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Top Reasons to Go | Getting Oriented | What’s Where | Planning | Seafood in the Florida Keys
Updated by Jill Martin
Your Keys experience begins on your 18-mile drive south on “The Stretch,” a portion of U.S. 1 with a specially colored blue median that takes you from Florida City to Key Largo. The real magic begins at mile marker 113, where the Florida Keys Scenic Highway begins. As the only All-American Road in Florida, it is a destination unto itself, one that crosses 42 bridges over water, including the Seven Mile Bridge—with its stunning vistas—and ends in Key West. Look for crocodiles, alligators, and bald eagles along the way.
Key West has a Mardi Gras mood with Fantasy Festival, a Hemingway look-alike contest, and the occasional threat to secede from the Union. It’s an island whose eclectic natives, known as
“Conchs,” mingle well with visitors (of the spring-break variety as well as those seeking to escape reality for a while) on this scenic, sometimes raucous 4x2-mile island paradise.
Although life elsewhere in the island chain isn’t near as offbeat, it is as diverse. Overflowing bursts of bougainvillea, shimmering waters, and mangrove-lined islands can be admired throughout. The one thing most visitors don’t admire much in the Keys are their beaches. They’re not many, and they’re not what you’d expect. The reason? The coral reef. It breaks up the waves and prevents sand from being dumped on the shores. That’s why the beaches are mostly rough sand, as it’s crushed coral. Think of it as a trade-off: the Keys have the only living coral reef in the United States, but that reef prevents miles of shimmering sands from ever arriving.
In season, a river of traffic gushes southwest on this highway. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride as you cruise along the islands. Gaze over the silvery blue-and-green Atlantic and its living coral reef, with Florida Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and the backcountry on your right (the Keys extend southwest from the mainland). At a few points the ocean and gulf are as much as 10 miles apart; in most places, however, they’re from 1 to 4 miles apart, and on the narrowest landfill islands they’re separated only by the road.
While the views can be mesmerizing, to appreciate the Keys you need to get off the highway, especially in more developed regions like Key Largo, Islamorada, and Marathon. Once you do, rent a boat, anchor, and then fish, swim, or marvel at the sun, sea, and sky. Or visit one of the many sandbars, which are popular places to float the day away. Ocean side, dive or snorkel spectacular coral reefs or pursue grouper, blue marlin, mahimahi, and other deepwater game fish. Along Florida Bay’s coastline, kayak to secluded islands through mangrove forests, or seek out the bonefish, snapper, snook, and tarpon that lurk in the shallow grass flats and mangrove roots of the backcountry.
With virtually no distracting air pollution or obstructive high-rises, sunsets are a pure, unadulterated spectacle that each evening attract locals and visitors to any waterfront.
The Keys were only sparsely populated until the early 20th century. In 1905, however, railroad magnate Henry Flagler began building the extension of his Florida railroad south from Homestead to Key West. His goal was to establish a Miami–Key West rail link to his steamships that sailed between Key West and Havana, just 90 miles across the Straits of Florida. The railroad arrived at Key West in 1912, and remained a lifeline of commerce until the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 washed out much of its roadbed. The Overseas Highway, built over the railroad’s old roadbeds and bridges, was completed in 1938.
Top Reasons to Go
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park: A perfect introduction to the Florida Keys, this nature reserve offers snorkeling, diving, camping, and kayaking. An underwater highlight is the massive Christ of the Deep statue.
Under the sea: Whether you scuba dive, snorkel, or ride a glass-bottom boat, don’t miss gazing at the coral reef and its colorful denizens.
Sunset at Mallory Square: Sure, it’s touristy, but just once while you’re here, you’ve got to witness the circuslike atmosphere of this nightly celebration.
Duval crawl: Shop, eat, drink, repeat. Key West’s Duval Street and the nearby streets make a good day’s worth of window-shopping and people-watching.
Get on the water: From angling for trophy-size fish to zipping out to the Dry Tortugas, a boat trip is in your future. It’s really the whole point of the Keys.
