But also keep your eyes open for good spots with turquoise water! You’ll see it from the car window but I like getting out along the way to get a better view!

The water is INSANE.

Key Largo

Key Largo is the largest of the Florida keys and is 30 miles from end to end. It’s the closest Key to the mainland and a popular spot for people to stop and stay. It’s also a famous spot for snorkeling/diving since John Pennekamp is located here.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Mile Marker 102.5

John Pennekamp is an underwater state park (the nation’s first!) that is 25 miles long and 3 miles deep. It’s well known for its reefs. You can snorkel, dive, take a glass bottom boat, etc. You can also see the Christ of the Abyss statue underwater that was cast from the original Italian mold.

Islamorada

Islamorada is a great area to explore. It’s a pretty island with lot of good places to stop for lunch or just to stop and look around. It’s also very photogenic. You can find cute spots all around for photo ops.

Robbie’s Marina

(Mile Marker 84.5)

Head to Robbie’s to see massive tarpon swimming and feeding. Yep, you can also hand-feed them! There’s a restaurant, fishing charters, boat rentals, you name it. But definitely interesting to see the tarpon! (This picture isn’t from Robbie’s but we saw tarpon near this boat. Or fish that looked like tarpon, I really wouldn’t know.)

Anne’s Beach

(Mile Marker 73)

I didn’t know Anne’s Beach existed and had probably driven by it a few times. But one time, I saw people wading out really far into the ocean and they were only ankle-deep! We decided to pull over to check it out and it turned out to be an actual place people go. Anne’s Beach is a huge shallow area/sand bar. You can walk quite a ways out into the water and not even be knee deep. Because it’s so shallow, it also feels like bath water!

They have picnic tables at pavilions and a newly constructed boardwalk taking you alongside the beach. The pictures are from two different trips and there was definitely a difference between the two visits! I think there are either different sections or the seagrass is multiplying. It also doesn’t help that our dog went crazy and stirred up all the water.

Long Key State Park

Mile Marker 67.5

For the longest time I thought there were only about 2 state parks in the Florida Keys–turns out there’s about 10! Long Key used to be a spot for the wealthy to visit, back in the Henry Flagler days (the man who put a railroad in from Miami which essentially opened up the keys). There’s a beach, nature walks and camping.

Marathon

Marathon is another popular area and is comprised of many small islands and actually has quite a few other streets off of the main US-1. There are a lot of fun things to do in this centralized area and it’s a great place to stay. It’s also well known for diving and has shallow & deep reefs and wrecks to explore.

Curry Hammock State Park

Mile Marker 56.2

Another state park in the Florida Keys is Curry Hammock (not related to the picture above). It’s another beach spot with shallow water and a good place to pull out kayaks and paddle boards!

Sombrero Beach

Mile Marker 50

According to a guide book I found, this beach is ‘one of the finest in the keys’. It looks like it might have some of the whitest sand in the area. I haven’t checked it out yet but it looks very promising.

Turtle Hospital

Mile Marker 48.5

Who doesn’t love turtles? At the Turtle Hospital, you can get a tour of the facilities while learning all about turtles and the rehabilitation efforts for them.

Seven Mile Bridge

Mile Marker 47

The Seven Mile bridge is exactly what it sounds like. A 7-mile bridge over the open water. It runs alongside the old bridge that was built by Henry Flagler for the Overseas Railroad which was damaged by a hurricane in 1960. There is still a 2-mile section open to pedestrian traffic that leads to Pigeon Key and is popular for fishing.

Big Pine Key

Big Pine Key has lots of nature spots and good diving (including the Looe shipwreck). You won’t find as many streets here like in Marathon. But you will find one of the best state parks and even a wildlife refuge.

Bahia Honda State Park

Mile Marker 37

One of my favorite places to stop on a Florida Keys road trip is Bahia Honda State Park. It’s got two great beaches and access to the old bridge, which gives you the view from above!

