This will forever be my favorite part of the keys. The amount of sea life that you're able to see…read moreby going snorkeling is elite. Octopuses, stingrays, all sorts of fish, crabs/lobsters, you name it. Not to mention, you might even see some dolphin Jumping out on the water. I have nothing negative to say whatsoever. Just to those who come here, please treat it with respect and clean up after yourself.

Bahia Honda State Park is located at Mile Marker 37 along US 1. (Mile markers are how you find…read moreeverything in the keys. There are 500 acres of park, plus an off shore island. There are 3 beach areas, a campground/cabins, picnic areas and boat ramps. It's very much a place to relax on the beach and take it easy. Bahia Honda is the tropical paradise that you probably imagine when you think of the Florida Keys. Bahia Honda's beaches--Sandspur, Loggerhead, and Calusa--are one of the biggest draws to the park. Each one is beautiful and worth a visit. Bahia Honda is a great place to swim as the water temperatures are typically warm and the water is shallow. See, it also depends on time of the year, like for us, Sandspur beach was full of seaweed. and i found loggerhead beach to shallow and it was really great to swim over there. while you are here, A fun thing to do is take the quick trail up to the old Bahia Honda Bridge that you can see from Calusa Beach and the very edge of Loggerhead Beach. This is the only trail here and it's a pretty quick walk. The walk is fairly short and you aren't allowed to go far along the bridge as it breaks off at some point. However, you do get to go up high enough to see Bahia Honda from above. The bridge has a great view of both of the beaches. Depending on time of day, you might get a different view. There is little to no shade on the beach. If you are wanting to stay all day, you might want to bring your own umbrella for the beach! Cost: $8 per vehicle, $4.50 for vehicles with one person, $2.50 for pedestrians + cyclists

Florida Keys has many beaches but, believe it or not, there are not a lot of nice beaches in the…read moreConch Republic. Most Florida Keys beaches are rocky or have no sand--with the warm ocean or gulf water lapping amongst the mangrove roots. Sombrero Beach in Marathon is a classic beach with soft and clean beach sand, the deepest beach water in the Florida Keys, and excellent amenities. playground right next to the beach entrance means that everyone can be happy. Sun cover over the fun playground area so that the equipment doesn't get too hot. 1. Plenty of parking options right on the roadside. It now costs $5 per hour for the first two hours and $2 per hour after the first two hours. Be careful to not park in restricted areas--which are well marked. 2. Dogs are permitted on Sombrero Beach 3. It has two restroom facilities with filtered water stations parking options

This beach was great! We came early around 9am on a Saturday and it was pretty empty but filled up…read morequick. The water was nice and we saw some crabs which was cool!

Small quiet beach respite with a beautiful beach walk along a retired section of road along the…read moreboundary of NAS Key West. One of the area's quieter beaches. Plenty of beautiful views and places to stake a claim for the day to lounge or layout or bask in the Florida sun on the beach Not unlike most Keys beaches, expect unkept seaweeds and rocky coral shores though there's plenty of quiet narrow sandy beach stretches found here. A local's delight!

this beach is definitely off the beaten path, but is a super quiet and restful place to sit and…read moreenjoy the water sand and warm breeze. We took our black lab here and he was free to enjoy the water and sand. it backs up to an old road that has a fence which is the Navel Air station. we enjoyed watching the Navy jets taking off(every once and awhile).

This is a small sandy strip of beach that was named after a former Key West mayor named C.B…read more Harvey. I found it to be more of a park instead of a beach. It features the White Street Pier, the African-American Cemetery and an AIDS Memorial. It's a great area for watching sunsets and just taking in the beautiful scenery of this gorgeous place. Free parking can be found within the area or you can walk there like we did. The pier offers fishing and plenty of space to hang out. We always come here when we visit as it's close to where our friends live.

We took a walk and found ourselves at Rest Beach. It's a peaceful spot, with a long, wide pier that…read morewould be perfect for catching a sunrise. A few people were fishing at the far end, and we enjoyed watching brightly colored fish glide through the clear water beneath us.

Awesome playground right on the beach (not close to the water) with bathrooms near by. The entire…read moreplayground is gated which makes it more of a gem. There are small shaded tables on the side inside the grounds to drop all the beach bags and coolers and most of the play equipment is for climbing and balancing. We arrived right before sun down and the water was choppy with the rising tide but it was such an amazing sight to see the fishing boats arriving back to shore.

