Getaways to the authentic Florida
Indian Key is once again open to kayakers. If you’ve ever dreamed about exploring a deserted tropical island, here’s your chance: Take your kayak down to the Florida Keys and paddle out to Indian Key State Park to explore jungly ruins and snorkel a rocky shoreline.
Stopping at Alabama Jack’s, a fish shack and dive bar on a remote road between Homestead and Key Largo, has been the classic way to start a Keys trip for decades. It’s shabby, atmospheric and authentic.
You don’t have to go all the way to Key West for a Florida Keys experience. Islamorada, two hours from Miami, is worth the trip on its own. You can kayak to historic islands, feed the tarpon at Robbie’s Marina, visit two craft breweries, take a snorkeling boat tour, even visit a top-notch museum.
For 67 years, a non-profit devoted to historic preservation has convinced the owners of some of the most interesting homes in Key West to open them to visitors for a good cause. For four winter weekends, you can tour historic homes and support historic preservation.
Breathtaking scenery, pleasant weather and a laid-back vibe greet visitors to the southernmost point, but Key West RV camping is not easy, nor is it cheap. We’ll help you sort through the options.
Freshly harvested spiny lobsters are already appearing in seafood markets and restaurants. And recreation divers can get back in the water. The season ends next March.
Our Florida Keys Overseas Highway Mile-Marker Guide is your travel companion across these islands with notes on things to do, historic points of interest, tiki bars, restaurants and places to launch a kayak or take a hike.
As Florida’s Keys suffer their worst seaweed inundation in years, the beach at Fort Zach in Key West is refreshing clear and welcoming.
With the best beach in the Florida Keys, Bahia Honda is everyone’s favorite. We also love the park for its historic bridge, great beachfront camping and cabins.
If you want to savor the flavor of the Florida Keys, spend a little time at a tiki bar. Our favorites profiled here are unpretentious waterfront spots where you’ll get good fresh fish, fried everything and a big serving of Keys atmosphere.
As you cross the Seven Mile Bridge, you pass the little green island with yellow cottages and palm trees surrounded by dazzling blue water. You can visit this tiny paradise, which offers fascinating history, tropical beauty, even great snorkeling.
Many people miss it, sticking to Duval Street, but one of the most scenic strolls in Key West — and a top freebie — is the harbor walk along Key West Bight, also known as the Historic Key West Seaport.