The Keys curve 120 miles into the sea south-west of Miami: Key Largo and its coral reef, Islamorada’s sportfishing, the turtles of Marathon, the palm-fringed beach of Bahia Honda and, at the end of the road, Key West — Hemingway’s town, the southernmost point of the continental US, closer to Havana than to Miami.
Things to do in The Keys
Key West
Duval Street’s bars, the Ernest Hemingway Home with its six-toed cats, the Southernmost Point buoy, conch houses in Old Town and the nightly sunset celebration at Mallory Square with jugglers and musicians.
See tours and tickets partner link2Dry Tortugas National Park
70 miles west of Key West: a huge 19th-century brick fort on a sand key surrounded by turquoise water and coral. The Yankee Freedom ferry (2 h 15 each way) books out weeks ahead; seaplanes are faster.
See tours and tickets partner link3John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
In Key Largo, the first undersea park in the US: glass-bottom boats and snorkel trips to the reef and the Christ of the Abyss statue.
See tours and tickets partner link4Bahia Honda State Park
The Keys’ most beautiful beach, with the rusting arch of Henry Flagler’s old railroad bridge.
Seven Mile Bridge
The longest bridge on the highway, between Marathon and the Lower Keys. The old parallel bridge to Pigeon Key is open to walkers and cyclists.
6Islamorada
The “sportfishing capital of the world”: charter boats, tarpon feeding at Robbie’s Marina, waterfront bars.
Beaches in the Keys: set your expectations
The Keys are fringed by mangroves and coral, not long sandy beaches. The good ones are few: Bahia Honda, Sombrero Beach in Marathon, Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West. The real treasure is underwater, on the only living coral barrier reef in the continental US.
The drive itself is covered mile by mile in our Overseas Highway road trip.
Where to stay in The Keys
Hotels in the Keys are expensive, especially in winter. Book well ahead for Key West.
Our 2 hotel picks in The Keys
Photos, facilities and tips →
Boutique$$$$The Marquesa Hotel
Old Town Key West, one block off Duval Street
Restored 1884 conch houses around gardens and three pools, one block off Duval in Old Town Key West.
Family$$$$Glunz Ocean Beach Hotel & Resort
Key Colony Beach, next to Marathon in the Middle Keys
A family-owned resort on a soft-sand Atlantic beach next to Marathon, with two pools and kayaks included.
Key West – Old Town
$$$$Best for: nightlife, walking
Guesthouses in conch houses, everything on foot or by bike.
Hotels in Key West – Old Town partner linkIslamorada
$$$$Best for: resorts, fishing
Waterfront resorts in the Upper Keys.
Hotels in Islamorada partner linkMarathon
$$$$Best for: central, families
Halfway down, near the Turtle Hospital and the Seven Mile Bridge.
Hotels in Marathon partner linkKey Largo
$$$$Best for: divers, short trips
The closest key to Miami, for the reef.
Hotels in Key Largo partner linkWhere to eat
Key lime pie, conch fritters, stone crab and grouper sandwiches.
Blue Heaven
Key West
Breakfast in a courtyard with roosters wandering between the tables.
$$
Kermit’s Key Lime Shoppe
Key West
Key lime pie, frozen and chocolate-dipped on a stick.
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Robbie’s
Islamorada
Feed the tarpon, then eat fish tacos on the deck.
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Weather in The Keys by month
Best time to visit The Keys, month by month →
Compare every destination month by month in the when-to-go explorer.
The Keys: your questions
How long does it take to drive from Miami to Key West?
About 3 h 30 without stops for 160 miles. With stops, plan a full day — or better, two.
Are there good beaches in the Florida Keys?
A few: Bahia Honda, Sombrero Beach and Fort Zachary Taylor. Most of the coast is mangrove; the Keys shine for snorkeling and diving.
When is the best time to visit the Florida Keys?
December to May: dry and warm. Hurricane season runs June to November, peaking from mid-August to early October.
Written by Kylian Dev · Last reviewed October 21, 2026. Prices are in US dollars, before sales tax.