Key West, Florida – A Tropical Paradise – Travelogue
The weather is cold in Burgh and winter has arrived earlier this year. How about a vacation to a tropical island during freezing winter? Sounds like a plan!
Florida Keys has been on my list since the day I landed here and my first vacation trip is to meet my bestie – Sofi in Florida. We couldn’t visit Keys during our first trip. Since then it has been in my list and somehow, I couldn’t plan a trip to Keys so far. But then, this year I did it. Yes, Visited Florida Keys for the first time and I fell in love with this paradise land. And it has become my favorite holiday destination, which means, I will be planning trips to Keys periodically.
There is a lot to cover in the Florida Keys and so much information to pin down. Hence, I decided to split them into separate posts so that I don’t overload you with information. This post narrates my vacation trip to the Florida Keys.
One might think that Florida has been ramped up after the hurricane – Irma but then the truth is most of the places – Key Largo and Key West are pretty much back to normal and some even beyond. Hence, if you are thinking twice about planning a trip to the Florida Keys, then I would say just plan and go!
I flew from Burgh to Fort Lauderdale and reached around 10 AM in the morning. We rented a car near the airport from Economy and we got a new SUV for our trip. There are many rental car offices in the Fort Lauderdale Airport – Hertz, Economy, Dollar, Thrift etc. A shuttle bus takes you to the rental car terminals. We started driving towards the Florida Keys from Fort Lauderdale. It was 3 hours’ drive from the airport. As you drive south leaving the Florida mainland, you will see the Gateway to the Keys where the two National Parks – Biscayne and Everglades parks are present and also pass through historic small towns – Homestead & Florida City. The town offers great local eateries and shops. The drive takes you through the fishing camps, agricultural lands, mangrove forests and native hardwood hammocks of Key Largo. I was so excited to see the coconut trees, palm trees and plantains on either side of the road, which resembled my hometown.
The road then merges to the Overseas Highway which transports you to a paradise in America – the fabulous Florida Keys, both physically and mentally.
The drive along the overseas highway is the most relaxing and breathtaking drive which takes you through all the Keys of Florida to the southernmost point – Key West. The entire drive is an experience along the picture perfect blue water and islands. Don’t rush. Simply unwind and enjoy yourself. Be in island time!
Day 1:
The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost portion of the continent. The Keys are grouped into four, each one with their own unique flavor – Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine & Lower Keys and Key West.
Key Largo is the entry point of the Florida Keys and it is the largest of the islands. The famous Mrs. Mac Kitchen is in Key Largo. Don’t forget to pull over for diverse breakfast options. The second region which you will encounter on the way is Islamorada, the Sportfishing Capital of the World and the newest location in the Keys. Islamorada is also known as Purple Isle. I liked the name and hence explored a bit of history behind the name – the Key was named so by the Spanish explorers centuries ago. The third major stop on the drive is Marathon. There are few smaller keys in between Islamorada and Marathon.
We stayed in Banana Bay Marina in Marathon. The hotels are much cheaper in Marathon compared to Key West. We decided to stay in Marathon so that we can spend amount for adventures and eateries than for our stay. Marathon is known for its watersports and is called as heart of the keys because of its location. Banana Bay is located on the roadside and plantain trees line the front reception desk. The entire keys have Bougainvillea of various colors and it reminded me of my hometown. And I did see plantain flower and raw bananas hanging on the tree. Isn’t that a wonderful sight?
We reached Marathon around 3 PM in the afternoon. We checked in and then decided to grab our lunch in Marathon. We also stopped in the beaches near the roads, walked over the bridge and drove leisurely. The entire drive to Key West takes 3 hours from Fort Lauderdale. There was a small family owned Thai restaurant – Takara and we grabbed our lunch at the restaurant. We tried seafood in every restaurant we tried in the Florida Keys. The food was delicious and authentic. It became dark around 5 PM and then sunset in the keys is one of the amazing experience. Do not miss the sunset in the keys. We then visited Sombrero beach and walked along the shore. The Keys had a variety of birds flying over the bluish waters and gazing along the shores.
Day 2:
We decided to watch the sunrise; hence we woke up earlier and drove to the Sombrero beach for the sunrise. The beach is minutes away from Banana Bay. It was so calm and such a tranquil place to view the sunrise from the shore. There were a group of seagulls and cormorant in the beach. It was such a beautiful sight to them flying across the tranquil sea during the sunrise. We planned to visit Dry Tortugas National Park in Key West on our day 2. The park can be reached via Ferry, seaplane or with your own boats. We have booked a day trip in Yankee Freedom 3 which is the official ferry for Dry Tortugas.
The ferry starts around 7 AM in the key lime area of Key West. The Park is 2.5 hours away from Key West and the ferry reached Tortugas by 10.15 AM. Dry Tortugas is 70 miles from Key West and is home to the protected areas of extraordinary sea life and one of the largest brick structures in the western hemisphere – Fort Jefferson. Breakfast and lunch are provided in the ferry itself. The entire drive in the ocean is an experience, where you see a group of birds flying together and islands scattered in the ocean.
