Days in the Keys--how much to fit in
 

We will be vacationing in the Keys June 15-20th (then going to Ft Lauderdale for a few days) and are staying on Duck Key. We would like to get in as much snorkeling as possible, some kayak tours of the backcountry, and spend some time on the beach/at the resort just relaxing.

We have one day planned that might include a trip to Looe Key for snorkeling at the reef, Bahia Honda for the beach (how much time should we plan for this?), and then a possible trip down into Key West for a quick preview and dinner. Does this sound like too much for one day? It seems pretty tight, but it seems a shame to drive down so close to Key West and then drive back up to our hotel only to drive back down the next day....

Any advice? We don't want to rush the Bahia Honda and Looe Key experience, so if those would easily fill a day, we might skip Key West.

We thought we might go to Pennekamp on our way back up to Ft Lauderdale, and are assuming this could be a half day?

We are trying to avoid constant driving up and down the Keys.

Thanks!

I forgot to mention that we are traveling with (older) kids. No one wants to spend all day in the car...

swimmer, oh swimmer. I'll try to make some sense of your post.

Bahia Honda is at Big Pine Key, right? Are you camping? And where is Duck Key? I don't know what's at Bahia Honda, nor how long you should stay there. Do you?

As for Looe Key, yes, go, by all means, go! It is only accessible by boat so you might want to contact one of the trip operators. I recall when I went we stayed for a couple of hours once we got there. We went early in the morning so it ate up our AM and left us the rest of the afternoon.

If you've never been to Key West, then I suggest you head down early in your trip to Key West. Park your car and take one of the conch train trips that tours the island. You will see a lot of the attractions (Hemingway house, Audubon house, lighthouse, etc.) and you can then decide if you want to do them then, or go back to wherever you're staying and go another day, or skip it altogether.

If you're able to go to the Tortugas, that's a nice trip. The island is covered by a fort built in the 1700s (I think) and so there is some history, some snorkeling, some bird-watching. And the trip there is an adventure itself.

Ft. Lauderdale will be where you'll have the best beach experience. The Keys are not known for their beaches which are tiny and rocky. A lot of the shoreline is mangroves.

Personally, after a half day of snorkeling, and then an afternoon of swimming/baking in the hot sun at Bahia Honda, the last thing I would want to do is go to dinner in Key West- I would want a nice shower and maybe a little nap before heading out to eat. Being out on the water and beach, especially in the summer, takes a lot out of many people. But maybe your family has extra energy?

I guesswe do have a good amount of energy, especially on vacation. Is Bahia Honda a place we might want to spend more than a couple of hours? It is a State park with trails and two beaches---I just wonder if it is worth the time for the trails, how great the swimming/snorkeling is off the beach,etc.

Any recommendations for favorite restaurants in the middle Keys? We love seafood.