Easter 2003, Keys with kids
 

We are a family of 4 adults and 3 small boys.Each year we pick a spot in Florida for Easter vacation. This year, we would like to stay in the Keys. Looking for a white sandy beach, low-rise resort or cottages, CLEAN, pool and laid back pace. I don't have a lot of time for surfing the net, so thought I would ask the Fodorites. We have been very successful here in the past. Thanks!

Judy - I'm afraid you may've already eliminated the keys as your next vacation destination by wanting a white sandy beach. Since the keys are coral, all the beaches are man-made of imported sand and most are very small. Even though you don't have much surfing time, you might want to do a back search of the keys to get additional information. If you can do without the beach, there should be lots of places to fit the bill.

Judy-Pay no attention to Susan, the self-proclaimed Keys expert. She is one of those people who think they know everything....

Some great places to stay with kids in the Keys are: Hawks Cay, Cheeca Lodge and Chesapeake Resort. And, yes they do have small sandy beaches.<BR><BR>The urls are:<BR>www.hawkscay.com<BR>www.cheeca.com<BR>www.chesapeake-resort.com

The Florida Keys do not have great beaches filled with soft, white sand but there are some nice resorts. Checca Lodge Resort and Hawks Cay are both wonderful for families. <BR><BR>If the beach is a priority for your fun filled vacation the Keys might not fit the bill.

I don't want to start a fight but Susan and Stephan are both correct. The Florida Keys are beautiful but not filled with white sandy beaches. The sand is all imported. <BR>We stayed at the Marriot in Key Largo and found it very nice and suited our needs but the beach was small. I think they even offer a childrens program.

we don't need miles of white sand...just enough for the boys to play on, look for "creatures"...we were in Pompano this past year...not very nice beach but it filled the bill...

Pompano Beach is much much larger than any beach in the Keys. The Keys do not have beaches naturally. This has always been a drawback to tourism there. You will find that the sand some hotels dump in the water at the shoreline will not suffice for a real beach like Pompano Beach. Many times they have rocks all around the swimming area so there are no shells or waves. Also when you walk out into the water you will find yourself walking on coral for the most part which is not pleasant. The beaches are very narrow and not useful. For this reason I prefer the Keys in the winter when the weather is tolerable.

I wish I were lucky enough to know everything about the keys! In fact, my husband and I only "discovered" the keys in the mid 90s, but since then we've become quite addicted to Key West. We've stayed at the Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada and thought it was really nice. And we checked out the Moorings next door and thought it looked lovely, too. Hawk's Cay gets great reviews (especially for young children). But Judy, it doesn't seem like any of those places are exactly what you're looking for. I've never stayed at the Banana Bay Resort in Marathon, but it's got a good reputation. If you think you'd like to stay in Key West there are lots of us who could try and help you find something suitable for your family.

the resorts mentioned have "beach" type areas but the real beauty of the Keys is going out on a boat to the reefs or to participate in other water sports. It's not a beach type place and would not be the best place in Florida if that's what you're looking for. Why not go to Naples area instead? Delray Beach - gray sand but it's quiet and clean.

Judy, instead of the Keys, why not do Sanibel/Captiva area. They have great beaches, excellent shelling and lots of cottages for you to rent...

Anyone who says the Keys don't have great beaches has not done their homework. One of the most beautiful beaches in the world (according to Conde Nast) is at Bahia Honda State Park. It is soft sand, shallow out as far as you would care to walk and very large (long). Do a Google search for a website. It is true that their are no great beaches in Key West, but Bahia Honda is only 35 miles (45 minutes) away. Good luck.

By the way...we found out about Bahia Honda in Parents Magazine. Great place for kids.

They won that award several years ago.

If you are looking for a cottages and nice beach I agree with the above poster about Sanibel Island. Here is the url: www.sanibel-captiva.org

Yea, they won that award in the early 90's before the hurricanes.

Bahia Honda is a small beach. It is nice for the keys, but not a great beach.

We've been to Bahia Honda. Wasn't impressed at all. I thought the John Pennekamp place was better. Bahia Honda is very narrow and you feel like you are walking over people to get to your spot. Unless the place you're staying at has a beach, you're pretty much out of luck

When discussing Bahia Honda, not everyone is aware that there are two beaches there. <BR><BR>One is the smallish semi-circle close to the inlet? near the concession building. That can get pretty ugly.<BR><BR>The other, and probably nicer, one is on the oceanside. You bear left after you come into the park, instead of going to the right.<BR><BR>Great park, though.

I think I would choose a place not popular with spring breakers. Wouldn't Easter week be in that time frame? I would also agree with Sanibel Island/Captiva. Nice cottages, nice beach, great resaurants. It is a nice fmaily vacation spot, all and all. I have never been to the beach they mention but driving 35 miles would not be for me just to go to a beach. If a beach is a priority I would not choose the keys. Many folks argue about if there is a "beach" or not, but when I was there, only once, last June, we rented mopeds. The owner told me flat out there were no beaches in Key west. So---I would assume she knew what she was speaking about.