Rough Draft: 5 Day Itinerary for the Florida Keys

June 2020

Rough Draft: Florida Keys

Due to the COVID quarantine, I am creating rough draft, “off the shelf” travel itineraries for when travel resumes normal operations so we do not waste any time getting out and exploring!

A popular request was an itinerary for the Florida Keys and I can’t say I blame you – this looks like a fabulous post-quarantine getaway, especially as international travel seems to be on hold. The time you have for this vacation will play a big role in how you structure an itinerary. While the Florida Keys can easily stand alone as its own vacation, if you have more time it can adjunct onto a Florida trip to extending to Miami or Everglades National Park. It is also easy to focus on one island in the Florida Keys exclusively. It really depends on what you want to do with the time you have!

From Miami, the southern most point of the Florida Keys is 3.5 hours and from Ft Lauderdale the drive is 4 hours. This gives some flexibility to flight routes and prices since it is really not that big of a difference in travel time. While it is a longer drive, it is certainly a scenic one and there are so many stops you can make along the way. I would get the drive out of the way at the beginning of the trip and then make my way island hopping on the way back.

Best time to visit seems to be in the winter months but it does depend on what you are going to the Keys for. If your focus is water activities, make sure it is seasonally warm enough to do so. Avoid hurricane season in the fall or buy some good travel insurance. And I read it can be extremely hot in the summer months.

Key West definitely has the most going on so you could spend your entire trip on this island. Key West is also great if you need a shorter trip or only have a weekend to spent in the Keys. Here are some things to consider when building your itinerary for Key West:

• Take a sunset cruise or watch at the Mallory Square Sunset Celebration
• Explore beaches and waters
  • Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
  • Take a day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park by ferry or seaplane
  • Water activities include snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, kayaking, water jets, paddleboarding, and more.
• Visit some of these locations for lo-key sightseeing:
  • The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory
  • Southernmost Point of the Continental US
  • The Ernest Hemingway Home
  • Truman Little White House  
  • Audubon House and Tropical Gardens
  • Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden
• Allocate relaxation time!

For us, I want to explore as much of the Keys as possible. Five islands in five days in an aggressive itinerary for some people, especially since one of the “keys” to visiting the Florida Keys is relaxation. That being said, it is not our speed to sit still and we like to fit as much as possible into our trips. So know this rough draft itinerary may not be best for everyone and because of that, I included how to make your own version at the end of the post.

Here is how I would structure 5 days in the Florida Keys:

		Activity
Day 0	Afternoon	Land in Miami
	Evening	Drive to Key West
Day 1	Morning	Water activities
	Afternoon
	Evening	Mallory Square for sunset
Day 2	Morning	Explore downtown Ernest Hemingway House Southernmost Point
	Afternoon	Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
	Evening
Day 3	Morning	Drive to Big Pine Key Kayak Keys Backcountry or explore Bahia Honda State Park
	Afternoon	Drive to Marathon Turtle Hospital or Bahia Honda State Park
	Evening	Drive to Islamorada
Day 4	Morning	Robbie’s Marina  Florida Keys Brewing
	Afternoon	Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center
	Evening	Drive to Key Largo
Day 5	Morning	John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
	Afternoon
	Evening	Depart Florida Keys

To make your own itinerary, here is a guide of what there is to do at each popular island spot as well as where to eat. Pick things from each category to mix and match to create your trip!

Key West
Things to Do	Places to Eat
Visit: The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory Southernmost Point of the Continental US The Ernest Hemingway Home Truman Little White House   Audubon House and Tropical Gardens First Flight Island Brewery Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden  Books & Books  Book sunset cruise or watch from Mallory Square (Sunset Celebration) Day trip or camping overnight at Dry Tortugas National Park – take a seaplane or ferry Water activities: Plenty of companies offering half or full day snorkel, scuba, etc excursions Fort Zachary Taylor State Park  All the surrounding beaches	El Siboney  Blue Heaven  Firefly Key West Fritas Garbo’s Grill Bistro 245  Hot Tin Roof Bagatelle  Fisherman’s Cafe  Cuban Coffee Queen Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen El Mocho Hogfish Bar and Grill Green Parrot (Bar)
Big Pine Key
Things to Do	Places to Eat
Bahia Honda State Park  Kayaking Keys Backcountry	No Name Pub
Marathon
Things to Do	Places to Eat
Turtle Hospital Curry Hammock State Park	Sunset Grille  Curly’s Coffee  Key’s Fisheries Butterfly Cafe
Islamorada
Things to Do	Places to Eat
Robbie’s Marina  Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory  Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center  Florida Keys Brewing	Bob’s Bunz Bad Boy Burrito Morado Bay Chef Michael’s  Pierre’s Restaurant Ciao Hound Marker 88 Cafe Moka
Key Largo
Things to Do	Places to Eat
The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort  Coral Restoration Foundation Education Center  John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (snorkel or Scuba)	Mrs Mac’s Kitchen Key Largo Chocolates and Ice Cream  Sundowners  The Fish House Sol by the Sea Snooks

How would you spend a trip to the Florida Keys?

If you have been to the Florida Keys before, let me know what I missed and what your favorites are!

Don’t forget to check out all DESKRIB itineraries here!