We met Mike and his papa from Virginia who traveled along with us on the trip. We had a great time discussing with them about our trip, culture, food, and passion. They were so amicable and welcoming. They are experienced snorkelers and they had planned to camp in Dry Tortugas for two days. Since snorkeling is new to us, we decided to learn from them and they extended their help and time to teach us. Once we reached the park, we did a tour of Fort Jefferson. Professional tour guides are available at the park. After our tour, we grabbed our lunch and snorkeling equipment. We then found Mike and his papa in a campsite. Ensure to check out the environment in the park while you walk. You might encounter Kermit Crabs, crabs, pelicans and osprey.
We had a hilarious snorkeling experience. We don’t know swimming and hence it was very difficult for us to hold our breath insider water and float. Mike and his papa were our gurus and they taught us to float in the water. But then, we were bad students and drank so much of salt water instead of floating in the water. They were so great to spend their time and effort to teach us and make our experience a memorable one. I would suggest buying a proper snorkeling mask if you really wish to have a great experience instead of using their complimentary equipment. I couldn’t manage with theirs and hence Mike lent his to us. The most important thing to have a great experience is not to panic inside water and hold our breath inside water.
The ferry starts back at 3 PM from the island and reaches Key West by 5 PM. We reached Key West by 5 PM and walked towards Mallory Square – the most famous spot to view the sunset. The Mallory Square is full of people and activities, local eateries and vibrant shops. The sunset is one of the most beautiful experiences in the Key West where the entire sky is filled with hues of purple and orange. There are numerous yacht and sunset cruises are available to view the sunset in the Atlantic Ocean. I will write a separate blog post for Dry Tortugas National Park.
Day 3:
Our day 3 was completely dedicated to Key West and we have decided to explore Key West and the famous food joints. The best way to explore Key West is by bike or scooter. We hired bikes but then I couldn’t drive the bike without brakes and the wind also made it difficult to ride a bike with skirts. We hired bikes from Eaton and then we returned bikes back. Since it was so sunny, exploring the Key West by walk seems to be an exhausting option, hence we rented a scooter from A & M Scooters. We drove across the entire city and visited all the iconic places – Southernmost point, Ernest Hemingway House, Little Truman White House, Lighthouse center and museum and finally its beaches. Usually, I prepare and pack our food during vacation but this time, I didn’t and glad that I didn’t. Key West is a foodie's joint and has various options to explore – from burger to vegan food. And Key West is known for the famous Key Lime Pie. Don’t forget to grab the famous Key Lime Pie covered with chocolate on a stick from Kermit’s Key Lime Shop. I will write a separate post about Key West and its famous food joints. The most wonderful sight which you can see throughout Key West is the Chicken and birds roaming on the streets of the city. We saw a group of lbis on the road and in a parking lot. How soothing is to listen the sound of a cock after so long?
Day 4:
The Key Deer Refuge in Big Pine Key is known for preserving Key Deer and we decided to visit them as the first thing on the next day. We woke up and after our breakfast in the restaurant, we visited Key Deer Refuge. We drove across the Key Deer Blvd and Watson Blvd. We saw an alligator in the Blue Hole. We found a small key deer gazing near the roads but then it got terrified and ran inside the forest on seeing the vehicle approaching it. We then drove along the Watson Blvd which connects Big Pine Key with the No Name Key. We saw Key Deer on the backyard of a house and we slowed down on seeing it. But then, Key deer started walking towards us and it was very close to our window. I wanted to feed the Key Deer but then feeding kills Key Deer. I loved snorkeling and hence decided to do guided snorkeling on the following day with a proper instructor. We booked guided snorkeling through Aquarium Encounters and I should say that it’s the best option for beginners as you will snorkel with a guide and you can feed sharks! After our snorkeling experience, we started driving towards Miami where we decided to stay for the night.
Day 5:
We reached Miami around 7 PM and I should say the city is full of life crowded with people and vehicles. It was so cold in the city whereas it was hot in the Keys. We decided to visit Biscayne the following day. We drove towards Biscayne Bay and the entire drive was through the agricultural fields with coconut trees and palm trees. The Biscayne Bay is also home to many birds from Pelicans, Sea Gulls to Cormorant. We reached Biscayne National Park – Convoy point around 9 in the morning. It was very cold and windy on that day. The sea was rough and hence they closed all the outdoor activities. We visited the museum and watched the park movie at the theater. We walked over the shoreline near to the visitor center. The boardwalk is a beautiful and relaxing walk along the shores of Red and Black Mangroves. There are usually boat tours to Boca Chita Island every day on morning and evening. Since the sea was rough, they had closed the Island tours, kayaking, canoeing and snorkeling in the Biscayne Bay. I will write a detailed post on Biscayne National Park soon. We then grabbed our lunch and returned to the Fort Lauderdale for our flight to Burgh at 8.45 PM.
That’s one of the many vacation trips to follow for Key West. Key West is truly a tropical paradise with agricultural lands, clear waters, keys, wildlife, local eateries, and vibrant people.
If you like my travelogue and wish to follow my travel stories further, then do like and follow my profile here – Facebook, Google, Instagram
Thanks,
Karthi
