People often drive their RVs to incredible beaches. But imagine taking an RV trip to a tropical island paradise. It’s possible in the Florida Keys.
The Florida Keys Scenic Highway stretches 110 miles off the south coast of Florida, making it possible to visit 43 alluring islands in the Florida Keys, from Key Largo to Key West, the southernmost point in the continental United States, just 90 miles across the water from Cuba. While the tropical scenery is spectacular, the Keys also offer plenty of outdoor activities.
The island of Islamorada, just south of Key Largo, is considered by many to be the "Sportfishing Capital of the World," with its multiple marinas and charter boat companies that offer deep-sea fishing, reef fishing, and backcountry fishing trips. Visitors can also charter a boat and head out to the open waters of the Atlantic to catch sailfish, marlin, tuna, mahi and wahoo. The keys are also home to 11 state parks. These include:
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park in Key West: A focal point of this park is its historic fort, which contains the largest collection of Civil War armaments in the U.S.
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo: This is the nation’s first undersea park. Attractions include coral reefs that can be seen by scuba diving, snorkeling and taking a glass-bottom boat tour. Canoeing and kayaking are also popular activities along with walking on short trails, picnicking and swimming at the beach. The Visitor Center has a 30,000-gallon saltwater aquarium and nature videos are shown in its theater.
- Long Key State Park: This park offers opportunities for snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, birding, flats fishing, and picnicking. Visitors can bring their own kayaks or rent one from the ranger station to paddle along the shoreline and see a variety of wildlife hiding in the mangroves or in the clear shallow waters.
Looking for a bit of history? The Keys will surprise you. Historical attractions include:
- Ernest Hemingway's Home & Museum in Key West: Hemingway lived in the two-story, Spanish-style house for eight years in the 1930s. Visitors can see the office behind the house where Hemingway spent many hours writing. The grounds are frequented by descendants of “Snowball,” Hemingway’s six-toed cat.
- Harry S. Truman's Little White House: Originally built in 1890 as housing for Naval officers, the house has provided extended stays for inventor Thomas Edison and scientist Edward Hayden in addition to being used at various times by six American presidents, including Harry S. Truman, who spent 175 days of his presidency from 1946 through 1952. Other presidents that have stayed at this home include William Howard Taft in 1912, Dwight Eisenhower in 1955-56, John F. Kennedy in 1961 and 1962 and former Presidents Jimmy Carter in 1996 and 2007 and Bill Clinton in 2005. “All have found it a restful place to restore body and mind as later presidents have used Camp David,” Truman’s Little White House writes on its website, adding that the home was also used as the site of international peace talks between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2001.
- San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park near Islamorada: This underwater park offers snorkelers and divers opportunities to see the remnants of a Spanish treasure ship that sank in a hurricane in 1722. It’s located in 18 feet of water. But because it is 1.2 miles from Islamorada, one needs a boat to get there. All that is left of the original ship are ballast stones. Replica cannons and a plaque have been added to the site.
Visitors to the Keys will also find no shortage of great places for Cuban food and pastries in the Keys, including Pinecrest Bakery in Key Largo. Excellent seafood restaurants are also located throughout the Keys, including Capt. Craig's in Islamorada and the Hogfish Bar & Grill on Stock Island.
Popular bar restaurants include the original Margaritaville in Key West and the Hogs Breath Saloon, also in Key West. The Keys also features numerous campgrounds and RV resorts, including many with ocean views. These include:
- Big Pine Key Resort in Big Pine Key: This 10-acre resort features waterfront RV sites as well as rustic campsites and Airstream and luxury travel trailer rentals.
- Boyd's Key West Campground: Boyd’s has 200 RV sites and 50 tent sites. Through a partnership with Key West RV Rentals, they’ll set up a travel trailer on site and have it ready and waiting when guests arrive. “We have guests that fly down and rent an RV,” park co-owner Shaun Hamilton said, adding that the drive south of Miami to Key West is a once in a lifetime adventure that includes passing Everglades National Park. Many of Boyd’s guests also enjoy snorkeling at Dry Tortugas Island. “The water quality there is incredible,” Hamilton said. Onsite amenities at Boyd’s include a swimming pool and a food truck that provides breakfast and lunch. The food truck vendor, De Luna’s Cafe, specializes in delicious Cuban cuisine, which is highly sought after, Hamilton said.
- Fiesta Key RV Resort and Marina in Long Key: This 28-acre Thousand Trails resort sits on its own private island. Amenities include a swimming pool and spa, an on-site restaurant and a bar on the beach. Popular nearby attractions include Long Key State Park, the Dolphin Research Center, and Bun n’ Mary’s Dive Center.
- Grassy Key RV Park and Resort in Marathon: This park offers waterfront, premium and standard RV sites with water, sewer, electrical, and cable hookups with a free WiFi hotspot at the clubhouse. Beautiful sunsets and views of the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are visible throughout the resort. For those who bring their own boats, the resort’s docks offer easy navigation into the Gulf.
- Jolly Roger's RV Resort in Marathon: This resort features full hookup sites that include cable TV, a secluded harbor with a large dock with boat slips, a heated swimming pool, a covered pavilion, a tiki hut setup upon a white sand beach, a swimming and snorkeling area, and a fenced in dog park.
- Key Largo Kampground & Marina in Key Largo: This park sits on 40 acres alongside the Atlantic Ocean, off the main South Creek channel in a sheltered cover. The park offers RV sites, including waterfront sites, as well as a marina with 14 wet slips to dock your boat. The park is just a few minutes south of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
- Sugarloaf Key / Key West KOA Resort in Sugarloaf Key: Amenities at this park include a swimming pool and hot tub; a full-service marina with boat rentals; an onsite restaurant; a poolside pub; an interactive dog park; and a private beach. Activities include snorkeling while planned activities are available during the winter season.
- Sun Outdoors Key Largo: This resort offers 35 full-hookup RV sites with cable TV and WiFi service. Amenities include a boat launch, docks and a small private beach perfect for snorkeling and swimming. Rental accommodations are also available.
- Sun Outdoors Marathon in Marathon: This all-age RV resort features exclusive access to 300 feet of secluded waterfront nestled along the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This resort also has its own private marina with 16 boat slips, a fishing area, a fish cleaning station, and access to the resort’s boat ramp. Other amenities include a swimming pool and recreation hall for planned activities and events and a waterfront tiki hut.
- Sun Outdoors Sugarloaf Key in Summerland Key: This existing resort, formerly known as Lazy Lakes RV Resort, opened in October with 73 full hookup RV sites and 20 vacation cottages following a multimillion-dollar upgrade. Blue Water Development Corp. said it invested just over $14 million into the purchase and renovation of this resort, which is located in the Florida Keys along a seven-acre saltwater lake surrounded by parks and mangroves. Resort amenities include Aqua Bana, kayak and paddleboard rentals.
- Sunshine Key RV Resort & Marina in Big Pine Key: This 75-acre resort offers waterfront RV sites and a wide range of amenities, including a marina with boat docks, a swimming pool, and an outdoor pavilion. Activities include dancing, volleyball, pickleball and tennis courts, and simply relaxing on the beach. Paddle board and kayaks are available for rent.
