Florida Keys and Key West Recreation
Miles of oceanfront and Gulf front access await
you in the Keys.
Recreational opportunities in the outdoors are the most important assets of the
Keys.
The fishing and boating here is incredible-both in the Ocean and the back-country
(the Gulf). There is something
to catch year round and our weather lets you do it. If you like the water, this
is the place
Recreational Opportunities:
• 47 Marinas
• 13 Parks,
• 3 Golf Courses
• 10 Campgrounds and recreational vehicle parks
• 13 public Tennis Courts
• 18 Boat Ramps
• To see a complete list of parks and recreational
opportunities see
• the sites below
Things to do outdoors:
• Fishing-saltwater, freshwater-Ocean, lakes and the Everglades
• Boating-Ocean, Gulf or Bay
• Diving
• Hiking
• Tennis
• Bike riding
• Birding
• Photography and Wildlife watching
• Kayaking—canoes-there are good rental locations and lots of places
to launch.
• Air boating into the Everglades
• Windsurfing the flats
Other places to visit.
• Audubon House- original Audubon engravings (not Audubon's residence)
• Conch Tour Train-
• Curry Mansion Inn - 305 294-5349 511 Caroline Street, Key West FL 33040
• Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum - 305 294-1136, 907 Whitehead St.,
Key West FL
• Flagler's Station Historeum®-901 Caroline St., 1-305-295-3562.
• Haitian Art Co. - 305 296-8932, 600 Francis St., Key West FL 33040
• Heritage House Museum - 305 296-3573, 410 Caroline Street, Key West
FL 33040
• Historic Seaport at Key West Bight.
• Key West Aquarium - 1 Whitehead St., Mallory Market
• Key West East Martello Museum - 305 296-3913, 3501 S. Roosevelt Blvd.
• Key West Lighthouse Museum - 305 294-0012, 938 Whitehead Street
• Key West Museum of Art & History - 305 295-6616
• Custom House - 281 Front Street, Key West FL 33040
• Key West Shipwreck Historeum - 305 292-8990, 1 Whitehead Street
• Little White House Museum - 305 294-9911
• Wrecker's Museum - 322 Duval St., 294-9502. Built in 1829. This is
Key West's oldest house.
State Parks in the Florida Keys
Key West's Ft. Zach beach and park-Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park, Key
West.
Florida's true wealth is based on its abundance of wildlife, diverse
natural communities and unique cultural heritage. The State Parks in
the Florida Keys are each unique in their character and beauty.
Bahia Honda State Park - Big Pine Key, mile marker 36.
Bahia Honda has a natural environment found nowhere else in the continental
United States. In the park you will find several biological communities:
beach dune, coastal berm, mangrove forest, tropical hardwood hammock,
and submerged marine habitats. These communities host many plant and
animal species of the Carribbean including several rare and unusual plants.
Bird life of Bahia Honda includes herons, roseate spoonbilles, egrets,
sopreys, pelicans, and terns. Unlike most of the Florida Keys, Bahia
Honda has a beautiful sandy beach along both the Atlantic Ocean and Florida
Bay. Snorkeling, swimming, fishing, camping (80 sites), six bayside cabins,
and access to two boat ramps, make Bahia an outstanding recreational
opportunity.
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State
Park - Key Largo, located on C.R. 905 (1/4 mile north of Overseas
Hwy).
This park, at 2,304 acres, is one of largest hardwood hammocks in the
United States. It is home to 84 protected species of plants and animals,
including the American crocodile. Nature lovers, bird watchers, and photographers
can explore over 6 miles of trails, most of which are paved and accessible
to both bicycles and wheelchairs.
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park - Key West, end
of Southard Street, in Truman Annex.
"Fort Zach", as the locals call it, was once surrounded by
water and crucial to the defenses of the early United States. Today,
historians, nature buffs, and beach-goers visit Key West's hometown state
park. With it's pleasant manmade beach for swimming and snorkeling and
shady picnic areas, Fort Taylor continues to be a favorite.
Indian Key State Historic Site - off Islamorada,
mile marker 78.5, accessible only by private boat or charter boats available
at nearby marinas.
This island was inhabited by Indians for several thousand years prior
to the arrival of the Spanish. The wrecking and salvanging "industry" of
the 1700s brought change and war to the mostly peaceful Indians. Jacob
Housman bought the island in 1831, built a town, only to have it burned
down in 1840 by the Seminoles during the Second Seminal War. A fascinating
part of Florida's history and worth a visit if you have access to a boat.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - Key Largo, mile
marker 102.5.
The first underwater state park in the United States, Pennekamp covers
70 nautical miles of coral reefs (a small portion of America's only living
coral reef), seagrass beds, and mangrove swamps. The park offers swimming,
snorkeling, picnicking, camping, fishing, and boat ramp access. Concessions
at the park offer glassbottom boat tours, a snokeling tour, scuba lessons
and tours, canoeing, moteorboat, and sailboat rental.
Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site - off
Islamorada, mile marker 78.5, accessible only by private boat or charter
boats available at nearby marinas.This 280-acre island supports many
trees native to tropical forests such as mastic, gumbo limbo, Jamaica
dogwood, poisonwood, and lignumvitae. 1-hour guided walks are fiven at
10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m., Thursday through Monday. The park
is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Long Key State Recreational Area - Long Key, mile marker
67.5
Abundant in marine life and bird life, as well as tropical hammock
trees Long Key visitors enjoy the area'a sun-drenched, subtropical waters,
and two nature trails available.
San Pedro Underwater Archeological Preserve - Long Key.
The San Pedro was a 287-ton ship, part of the fleet of New Spain in
1733. Her remains were discoverd in 1960 under 18 feet of water in Hawk
Channel near Indian Key. The underwater site has been enhanced with seven
replica cannons, an anchor and an information plaque. To prevent anchor
damage, tie up to mooring buoys located at the site.
Pro Sports
• A 2-3 hour drive to Miami:
• Florida Marlins
• 2269 Dan Marino Blvd, Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL 33056 · 305-626-7400
• Miami Dolphins
• 2269 Dan Marino Blvd, Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL 33056 · 305-620-2578
• Miami Heat
• 601 Biscayne Blvd, American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL 33132-1801 · 786-777-432
