By Expedia, on May 28, 2020

Florida Keys Vacation Ideas

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Florida Keys Vacation Ideas

[/video-title][video-blue-header]Take the hour-long drive across the Overseas Highway from Miami and clock in some island time at the ultimate beachside destination, Florida Keys. This string of tropical islands forms the southernmost point of continental United States and welcomes waves from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico on either side. Set the pace on your vacation to be as relaxed or action-packed as you desire. Looking for vacation ideas? Check out our top places to visit to help you create a personalized Florida Keys itinerary. Planning a trip to Florida Keys has never been easier. For those on the lookout for their next beach road trip, head down Florida’s east coast from Orlando or Jacksonville on a 6-hour (or fewer) drive.

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Ideas of places to visit in Florida Keys

Check out our list of the best places to visit in Florida Keys below and in the accompanying Florida Keys Vacation Travel Guide video. From its beaches to its museums, clubs to state parks – there are plenty of Florida Keys attractions vying for your attention. With these vacation ideas locked in, and your SPF in hand, you’ll be ready to take on Florida Keys.


Carribean Club - Florida Keys, USA

Caribbean Club

(1:00 in the video) Live music and sunsets make the perfect setting for an evening in Florida Keys – and for a Bogart movie as it turns out. Caribbean Club is proud of a history that goes well beyond its feature in the classic film Key Largo. Check out Caribbean Club for a fresh taste of the old school.


Windley Fossil Reef Geological State Park - Florida Keys, USA

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park

(1:36 in the video) For nature lovers, this is a must-visit destination to have on your Florida Keys itinerary. Learn about the geology and ecology of the area, as well as the intriguing history of the park, which was once a quarry. Look for some of the original machinery still visible by the quarry walls.


History and Discovery Center - Florida Keys, USA

Keys History and Discovery Center

(1:53 in the video) While only a small set of islands, Florida Keys is enriched by a deeply storied past. From surviving hurricanes to hosting vacationing movie stars, the breadth of this history is fascinating. Learn about the trials and tribulations of Florida Keys when you visit Keys History and Discovery Center.


History of Diving Museum - Florida Keys, USA

History of Diving Museum

(2:37 in the video) A vacation to Florida Keys offers some of the world’s best dive sites. Learn about the history of this watersport with artifacts dating back centuries and spanning the globe. The museum documents the fascinating technological advances that have allowed us to explore the great, elusive deep.


Florida Keys Brewing Co - Florida Keys, USA

Florida Keys Brewing Co.

(2:57 in the video) Head to the Morada Way Arts and Cultural District to find Florida Keys Brewing Co. This microbrewery is locally owned and operated and is responsible for producing every taste of beer you’ll try (and enjoy) here.


Rain Barrel Village - Florida Keys, USA

Rain Barrel Village

(3:12 in the video) Islamorada’s artisan markets showcase some of the country’s coolest handmade crafts and have done for over 40 years. Don’t forget to say hi to Betsy the Lobster; although, at 30 feet tall, this fiberglass statue is pretty hard to miss.


Robbies Marina - Florida Keys, USA

Robbie’s Marina

(3:19 in the video) Every Florida Keys itinerary should include some live tarpon feeding at Robbie’s Marina. This famous attraction is part of why Robbie’s Marina is regularly voted as the top spot for tourists to visit. Enjoy the water sports, browse the local shops or get ready to feast on some delicious waterfront fare.


Long Key State Park - Florida Keys, USA

Long Key State Park

(3:31 in the video) When exploring Middle Key, be sure to visit Long Key State Park where you can explore hundreds of acres of premium Florida Keys nature reserve. The beachfront park offers a wonderful boardwalk area. Long Key is also renowned for its great fishing – yet another reason to add this to your travel itinerary. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, some of the facilities are under construction.


Marathon Coastal Community - Florida Keys, USA

Marathon

(3:56 in the video) When planning a trip to Florida Keys, visit the thriving coastal community of Marathon in the heart of the Middle Keys. Delicious seafood by the ocean awaits diners at many of Marathon’s restaurants.


Crane Point Hammock - Florida Keys, USA

Crane Point Hammock

(4:02 in the video) Looking for places to visit in Florida Keys for nature? Check out the part native, part cultivated Crane Point Hammock. At 63 acres, encompassing a nature center and two museums, this tropical hardwood hammock is the largest in the Middle Keys and is protected by the Florida Keys Land Trust.


Marathon Turtle Hospital - Florida Keys, USA

Marathon’s Turtle Hospital

(4:21 in the video) Get to know Florida Keys favorite locals at the Turtle Hospital. This fully functioning veterinary hospital lets visitors in on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of the sea turtle that pass through. Educational programs run numerous times a day and offer 90 minutes of behind the scenes access to the facilities and a turtle feeding session.


Seven Mile Bridge - Florida Keys, USA

Seven Mile Bridge

(4:40 in the video) One of North America’s longest bridges, Seven Mile Bridge, was once among the longest in the world. The bridge connects Marathon with the southern Keys and treats those that cross, whether on wheels or on foot, to some spectacular ocean scenery.


