center — boating supplies.
• The Rusty Anchor — a waterfront bar with pool tables, one of the first confirmed minigames.

The wider island chain

• The Keys Causeway — the only road linking the Keys to the mainland, starting at Hamlet. Block it, and you've cut off the islands; remember that when you're running from the cops.
• Goose Key, East Key and smaller keys further south, plus a naval air station on one of the islands (per community mapping).
• Smaller uninhabited keys beyond the end of the road — good for stashing a boat or hiding out.

Two coasts, two playstyles

Weather is simulated on the water: wind changes wave height, and sheltered bays stay calm while exposed stretches get rough. A small boat that's fine inside the reef can get thrown around on the Atlantic side in a storm.

Diving and the reef

Scuba diving is confirmed, and the Keys are where it shines: coral reefs, sea turtles, lionfish, rays, sharks (including hammerheads) and shipwrecks with hidden items. Underwater is also a hiding place from police — clarity and depth determine how visible you are.

Life in the Keys

• Boat parties on the sandbars.
• Mobility scooters and iguanas on the road — the screenshots don't lie.
• Drug smuggling with a history dating back to the '70s and '80s.
• Boat tours for tourists.

Tips

• The causeway is a choke point — don't rely on it when you have a wanted level.
• A boat stashed on the Gulf side is a perfect emergency exit.