My experience in the Florida Keys

The Florida Keys is a set of small islands within the state of Florida that separates the Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico.  Personally, I have been to the Keys multiple times, and is my favorite domestic travel destination within the continental United States.  I like the Florida Keys because of the Miami-like weather, without the constant movement of the city.

Starting Thr journey out of Miami, the Florida Keys start when US Highway 1 turns westbound towards Key West.  The Keys and Miami are divided by the Florida Everglades which is a large portion of nationally protected swamp land.

History of the keys

The Florida Keys only exist because of Henry Flagler’s railroad to Key West.  in the late 1800s, Flagler had built a railroad system down the east side of Florida.  The Overseas Railroad was Flagler’s attempt to bring rail travel to eventually reach the southernmost city in the continental US.  The railroad was, however, abandoned after hurricanes hit the area, making the railroad eventually not a viable transport option.

As the rise of motor travel continued in the 1900s, the abandoned Overseas Railroad was then turned into the Overseas Highway, which is still used today. While driving through the Keys, it is interesting to keep in mind the history of how the Keys came to be a popular vacation destination.

Upper  Keys

The northern keys generally have more rocky beaches and wooded areas than the lower keys.  Most of the northern keys are typically closer together than the lower keys in distance, meaning fewer long bridges need to be used.  Northern Keys split up the Everglades from the rest of the islands.

Key Largo.

Key Largo is especially unique because of its wide variety of landscapes.  The Overseas Highway routes directly through the center of Key West.  Following the Overseas Highway down the southern part of the Key Largo, both the Gulf Coast and Atlantic are visible at the same time.

The northern half of Key Largo starts when veering off to the right on a small back road as soon as the overseas highway meets the Keys.  Primarily, the northern half of Key Largo is more wooded with higher rates for a gator or snake attack.  There is very little civilization up in northern Largo, with Alabama Jacks being one of the only restaurants.  In my opinion, Alabama Jacks have the best conch fritters throughout all of the keys.

Key Largo is home to John Pennicamp State Park, which is known for its snorkeling and boating experiences.  Because snorkeling typically is better in rocky environments, Key Largo makes the perfect snorkeling opportunity.

Marathon

Located directly in the middle of the set of islands sits Marathon.  When I visited the Keys, we always stayed in Marathon at Isla Bella Beach Resort.  Isla Bella is one of the newest resorts in the Keys, opening months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.  Marathon is the 3rd largest key, behind Key Largo and Key West.

While driving through Marathon, the turtle museum is always worth stopping at.  The turtle Musieam showcases challenges in today’s environment and climate.

Marathon also has a few free beaches to stop at, including Sombrarro and a few of the roadside pull-off areas.

The most well-known part of Marathon is the famous 7-mile Bridge.  This bridge brings tourists from Marathon to Big Pine Key, passing over a previous work camp where those building the bridge would live.  The 7-Mile Bridge splits the keys in half, splitting the upper keys from the lower keys.  The bridge was the main challenge in the Flaglers Overseas Railroad project because of design challenges and hurricane-related issues.

Lower keys

After crossing the 7-Mile Bridge, each Key gets smaller and spread further apart until Key West.  The majority of the lower keys are only used for camping or RV lodging purposes with a few scattered beaches.

Big Pine:

The first Key after the bridge is Big Pine.  While Big Pine is mainly a wooded area good for camping, it has some fun, quirky places to visit.

The Big Bine Flea Market is a fun place to visit on the weekends.  At the flea market, they sell anything from used items to tourist items such as t-shirts and sunglasses.

Located deep into the woods on Big Pine, there is a decently good restaurant in what looks like an old wood shack called “No Name Pub”.  I find it an interesting place to visit, especially because of how secluded it is from the Overseas Highway.  My favorite menu item at No Name would have to be their Shrimp Pizza.

The boring Keys

Almost every other key after Big Pine is mostly insignificant until the Key West area.  A majority of the land is used for camping or is just too small to have any other significance.

However, a list of the remaining lower keys include

• Summerland Key
• Big Torch
• Little Torch
• Cudjoe Key
• Sugarloaf Key
• Big Coppitt Key
• Stock Island

Key West

Key West is the end of the Florida Keys and the southernmost city of the United States.  Driving into Key West, the Overseas Highway and Highway 1 ends at Roosevelt Blvd.  Out of all the keys, Key West is considered the most populated in terms of full-time residents and has many more options for retail stores rather than other keys.

Key West has something for everybody, from amazing nightlife, to the sandiest beaches in all of the Florida Keys.  Duval Street is where the majority of the bars and nightlife occur.  Key West has many different resorts with their beaches, along with beaches open to the public.  The main downside of going to beaches in Key West compared to a place such as Marathon is that while beaches in Key West are much nicer, they are also much more crowded.

My personal favorite part of visiting Key West was going to the Dry Tortugas National park.  The Dry Tortugas is a seperate island to the west of Key West. Formally a millitary base, the Dry Tortugas offeres self guided tours of the now shuttered base, along with snorkeling experiences.  The park is only accessable by boat or by plance.

One unique thing specific to key west is their laws when it comes to wild chickens and roosters.  In Key West, it is a normal sight to see with roosters and chickens wandering the street.  Theese animals are protected under local laws and should not be touched or harrassed.