Travel Guide: Best Things to Do in the Florida Keys

Looking for the best things to do in the Florida Keys? You won’t have to look hard: The Florida Keys trail off the southern tip of Florida like a tropical kite’s tail, a string of unique islands that prove there are more reasons to visit the state than thongs and theme parks. With languid beaches, world-class fishing, and dozens of quirky seaside villages to visit, the Keys are a great place go get lost for a few days. Here are the ten best things to do in the Florida Keys while you’re on the edge of the map.

1. Stop By the Everglades

Alright, it’s not technically part of the Keys, but these 1.5 million acres of preserved wetlands are brimming with wildlife at the very southern tip of Florida, and you have to drive right by them. Stop for a tour aboard an airboat (the ones with the giant fans on the back) through high sawgrass to see American Alligators, endangered leatherback turtles, and Florida panthers in the wild.

2. Visit John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

If you’re having trouble finding this State Park, you might need to strap on your goggles, because most of it is underwater. Over the bridge in Key Largo, this park extends three miles into the ocean and is home to the only living coral reef in the US. Book a cruise aboard a glass-bottomed boat to scope out the stunning sea-floor or take a scuba lesson if you’re feeling a little more adventurous.

3. Swim With Dolphins

Grab your swimsuit (it should always be handy on this trip) and head to Dolphins Plus Bayside, a marine research facility where visitors of any ability level can swim with dolphins. While you’re in the neighborhood, stop at The Fish House and order the conch salad.

4. Ditch the Car

Bumming around by bicycle is the perfect pace at which to enjoy the beachy lifestyle on the Keys. Rent a bike in Key Largo and hop on the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, a 100+ mile rail trail that stretches from Key Largo all the way to Key West. For fuel, stop for the Inside Out Juicy Lucy Burger and an ice cream float at M.E.A.T. Eatery and Taproom in Islamorada.

5. Get Your Feet (And Your Face) Wet

Bahia Honda Key is unique in that it’s practically uninhabited. Most of it the island is protected by Bahia Honda State Park, where you can explore the water by snorkel or in a rented kayak. The public beaches here are some of the best around, where a little walking will give you a stretch of sand all to yourself. If you’re tired of landlubbing, charter a fishing tour during tarpon season to catch yourself a big one, then have it cooked at Angler & Ale, a restaurant inside Hawks Cay Resort that will prepare and plate your prized fish for you.

6. Get Educated

Your grandparents’ retirement home isn’t the only history on these islands. Visit the Shipwreck Museum on Key West to see four centuries of bad boat trips dramatized by actors and artifacts. The History of Diving Museum is a quick, quirky stop where you can see how people first tried to breathe underwater. Get back to reality with a Caribbean meal right on the beach at Morada Bay Beach Cafe.

7. Hit the Town

Once you make it to Key West, park the car and take in the scene on foot. Take a stroll and take in the sunset at Mallory Square, then help yourself to sleep with a Rum Runner at Pepe’s Cafe.

8. Dine Like a Local

The Florida Keys are loaded with great eats, and from beachside burger shacks to swanky seafood spots there’s something for every palate, budget, and style (flip flops are acceptable almost anywhere). Blue Heaven, an oddball restaurant in somebody’s Key West backyard where roosters roam under the trees (literally), serves laid back comfort fare like Lobster & Grits. Oyster lovers need look no further than The Thirsty Mermaid, with daily changing East and West Coast bivalves along with a bespoke list of wine and craft beer. And for something a little upscale, try the Square Grouper Bar and Grill on Cudjoe Key, where you’ll enjoy small plates full of artfully-prepared, fresh-caught local fare.

9. Stop By Hemingway House

No trip to the Keys would be complete without a visit to Papa’s house. The literary giant and quintessential man’s man devoted his life to the pursuit of sport, drinking, and writing about sports and drinking, and his house on the keys is a museum devoted to the time he spent there and his larger-than-life existence. When you’re done with your literary history lesson, raise a daiquiri to the man himself at Captain Tony’s Saloon.

10. See the End of the Road

It would be a shame to make it this far without going all the way. Visit the big buoy marking the southernmost point in the (continental) US and snap a photo to let all your friends know how low you can go.

CHEAT SHEET

For more on the best things to do and see in the Florida Keys, also see:

·       Planetware – Florida Keys: Top Attractions

·       Bucket List Journey – Best Things to Do in Key West

·       Trip Savvy – Florida Keys: The Best Things to Do