family fun ideas for Florida Keys
 

We'll have a February week in the keys. We are interested in suggestions to enjoy our week. If you can include websites to make our research simpler - go to it!

The kids will be 9, 11, and 13 for the trip. We'll be escaping the winter cold of the northeast US, so we do wish for a beach day. Our accommodations are set in Islamorada.

We're thinking to drive down to Key West for a full day.

Sometime during the week - visit the turtle hospital.

Maybe take an ecotour?

Drive up to the Everglades and visit the park.

Other ideas for us with boys of ours' ages? Thanks.

We liked the Conch Train Tour in Key West. Also the Mel Fisher treasure museum, the Hemingway House, and a snorkeling tour. Also fun to watch the street performers and sunset from Mallory Square.

just got back in August with 9 and 11 year old boys...Key West is fun, did the Mel Fisher museum. Snorkel at Bahia Honda.
If you can spring for it, go fishing. We went out of Marathon on Best Bet, and had a blast with our kids. First day we only went out about 5 miles and fished off shore reefs. Had such a great time we went out in the gulf stream the next day and caught tuna, dolphin fish, etc. It was one of the best trips we've taken as a family. No real beaches there so other than Bahia Honda, swimming's a bit different. Water is typically like glass so kayaking, etc. is a great option.

There's a dolphin swim not far from Islamorada...book early, its pretty popular...

As others have said, if you want a real beach, Bahia Honda (MM 34) is the only real option in the Keys. You can also spend a day snorkling at John Pennekamp state park in Key Largo. Also, spend a day at Theatre of the Seas right in Islamorada. It's a Sea World-like park. Kids would love that.

You can also do a kayking tour of the mangroves around Indian Key.

Good luck!

Just a couple of notes: there are two other nice beaches in the keys. There is a free (read public) beach in Marathon at the end of Sombrero Road. To swim there in February you will want a very sunny day but there a lots of folks who catch the rays. Sombrero also has picnic tables, charcoal grills, washrooms, etc.

There is a smaller but nice beach near Key West at Fort Zachary Taylor Park - also free and with picnic facilities.

If your kids have not been there I think the highlight of their trip might well be the Everglades. If you can only do one part of it, make it the Anhenga Trail about an hour before sunset. Very special.

Just below Marathon is the Seven Mile Bridge. From the Marathon side, you can walk out about 2 miles using the original overseas highway bridge which is now just for walking and bikers. Watch for fish, rays, sea turtles, and the occasional shark. Note: they were going to close this for repairs but that was postponed several times so check to see about it as you travel south.

The family will enjoy The Sportsman, an unusual store right in Islamorada.

Lastly a family treat; do dinner at Lazy Days right in Islamorada on the ocean side. Reserve on the outside deck. Enjoy.

I agree with what most of the posters have said. Do be sure to stay long enough in Key West for the sunset show at Mallory Square. My kids now 26, 24 and 20 still talk about all the times they have been there and the different performers.

Fort Zachary Taylor does have a good beach at Key West, there is a nominal fee to get in the park, but I would go to Bahia Honda for a beach day, and spend my time in Key West exploring the Hemingway House, the old Lighthouse, and the Mel Fisher museum. There is an aquarium there, but we have not been there.

One time there we rented a small fishing boat and took the kids fishing ourselves, they even caught a small shark and a barracuda, scared me to death, but they loved it. Another time we had our own boat and went out to Looe Key and snorkeled, it was beautiful. That was a long time ago and the coral is not as pretty as it was then, but the fish are still spectacular.

Have fun and enjoy being warm in February.

The state park in Key Largo has kayaking through the mangroves. There is also a glass bottom boat ride to see the coral reef.

http://www.pennekamppark.com/

The Florida Keys Wild Bird Center has been there forever: fkwbc.org. And don't miss the Turtle Hospital in Marathon: http://www.turtlehospital.org/

Both are well-worth a visit. And I second the notion of a visit to Sombrero Beach in Marathon--one of the lesser-known delights in the middle Keys.

Bahai Honda is a great state park http://www.bahiahondapark.com/. You'll need more than a day for Key West & allow ample time for coming & going, it won't be a fast trip. While in Key West also visit the http://www.keywestbutterfly.com/ I won't get into the swimming w/the dolphins debate on this thread. There is plenty of info on here re: that activity, most of it very negative. Please do your research prior to making that kind of decision. En route try lunch @ http://www.nonamepub.com/ Another option from Key West http://www.drytortugasinfo.com/

Check the weather before snorkeling- we went in July and it was miserable. We did nothing but fight the waves/current the entire time we were in the water- and there were barely any fish or coral formations left. The captain said the water was usually like glass in summer, but that the chop was typical for winter.

Everglades NP is well worth a visit. Consider fitting this in on your way to or from the keys. Assuming you'll be driving from Miami or FLL, it would be efficient to stop at Everglades NP on your way down to the keys... it doesn't take long to walk the Anhinga trail and you'll see lots of gators. If you drive to and from ENP from Islamorada, you'll eat up much of a day in the car.

topping for ffparents

If you can spring for it, go fishing. We went out of Marathon on Best Bet, and had a blast with our kids. First day we only went out about 5 miles and fished off shore reefs. Had such a great time we went out in the gulf stream the next day and caught tuna, dolphin fish, etc. It was one of the best trips we've taken as a family.
http://www.club-penguin.org/