42 Best Sights in The Florida Keys, Florida

Most first-time visitors to the region are dismayed by the lack of beaches—but then they discover Bahia Honda Key. The 524-acre park sprawls across both sides of the highway, giving it 2½ miles of fabulous sandy coastline. Beaches include Sandspur and Loggerhead Beaches on the Atlantic side and Calusa Beach, which faces the Gulf of Mexico. The snorkeling isn't bad, either; there's underwater life (soft coral, queen conchs, random little fish) just a few hundred feet offshore. Seasonal ranger-led nature programs take place at or depart from the Sand and Sea Nature Center. There are rental cabins and a campground, snack bar, gift shop, and 19-slip marina, as well as facilities for renting kayaks and arranging snorkeling tours. Get a panoramic view of the island from what's left of the railroad—the Bahia Honda Rail Bridge.

On the ocean and bay sides of the Overseas Highway are 260 acres of upland hammock, wetlands, and mangroves. On the bay side, there's a trail through thick hardwoods to a rocky shoreline. The ocean side is more developed, with a sandy beach, a clean bathhouse, picnic tables, a playground, grills, and a 28-site campground with electric and water hookups. Locals consider the paddling trails under canopies of arching mangroves among the best kayaking spots in the Keys. Manatees frequent the area, and it's a great place for watching herons, egrets, ibises, plovers, and sanderlings. Raptors are often seen in the park, too, especially during migration periods.

This nonprofit focuses on marine mammal conservation, and you can help it by participating in one of the educational offerings. One popular option is the Connect to Protect, an immersive water program that begins with an educational briefing, after which you enter the deep-water lagoon to interact with the dolphins. Prefer to stay mostly dry? Opt for the tour of the facility or the general admission, which provides unlimited viewing of the dolphin lagoons, trainer talks, and educational exhibits.

This park, 70 miles off the shores of Key West, consists of seven small islands. Most people spend their time on Garden Key, touring the 19th-century Fort Jefferson, the largest brick building in the Western Hemisphere, then heading out to snorkel on the protected reef. The brick fort acts like a gigantic, almost 16-acre reef. Around its moat walls, coral grows and schools of snapper, grouper, and wrasse hang out.

Serious snorkelers and divers head out farther offshore to epic formations, including Palmata Patch, one of the few surviving concentrations of elkhorn coral in the Keys. Day-trippers congregate on the sandy beach to relax in the sun and enjoy picnics. Overnight tent campers have use of restroom facilities and achieve a total getaway from noise, lights, and civilization in general.

The park has signposted a self-guided tour that takes about 45 minutes. You should budget more time if you're into photography because the scenic shots are hard to pass up. Ranger-guided tours are also available at certain times. Check in at the visitor center for a schedule.

This isn't your typical large-city aquarium. It’s more hands-on and personal, and it's all outdoors with several tiki huts to house the encounters and provide shade as you explore, rain or shine. Plan to spend at least two to three hours here. You’ll find a 200,000-gallon aquarium and plenty of marine encounters (extra cost), as well as guided tours, viewing areas, and a predator tank. The Coral Reef encounter ($95 snorkel, $130 regulator) lets you dive without hearing the theme from Jaws in your head (although you can see several sharks on the other side of the glass). Touch tanks have unique critters like slipper lobsters. Hungry? The on-site Eagle Ray Café serves up wings, fish tacos, salads, burgers, and more. Note that general admission is required, even if you've signed up for a marine encounter.

While visiting Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, stop in at this colorful, 6,400-square-foot, interactive attraction, where you can experience a variety of Florida Keys habitats from pinelands, beach dunes, and mangroves to the deep sea. Walk through a model of the Aquarius—a unique, underwater, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) laboratory 9 miles off Key Largo—to virtually discover what lurks in the ocean's depths. Touch-screen computer displays, a dramatic movie, a 2,500-gallon aquarium, and live underwater web cameras show off North America's only contiguous barrier coral reef. You'll leave with a new understanding of the native animals and unique plants of the Florida Keys.

This beach in the historic state park with the same name is the best and safest place to swim in Key West. There's an adjoining picnic area with barbecue grills and shade trees, a snack bar, and rental equipment, including snorkeling gear. A café serves sandwiches and other munchies. Water shoes are recommended since the bottom is rocky here. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Construction of the redbrick fort began in 1845 but was halted during the Civil War. Even though Florida seceded from the Union, Yankee forces used the fort as a base to block Confederate shipping. More than 1,500 Confederate vessels were detained in Key West's harbor. The fort, completed in 1866, was also used in the Spanish-American War. Take a 30-minute guided walking tour of this National Historic Landmark at noon and 2 or do a self-guided tour anytime between 8 and 5. One of the park's most popular features is its man-made beach, a rest stop for migrating birds in the spring and fall; there are also picnic areas, hiking and biking trails, and a kayak launch.