Getting Oriented
The Florida Keys are the dribble of islands off the peninsula’s southern tip. From Miami International Airport, Key Largo is a 56-mile drive via the Florida Turnpike and U.S. 1. The rest of the Keys—Islamorada, Marathon, Bahia Honda Key, and Big Pine Key—fall in succession for the 85 miles between Key Largo and Key West along the Overseas Highway. At their north end, the Florida Keys front Florida Bay, part of Everglades National Park. The Middle and Lower Keys front the Gulf of Mexico; the Atlantic Ocean borders the length of the chain on its eastern shores.
What’s Where
The Upper Keys. As the doorstep to the islands’ coral reefs and blithe spirit, the Upper Keys introduce all that’s sporting and sea-oriented about the Keys. They stretch from Key Largo to the Long Key Channel (MM 105–65).
The Middle Keys. Centered on the town of Marathon, the Middle Keys hold most of the chain’s historic and natural attractions outside of Key West. They go from Conch (pronounced konk) Key through Marathon to the south side of the Seven Mile Bridge, including Pigeon Key (MM 65–40).
The Lower Keys. Pressure drops another notch in this laid-back part of the region, where key-deer viewing and fishing reign supreme. The Lower Keys go from Little Duck Key west through Big Coppitt Key (MM 40–9).
Key West. The ultimate in Florida Keys craziness, this party town isn’t for the closed-minded or those seeking a quiet retreat. The Key West area encompasses MM 9–0.
Planning
When to Go
High season in the Keys falls between Christmas and Easter. November to mid-December crowds are thinner, the weather is wonderful, and hotels and shops drastically reduce their prices. Summer, which is hot and humid, is becoming a second high season, especially among Floridians, families, and European travelers. If you plan to attend the wild Fantasy Fest in October, book your room at least six months in advance. Accommodations are also scarce during the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July (lobster sport season) and starting the first weekend in August, when the commercial lobster season begins.
Winter is typically 10°F warmer than on the mainland; summer is usually a few degrees cooler. The Keys also get substantially less rain, around 40 inches annually, compared with an average 55–60 inches in Miami and the Everglades. In the summertime, “thunder boomers” (quick-moving thunderstorms) pass through most afternoons, although tropical storms can dump rain for two or more days. Winter cold fronts occasionally stall over the Keys, dragging overnight temperatures down to the low 50s.
Getting Here and Around
Air Travel
About 450,000 passengers use the Key West International Airport (EYW) each year; its most recent renovation includes a beach where travelers can catch their last blast of rays after clearing security. Because flights are few, many prefer flying into Miami International Airport (MIA) and driving the 110-mile Overseas Highway (aka U.S. 1).
Contact
Key West International Airport (EYW). | 3491 S. Roosevelt Blvd. | Key West | 305/296–5439 | www.monroecounty-fl.gov/index.aspx?NID=105.
Boat and Ferry Travel
Key West can be reached by high-speed catamaran ferry from Fort Myers and Marco Island through Key West Express.
Boaters can travel to and along the Keys either along the Intracoastal Waterway through Card, Barnes, and Blackwater sounds and into Florida Bay or along the deeper Atlantic Ocean route through Hawk Channel. The Keys are full of marinas that welcome transient visitors, but there aren’t enough slips for all the boats heading to these waters. Make reservations far in advance and ask about channel and dockage depth—many marinas are quite shallow.
Contact
Key West Express. | 100 Grinnell St. | Key West | 888/539–2628 | www.seakeywestexpress.com.
Bus Travel
Those unwilling to tackle the route’s 42 bridges and peak-time traffic can take Greyhound’s Keys Shuttle, which has multiple daily departures from Miami International Airport.
Contacts
Greyhound. | 800/231–2222 | www.greyhound.com.
Keys Shuttle. | 1333 Overseas Hwy. | Marathon | 888/765–9997 | www.keysshuttle.com.
Car Travel
By car, from Miami International Airport, follow signs to Coral Gables and Key West, which puts you on LeJeune Road, then Route 836 west. Take the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike south (toll road), which ends at Florida City and connects to the Overseas Highway (U.S. 1). Tolls from the airport run approximately $3. Payment is collected via SunPass, a prepaid toll program, or with Toll-By-Plate, a system that photographs each vehicle’s license plate and mails a monthly bill for tolls, plus a $2.50 administrative fee, to the vehicle’s registered owner.
