Idiot’s Guides: RV Vacations

Visiting the Florida Keys is all about enjoying the crystal-clear ocean, stunning sunsets, and fabulous nightlife. While you’re here, you’ll want to spend as much time as possible kayaking, birding, and snorkeling around one of the largest coral reefs in the world.

Highlights

Sample Key lime pie at bakeries and restaurants such as Hobo’s Cafe and Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe.

Visit the six-toed cats all named after famous people at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum.

Take a selfie at the Southernmost Point of the United States.

The snowbirds have it right—the Florida Keys are most enjoyable when you’re escaping the snow and ice of the cold, northern winter months.

PO Box 776, Long Key, FL 33001. floridastateparks.org/park/long-key; 305-664-4815. $36. Picnic area, boardwalk, paved roads, canoe rentals, ranger programs.

This is state park camping at its best. At this campground, you can park your rig just steps away from the Atlantic Ocean, and all 60 campsites have water views. (Many campers love to launch their kayaks right from their sites.) The sites also all have water and electric hookups, a picnic table, and a ground grill. The bathhouses provide hot showers.

The reservations window opens 11 months in advance, and you must book early to secure a spot.

99010 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037. pointofviewrvresort.com; 305-451-5578. $65 to $140. Infinity pool, marina with boat ramp, dog run.

Big-rig friendly and located in Key Largo, this is the best resort campground option in the Florida Keys. Only a few years old, the amenities are up to date and focused on creating a great customer experience. A large infinity pool reaches the edge of the bay, and the clubhouse, game room, and tiki hut are contemporary and comfortable. A marina with boat ramp and fishing area are here, and a dog run and dog walk area make this a pet-friendly option.

You can walk to restaurants right from the RV resort, and it’s just minutes away from Key Largo’s shops, markets, and charter boats. It’s also close to Key Largo Community Park, which offers fantastic recreational facilities.

Bahia Honda has three different campgrounds. Sandspur and Bayside accommodate only very small popup campers, but Buttonwood has sites suitable for larger RVs. Buttonwood also has some waterfront sites. The campground is simple, but it’s surrounded by amenities, programs, and activities offered by the state park. Enjoy traveling the 3.5-mile (5.6km) paved biking path, swimming at one of the three white-sand beaches, birding during low tide on the sand flats, and fishing for snapper or grouper. Or rent ocean kayaks at the concession stand. Ranger-led Campfire Circles are offered exclusively for overnight guests at the amphitheater and address a variety of topics such as local plants, animals, and history.

95710 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037. 305-852-8689. 6 A.M. to 3 P.M. $5 to $10. Breakfast and brunch.

This is the place to go for breakfast in Key Largo. Everything here is homemade, and the owner, Harriette, loves to personally welcome guests to her decades-old establishment.

Although many menu items are delicious—corned beef hash, hotcakes, and omelets, to name a few—it would be a shame to visit and not try a Key lime muffin, which is huge, warm, and topped with confectioners’ sugar. You might return again and again throughout your vacation, just for more muffins.

6810 Front Street, Stock Island, FL 33040. hogfishbar.com; 305-293-4041. Monday to Saturday 11 A.M. to 12 A.M.; Sunday 9 A.M. to 12 A.M. $11 to $30. Seafood.

You can’t leave the Keys without experiencing the quintessential seafood shack, and Hogfish is where locals go to eat shrimp and chips served in newspaper and fried grouper with Key lime mustard. The Hogfish taco is a hands-down favorite and always prepared with freshly caught fish.

207 Petronia Street, Key West, FL 33040. santiagosbodega.com; info@santiagosbodega.com; 305-296-7691. Monday to Friday 11 A.M. to 2 A.M.; Saturday and Sunday 10 A.M. to 2 A.M. $21 to $40. Spanish tapas.

A pitcher of sangria, a few tapas, and the ambiance of Santiago’s Bodega makes for the perfect way to spend an afternoon or evening in Key West.

The menu has options for the sea lover and land lover alike. The tuna ceviche is tangy and flavorful without being chewy, and the tender short ribs are paired with a crisp slaw. Save some room for bread pudding for dessert. It’s as decadent and rich as bread pudding should be. If you can’t decide, the personable staff will be delighted to help you make your menu selections.

Reservations are strongly recommended if you want to enjoy a meal here without waiting quite a while to do so.

103100 Overseas Highway #33, Key Largo, FL 33037. sailfishscuba.com; info@sailfishscuba.com; 305-453-3446. Sunday 9 A.M. to 1 P.M.; Tuesday to Saturday 8 A.M. to 5 P.M.; closed Monday. Price varies by package.

People dream of exploring the Florida Reef when they visit the Keys. Sail Fish Scuba has a tour or package option for anyone, whether you have zero experience or you have your scuba certification.

It offers reef dives, snorkeling, boat charters, and guided kayak tours. Or try an Adventure Day, in which you combine many different water activities in one tour.

907 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. hemingwayhome.com; 305-294-1136. 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Adults $13; children $6; 4 and under free.

The Florida Keys has attracted many writers and artists during the last century, but none so famous as Ernest Hemingway, who renovated this Spanish colonial in the 1930s with his wife Pauline. If you’re a Hemingway fan, the house will automatically be on your itinerary. But even if you’ve never read one of his books, the guided tour is a fascinating look into the history of Key West and the Lost Generation.

For many guests, the real stars of the show are the polydactyl cats who roam the property. They’re descendants of Papa’s original one, Snow White, given to him as a gift by a ship’s captain.

102601 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037. pennekamppark.com; info@pennekamppark.com; 305-451-6325. 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. Vehicle admission $8; additional cost for tours and rentals.

This undersea park is particularly special. Starting on land, there’s a 30,000-gallon (114,000l) saltwater aquarium in the Environmental Education and Visitor Center, along with interpretive exhibits about the area’s ecosystem and history. Guided tours through the mangroves are offered seasonally. The majority of your time at this state park is spent in the water, with many snorkeling and scuba tour options available. The first item on your itinerary should be a ride on the glass-bottom boat, which tours the shallow reefs full of wildlife.

Kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards are available to rent if you want to explore the 50 miles (80.5km) of water trails that meander through the mangrove wilderness. Or rent a powerboat and head to open water.

ITINERARIES

If you have 1 week …

Head straight for Key West and the Southernmost Point. Visit the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, and enjoy a trolley tour of Old Town. Ride the glass-bottom boat at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

If you have 2 weeks …

All the above, plus snorkel or scuba dive in the reef. Rent kayaks at Curry Hammock State Park, and explore the mangroves. Visit the Dolphin Research Center. Take a sunset dinner cruise. Catch your own fish on a chartered boating trip, and have it prepared at a local restaurant.

If you have 3 weeks …

All the above, plus use all that time to take a scuba diving certification class and spend days exploring the magical world underwater in the Florida Keys. Take a boat or seaplane to Dry Tortugas National Park, located about 70 miles (113km) away from Key West.