Travel to Key West, FL - Getting to the Florida Keys

Travel to the Florida Keys & Key West

Getting to the Florida Keys is easy. The Keys are accessible by road, boat or airplane.

When to go:

The most popular time to visit the Florida Keys is between December and May, when temperatures average 60-85 degrees and there is little rainfall. However, anytime is a great time to 'escape'to Margaritaville.

Travel from Miami International Airport:

You can drive the whole way. Or, there are direct flights to Key West from Miami Airport.

Driving from Miami International Airport:

This is by far the best way to come to the Keys. By the time you get here, you will be so rejuvenated and relaxed by the gorgeous scenic drive that you won’t need to spend 2 days calming down before you can start enjoying your trip.

If you fly into Miami and rent a car (make it a convertible) to travel to the Florida Keys, when you exit the airport, you should take 836 West to the Florida Turnpike. Take the Turnpike south until it ends in Florida City where it merges into southbound U.S. Highway 1. You will be at mile marker 126. Mile markers count down and end with the ‘0’marker in Key West. That makes Key West 126 miles from Florida City. You can gauge how far left you have to go to reach your destination by the mile markers.

When traveling on US-1, you will see small green signs with numbers on them that are mounted on steel posts about three feet high. These are called mile markers, often referred to as "M-M".

While you’re visiting, you will also hear people say "oceanside"and "bayside". Headed south from Miami, the Atlantic Ocean is on the left and Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico are on your right.

Now, get on US1 in Florida City and head south. You will be shooting through the southern edge of the Florida Everglades and traveling through a transition area of about 18 miles of mangrove-fringed islands. This area links to the subtropical islands that arc off the tip of Florida known as The Florida Keys.

After about 18 miles, the highway enters Key Largo. From here on, US 1 will forever be referred to as Overseas Highway. There are 42 bridges that join Overseas Highway to the islands of the Florida Keys. The Atlantic Ocean is on your left and the Gulf of Mexico will be on your right. You are now experiencing one of America's most beautiful scenic drives.

***Watch your speed in the Keys. As there is virtually no crime here, there is little else for local police to do other than give out speeding tickets. Extra caution should be paid in Key Largo, Marathon and Big Pine Key.

The distance from Miami Airport to Upper Key Largo is approximately 56 miles and will take you about an hour and a half.

MM 110 -86, Key Largo.

Key Largo is the first and northernmost island in the Florida Keys. It is known as the "dive capital of the world". Sandwiched between the watery wilderness of the Everglades national Park and the fish covered coral formations of North America's only living coral barrier reef, Key Largo is a premier destination for divers, kayakers, birders and other eco-tourists.

Speaking of sandwiches, stop at The Fish House at MM 102 (mile marker 102) for the best broiled yellowtail fish sandwich in the Keys. Top if off with a piece of Key Lime pie and you are well on your way to fully enjoying your first day in Paradise.

MM 83 -63. Islamorada

If you are not hungry yet, further down the road at MM 77.5 in Islamorada, The Hungry Tarpon offers the best fish sandwich in that area. Islamorada (Upper Matecumbe Key) marks the beginning of the Middle Keys. This area is known as the "sport fishing capital of the world", as it is surrounded by two seas brimming with the world"s most sought after game fish.

MM 63 - 46, Marathon

Keys Fisheries in Marathon is bayside at 35th Street with great atmosphere and good food.
Marathon is the heart of the Florida Keys--a heavily developed commercial center in the Middle Keys. Situated halfway between Key Largo and Key West, all the conveniences of a modern seaside community are here. You can find drug and grocery stores here to pick up forgotten items at home (i.e.: sunscreen!). At the southern tip of Marathon is the famous Seven Mile Bridge. It is one of the world's longest bridges and offers sweeping views of the open Atlantic on the left and the Gulf of Mexico on the right.

MM 46 -5 - Big Pine Key to Stock Island

"Low key in the lower Keys"
Although you will still feel like you are heading from north to south, the road will now be traveling east-west all the way to Key West. The Keys seem more isolated from here on and less populated. The beauty of the lower Keys is an attraction in itself. You won't find a natural habitat like this anywhere else in the U.S. Bridges become shorter, and islands begin to merge. It is not uncommon to see a large osprey nest perched atop a telephone pole in this area.

Big Pine Key is the only place in the world where endangered Key deer live. These deer average 2.5 to 3 ft tall and are the dainty subspecies of the Virginia white-tailed deer. Speed limits are strictly enforced through this area. 45 during the day and 35 at night.

MM 5 -0, Key West

About a half hour south of Big Pine Key is Key West, an eccentric tropical town whose atmosphere is more Caribbean than American. If you make it all the way to Key West before finding your perfect fish sandwich, Bo's Fish Wagon at 801 Caroline Street has been called the "best fish sandwich in the world", by several major publications.

Now, enjoy your stay in a charming Key West Guest Cottage.
Shop on Duval Street.

See the Southernmost Point and the Southernmost House.
Dining in Key West will be a gastronomic delight.

Dive, fish, snorkel.

Rent a bike and wander streets lined with fine Victorian homes and quaint white-frame "conch"cottages, soaking up the town's distinctive ambience.

And, if you decide to make the Florida Keys your home, please call Lori Bender to help you locate your very own piece of Paradise.