Florida Keys?

[karenbaco]

I posted asking about Puerto Rico and now I want to know info on the Keys. If we chose this, we would fly into Miami and drive down. Not sure where to stay? In search of beautiful caribbean like beaches. We can base ourselves someplace then we can drive to the southernmost point and back. Any suggestions on a budget, clean, modern place to base ourselves? Any tips on must see beaches and things to do? Trying to decide between the two vacations for DH and I in early September. Ultimately we'd like to explore, snorkel, fish, watch sunsets, eat outdoors, and just relax.

Thanks

 

[Poipu]

I highly recommend Tranquility Bay in Marathon. It's a little over an hour to get to Key West but central to exploring the Keys and other activities. Not sure if u have kids but its perfect for families. If u want to stay in Key West I'd look into their sister property Parrot Bay although I haven't stayed there. Have a crepe at La Creperie in Key West - they're amazing! Get a slice of key lime pie at My Blue Heaven. Trust me. I never liked key lime pie before and loved this one. Don't miss snorkeling at Looe Key. It's incredible! There r companies that will take you. We went to the Keys for the first time last year and we fell in love with the area. So much so that we r going back this year!

 

[karenbaco]

I will check that place out. Thanks!

 

[freerangehuman]

My MIL lives in Key West and runs a B&B down there. We love Key West! You won't find beautiful white sand beaches there, though. They are surrounded by the coral reef, so not much sand washes up to create beaches. There is a public beach in Key West and some small private ones. I'm not sure about the other islands, though.

You can book an all-day excursion on a party boat, which is worth the money! They have jet skies, snorkeling, banana boats, etc, all in one. They're pretty cool!

You can also do a champagne sunset cruise, which is really cool. I highly recommend doing the ghost tour! There are a ton of weird, quirky things in Key West and you really get a feel for the history there. And, spend a day just walking around and checking things out. We did the trolley tour of the island while we were there and just took our time getting off at different places and exploring. I've heard great things about the Tortugas as well. We just haven't been able to make it there yet. I just love the keys!

 

[AquaDame]

My MIL lives in Key West and runs a B&B down there. We love Key West! You won't find beautiful white sand beaches there, though. They are surrounded by the coral reef, so not much sand washes up to create beaches. There is a public beach in Key West and some small private ones. I'm not sure about the other islands, though.

I'm not sure where you are coming from, but if white sandy beaches are your thing have you considered using Airbnb to find a good rental and going to Hawaii instead? Tons of glorious beaches.. white ones, black sand, green sand, red sand... you pick. Very laid back, beautiful weather all year long (pretty much always highs in the low 80s with a chance of rain except for Hilo and Hana) and no hurricanes to speak of. Airfare is the killer of course but in september its usually reasonable since the kids are back in school.

 

[HM]

Just back from a trip there.

In Key West we stayed at the Avalon B&B, which is one block from the Southernmost Point and on the quiet end of Duval street. I highly recommend. Large rooms, small pool area, nice breakfasts on the front porch, a place to rent bikes across the street, and free parking. The Butterfly Museum is also across the street. We did a moonlight kayak tour through Blue Planet and that was pretty great. We visited Higgs Beach and ate a good meal at the restaurant there.

Most of the Keys you won't find beaches, as they don't form there. Any beaches are man-made.

In Key Largo, we stayed at the Marriott Key Largo Bay Resort. Good sized rooms, a great small beach and good sized pool and onsite water activities. Our weather didn't really allow for us to do the snorkling we'd planned, but we were going to do that through John Pennekamp State Park just down the road. We did visit the park and had a picnic and walked the trails and saw the aquariums.

Get a tour book from Fodors or AAA and see what's what. Online searches through Trip Advisor was how I did most of my planning.

 

[karenbaco]

I'm not sure where you are coming from, but if white sandy beaches are your thing have you considered using Airbnb to find a good rental and going to Hawaii instead? Tons of glorious beaches.. white ones, black sand, green sand, red sand... you pick. Very laid back, beautiful weather all year long (pretty much always highs in the low 80s with a chance of rain except for Hilo and Hana) and no hurricanes to speak of. Airfare is the killer of course but in september its usually reasonable since the kids are back in school.

Yes that would be a dream but not in our budget. Just looking for a quick 3 night budget getaway.

 

[karenbaco]

My MIL lives in Key West and runs a B&B down there. We love Key West! You won't find beautiful white sand beaches there, though. They are surrounded by the coral reef, so not much sand washes up to create beaches. There is a public beach in Key West and some small private ones. I'm not sure about the other islands, though.

You can book an all-day excursion on a party boat, which is worth the money! They have jet skies, snorkeling, banana boats, etc, all in one. They're pretty cool!

You can also do a champagne sunset cruise, which is really cool. I highly recommend doing the ghost tour! There are a ton of weird, quirky things in Key West and you really get a feel for the history there. And, spend a day just walking around and checking things out. We did the trolley tour of the island while we were there and just took our time getting off at different places and exploring. I've heard great things about the Tortugas as well. We just haven't been able to make it there yet. I just love the keys!