Amenities at this gem of a public park include a palm-shaded beach, pool, marina, skate park, tennis, and places to rent a boat or learn to sail. If you're staying in Islamorada, admission is free; otherwise, it costs $8 (cash only) to enter.

This Monroe County park, with its groomed pebbly sand, is a popular sunbathing spot. A nearby grove of Australian pines provides shade, and the West Martello Tower provides shelter should a storm suddenly sweep in. Kayak and beach-chair rentals are available, as is a volleyball net. The beach also has the largest AIDS memorial in the country and a cultural exhibit commemorating the gravesite of 295 enslaved Africans who died after being rescued from three South America–bound slave ships in 1860. An athletic trail with 10 fitness stations is also available. Hungry? Grab a bite to eat at Salute!, the on-site restaurant. Across the street, Astro City Playground is popular with young children. Amenities: parking; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

This museum plunges into the history of man's thirst for undersea exploration. Amid its 13 galleries of interactive and other interesting displays are a submarine and helmet re-created from the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Vintage U.S. Navy equipment, diving helmets from around the world, and early scuba gear explore 4,000 years of diving history. Nifty scavenger hunt printouts make this fun for little ones. 

This state park is on everyone's list for easy access to the best diving and snorkeling in Florida. The underwater treasure encompasses 78 nautical square miles of coral reefs and sea-grass beds. It lies adjacent to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which contains 40 of the 52 species of coral in the Atlantic Reef System and nearly 600 varieties of fish, from the colorful parrotfish to the demure cocoa damselfish. Whatever you do, get in the water. Snorkeling and diving trips ($39 and $90, respectively; equipment extra) and glass-bottom-boat rides to the reef ($32) are available, weather permitting. One of the most popular snorkel trips is to see Christ of the Deep, the 2-ton underwater statue of Jesus. The park also has nature trails, two man-made beaches, picnic shelters, a snack bar, and a campground. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Come here for solitude, hiking, and fishing. On the ocean side, the 1.1-mile Golden Orb Trail leads to a boardwalk that cuts through the mangroves (may require some wading) and alongside a lagoon where waterfowl congregate. A 1¼-mile canoe trail leads through a tidal lagoon, and the grass flats are perfect for bonefishing. Bring a mask and snorkel to observe the marine life in the shallow water.

In 1622, a flotilla of Spanish galleons laden with riches left Havana en route to Spain, but it foundered in a hurricane 40 miles west of the Keys. In 1985, diver Mel Fisher recovered items from two of the lost ships, including the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, said to carry the mother lode of the treasure, and the Santa Margarita. Fisher's adventures tracking these fabled hoards and battling the state of Florida for rights are as amazing as the loot you'll see, touch, and learn about in this museum. Artifacts include a 77.76-carat natural emerald worth almost $250,000. Changing second-floor exhibits cover other aspects of Florida maritime history.

Of Bahia Honda State Park's three beaches, which also include Calusa and Loggerhead, Sandspur is the largest. It's also regularly declared the best beach in the Florida Keys, and you'll be hard pressed to argue. The sand is baby-powder soft, and the aqua water is warm, clear, and shallow. Mild currents here and at the other beaches make them great for swimming, even with small fry. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

This is one of the most photographed images in the Keys. Actually measuring slightly less than 7 miles, it connects the Middle and Lower Keys and is believed to be the world's longest segmental bridge, with 39 expansion joints separating its various concrete sections. Each April, runners gather in Marathon for the annual Seven Mile Bridge Run.

The expanse running parallel to the Seven Mile Bridge is what remains of the Old Seven Mile Bridge, an engineering and architectural marvel in its day that's now on the National Register of Historic Places. Once proclaimed the Eighth Wonder of the World, it rested on a record 546 concrete piers. A $44 million renovation, begun in 2017, is part of a 30-year, $77-million restoration and maintenance agreement between the Keys' Monroe County, Marathon municipal officials, and the Florida Department of Transportation. No cars are allowed on the old bridge, but the oft-photographed, 2.2-mile span is open to pedestrians and serves as the gateway to historic Pigeon Key, an islet nestled beneath the “Old Seven” that was once home to about 400 workers constructing the railroad. 

One of the best beaches in the Keys has shaded picnic areas overlooking a coconut palm–lined grassy stretch and the Atlantic. Roped-off areas allow swimmers, boaters, and windsurfers to share the narrow cove. Facilities include grills, a large playground, a pier, a volleyball court, and a paved, lighted bike path off the Overseas Highway. Sunday afternoons draw lots of local families toting coolers. The park is accessible for those with disabilities and allows leashed pets. Turn east at the traffic light in Marathon and follow signs to the end; parking is payable at a kiosk with credit card only. Amenities: showers; toilets; parking (paid). Best for: swimming; windsurfing.

