Florida is most well-known for its pristine beaches and party vibes, but did you know Florida also has 3 national parks? It is the only state east of the Mississippi River with more than 1 national park. And lucky for us, all 3 parks can be seen on the ultimate Miami to Key West Road Trip.
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The Best Time for the Miami to Key West Road Trip
The best time of year for this Miami to Key West Road Trip is March to May, with April being the best overall month. The weather needs to be warm enough that you can snorkel since most of Biscayne and Dry Tortuga National Parks are underwater. You will likely want to snorkel in the water to see these parks. However, the summers can be too hot and humid (and mosquito-y) for Everglades. Plus, you run the risk of hurricanes in the summer and early fall months.
Where to Stay
If you are spending time in Miami, you may want to stay a night or two in the city or closer to South Beach to reduce traffic/driving times in this area. Once you leave Miami and start the road trip part of this trip, I recommend staying in Homestead, Florida for budget-friendly options. This town is close to both Biscayne National Parks and Everglades National Parks. There are plenty of hotel and restaurant options nearby. However, if you want to stay in a more upscale area that can serve as your homebase for Miami, Biscayne, and Everglades, consider Coconut Grove. This area is known for its bohemian atmosphere and chill nightlife. It is also within a few minutes of the marina where you will catch your Biscayne boat.
Then, you will need to stay in Key West for the Key West and Dry Tortuga part of this trip. I would recommend staying close to Duval Street to optimize walkability.
Do You Need Entry Passes?
To see the best parts of Biscayne and Dry Tortuga National Parks, you will need to do so by boat or ferry. You can access Dry Tortuga by sea plane if you are adventurous. No matter what your mode of transportation plan is, you will need book a tour in advance. Biscayne does not require an entrance fee since you have to book a boat tour. The entrance fee for Dry Tortuga is $15 per person for 7 consecutive days. However, this fee is part of the price of the ferry you have to book. If you go by private boat or sea plane, you will have to pay the $15 fee. Everglades has an entrance fee of $35 per vehicle for 7 consecutive days.
If these are the only parks you are visiting this year, then you should just purchase the individual park entrance fees. However, if you plan to visit multiple parks in a year, it may be worth purchasing an America the Beautiful park pass, which will allow you into all national parks for one single $80 fee. Also, if you have a 4th grader in your household, you can get a family pass for free to the national parks that is good for a year. Find out more about that benefit here.
What to Pack for Your Miami to Key West Road Trip
- Bug Spray – Mosquitoes can be relentless so, I highly recommend bringing some bug spray.
- Sunscreen – Protect you skin.
- Chapstick – Keep your lips moisturized with this 15SPF chapstick.
- Water Bottle – Stay hydrated with this durable 32-ounce water bottle.
- Sunglasses – Shield your eyes with these men’s and women’s sunglasses.
- Cute Sundress – Look chic while meandering the historic district. Here is another dress option.
- Casual Outfit – For a more casual look, try these shorts, jeans, and top.
- Walking Shoes – Make sure to bring comfortable men’s and women’s walking shoes.
- Water Shoes – These are important to have as most Greece beaches are rocky.
- Microfiber Beach Towel – These towels fold up very small and is needed for your trips to the beaches.
- Swimsuits – You will spend a lot of time at the beach during your 10 day Greece itinerary. Here are some swimsuit options for your trip:
- Swimsuit Coverup – This stylish coverup is perfect to wear over your swimsuit.
Miami to Key West Road Trip
Day 1 – Miami
What you do on Day 1 of your Miami to Key West depends on how much time you want to spend in Miami. If you fly to here on Day 1, you will not have a lot of time to spend in Miami. To get a full day of Miami, you will need to fly here the night before. When booking your flights, consider flying into Fort Lauderdale if flight times and prices are more attractive. These two airports are only 25 miles apart from each other.
South Beach
If you want to start your day early, then head to South Pointe Park to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. From here walk towards Lummus Park (about 1 mile), and take a picture at the Miami Beach sign. Find a nearby local breakfast place like Starlite Cafe or Cafe Americano. Walk around the Art Deco Historic District along Ocean Drive to see pastel-colored Art Deco buildings. Next, walk to the beach to sunbathe and check out the colorful lifeguard stands.
Little Havana
After you have soaked up enough sun, get back in your car and drive to Little Havana. Walk Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) to see the Walk of Fame, vibrant murals, and dynamic street life. Visit Domino Park to watch a mean game of dominoes between the locals. Make sure to eat authentic Cuban cuisine while here and have some Cuban coffee.
If time permits, check out Wynwood Walls, an outdoor street art museum where you can take dozens of colorful photos.
Day 2 – Biscayne National Park
About Biscayne National Park
Biscayne National Park is 95% underwater. The bay itself is a massive but shallow estuary which has become a marine wildlife nursery. The grassy bottom and mangroves offer lots of protection for small fish, baby sharks, and adolescent dolphins. Snorkeling is a wonderful activity to do when visiting the park because of its living coral reefs and historic shipwrecks. The mouth of the bay has a “town” called Stiltsville which is a handful of houses built on stilts in the ocean. Biscayne Bay also contains the first Florida Key, Elliot Key, as well as Boca Chita Key and Adams Key. People are not permitted on many of the other keys inside the park’s boundaries.