Key West

At the end of your Florida Keys road trip lies Key West and it is really its own place. This bigger island is eccentric, interesting and fun. Key West has a fairly large town (for an island) with shops, bars and museums. There’s lots of things to see and do here–easily a few days of exploration.

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

Not only does this state park have a beautiful beach, it has a lot of historic significance. Fort Taylor played an important role in the Civil War and you can tour its corridors while learning about the history of it.

Ernest Hemingway’s House

Ernest Hemingway actually lived and wrote in Key West for about 10 years and his home is now a museum that you can tour. Possibly my favorite part is the cats. Yes, you read that right–cats. Apparently there are about 40-50 6-toed cats living there. Hemingway was once given a white 6-toed cat from a sea captain and some of the cats at the house are descendants of that one.

Mallory Square

It’s said that all roads in Key West lead to Mallory Square. It’s a famous gathering place in the evenings where restaurants are busy, street performers come out and people gather for the ‘Sunset Celebration’. There’s a ‘Sunset Celebration’ every single night and I don’t think I’ve ever gone to Key West and NOT gone to Mallory Square for sunset. Ships sail by and everyone hangs out and grabs drinks to watch the sun go down. It’s nice–I feel like watching the sun set is under appreciated and it’s just done right here.

A beautiful sunset in Key West, Florida.

Duval Street

This is probably Key West’s most popular street. Duval Street is lined with bars, some with interesting things to look at (like this bar covered with dollar bills) and lots of live music. You can party all night here if you want…well, until 4am.

Take a picture at the Southernmost Point

Probably one of the most famous spots to take a picture in Key West is at the Southernmost Point in the Continental US. As the landmark says–you’re only 90 miles from Cuba at this point!

Dry Tortugas National Park

Bonus points if you get to the Dry Tortugas. It’s the only National Park in the Florida Keys but it’s not easy or cheap to get to. This star-shaped fort is in the middle of the ocean with beautiful beaches and water. The ferry is a 2-hour ride over (4-hour round trip) and costs about $160 per person.

What to eat:

To be honest, I don’t have favorite restaurants in the Florida Keys because a lot of places are very similar (locals don’t come at me). Instead, here are some popular foods you should try!

Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie is a staple in the Florida Keys. At one point, key lime trees were found all over Florida and the keys. You can pretty much find key lime pie in any restaurant and even whole stores dedicated to key lime flavored things like candles and candies. It’s a must-try while you’re here!

Conch Fritters

Conch fritters are a popular dish in the Keys. They are usually fried and served with tarter sauce. I have a picture of a conch shell but you might not want to try them if you see the critter, but when in the Keys, try the conch!

Seafood

You’re in the Keys–you have to order seafood. Shrimp, calamari, conch…and you really can’t go wrong with a fish sandwich. My favorite are the blackened Mahi Mahi or blackened Grouper sandwiches. (Always order blackened. Not grilled. Not fried, blackened. It has the best seasoning and most flavor!)

Where to stay:

It depends on how much time you have and what your goals are. If your goal is to get all the way down to Key West and you only have the weekend, you’ll be staying in Key West. If you have 3-4 days and want to make it to Key West, you could easily stay on another Key on your way down to give you more time to explore the areas/take more stops. But, if you aren’t going all the way to Key West, Islamorada and Marathon areas are a great central place to stay.

I’ve done all 3. Key West is fun to experience, but my favorite thing is the stops along the way. So if you have the time, I’d definitely recommend staying mid-way down so you can explore without having to do a lot of unnecessary back and forth driving. (Anne’s Beach is an hour and a half from Key West and Bahia Honda is 50 minutes for instance.)

The rooms

I’ve stayed in Islamorada, Big Pine Key, Marathon and Key West and one thing is pretty consistent: you’ll be paying a lot for a mediocre place. In the peak season, you’ll be paying around $150 a night for a slightly run-down, pastel-colored boutique hotel room with mismatched bedding and a cockroach in the corner. There are definitely some nice places to stay but you’ll be paying $250-450 per night during peak season (Dec-April).