Great Itineraries

3 Days

Spend your first morning diving or snorkeling at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. If you aren't certified, sign up for a resort course and you'll be exploring the reefs by the afternoon. Dinner at a bay-side restaurant will give you your first look at a fabulous Keys sunset. On Day 2 get an early start to savor the breathtaking views on the two-hour drive to Key West. Along the way make a stop at the natural-history museum that's part of Crane Point Museum, Nature Center and Historic Site in Marathon. Another worthwhile detour is Bahia Honda Key State Park on Bahia Honda Key, where you can stretch your legs on a forest trail or snorkel on an offshore reef. Once you arrive in Key West, watch the sunset at one of the restaurants around Mallory Square. The next day, take a trolley tour of Old Town, stroll Duval Street, visit a museum or two, and spend some beach time at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park.

7 Days

Spend your first three days as you would in the above itinerary, but spend both the second and third nights in Islamorada. In the morning catch a boat or rent a kayak to paddle to Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park before making the one-hour drive to Marathon. Visit Crane Point Museum, Nature Center and Historic Site and walk out on the Old Seven Mile Bridge or take the ferry to Pigeon Key. The next stop is just 10 miles away at Bahia Honda State Park on Bahia Honda Key. Take a walk on a wilderness trail, go snorkeling around the offshore reef, or wriggle your toes in the beach's soft sand. Spend the night in a waterfront cabin, letting the waves lull you to sleep. Your sixth day starts with either a half day of fabulous snorkeling or diving at Looe Key Reef or a visit to the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key. Then continue on to Key West, and get in a little sightseeing before watching the sunset.