Tell me about vacationing in the Florida Keys

[Gone Fishing]

Right now we are planning on camping in the Everglades for a few days after Christmas, then making our way to Big Pine and camping there for 4-5 days.  Using big Pine as our Base camp, we'll do the Dry Tortugas trip then just explore on our own.  Does this sound good?  Any advice?

[wenchsenior]

I enjoyed my two trips to the Keys. I haven't been to the Dry Tortugas, but spent one trip in a fancy condo about 2/3rds of the way down, and the other at an AirBnB in Key Largo.

There are a couple of things to note. I have been to tropical and subtropical locations in a lot of far flung places.  The Keys fall into the category of not 'fancy' but rather beat-up and ramshackle in terms of 'vibe'. Also, there are only a couple of decent  beaches in the entire chain. Most of the beaches are sort of silt/mud, not the nice sand found on the mainland coasts.  So if beaching it is your thing, be warned.

We did a lot of boating (kayak, snorkel trips...which your timing is better for potential jellyfish swarms that can make summer snorkeling a misery), fishing, and wildlife/plant watching.  On the Key Largo trip we did 1 beach trip, but that required driving all the way to Miami, and traffic is appalling, so be warned.  The historical part of Key West was fun and interesting, otherwise it was too built up and touristy for my liking. 

The Everglades are phenomenal for birding in the winter.  But then, birding is one of my favorite activities in life.  We spent a lot of time there on my winter trip to Key Largo.

[Quint]

The Dry Tortugas was a fun trip though the return trip was a bit rough and people were getting quite seasick.  John Pennekamp (sp?) State Park on Key Largo was a nice stop too.  I enjoyed their snorkeling trip.

[CupcakeGuru]

I agree with both WenchSenior and Quint about the Dry Tortugas. We spend alot of time in the middle keys. Some suggestions are Bahia Honda park and we also rent and ride bikes through the Deer Preserve. Also for geeky, kid friendly day trips we visit the Turtle Hospital and Dolphin Research Center.

Key West can be fun it is very touristy and can be massively crowded if it is cruise ship day. I always check the schedule before we go there at http://www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov/department/calendar.php

If you are into Sunken Treasures, go to the Key West Shipwreck Musuem or the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. If you are limited on time,go to Mel's.

Also, keep in mind that end of December is when a lot of the "Winter People" (northerners that stay for a couple of months) descend on the Keys so parts if could be crowded but there is usually great deals on early dinners.

[MishMash]

Ah the Keys, our second home :-).  Any of your party military or retired military by chance?  That opens up a TON of options for you.

Fishing, diving, snorkeling are all great, I will say the reefs got a little beat up this year with the hurricane.  We go for the fishing, and it's amazing.  It's also lobster season, so get your tag and go bullynetting in the grass flats at night for dinner.  Christ of the Abyss is a pretty cool dive/snorkel.  What sorts of things do you like to do?

[DaMa]

Hi.  I'm reading this, too.  We are going to be on Marathon Key for two nights next month  (staying over after a cruise) and renting a motorcycle for the day on Saturday.  Our plan was to ride from Marathon to Key West and back.  Any tips or suggestions greatly appreciated!

[JoJo]

Make your reservations for camping ASAP.  The alternatives aren't cheap!

Someone gave me a tip of a great little motel for fisherman in Islamorada that was next to the best sunset bar.  That was actually quite affordable but in general, the Keys are expensive and there's no place to van camp - they crack down on that.

[bluewater]

Hey mishmash, what sort of options does having a military member open up?  We’re considering a family trip down there over the winter with a bunch of kiddos but do have a military member in the group.

[Adam Zapple]

We did a condo rental through homeaway a few years back in Islamorada.  Love the Keys.  We are boring vacationers so can't give you a lot of tips.  We did a fishing trip on one of those big fishing boats and my daughter went to an aquarium where she could swim with dolphins if I remember correctly.  This was all in close proximity to Islamorada.  Islamorada was nice and quiet.  Florida, in general, has awesome public parks...Islamorada was no different. 

[MishMash]

Hey mishmash, what sort of options does having a military member open up?  We’re considering a family trip down there over the winter with a bunch of kiddos but do have a military member in the group.

There are three military posts on Key West, they have campgrounds, 2 bed mobile homes and three bed townhomes with porches for rent on NAS Key West, 06s and above can also rent homes on the other post.  The mobile homes are 75 a night and the townhomes 135.  You would have to call like right now, they book up fast, especially over the holidays.  Also, MWR sells discounted tickets to all the local attractions, the Fury tours are almost half off, and everyone we take that comes down to visit seems to love them.  You can also rent boats and kayaks out of MWR for super cheap.

[Krolik]

Also check if there is red tide. Right now it is pretty bad. Very stinky.

[Laserjet3051]

Spent years exploring and having fun in the keys/everglades. One of the best experiences is kayaking/canoeing through Hells Bay on multinight trips where you dock the boat up to a "chickee" , set your tent up on the wooden platform in the water and fish and swim until your hearts content (or an alligator or crocodile scares the bejeezus out of you). Its a very convoluted labrynth of islands and dead ends that rightfully earns its name "Hells Bay." Access it off the road to Flamingo.

And the snorkeling/scuba on the Atlantic side of US1 in the keys is spectacular. Seeing the lights of Havana from Key West is pretty neat too.

[MishMash]

Also check if there is red tide. Right now it is pretty bad. Very stinky.

Just got back from there a couple weeks ago, the keys aren't hit by it yet, it seems to all be Gulf side