Looking at the Keys
 

Hi - my family and I are looking at a trip to the Florida Keys (Marathon, specifically) in May. I liked the idea because it is a little different than a typical beach vacation. I've never been to any of the keys, and have heard mixed reactions. Is Marathon terribly crowded and touristy? Is there a better Key to look at? We are looking for fun and relaxation, not too many crowds. The boys think the fishing sounds ideal. I would welcome any comments you have. Thank you!

The Keys are a wonderful destination. Marathon, though I have stayed there and fished there, is not the best Key in my opinion. It's far from touristy; in fact, it's just the reverse. It's also a big Key.

If you don't want to go to Key West (which I think is the best Key to get the true "tropical flavor") then I'd suggest Islamorda. Some great places to stay and some great to be restaurants there.

To rgjunck-- I agree that the Keys are a great destination. I've vacationed there for three years in a row (always in February). However, I disagree with JackOneill about Marathon. Marathon is where I stay each year and I think it is a wonderful place. It is in the middle of the Overseas Highway--halfway between Key Largo and Key West. When you stay there -any place you might want to want to drive to (in the Keys)is about an hour or less away. Also, there is a great free beach there called Sombrero Beach. It is clean, quiet, and close to many nice places to stay. We stay at the Crystal Bay Resort and Marina (check out their web site)--but there are other places that are nice,too. I love the fact that Marathon isn't overcrowded and overly touristy. The attractions to me are the water,sky,beach,birds, flowers.....you get the idea. Also, if you like to fish or your boys like to snorkel --this will be nirvana for them. There ia a fantastic state park called Bahia Honda --which is just a short drive over the 7 Mile Bridge from Marathon. They rent snorkel gear, have a boat ride out to the coral reef, and also have canoes and kayaks to rent. And, the beach there at Bahia Honda is the BEST in the Keys. In fact, it is one of the nicest beaches I have ever visited. The water is very shallow there and you can walk for a long way in knee deep water that is so clean and clear that you would think it was a swimming pool. And, if I haven't convinced you yet --that Marathon is a great place to visit--I should tell you that there are places to fish everywhere --even from the bridges that line the highway. They also are loaded with boat rental places --if you want to go out for a day on the water. When you want some dinner --the restaurants may not look too fancy--but the food (especially the fish) is top notch. There are some great little places that serve fish right out of the water --you eat on the dock where the boats bring in the catch of the day. It doesn't get better or fresher than that!!! Enjoy your trip. If you have any specific questions about Marathon I'd be glad to answer them if I can.

Thought I would join in on this thread since my family will be heading to Marathon in June. Carol, we have reservations at Banana Bay resort there in Marathon. Did you see it while there and if so, could you share any opinions on it? I looked into Crystal Bay also. Did you find any great restaurants that you could suggest? We plan on snorkeling at Looe Key off Bahia Honda. It sounds from your reply that you can rent equipment and get a boat from from Bahia Honda. Is that true? I didn't know if we needed to go with a private dive/snorkel group. Thanks for your help!

to KandKsmom: was on Duck Key (right next to Marathon) earlier this month at Hawk's Cay Resort. the Barracuda Grille is a great restaurant in Marathon. i highly recommend it!

Key West is still my favorite. Once you are there you do not have to get in your car again until the day you leave. Everything is there in one central location. Take the extra drive time and see the 'real' Keys !

We did the boat trip to Looe Key from Bahia Honda a few years ago. It was a great trip, they rent you all the equipment you need (and they sell you the snorkel, so you know it's not crusty) and you take a 30-40 minute boat ride out to the middle of the ocean to the reef. You have to swim out far enough to where you see the light blue water, that's where it's most shallow and where the most action is. I think it was around $40 each? Fun trip, and Bahia Honda park is FANTASTIC. Soft powdery sugar beaches, aqua blue water that we kayaked gently over, paddling waaay out and it was still waist high water. There's a shop that has food and rentals and gear and stuff. Great place to bring a picnic lunch and spend the day. It's at around mile marker 37. The website is http://www.bahiahondapark.com/ We've been to Hawaii since and I love it there, but I still also fantasize about Bahia Honda!

love
roxy

P.S. Go to the Bahia Honda website and click on "kayaking", there's a great picture, that's really what it looks like!

love
roxy

'K, one more time.

We stayed on Long Key at the Lime Tree Bay Resort (MM 68), which we loved. It's halfway down the Keys, so it's convenient to go up or down. We enjoyed the hotel grounds...kind of a campground feel, lots of coconut & banana trees, picnic tables, bbqs, thatched huts. There's a little pier and the pool & spa are on a deck overlooking the ocean. The whole place juts right up to the water's edge...rustic and relaxed. We had a standard hotel room (around $100), which was cool and clean, nicely decorated. They also have several suites and cottages that look nice.

www.limetreebayresort.com

You know the Keys are not a real beach destination, right?

love
roxy

Just thought I would respond to the feeling above that Key West is the "real Keys" as compared to the other Keys. Actually it is quite the reverse. The Florida Keys are a 120 mile long string of islands and Key West is only a piece of them. And of all the Keys, Key West is so unlike all the others that to experience the "real Keys" you need to see what the other 95% of the Keys are like; they are typified by small places like Tavernier, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine, etc. I'm not saying that these places are any better than Key West for a vacation (different strokes for different folks) but I am saying that if you could pick only ONE place in all the Keys that most typified ALL the Keys, it would NOT be Key West. It might, in fact, be a place like Marathon or Islamorada.

KandKsmom,

I stayed at Banana Bay on Marathon a few years ago. At the time, they were doing a bit of refurbishment, so I won't comment on the condition of the rooms (other than to say they could use a bit of refurbishment at the time).

The grounds were lovely -- they don't look promising because you enter right of Rt. 1, but once you enter, the vegetation screens out the highway noise and scenery and takes you to another place altogether. The pool area is very nice as well. The "beach" isn't much, but those truly wanting to get in the water can do it (better to go to Sombrero Beach, or Bahia Honda, though).

The onsite restaurant is fine (only had lunch there), as is the tiki bar. But you are centrally located to get to other stuff easily, including Barracudas right next door.

While Marathon may not be the most scenic of all the Keys, it has plenty to offer. Enjoy!

I stayed in Marathon years ago and was bored out of my gored. The best thing is being close to Bahia Honda, the nicest beach in the Keys and one of the nicest in the world. Sombrero Beach is not bad either and a lot closer as well. If going back I would stay at Hawk's Cay http://www.gotothekeys.com/hawk's_cay.htm because it is layed back yet has lots of activities available and a nice pool overlooking the private beach and swimming area. The rooms are a bit misused when it comes to space, but they are very clean and the food at the onsite restaurants is great. My favorite restaurant not at the resort has to be Annette's Steak and Lobster House! It has the feel of the Old Keys and great food to boot.