Visiting the Florida Keys
A string of small coral islands stretching south of Miami all the way to Key West. The Overseas Highway links them all over forty-two bridges, the famous Seven Mile Bridge among them. On both sides of the road the water turns from green to turquoise, and the only living coral reef in the continental United States runs offshore.
The Keys are travelled from north to south. Key Largo is the diving capital, Islamorada the home of sport fishing, Marathon the town in the middle. At the end, Key West mixes clapboard houses, free-roaming roosters and the bars of Duval Street. You come for the sea, the snorkelling and a life without a watch, not for long sandy beaches.
You will love it if
- You want to dive or snorkel over a reef
- A road trip above the sea appeals to you more than a theme park
- You like laid-back places, in flip-flops from morning to night
Give it a miss if
- You are looking for long stretches of fine sand
- You are on a tight budget: the Keys are among the most expensive places in Florida
- You can only travel in September, at the height of hurricane season
The must-sees
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Every evening in Key West, the crowd gathers on the quay to watch the sun drop into the Gulf of Mexico. Jugglers, fire-eaters and lemonade sellers put on the show, then everyone applauds. Arrive half an hour before sunset to find a spot by the water.
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Seven miles of bridge over the sea, between Marathon and the southern islands. Alongside it, the old railway bridge has reopened to walkers and cyclists as far as Pigeon Key. Drive it in the late afternoon, when the light skims the water.
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The first underwater park in the United States, in Key Largo. Boats take divers and snorkellers out over the coral and the Christ of the Abyss, a bronze statue resting eight metres down. Go in the morning, when the sea is at its calmest.
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The finest beach in the Keys, a rarity on this archipelago of mangroves. The water is clear and shallow, good for swimming with children. Climb onto the old iron bridge cut off in the middle of the channel: the view over both seas is the widest on the road.
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5 The Dry Tortugas By boat
A national park out at sea, seventy miles west of Key West. The ferry takes just over two hours to reach Fort Jefferson, a brick fortress sitting on an islet of white sand. Book weeks ahead: seats go fast.
The classic trap
Planning Miami to Key West and back in a single day. Four hours on the road each way, on a two-lane highway that often slows to a crawl, and nothing is left of the trip. Spend at least one night on the way, in Islamorada or Marathon, and drive by day: the bridges only make sense in the light.
Our itineraries in the Florida Keys
| Length | Itinerary | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days | Key Largo › Islamorada › Key West | The reef, the road of bridges, Key West |
| 1 week | Key Largo › Islamorada › Marathon › Big Pine Key › Key West | The whole archipelago, Bahia Honda and the Key deer |
| 2 weeks | All the Keys, then the Dry Tortugas and the Everglades | The archipelago, the open sea and the mainland marshes |
Head down from north to south: Key Largo for diving, then Islamorada, Marathon and its turtles, and Key West to finish. Keep two nights for Key West, for the sunset and a day at sea. Got two weeks? Add the Dry Tortugas from Key West, and the Everglades on the way back to Miami.
When to visit the Florida Keys
| Appeal | Season | Temperatures | Sea | Crowds and prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WinterDec. to Feb. | 18 to 25°C | 23 to 25°C | High | |
| SpringMar. to May | 21 to 30°C | 25 to 28°C | High | |
| SummerJune to Sept. | 26 to 32°C | 29 to 31°C | Low | |
| AutumnOct. and Nov. | 23 to 29°C | 26 to 29°C | Medium |
Our advice
Aim for December, April or May: the air is dry, the sea warm and the sky clear. Avoid American spring break in March, when prices soar in Key West. From June to November it is hurricane season, peaking in September: prices fall, but a trip can be cancelled.
Getting to the Florida Keys
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By plane to Miami The simplest
Direct flights link London and several European cities with Miami in nine to ten hours; from the rest of the United States, it is a domestic hop. From the airport, allow an hour to Key Largo and four hours to Key West, without traffic. Coming from abroad? Apply online for your ESTA before you leave: 40 dollars.
