There is Florida, home of Orlando, Gainesville and Panama City. Then there are the Florida Keys, which exist in another state entirely. I’ve taken trips to the area several times and have been really lucky to find some amazing things to do and see in the Keys.
There are many ways to get to the Conch Republic and its northern neighbors. Visitors can fly directly into Marathon or Key West. There is also a ferry service to the southermost key. My favorite way to get there, however, is to rent a car and drive.
If you choose to fly south and drive through the Keys, you have two choices: Miami or Fort Lauderdale. I’ve flown into south Florida numerous times and I’ve found, although an hour or so further north, flights into Fort Lauderdale are significantly cheaper. Getting to the highway was also significantly less stressful, even after going off-site for a car rental.
The next big question is what kind of transportation to rent. I’ve gone the budget rent-a-car route for this trip, rationalizing that I wasn’t going to spend that long in the car, anyway. The truth is, until you get to Key West, you pretty much have to drive anywhere you want to go. The last time I visited, I reserved a convertible, then took the offered upgrade at the car rental company. It was worth every penny.
If motorcycles are your thing, there are lots of options available. The Keys are very biker-friendly and there is a popular poker run there in the fall.
The road into the Keys is the Overseas Highway, which runs for a total of 128 or so miles. Locations along the highway are given by mile markers. So if you’re looking for the address of a restaurant or scenic location, chances are that the guidebook will give you a mile marker as reference. Nothing is too far off the highway in the Keys.
Rather than driving directly down the Overseas Highway, I like to start my trip at Alabama Jack’s on Card Sound Road outside of Key Largo. It isn’t a trip to the Keys unless I stop and sit by the water at this joint for a while with my first beer and conch fritter of the trip. Don’t be put off by the motorcycles out front. Although this might appear to be a biker bar, it is a family-friendly place with live music, great food and cold beer.
A note about drinking a driving in the Keys: don’t do it. The speed limit is 55 (in most places–more on this later) for a reason. The Overseas Highway is a four-lane road. If there is a multi-car accident, it can effectively close the road down for miles in either direction. The cops do not hesitate to pull people over and drunk driving penalties can be stiff. Luckily, if you plan well, you’ll have a bar within walking distance from wherever you plan to stay!
As soon as you get back onto the Overseas Highway from Card Sound Road, you’re practically at your next destination, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Now you have seventy nautical square miles to explore. The park offers scuba diving, snorkling and glass bottom boat tours. I’ve only done the boat tour and hiked some of the short trails around the park.
If you choose to go on the boat tour, I cannot recommend taking Dramamine enough. You’ll start out going through a short passage and, if you take the pill just as you get on the boat, you should be fine. Don’t wait too long, though. Looking through thick glass at the scenes underwater can make you nauseous, even if you don’t normally get seasick.
As you drive through the upper Keys, the Wild Bird Center on Tavernier Key is worth a stop. This is a free facility that exists on donations. Visitors can walk a maze of boardwalks through large enclosures for birds undergoing rehabilitation. Many of the birds live outside of the enclosures and show no fear of humans.
The morning we toured the facility, we were the only people on site. It is incredibly peaceful to walk among the birds in the sunshine.
The next stop on the way down is a waterside bar, the Lorelei in Islamorada. You can’t miss the place, located on the right hand side as you head south, marked by the huge mermaid sign out front. Sunsets here are pretty epic, served up with, you guessed it, conch fritters and whatever other fried delicacies you might desire. They have live music almost every night and a great cast of characters sitting at the bar.
I would remiss if I failed to note another restaurant in Islamorada, Bob’s Bunz. While I usually try to avoid locations with clever “z”s in the name, we hit this bakery for breakfast one morning and were not disappointed. They make french toast from banana bread, pumpkin bread, blueberry bread, etc. They also serve sides of fried bananas. I wish I could eat here every Saturday morning.
There are a few state parks scattered along the Keys. South of Islamorada, you’ll find Indian Key State Park, Long Key State Park and Curry Hammock State Park. Some of these parks offer camping sites, kayak reservations and nature tours.