Dante Fascell Visitor Center
The best way to see Biscayne National Park is by boat. If you don’t want to book a boat excursion, then you can visit the Dante Fascell Visitor Center to learn about the wildlife and ecosystems of this national park. There is a short, easy walk you can do from the visitor center. The whole visit to this area will likely only take you an hour, and you will not see the best of Biscayne. However, if you want to check off the national park but not spend any money on a tour, this is your only option.
Biscayne National Park Institute
All boat tours of Biscayne National Park are administered by Biscayne National Park Institute. There are lots of options that have varying prices and durations. The tours can start from different locations, so pay close attention to where your tour will start from so you don’t end up in the wrong spot and miss your tour! Check out all the options at the Biscayne National Park Institute website, and pick the option that best suits you.
The tour we booked was Snorkeling and Island Visit from Coconut Grove. It is one of the more expensive tour options, but it is all day and all-encompassing. We started the tour with a boat ride through Biscayne Bay and learned neat facts about the bay. Then, we stopped at Stiltsville where we checked out the last of the remaining stilt houses. Next was snorkeling. Unfortunately, due to high swells, we were not able to snorkel the reef or shipwreck, but we did snorkel the mangroves of a couple keys. Lastly, we visited Boca Chita Key where we ate lunch (bring your own!) and climbed to the top of the lighthouse.
Day 3 – Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park has 3 main areas: Northern (Shark Valley), Western (Flamingo), and Southern (Gulf Coast). The Flamingo and Guld Coast areas are easy to get to from Homestead or Coconut Grove as they are on the same road. The Shark Valley area has to be accessed from the north and will require quite the drive from the other sides of the park. However, Shark Valley is the area where you are more likely to see lots of American alligators, so it is hard to skip it completely.
Flamingo to Gulf Coast Areas
Start your Everglades day at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center from the west entrance. Next, drive to the Anhinga Trail which was my favorite part of Everglades. The trail is an easy, 0.8-mile walk along a lily pad filled pond and waterway to an over-the-water boardwalk. This hike is amazing for bird watching, and you can see anhingas, herons, ospreys, and so many more. We also saw an alligator on this trail which is less common. Stop at other trails such as Pa-Hay-Okee Lookout Tower (0.25-mile) and Mahogany Hammock Trail (0.5-mile).
Continue driving to Guy Bradley Visitor Center for a chance to see manatees. Manatee season in Florida is mid-November to the end of March. If it is not manatee season or you are not doing a boat/kayak tour from this location, you could skip this area to make more time to visiting the Shark Valley area. You could save an hour or more by skipping the southern point and turning back after the Mahogany Hammock Trail.
Shark Valley Area
From Guy Bradley Visitor Center, it takes about 2 hours to drive to the Shark Valley Visitor Center with Homestead being the halfway point. This makes Homestead the perfect location to grab lunch before continuing to the north entrance. Just before you get to the north entrance, you will see several swamp boat tours. You could opt to do this instead of going inside the north entrance of the park. I have heard great things about the swamp boat tours, but I elected to go inside the park instead.
All the activity at the Shark Valley area happens at the visitor center, so once you park your car you will not get back in it until you leave. Here you will find a 15-mile paved loop that is ideal for wildlife watching especially alligators. There is a 2-hour tram that circles the loop, but you need to book your tram in advance as they do sell out. If the tram is sold out or you would rather be more active, you can bike the trail. You can either bring your own bikes or rent bikes from the visitor center.
Along the trail, you can climb the Shark Valley Observation Tower to get panoramic views of the Everglades. There are also trails along the main path such as Bobcat Boardwalk (0.4-mile loop) and Otter Cave Hammock Trail (0.3-mile loop).
I did not book the tram or rent bikes. Instead we walked the Bobcat Boardwalk which starts at the Visitor Center. Then, we walked about half a mile down the main paved loop counterclockwise along the waterway next to the pavement. In our short walk, we saw 2 large alligators and 8 baby alligators!
Day 4 – Drive the Keys
Now it is time to leave your Homestead or Coconut Grove hotels and continue on your Miami to Key West road trip on U.S. Route 1 Overseas Highway, also known as Jimmy Buffet Memorial Highway. If you drive straight from Homestead to Key West without stopping, it would take about 3 hours. However, there is enough to do along the way and scenic overlooks to stop at that you can make an entire day of it. Here are the best options for stopping along the way. You may not have time to do all the things on the list, so you may have to be selective.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Located on Key Largo, you can stop at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. There is lots of water activities inside this park including kayaking, snorkeling, and boat tours. I personally would skip this stop. Not because it isn’t awesome, but this would take a large part of the day. And you would have to skip some other stops along the way. Since we are snorkeling/kayaking at the national parks, I think it is ok to take a break from water activities.
