? on the Keys
 

I am planning a vacation in April 2002 to the Keys and have heard that the beaches are not very nice. Do you have any suggestions on a hotel for a certain part of the Keys that may have nicer beaches for a reasonable price?

Matt - Here's the problem: The keys are coral, so ALL beaches are man-made with imported sand and most are very tiny. Having said that, Key West is my favorite vacation destination and I'd highly recommend it.

check the several other messages related to the Keys you'll get lots of ideas. Many of the hotels along Overseas Highway (between main land and Key West) are not very nice, although they are probably clean and would give you an old Keys feeling. It depends on what type of atmosphere you're looking for, what price range and whether or not you want to spend time at the property or just have a place to sleep. There are some lovely pricey resorts, and then little roadside motels...Key West is a different story. There are lots of nice hotels, resorts, B&B there.

The nicest beach in the Keys is Bahia Honda State Park just north of Big Pine Key, a little over 30 miles north of Key West. I've personally stayed at Parmer's Place (parmersplace.com) on Little Torch Key just south of Big Pine and enjoyed it very much. There are also nicer places in the area. This way you're close to both a good beach and Key West.

I have to agree that Bahia Honda is the best beach to go to. It isn't a bad drive from Key West (about 40 minutes)

bahia honda beach is ok, though some grass had washed upon it when we were there - there's also a nice camping area just don't forget your bugspray!