Hi,

Will be vacationing on South Beach next week and would like to do day trip to the Keys. Not looking to go far (no more than 1-1.5 hr drive from South Beach). Idealy, day will look like this:

1. Have breakfast in South Beach and drive to Keys.
2. Swim in the ocean (preffer calm water and sandy beach)
3. Have lunch in ocean side cafe
4. More swimming and sun bathing.
5. Dinner with sunset or dinner cruise
6. Drive back to South Beach.

We don't mind to drive to food spots or different swimming destinations. Please advise.

Thanks.

you might want to consider Holiday Isle in Islamorada (MM84). It has beach, pools, restaurants, tiki bar all in one location. With the time restraints you mentioned, that is about as far south as you can go.

Wow, where to begin? First of all, the keys are coral, and the beaches are man-made and small. People enjoy water sports - especially scuba and snorkeling - in the keys, but from reefs, not the beach. The water at the beaches is usually so shallow that swimming isn't much fun.

You'll love South Beach, because it provides exactly what you're looking for!

In addition, an hour or so isn't really enough time to get you far enough down the keys to enjoy them properly.

Last I heard Holiday Isle is even more run down since it will be demolished and then turned into high end condos.

Holiday Isle has been closed for quite some time...it was redone as condominiums.

Holiday Isle isn't closing until the end of April.They are in full operation, though I can't speak of it's current condition.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I would be happy to jump off the reef for some swimming and snorkeling but I have pregnant wife and she won't be happy about this idea.

I will try to find more info on Holiday Isle. Please let me know if you have other suggestions worth exploring.

Thanks.

batyam - if you're planning on going all the way down to Islamorada, which is 2 hours from Miami, you'd probably be happier hanging out somewhere other than Holiday Isle, which is best known as party central for spring breakers. For additional info, you can do a search of this board.

Sorry for being misinformed about the Holiday Isle "closing" but they announced it several years ago and I just assumed it'd already happened.

In Islamorada there is a beautiful oceanside restaurant called Morada Bay. It's right next to the Islamorada Fish Co. and a big fishing store on the right side as you drive down. It's right on a sandy waterfront area, outdoor (or indoor) tables, with palm trees, adirondack chairs for hanging out, a truly beautiful Keys spot. Right next door there is a more upscale restaurant Pierre's, if you would prefer that. But, the food is pretty good at Morada Bay. We drive there from Miami when we can for an afternoon and you can pass an afternoon sipping a cool drink under a a palm tree. The website is www.moradabay-restaurant.com I would say it's definitely 1.5 hours from Miami.

Thanks amcc, exactly what I was looking for.

It might be quibbling a little over time, but SoBe to Islamorada will be a 2 hour drive (as Susan mentioned) rather than 1.5 hours. There is a construction project on RT 1 in between Florida City to Key largo that has slowed large portions of the road from the normal 55 mph to 45 and even 35 mph posted speed limits. Of course, you can avoid the stretch by taking Card Sound Road, but that way is longer and in the end, time wise, not much difference. If you want to stick to your stated criteria ("no more than 1-4.5 hr drive from South Beach"), Islamorada is out.

Opps, meant "1-1.5 hr drive..."

(Rant: why doesn't this board give the capability to edit our own posts!!!)

For a taste of the real Florida Keys, you should go as far as Islamorada and not Key Largo, which is basically strip malls, K Mart, etc. Morada Bay is bayside, not oceanfront Cheeca Lodge is oceanfront as is Lazy Days. You can't go wrong at any of the three. Skip Holiday Isle, it's a dump by any standards.