Marathon Key is the last bastion of civilization until you hit Key West. You’ll find several grocery stores, fast food places and all the chain retailers you might usually expect to find in middle America. However, take a long last look because you won’t see them again for a while.
One cool sight to see in Marathon is the Turtle Hospital. There are tons of sea turtles in various stages of rehabilitation at the facility and they run tours every half hour. The facility is geared toward education, providing information on the causes of turtle injuries and environmental threats to the various species.
Just after Marathon, you’ll hit Seven Mile Bridge, famous as one of the longest bridges in the world when it was built. There is actually a small park on the right-hand side as you head south where you can park and walk part of the old bridge to Pigeon Key, a marine research facility and historic location.
The small key was accessible from the old bridge, closed in 1982, and now can only be reached by boat or by pedestrians or bicyclists on the old bridge.
The view from the old bridge is amazing. On a clear day, visitors can see conch and fish swimming through the channel. Also visible is the decay to the old bridge. A foundation has been established to maintain the site but battling the Florida weather is a difficult proposition.
Your next stop is another state park, Bahia Honda. If you are a beach creature, like me, this is the place to go. Just on the other side of the Seven Mile Bridge, this park offers several long white beaches, snorkling tours, kayaking and other activities. You can also walk up part of the old highway bridge to catch an amazing view.
Just south of Bahia Honda is Big Pine Key, known primarily for its lower speed limit. If you’ve ever driven through the key without stopping, you may have missed some of its more famous residents, the Key Deer.
Key Deer are endangered, with a limited range throughout the southern Keys. The penalties for killing a deer include a year in jail and up to $100,00 in fines.
There are several bed and breakfasts on Big Pine and I do try to stay there for a day or two, mostly so I can get to Bahia Honda during the day and hang out with the deer on Big Pine in the evening. Any of the streets on Big Pine off the highway are likely to lead to a deer sighting. They have little fear of humans and will simply stand in the road as you drive by.
My favorite nearby restaurant is the No Name Pub, located on No Name Key, just north of Big Pine. It isn’t easy to find but it is a destination bar with huge portions and an interesting clientele. Be sure to bring a $1 bill to leave on the wall with your name on it.
Now you’re almost there! A few miles south across numerous bridges and past exclusive resorts, you will finally find Key West. There are plenty of tourist guides available to visitors, so I won’t bore you with a blow-by-blow description of the island. I would, however, make a couple of recommendations.
Do try to stay near the Old Town, near Duval somewhere. You don’t need to stay ON Duval, since the noise of revelers (whatever time of day) would likely keep you awake. We usually stay a couple of blocks off Duval near the southern end of the key. Prices aren’t crazy and everything is still within walking distance.
Do go out to Dry Tortugas. This last trip was my first time out there and it was AMAZING. The ferry trip (again, take Dramamine) is long but the National Park is absolutely worth it. The sight includes Fort Zachary Taylor, (which should satisfy those with a historical background), overnight camping sites and absolutely stunning beaches. We walked off the beach to snorkle to find squid, conch and a multitude of colorful fish. I could not have imagined a better trip. Plus, the Dramamine makes you sleep most the way out and back.
Don’t eat at chain restaurants. There are some scattered through Old Town but you should take the opportunity to go somewhere different. If you can go to Margaritaville at the airport, do you want to go there in Key West? Try El Siboney, Blue Heaven, or any other of a number of great places. For breakfast, Croissants de France or Glazed Donuts are great choices. If you’re over Key Lime Pie, I suggest Better Than Sex for dessert.
Every corner has a bar and every bar is good. I have no shame and, as soon as I hit town, I buy a frozen drink at a walk-up bar blaring Euro-pop full blast. There is a bar in Key West for everyone but some of my favorites include the Green Parrot and Captain Tony’s.
Do go to Mallory Square for the sunset celebration. It is touristy and ridiculous and fun. You cannot beat the people-watching opportunities there. If you arrive early, be sure to stake out a good photo-taking location so you can catch the perfect sunset picture to make everyone at home jealous.
My best advice is to relax and have fun. The Keys offer a great location for any kind of vacation you might have in mind!
All photos by the author.