Robbie’s of Islamorada
The main attraction at Robbie’s is tarpon feeding. For $10, you will get a plate of fish that you can hold over the water and tarpons will come out of the water to eat them. Watch out for the pelicans. They will snap the bait fish from your hands! Robbie’s also has a cute souvenir shop and the Hungry Tarpon Restaurant.
The Turtle Hospital
The Turtle Hospital offers a 90-minute guided tour of the sea turtle hospital facilities and rehabilitation center. At the end of the tour, you can feed the permanently homed turtles. Of course, there is a souvenir shop where you can get your sea turtle merch!
Seven Mile Bridge
The Seven Mile Bridge connects Marathon to Little Duck Key and is the perfect spot to see the pristine, turquoise waters of the gulf. There is a small parking lot at the beginning of the “Old Bridge” which is now a 2.2-mile pedestrian and bicycle path to Pigeon Key. The Old Bridge is the only way to access Pigeon Key other than by boat.
Bahia Honda State Park
Bahia Honda State Park is another park where you can snorkel, kayak, or participate in other water activities. Again, I would skip any water activities on this day. But this is a good stop because it has a great view of the old Bahia Honda Bridge.
Key West
You have now arrived in Key West, the last stop on Day 4 of your Miami to Key West road trip. Phew! It was a long day, but so worth it! The views have been incredible!
Day 5 – Key West
Spend Day 5 exploring the highlights of Key West. There is enough to do here that you could spend a few days in Key West, but this Miami to Key West road trip only allows for one full day. I suggest either adding another day for Key West to do it all, or prioritize your favorite things to do in one day.
Southernmost Point
The Southernmost Point Buoy is one of the most iconic landmarks in Key West and a must-see photo spot. Located at the corner of South Street and Whitehead Street, the large painted buoy marks the southernmost point of the continental United States, just 90 miles from Cuba. Installed in 1983, the colorful concrete marker replaced a simple sign that was frequently stolen by tourists. Today, visitors line up throughout the day to take photos with the buoy’s bright red, black, and yellow stripes. Early morning is the best time to visit if you want to avoid long lines and capture the landmark without crowds.
Hemingway House
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is one of the most famous historic sites in Key West. Located in Old Town, the Spanish Colonial–style house was home to Ernest Hemingway from 1931 to 1939, during which time he wrote several notable works, including To Have and Have Not. Today, visitors can tour the preserved residence, lush tropical gardens, and the writing studio where Hemingway worked. The property is also known for its population of distinctive six-toed cats, many of which are descendants of Hemingway’s original pet. The museum offers a glimpse into the writer’s life and the years he spent living and writing in Key West.
Duval Street
Exploring Duval Street is one of the best things to do in Key West, offering a lively mix of boutiques, souvenir shops, art galleries, and local specialty stores. Stretching from the Gulf of America to the Atlantic Ocean, this famous street is lined with colorful storefronts where visitors can browse everything from beachwear and handmade jewelry to tropical home décor and locally made art.
Key Lime Bakery
Key lime pie was originated in the Florida Keys in the 1850s and is made from Key limes, canned milk, and eggs. The light, fruity, slightly-tart custard pie is a refreshing dessert, especially in the hot summer months of the Florida Keys. When you visit here, get Key lime pie every day. Eating key lime pie is one of the best things to do in Key West, and it something I recommend you do every day! If you don’t like pie, no worries! Most places have key lime pie martini or other key lime-inspired drinks.
Sloppy Joe’s Bar
Located at Duval and Greene Street, Sloppy Joe’s has been a popular Key West bar since 1937. The bar owner, Joe Russell, started a speak easy at a different location during the days of Prohibition which was frequented by Ernest Hemingway. After Prohibition ended, the owner moved the bar to Greene Street. Encouraged by Hemingway, the owner changed the name of the bar to Sloppy Joe’s because patrons claimed he ran a sloppy business.
Other Things to Do in Key West
There are so many other great things to do in Key West that I could go on for days and days describing them. But just to list a few more to round out your day, you should visit a brewery or distillery. There are several to choose from such as the Hemingway Distillery, The Waterfront Brewery, and Southernmost Pint Brewpub. Key West also has excellent dolphin watching and snorkeling tours. End your day by watching the sunset at Mallory Square. This is a very popular thing to do, so get there early to get a good spot.
Day 6 – Dry Tortuga National Park
Dry Tortuga National Park, located 70 miles west of Key West, is a 100-square mile park in the United States made of mostly water. It is only accessible by boat or seaplane. Book your reservations EARLY! The ferry tickets sell out months ahead of time during peak tourism seasons.
The park preserves Fort Jefferson, built in the early 1800s to combat piracy in the Caribbean. For interesting facts about this unique park, click here. After exploring the hexagon shaped fortress, spend time snorkeling in the surrounding undisturbed coral reefs. Snorkeling at this national park is by far the best snorkeling spot I have ever witnessed.
Day 7 – Key West to Miami Road Trip
Finish your Miami to Key West road trip by driving back to Miami. It takes around 3.5-4.5 hours to Miami or Fort Lauderdale depending on traffic. So leave yourself plenty of time to drive back to catch your plane in the afternoon or evening.
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