Which B&B? My hubby would love the ghost tour. I'm not a fan of boats, I get sea sick

 

[katyjeka]

We spent 2 wonderful weeks in Puerto Rico, December of 2012. We will return one day, as there was so much we didn't get to see. Loved the forts, Rincon, Rain Forest, Mineral Springs, and the list goes on....... The beaches were beautiful in Rincon, and the people on the island were so welcoming. We rented a minivan for the 2 weeks, and got lost more than once. We never had trouble getting directions, everyone was so helpful. We rented a condo in Fajardo, and took the ferry to Culebra. We were alone on a beautiful beach for a couple hours, and the water was so beautiful. We have also spent some time in Key West. The area is beautiful, but as mentioned above, you will not find many beaches. We spent some time at Honda(I believe) state park, beach was very nice, but not as nice as Culebra and Rincon. It could have been the time of year, I'm not sure. We didn't find the people as friendly in Key West, and I doubt we'll hurry back. Have a great trip.

 

[evildiva]

Question about driving to Key West. I'll be flying into Ft Lauderdale in September and driving down. I know that there are tolls on the road to get there? Is there a cash option at the toll booths or do you have to rent/buy a Sun Pass?

 

[katyjeka]

We had a sun pass on our rental van. So we just went through. I believe a lot of rentals have them. I also remember seeing a thing to throw coin in.

 

[evildiva]

We had a sun pass on our rental van. So we just went through. I believe a lot of rentals have them. I also remember seeing a thing to throw coin in.

Thanks!

 

[HM]

Question about driving to Key West. I'll be flying into Ft Lauderdale in September and driving down. I know that there are tolls on the road to get there? Is there a cash option at the toll booths or do you have to rent/buy a Sun Pass?

We drove our own car from NC. We did not have a SunPass. The tolls are a combination of things. One toll was cash only of $6.50 with a live person to take it and there was another that was a smaller amount (can't remember the amount) that was exact change only, and several tolls (I think it was three) were "pay by licence plate" at $1.28 a pass. (We haven't received a bill for this yet, but I'm guessing they send those at the end of each month, so we'll have it soon).

Of course, you don't have to take the toll road highway, you could just go down I-95.

 

[sallysue66]

Question about driving to Key West. I'll be flying into Ft Lauderdale in September and driving down. I know that there are tolls on the road to get there? Is there a cash option at the toll booths or do you have to rent/buy a Sun Pass?

We fly into FLL as well and rent from Alamo. Alamo, National & some others include the Sun Pass and you only get charged for the tolls. Others charge a fee plus the tolls for the Sun Pass service. You could take 95 and avoid the tolls but the turnpike will get you to the keys quicker and easier I think. Join the rental cars loyalty programs and also check mousesavers for codes to get the best rental deals. We have a car for $78 from Saturday am thru Monday pm later this month. I'm still checking and hoping for an even better deal.

And, no, you wont find nice beaches in the keys but most resorts have pools and loungers that look out over the water so you do have great views. And we think it's fun to explore and eat at the tiki bar type restaurants. For a quick budget get a way it's perfect.

 

[JennCa]

If you are looking for nice beaches, I would lean towards Aruba or St Thomas. I have been to the Keys twice now and I love kayaking, but the beaches are not their main highlight. It is a very nice place to go and there are some nice timeshares down there, I like the Hyatt in Key West. Drive times are misleading since traffic can be very slow. I could swear it was only Sun pass when we went and no cash on the keys. That said all the rental cars have a system for it. We liked hanging out at the pier, Ft. Zachary. The snorkeling in my opinion is POOR compared to St Thomas or Aruba.

Puerto Rico has a biolumininent bay to kayak, incredible history, restaurants, the walls, rainforest, etc. I am not thrilled by the beaches there, not bad, but not the highlight. I feel like I'm in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride with the castle there. Snorkeling better than Key West, but not super amazing either. I love seeing the architecture and the Arrecibo observatory. Very tropical feel to the island, awesome food and lively music.

Both of those places CAN get hurricanes or at least lots of rain then, but Aruba wouldn't. St Thomas is possible hurricane also.

Just something to keep in mind.

My 2 cents.

Jenn

 

[wekhogan]

Mallory Square is a must visit - lots of vendors, artists and performers every night and the Most awesome sunset.

 

[tinan]

We have been to both and given the choice I would go back to Puerto Rico over the Keys any day. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed myself and it is now off of my bucket list, but I am not in a hurry to go back. We also were hoping for some beach area which doesn't really exist there. We had fun seeing the Southernmost point but it wasn't all that, got a Margarita in Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, walked through the other shops/bars, visited the public beach which does not have a lot of parking.

While in Puerto Rico we stayed at the Embassay Suites in Dorado (about 20 miles from San Juan) which is in a gated community with a private beach, with a 3 tier swimming pool overlooking the ocean. Just be aware if you happen to travel over a holiday, Puerto Rico has a law that all beaches (even private ones) become public on Holidays. While in Puerto Rico we also visited San Juan, Old San Juan, the largest radio telescope in Arecibo, the National Rain Forest, the Bacardi plant, some caverns, and snorkeled off of Fajardo. All in all I am looking forward to a trip back in the future and can't help but feel those on cruise ships miss so much of the island.