Help planning a KEYS vacation??
 

My husband & I want to take a beach side rest in the US in March.. maybe the Florida keys? ANY advice would be appreciated!! Looking for nice beach, romantic, not too costly. Thanks!!!

The keys are generally not known for great beaches. I love Key West, but if you're looking for soft white sand, this isn't the place. Also, March is high season in KW, accomodations are expensive. I haven't spent much time in the other keys, I'll let someone else answer. You also should do a search on this site for Florida Keys, there's otns of information.

I'd have to suggest looking in the southern California area.<BR><BR>I love the Keys. But your &quot;looking for&quot; list is going to be tough to fill. US, March, nice beach, romantic, not too costly--that's a toughie for Florida. Also, you're getting into Spring-Break time.<BR><BR>Think you'd have better luck looking into the San-Diego/LA area.

Key West has a nice little beach with white sand: Fort Zack

Don't go to the Keys expecting nice sandy beaches. There are other nice places in FL. The Emerald Coast on the panhandle has lovely white sand beaches and there are other places on the Gulf. Sanibel/Captiva have great beaches. In March I'd try Sanibel, could be chilly still in the panhandle.

I've been to Key West 3 times in 5 yrs and 2 of the 3 times the beaches were closed for an E-coli alert. If you want to lay around for a few days, enjoy the drive down from Miami and be in an adult place it's still alot of fun without the all day airline hassles of going off shore. We stayed at the South Beach hotel right on the point (kind of the old fashioned 2 story &quot;motel&quot; look on South St. Out of the hub bub of Duval but still close enough to walk. Enjoy!

Lshcat - Our family of 5 are also planning a vacation to the Keys. We won't be traveling as far as Key West. Bahia Honda State Park has been voted one of the top 10 beaches in the US. <BR><BR>Bahia Honda State Park<BR>36850 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key (MM 37)<BR>305-872-2353<BR>www.bahiahondapark.com<BR>

Mollyd<BR>What's a E-colli alert??

E coli=Bacteria in the water. You don't want to swim when there is a warning.<BR><BR>Key West has a problem with it's sewage system overflowing into the surrounding waters. They are supposed to be upgrading to a new system.

That beach at For Zack isn't exactly a nice beach. Ants kept crawling all over me when I tried to lay out, the beach itself isn't very wide, and the sand is pretty coarse.<BR><BR>I love Key West, but if you want beach, go to South Beach. Just got back from there, and the beach is outstanding.

The Florida Keys and beaches do not go together. With that in mind look at Hawks Cay and Morada Bay. I have been going to the Keys for years and only once was the waters closed. The beaches are always opened. I go the below link from another site and it has been very helpful explaining exactly what the testing is for and what results it finds.<BR>http://apps3.doh.state.fl.us/env/bea...ut/default.cfm

I would recommend going to the Gulf side if you are looking for beaches, romance. We <BR>went to the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort last August and loved it.