Bahia Honda State Park - Florida Keys, USA

Bahia Honda State Park

(4:49 in the video) This state park is one of the best places to visit for nature lovers. Bahia Honda State Park takes up over 500 acres of an island in the lower keys and remains virtually unspoiled. Enjoy the gorgeous beaches from the shore and check out the snorkel boat tours to see all the beauty beneath the water’s surface.


Key West - Florida Keys, USA

Key West

(5:05 in the video) Closer to Havana than it is to Miami, Key West is the southernmost city of the continental United States, approximately 90 miles from the Cuban capital. Over the years, this island city has been a pirate refuge, a naval base and a favored haunt of American literary legends, including Ernest Hemingway. Today, the island appears to be in permanent vacation mode, with plenty of bars, restaurants and beaches where you can while away the hours.


Duval Street - Florida Keys, USA

Duval Street

(5:24 in the video) In Key West, head to one of the best spots for culture and nightlife. Duval Street is home to a fantastic assortment of hole-in-the-wall bars, historic haunts, art galleries, shops and outdoor cafés. This street runs through the heart of the Old Town, so a visit here keeps you in the action.


Mallory Square - Florida Keys, USA

Mallory Square

(5:36 in the video) Another great spot for entertainment is Mallory Square. Join the crowds that flock here to enjoy Sunset Celebration, with a medley show of acrobats, musicians, sword swallowers and more. A Key West vacation is not complete without a visit to this popular town square to see one of Key West’s longest-running traditions.


South Beach - Florida Keys, USA

South Beach

(6:01 in the video) Head to the southernmost beach of the continental United States to relax and swim in the waters where famous writer Tennessee Williams once took his daily swim. At the end of Key West’s main shopping and dining street, tiny South Beach provides sun, sand and waves just a short walk from the center of town.


Hemingway House - Florida Keys, USA

Hemingway House

(6:17 in the video) Hemingway House makes a fantastic addition to any Florida Keys itinerary. In the heart of Old Town Key West, find the home of one of America’s most renowned and respected authors. Walk through the rooms and gardens that beheld the most prolific period of Ernest Hemingway’s writing career. The knowledgeable tour guides are keen to answer any questions you have.


Key West Lighthouse - Florida Keys, USA

Key West Lighthouse

(6:49 in the video) The lighthouse opened in 1848 and has safeguarded the Key West coastline ever since. Today, the lighthouse doubles as a museum dedicated to Key West’s maritime heritage and to the many brave keepers who kept the light burning through the threats of weather and war.


Little White House - Florida Keys, USA

Little White House

(7:04 in the video) Learn the story of one of the United States’ boldest presidents when you visit the only presidential site in the state of Florida. Many of the late 1940s decisions that shaped the world in Truman’s time were made from this waterfront vacation house. Since 1991 the Harry S. Truman Little White House has operated as a historic site and museum.


Mel Fisher Maritime Museum - Florida Keys, USA

Mel Fisher Maritime Museum

(7:21 in the video) Spanish gold, silver and emeralds dazzle visitors to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum just as they did for the treasure hunter who spent his life searching for ancient fortunes on the seafloor. Fisher and his crew recovered precious jewels and metals valued in the hundreds of millions from two Spanish galleon ships that had been lost since 1622.


Key West Eco-Discovery Museum - Florida Keys, USA

Key West Eco-Discovery Museum

(8:05 in the video) This center is a top Key West attraction featuring upwards of 6,000 square feet of interactive exhibits. Learn about the diverse ecology of the Keys’ habitats, from coral reefs and seagrass flats, to beach dunes and mangrove shorelines, to hardwood hammocks and upland pinelands. This comprehensive museum will leave you even more enamored with this part of the world.


Historic Seaport - Florida Keys, USA

Historic Seaport

(8:13 in the video) One of the best things to do in Key West is to stroll the harbor walk waterfront at the Historic Seaport. For the last 200 years, this place has served as a global maritime trade base, and now also lays claim to some of the best dining, shopping, water sports and cultural attractions. Historic Seaport is a destination for all ages and is a great place to visit for families.


Dry Tortugas National Park - Florida Keys, USA

Dry Tortugas National Park

(8:29 in the video) Golden beaches and colorful coral reefs await explorers of Dry Tortugas National Park. Take in the fascinating collision of natural and historical scenery where the ocean meets the high ramparts of Fort Jefferson. Sunbathe on the shores or snorkel with the fish at one of the United States’ most spectacular national parks.


Green Parrot - Florida Keys, USA

Green Parrot

(9:32 in the video) Not many bars can boast that they’ve been the local favorite for over 125 years. At the Green Parrot, join the many people that return year after year for the great live music and to add their stitch to the great tapestry of stories that this Key West classic has collected in its time.

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Need more Florida Keys vacation ideas?

Want some more travel inspiration for your next vacation? Browse through our Florida Keys photo gallery to see more unique pictures of this incredible destination. If you want to broaden your horizons, our wider photo gallery is home to stellar photography from across the globe.

We also have hundreds of other travel videos from around the world. Be inspired by these fascinating destinations and start planning another unforgettable vacation today.

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