Vacationers traveling in their own cars can obtain a mini-SunPass sticker via mail before their trip for $4.99 and receive the cost back in toll credits and discounts. The pass also is available at many major Florida retailers and turnpike service plazas. It works on all Florida toll roads and many bridges. For details on purchasing a mini-SunPass, call or visit the website.
For visitors renting cars in Florida, most major rental companies have programs allowing customers to use the Toll-By-Plate system. Tolls, plus varying service fees, are automatically charged to the credit card used to rent the vehicle (along with a hefty service charge in most cases). For details, including pricing options at participating rental-car agencies, check the program website. Under no circumstances should motorists attempt to stop in high-speed electronic tolling lanes. Travelers can contact Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise for more information about the all-electronic tolling on Florida’s Turnpike.
The alternative from Florida City is Card Sound Road (Route 905A), which has a (cash-only) bridge toll of $1. SunPass isn’t accepted. Continue to the only stop sign and turn right on Route 905, which rejoins the Overseas Highway 31 miles south of Florida City. The best Keys road map, published by the Homestead–Florida City Chamber of Commerce, can be obtained for $5.50 from the Tropical Everglades Visitor Center.
Contacts
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. | 800/749–7453 | www.floridasturnpike.com.
SunPass. | 888/865–5352 | www.sunpass.com.
Cruise Ship Travel
Cruise ships dock at three different locations in Key West. Mallory Square and Pier B are within walking distance of Duval and Whitehead streets, the two main tourist thoroughfares. Passengers on ships that dock at Outer Mole Pier (aka Navy Mole) are shuttled via Conch Train or Old Town Trolley to Mallory Square. Because Key West is so easily explored on foot, there’s rarely a need to hire a taxi. If you plan to venture beyond the main tourist district, a fun way to get around is by bicycle or scooter (bike rentals begin at about $12 per day). Key West is a cycling town. In fact, there are so many bikes around that cyclists must watch out for one another as much as for cars. You can get tourist information from the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce, which is located one block off Duval Street, at 510 Greene Street, in the old city hall.
The Conch Tour Train can be boarded at Mallory Square or Flagler Station every half hour; it costs $29 per adult for the 90-minute tour. The Old Town Trolley operates trolley-style buses starting from Mallory Square every 30 minutes for the same price, and these smaller trolleys go places the train won’t fit. The Old Town Trolley also has pickup and drop-off locations at numerous points around the island.
The Mile Marker System
Getting lost in the Keys is almost impossible once you understand the unique address system. Many addresses are simply given as a mile marker (MM) number. The markers are small, green, rectangular signs along the side of the Overseas Highway (U.S. 1). They begin with MM 126, 1 mile south of Florida City, and end with MM 0, in Key West. Keys residents use the abbreviation BS for the bay side of Overseas Highway and OS for the ocean side. From Marathon to Key West, residents may refer to the bay side as the gulf side.
Hotels
Throughout the Keys, the types of accommodations are remarkably varied, from 1950s-style motels to cozy inns to luxurious resorts. Most are on or near the ocean, so water sports are popular. Key West’s lodging portfolio includes historic cottages, restored Conch houses, and large resorts. Some larger properties throughout the Keys charge a mandatory daily resort fee of $15 or more, which can cover equipment rental, fitness-center use, and other services. You can expect another 12.5% (or more) in state and county taxes. Some guesthouses and inns don’t welcome children, and many don’t permit smoking.
Restaurants
Seafood rules in the Keys, which is full of chef-owned restaurants with not-too-fancy food. Many restaurants serve cuisine that reflects the proximity of the Bahamas and Caribbean (you’ll see the term “Floribbean” on many menus). Tropical fruits figure prominently—especially on the beverage side of the menu. Florida spiny lobster should be local and fresh from August to March, and stone crabs from mid-October to mid-May. And don’t dare leave the islands without sampling conch, be it in a fritter or in ceviche. Keep an eye out for authentic key lime pie—yellow custard in a graham-cracker crust. If it’s green, just say “no.” Note: Particularly in Key West and particularly during spring break, the more affordable and casual restaurants can get loud and downright rowdy, with young visitors often more interested in drinking than eating. Live music contributes to the decibel levels. If you’re more of the quiet, intimate-dining type, avoid such overly exuberant scenes by eating early or choosing a restaurant where the bar isn’t the main focus.
