First Time In The Florida Keys

/

The Florida Keys are a VIBE. Come down if you like eating, catching or looking at fish. Come down if you like feeling the wind in your hair while on a boat. Come down if your preferred music is Jimmy Buffet, your preferred footwear is flip flops and your preferred cocktails come frozen.

The Upper Keys

We spent the first half of our trip in Key Largo, the first “Key” that is shockingly only about an hour from the excitement of Miami. To this first time visitor from NY, it seemed quite sleepy in Key Largo. Any restaurants, shops or other commerce sits along the VERY busy Overseas Highway (aka Route One) - so this is not a walking destination.

We stayed at Bakers Cay Resort and it was rather great. Super kid friendly (with kid activities on offer), two restaurants onsite plus a cute coffee truck on weekends, and its own beach front - a rarity in the Keys. IMHO the pool area is in need of some love (and drop all the towel rules, please!), but overall we really enjoyed this resort.

While in Key Largo, start your day with one of the many incredible muffins at Harriette’s and later move onto Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen for lunch. We really enjoyed a more “upscale” dinner at The Fish House one night. And grabbing a mahi sandwich and piña on the patio at Key Largo Fisheries is another wonderful way to spend a sunny day.

We did a really cool Mangrove Kayak Tour with Florida Bay Outfitters while in Key Largo. It was a perfect mix of relaxation and activity. And as Mangroves only exist near the Equator, the Keys are one of just a few places in the USA to experience this activity.

The next “major Key” over from Key Largo is Islamorada and you should definitely spend time here, too, while in the Upper Keys. It seemed more developed and upscale on the Overseas Highway in Islamorada than Key Largo. Many folks enjoy staying at Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada and Cafe Moka across from the Lodge is great for morning coffee.

While passing through Islamorada you MUST visit Robbie’s to feed the tarpon fish. It is such a blast - I don’t want to spoil the fun by saying too much.

The Lower Keys

After 3 nights in the Upper Keys we made the 2+ hour drive down to Key West, the last and most famous of all the Keys. En route down, I recommend a stop at Bahia Honda State Park. This is a really beautiful beach, even if there isn’t much sand to spread out on.

Key West FEELS far from home (and Miami). It is much more lively here than the other Keys and a big draw to Key West is that vibrancy. There are fish shacks, live musicians and frozen cocktails everywhere. On bustling Duval Street, there are also some R rated vibes.

Join the crowds and rent a golf cart to explore Key West. Take your obligatory picture at the Southernmost Point in the Continental USA. And mostly definitely head to historic Mallory Square at sunset for the street performers. We had so much fun watching Reidiclous Reid do his thing.

And ABSOLUTELY book the Dolphin Watch and Snorkel Tour with Honest Eco Tours. We were blown away by this incredibly knowledgeable and classy company and all the many dolphins and fish that we saw on our tour.

Key West has some delicious eats. We had great casual lunches at Eaton Street Seafood Market and BO’s Fish Wagon.

Moondog Cafe and Bakery, which is right near Ernest Hemingway’s House (also worth a visit, especially if you love cats!) was another great local stop.

For local treats, you MUST get an iced Cuban Coffee at Cuban Coffee Queen and a slice of delicious key lime pie at Kermit’s.

In Key West, we stayed at the Perry Hotel which is a good 20 minute drive from the heart of the town in Stock Island. The hotel was pretty and clean, and it had a nice pool set up overlooking the marina. But for me, it was too far from the action of Key West and generally too quiet (it felt like a retirement community). The rest of my family liked it more.

Thanks for a great visit, Florida Keys! It’s hard to come back to “land”!