On Lower Matecumbe Key this popular village park is named for a local environmental activist. Its "beach" (really a typical Keys-style sand flat with a gentle slope) is best enjoyed at low tide. The nicest feature here is the elevated, wooden, ½-mile boardwalk that meanders through a natural wetland hammock. Covered picnic areas along the way give you places to linger and enjoy the view. Restrooms are at the north end. Weekends are packed with Miami day-trippers as it's the only public beach until you reach Marathon. Amenities: parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; swimming; windsurfing.

Located at the southernmost point of Bahia Honda State Park, this public beach is a calm and pleasant spot for sunbathing, swimming, and snorkeling. It’s shallow enough for little ones to wade in, and the sand is velvety soft and clean (as opposed to some of the rockier beaches in Key West). There are public restrooms and showers nearby. Camping sites are available, but they tend to book up, so reservations are recommended in high season. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

Tucked away from the highway behind a stand of trees, Crane Point is part of a 63-acre tract that contains the last-known undisturbed thatch-palm hammock. The facility includes the Museum of Natural History of the Florida Keys, which has displays about local wildlife, a seashell exhibit, and a marine-life display that makes you feel like you're at the bottom of the sea. Kids love the replica 17th-century galleon; the pirate dress-up room; and the re-created Cracker House filled with insects, sea-turtle exhibits, and children's activities. On the 1-mile loop trail, visit the Laura Quinn Wild Bird Center and the remnants of a Bahamian village, site of the restored George Adderly House. It is the oldest surviving example of Bahamian tabby (a concrete-like material created from sand and seashells) construction outside Key West. A boardwalk crosses wetlands, rivers, and mangroves before ending at Adderly Village. From November to Easter, docent-led tours are available. Bring good walking shoes and bug repellent.

American crocodiles, mangrove cuckoos, white-crowned pigeons, mahogany mistletoe, wild cotton, and 100 other rare critters and plants inhabit these 2,400 acres, between Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the waters of Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The park is also a user-friendly place to explore the largest remaining stand of the vast West Indian tropical hardwood hammock and mangrove wetland that once covered most of the Keys.

Next to Louie's Backyard restaurant, this tiny beach—the only one in Key West where dogs are allowed unleashed—has a shore that's a mix of sand and rocks. Amenities: none. Best for: walking.

Hawks Cay Resort's Dolphin Connection offers three programs, including Dockside Dolphins, a 30-minute encounter from the dry training docks; Dolphin Discovery, an in-water program that lasts about 45 minutes and lets you kiss, touch, and feed the dolphins; and Trainer for a Day, a three-hour session with the animal training team.

The 1963 movie Flipper popularized the notion of humans interacting with dolphins, and Milton Santini, the film's creator, opened this center, which is home to a colony of dolphins and sea lions. The nonprofit center has educational sessions and programs that allow you to greet the dolphins from dry land or play with them in their watery habitat. You can even paint a T-shirt with a dolphin—you pick the paint, the dolphin "designs" your shirt.

Programs begin with a get-acquainted session beneath a tiki hut. After that, you slip into the water for some frolicking with your new dolphin pals. Options range from a shallow-water swim to a hands-on structured swim with a dolphin. You can also shadow a trainer—it's $350 for a half day or a hefty $630 for a full day.

If you can't make it out to see Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park, this is the next best thing. Opened in 2013 by the national park's official ferry commissioner, this free attraction in Key West's Historic Seaport has an impressive (1:87) scale model of the fort; life-size figures, including one of the fort's most famous prisoners, Dr. Samuel Mudd (who was involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln); and a Junior Ranger station for the little ones, with hands-on educational fun. The exhibits are housed in a historic site as well: the old Thompson Fish House, where local fishermen once brought their daily catch for processing.

Have a nose-to-beak encounter with ospreys, hawks, herons, and other unreleasable birds at this bird rehabilitation center. The birds live in spacious screened enclosures along a boardwalk running through some of the best waterfront real estate in the Keys.

Take the plunge at one of three swimming pools: an eight-lane, 25-meter lap pool with two diving boards; a 3- to 4-foot-deep pool accessible to people with mobility challenges; and an interactive children's play pool with a waterslide, pirate ship, waterfall, and sloping zero-entry instead of steps. Because so few of the motels in Key Largo have pools, it remains a popular destination for visiting families. 

Pet a nurse shark and explore the fascinating underwater realm of the Keys without getting wet at this historic aquarium. Hundreds of tropical fish and enormous sea creatures live here—all locals. A touch tank enables you to handle starfish, sea cucumbers, horseshoe and hermit crabs, and even horse and queen conchs—living totems of the Conch Republic. Built in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration as the world's first open-air aquarium, most of the building has been enclosed for all-weather viewing. Guided tours, included in the admission price, feature shark feedings. Tickets are cheaper when booked online.

For the best view in town, climb the 88 steps to the top of this 1847 lighthouse. The 92-foot structure has a Fresnel lens, which was installed in the 1860s at a cost of $1 million. The keeper lived in the adjacent 1887 clapboard house, which now exhibits vintage photographs, ship models, nautical charts, and artifacts from all along Key West's reefs. A kids' room is stocked with books and toys.