Where to stay in the Florida Keys: the 5 areas to know in 2026
The Keys have just one road, and every address lines up along it, from mile marker 106 in Key Largo to mile marker 0 in Key West. So the choice is not a neighbourhood but a point on the road: Key Largo for diving, Islamorada or Marathon for the middle of the archipelago, Key West to finish.
Nothing here is cheap. A dorm bed in Key West already costs $68*, a motel in the middle of the archipelago $169* at the lowest, $290* in season, a good hotel $340 to $510*, and the waterfront resorts go beyond $680* in winter. The areas that follow run in the order of the mile markers, from Key Largo all the way to Key West.
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One base or several?
The Keys can be crossed in four hours, but are better enjoyed in two stages. Two bases are enough for a week: one in the north or the middle, then Key West.
- Four days: Two bases: one night in Islamorada on the way down, then three in Key West, with a day at the Dry Tortugas.
- One week: Two bases: three nights in Key Largo or Marathon, for the reef and Bahia Honda, then four in Key West.
- Ten to fourteen days: Three bases: Key Largo for diving, Marathon or the Lower Keys for peace and quiet, then Key West to finish.
How much driving between two bases?
Times given by car, outside spring weekends. On the Overseas Highway, a single accident is enough to block the road: leave a margin before a flight.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Miami airport → Key Largo | 1 hr 15 | via US 1 |
| Key Largo → Islamorada | 30 min | via the Overseas Highway |
| Islamorada → Marathon | 50 min | via Long Key |
| Marathon → Big Pine Key | 30 min | via the Seven Mile Bridge |
| Big Pine Key → Key West | 45 min | through the Lower Keys |
| Marathon → Key West | 1 hr 15 | non-stop |
| Key West → Dry Tortugas | 2 hr 15 | by ferry |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in the Florida Keys
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Key Largo and Tavernier Key Largo, Rock Harbor and Tavernier, from mile marker 106 to mile marker 90
for diving the reef and staying an hour from Miami
The first island after the mainland, and the longest. Dive shops follow one another along the road, and the boats of John Pennekamp park head out to the coral every morning. On the Gulf side, motels and small resorts face the sunset over Florida Bay. The downside: the road is wider and busier with shops than elsewhere, and the turquoise water is still some way off.
Where to stay in this area
Playa Largo Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection Luxury
A bayside resort with its own sandy beach, a pier and waterfront bungalows, a few minutes from Pennekamp park.
Coconut Bay Resort - Key Largo Mid-range
A quiet little resort near the Rock Harbor marina, with a heated pool, and kayaks and pedal boats to borrow.
Pros
- The reef and Pennekamp park right from the hotel
- An hour's drive from Miami
Cons
- A wide road lined with shops
- Key West three hours away
Islamorada Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper and Lower Matecumbe, down to Long Key
for fishing, sunsets and the smartest resorts in the north
A string of five islands that calls itself the sport fishing capital of the world. The marinas line up their offshore fishing boats, and the best restaurants in the northern Keys serve the catch of the day facing the Gulf. Anne's Beach, a shallow strip of sand, is one of the few beaches on the road. The downside: prices match the reputation, and every outing needs the car.
Where to stay in this area
Cheeca Lodge & Spa Luxury
The grand address of Islamorada: twenty-seven acres of oceanside gardens, a 525-foot fishing pier, a spa and a small golf course.
Pelican Cove Resort & Marina Mid-range
Rooms with ocean-view balconies, a private beach and a marina, with kayaks and bikes included in the resort fee.
Pros
- The best tables in the northern Keys
- Sunsets over the Gulf from the hotel
Cons
- Some of the highest prices on the road
- Nothing on foot from one resort to the next
Marathon Duck Key, Grassy Key, Key Colony Beach and Marathon, up to the Seven Mile Bridge
for the middle of the road, families and the Seven Mile Bridge
The town at the centre of the archipelago, the most practical for day trips. The turtle hospital and the dolphin research centre delight children, and Sombrero Beach offers a real beach, with its palm trees. South of town, the Seven Mile Bridge runs on to the Lower Keys. The downside: a town more useful than pretty, strung out along the road.
Where to stay in this area
Isla Bella Beach Resort & Spa - Florida Keys Luxury
At the foot of the Seven Mile Bridge, a white-sand beach under coconut palms, several pools and a spa.
Tranquility Bay Beachfront Resort Mid-range
Two-storey houses on a sandy beach, rare in the Middle Keys, with three pools including one for children.
Pros
- An hour from Key West and from Islamorada
- Sombrero Beach and nature outings for children
Cons
- A sprawling town with no centre to walk
- Little charm along the road
Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys Bahia Honda, Big Pine Key, Little Torch, Ramrod, Summerland and Sugarloaf
for peace and quiet, Bahia Honda and the little Key deer
After the bridge, the road calms down. The Lower Keys are the land of the Key deer, no taller than a large dog, which you meet in the evening along the roads of Big Pine. Bahia Honda and its beach are ten minutes away, and the Looe Key reef is reached by boat. The downside: few hotels, few restaurants, and life stops early.
Where to stay in this area
Parmer's Resort Mid-range
Simple waterfront cottages on Little Torch Key, with a pool and breakfast served in the morning.
Pros
- Bahia Honda beach ten minutes away
- The quietest nights in the archipelago
Cons
- Very few hotels
- Few restaurants, and they close early
Key West Old Town, Duval Street, the Mallory Square waterfront and the southern beaches
for the old town, the sunsets and the Dry Tortugas
The end of the road, and the only real town in the Keys. In Old Town, painted wooden houses shelter under bougainvillea, roosters cross the streets, and everything is done on foot or by bike. In the evening, the crowd heads to Mallory Square for the sunset, then on to the bars of Duval Street. The downside: the highest prices in the archipelago, and the noise of Duval until late at night.
Where to stay in this area
The Gardens Hotel Luxury
An adults-only hotel in a tropical garden, a minute from Duval Street and yet peaceful, with two pools.
Ocean Key Resort & Spa, a Noble House Resort Luxury
At the end of Duval Street, on the water, a stone's throw from Mallory Square and its sunset.
Eden House Mid-range
An Art Deco hotel run by the same family since 1975, on a quiet street in Old Town, with a pool and a hot tub.
Seashell Motel and International Hostel city.oudormir_tier_economique
Dorms and simple rooms a seven-minute walk from the Southernmost Point, with a kitchen open day and night.
Pros
- Everything on foot or by bike, car left in the car park
- The restaurants and nightlife of the archipelago
Cons
- The highest prices in the Keys
- The noise of Duval Street at night
Our tips for booking the right place
- Look at the total price, not the advertised one: Almost every hotel adds a nightly resort fee, and many charge for parking. In Key West, those two lines often add $45 to $79* a night: compare the final amount before you book.
- Steer clear of spring break: In March, American students fill Key West, and rooms then cost double the summer rate. If you can, aim for December, April or May: the weather is just as good and the archipelago quieter.
- Keep a night on the way: Booking only Key West and driving straight through from Miami means four hours on the road without seeing anything. A night in Islamorada or Marathon changes the trip: you cross the bridges by day, and the reef is on your doorstep.
- Staying in Miami to visit Key West as a day trip: eight hours on the road for a few hours there.
- Choosing a room on Duval Street if you are a light sleeper: the bars play until two in the morning.
- Staying in the Lower Keys without a car: restaurants and shops are too far to walk.
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