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By plane to Key West To save time
Key West's small airport receives flights from several major American cities. With a connection, it is the right formula if you are only staying in Key West, or if you are driving the road one way only.
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By bus or ferry Without a car
Buses and shuttles link Miami airport with Key West in four to five hours, stopping on the main islands. In season, a fast ferry also leaves Fort Myers for Key West.
Rent the car in Miami and drop it off in Key West if you can: you will drive the road only once, by day, stopping wherever you like. Distances are counted in mile markers, from 106 in Key Largo down to 0 in Key West.
Getting around the Florida Keys
A car is essential to travel the archipelago: there is only one road, the Overseas Highway, and addresses line up along the markers. Take your time: the limit is often 45 or 55 mph and speed checks are frequent. In Key West, leave the car behind: the old town is done on foot or by bike, and parking is expensive.
Good to know
A UK or European driving licence is enough to rent and drive in Florida, and an International Driving Permit, cheap to get before you leave, avoids any discussion at a roadside check. On the Overseas Highway, an accident can block the only road for hours: carry water and leave a margin before a flight.
What to eat in the Florida Keys
- Key lime pie: the lime pie of the Keys, creamy on a biscuit base, which you will taste everywhere from Key Largo to Key West.
- Conch fritters: fritters of conch, the great Caribbean shellfish, served with a spicy sauce.
- Hogfish sandwich: a reef fish with fine white flesh, grilled in a soft roll.
- Stone crab: crab claws served cold with a mustard sauce, from October to May only.
- Florida spiny lobster: no claws, grilled in butter, the star of late-summer tables.
- Café cubano: a very sweet espresso, a legacy of Key West's Cuban community.
To eat like the locals, look for a restaurant by a marina, where the fish comes straight off the boat that same day. In Key West, have your café cubano at a counter window open onto the street, like the fishermen in the morning.
Where to stay in the Florida Keys
| Area | What for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Key Largo | Diving, the reef, Pennekamp | An hour from Miami |
| Islamorada | Fishing, sunsets, resorts | The smartest in the north |
| Marathon | Turtles, dolphins, Seven Mile Bridge | The middle of the road |
| Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys | Bahia Honda, deer, quiet | Few hotels |
| Key West | Old town, sunsets, Tortugas | The most expensive |
How much does a trip in the Florida Keys cost?
| Trip | Length | Budget per person |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (motel, shared car, simple restaurants) | 7 days | €1,200 to €1,700 |
| Comfort (hotel, car, boat trips) | 7 days | €2,200 to €3,200 |
| Luxury (resort, Dry Tortugas, fine dining) | 7 days | €4,500 to €7,000 |
- The season: from February to April, and above all during spring break, rooms in Key West often cost double the summer rate. If you can choose, May and December remain the best compromise.
- Hotel fees: many hotels add a nightly resort fee and paid parking: check the total price before you book.
- Boat trips: diving, snorkelling or fishing are paid separately, and the Dry Tortugas trip is the most expensive.
- Parking: in Key West it is paid by the hour or by the night; a rental bike often works out cheaper.
- Meals: a fish sandwich by a marina costs far less than a dinner on Duval Street.
Traditions and way of life in the Florida Keys
The Keys owe their road to a wild dream: that of Henry Flagler, who had a railway laid across the sea all the way to Key West in 1912. The 1935 hurricane swept it away, and the Overseas Highway was built on its piers. In Key West, Hemingway wrote part of his work in a house still home to dozens of six-toed cats.
In 1982, Key West jokingly declared its independence as the Conch Republic, after a police roadblock shut the highway: the town still celebrates the anniversary. Roosters roam free in the streets, and every evening at Mallory Square the sunset is celebrated like a show. Passing through at the end of October? The Fantasy Fest carnival takes over Duval Street, and the town does not sleep all week.