Key West is not a beach destination namely because the island doesn't have any beaches. True facts…read more Clarence Higgs Memorial Beach is an artificial beach and is really the only beach on the island besides Fort Zachary Taylor Park. Clarence Higgs beach is more of your traditional beach vacation where you can rent umbrellas and towels, play beach volleyball (there are only two courts), rent kayaks and snorkeling gear. The downside is that it isn't as picturesque as Fort Zachary Taylor Park. But that park doesn't really have any amenities. Overall, it's a decent beach. As the only traditional beach vacation spot on the island, though, it's going to be on your Key West itinerary at some point I hope.

Little Hamaca Park is a quiet, tucked-away spot in Key West, perfect for those who enjoy nature and…read moresolitude. The trails go through the mangroves and offer a peaceful escape from the busier parts of the island. It's a great place for birdwatching (there were people all over the place doing this) or simply taking a quiet walk near the salt pond. However, parking is limited, so plan accordingly. There are no public restrooms, which is inconvenient for longer visits. The trails can also get muddy after rain, so it's best to go during dry weather or earlier in the day when it's cooler. If you go towards dusk or dawn you absolutely 100% will need bug spray.

A drive through the Florida Keys will bring you to find/see plenty of nature... obvious ones like a…read morebunch of state parks (Bahia Honda State Park, Curry Hammock State Park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson Hammock Botanical State Park); and there are a rather large number of natural places to go for hikes, bike rides, fishing... many that are unknown to visitors (you need a local to share the secrets); but a handful of hidden gems are right here in Key West.... Little Hamaca is a great one. Most locals (and some tourists) know there are protected, native habitats made up of salt flats and mangroves around three sides of the airport but it's surprising how many don't know there is a section on the north side of the airport that is a tropical hammock (an area that is an important part of an ecosystem that is an elevated area slightly above the wetlands that support trees and wildlife that may not survive otherwise). It can be challenging to locate.... do not attempt to visit directly from South Roosevelt; you must access the area from Flagler and definitely follow a GPS. It's an interesting drive and don't stop, thinking you arrived, at the first paved parking stall and what appears to be a nature walk with a covered canopy providing nature information (that's Fran Ford White Crowned Pigeon Park). Go well beyond Fran Ford and once you take the bend in the road, there is a hard to notice, dirt/rock parking lot... Once you park, there is a raised, wood boardwalk; and ironically the parking lot has a solid, concrete handicap parking stall and access to the boardwalk (so the park/trail are handicap accessible... thumbs up to the City of Key West for this). Roughly the first half of the trail is wood planks with metal rails; but at some point the trail continues through the dirt/rock/natural growth. The trail remains clear but no wheelchair accessible at this point. It's really a lovely area... home to numerous wildlife like raccoons, squirrels, crabs, snails, butterflies, reptiles, spiders and a variety of birds (including the endangered white-crowned pigeon, the namesake of the park/trail down the road from Little Hamaca Park. There may also be crocodiles as the warning signage at the trailhead states... If you travel far enough along the dirt trail, then another boardwalk begins and it eventually ends at the Riveria Canal... it's like a slight reward for your hard work (not really that hard though). If you're not familiar with Riveria Canal, it's a canal that is lined with residential properties on the far side from the hammock and salt flats.

Located next to Key West Garden Club, we parked near the garden and after visited the garden, we…read morewalked to the pier. Very clear water, we can see fish and even lobsters hiding between the ocean rocks. There were people fishing at the pier.

It's located at the south end of White Street, hence the reason it was called the White Street Pier…read morefor the longest time. Very different than most the piers many of us know that are located along the east and west coasts of Florida. It's not very high above the water. Like most of the keys the water around the pier is very shallow and has large boulders along the sides of the pier so a lot of fish get shelter and there is plenty to see. A lot of locals come here to fish and catch bait. During many special events in Key West, the pier is used such as 4TH of July, the city shoots the fireworks off the end of the pier; which is a huge area.

Very nice state park, seems pretty new. Recommended for grilling ,cookouts, outdoor family time,…read morekayaking, etc. it has free parking, clean restroom facilities, water fountains (cold water), and the grills available at the park look practically new! Not much shade available, so you might want to bring canopy or umbrella..

This park is always so clean and perfect and love cooling off in the swimming hole! Lots of access…read morein and out of the water.