Visitor Information
In addition to traditional tourist information, many divers will be interested in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which has its headquarters in Key West and has another office in Key Largo.
Contact
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. | 305/809–4700 | floridakeys.noaa.gov.
Monroe County Tourist Development Council. | 800/352–5397 | www.Fla-Keys.com.
Tropical Everglades Visitor Association. | 305/245–9180, 800/388–9669 | www.tropicaleverglades.com.
Seafood in the Florida Keys
Fish. It’s what’s for dinner in the Florida Keys. The Keys’ runway between the Gulf of Mexico or Florida Bay and Atlantic warm waters means fish of many fin. Restaurants take full advantage by serving it fresh, whether you caught it or a local fisherman did.
Menus at a number of colorful waterfront shacks such as Snapper’s (139 Seaside Ave., Key Largo | 305/852–5956) in Key Largo and Half Shell Raw Bar (231 Margaret St., Key West | 305/294–7496) range from basic raw, steamed, broiled, grilled, or blackened fish to some Bahamian and New Orleans–style interpretations. Other seafood houses dress up their fish in creative haute cuisine styles, such as Pierre’s (MM 81.5 BS, Islamorada | 305/664–3225 | www.pierres-restaurant.com) hogfish meunière, or yellowtail snapper with pear-ricotta pasta purses with caponata and red pepper coulis at Café Marquesa (600 Fleming St., Key West | 305/292–1244 | www.marquesa.com). Try a Keys-style breakfast of “grits and grunts”—fried fish and grits—at the Stuffed Pig (3520 Overseas Hwy., Marathon | 305/743–4059).
Built-In Fish
You know it’s fresh when you see a fish market as soon as you open the door to the restaurant where you’re dining. It happens frequently in the Keys. You can even peruse the seafood showcases and pick the fish fillet or lobster tail you want.
Many of the Keys’ best restaurants are found in marina complexes, where the commercial fishermen bring their catches straight from the sea. Those in Stock Island (one island north of Key West) and at Keys Fisheries Market & Marina (MM 49 BS, end of 35th St., Marathon | 305/743–4353, 866/743–4353) take some finding.
Conch
One of the tastiest legacies of the Keys’ Bahamian heritage (and most mispronounced), conch (pronouced konk) shows up on nearly every menu in some shape or form. It’s so prevalent in local diets that natives refer to themselves as Conchs. Conch fritters are the most popular culinary manifestations, followed by cracked (pounded, breaded, and fried) conch, and conch salad, a ceviche-style refresher. Since the harvesting of queen conch is now illegal, most of the islands’ conch comes from the Bahamas.
Florida Lobster
Where are the claws? Stop looking for them: Florida spiny lobsters don’t have ’em, never did. The sweet tail meat, however, makes up for the loss. Commercial and sport divers harvest these glorious crustaceans from late July through March. Check with local dive shops on restrictions, and then get ready for a fresh feast. Restaurants serve them broiled with drawn butter or in creative dishes such as lobster Benedict, lobster spring rolls, lobster Reuben, and lobster tacos.
Grouper
Once central to Florida’s trademark seafood dish—fried grouper sandwich—its populations have been overfished in recent years, meaning that the state has exerted more control over bag regulations and occasionally closes grouper fishing on a temporary basis during the winter season. Some restaurants have gone antigrouper to try to bring back the abundance, but most grab it when they can. Black grouper is the most highly prized of the several varieties.
Stone Crab
In season October 15 through May 15, it gets its name from its rock-hard shell. Fishermen take only one claw, which can regenerate in a sustainable manner. Connoisseurs prefer them chilled with tangy mustard sauce. Some restaurants give you a choice of hot claws and drawn butter, but this means the meat will be cooked twice, because it’s usually boiled or steamed as soon as it’s taken from its crab trap.
Yellowtail Snapper
The preferred species of snappers, it’s more plentiful in the Keys than in any other Florida waters. As pretty as it is tasty, it’s a favorite of divers and snorkelers. Mild, sweet, and delicate, its meat lends itself to any number of preparations. It’s available pretty much year-round, and many restaurants will give you a choice of broiled, baked, fried, or blackened. Chefs top it with everything from key lime beurre blanc to mango chutney. Ballyhoo’s in Key Largo (MM 97.8, in median | 305/852–0822) serves it 10 different ways.