The state of Florida is famous for a few things: plentiful sunshine, brutal humidity, slimy politicians, and beautiful sandy beaches, to name a few. It’s not hard to find the first three — but the last one can be tricky, especially in the Florida Keys. You see, the Keys are not naturally very sandy.
The islands are ruminants of ancient coral reefs, and their foundation is a rocky limestone. Where other Florida islands have shifting dunes and miles of powdery sand, the Keys have hard-packed stone that sprouts tropical mangrove forests. It’s not what most people picture for a beach vacation.
But there are beaches here, you just have to know where to look! Here are a few of your best bets if you’re looking for a Florida Keys beach while on a Key West road trip.
Florida Keys Beaches You Can Drive To
If you’re embarking on the ultimate Florida Keys road trip, don’t drive down the Overseas Highway and expect to see sandy beaches everywhere. The Florida Keys beaches you will see tend to be small since the islands favor dense forests over open patches of sand that will wash away after each hurricane.
If you’re a serious beachgoer who wants to have coffee every morning with sand between your toes, look into booking a stay at one of the Keys’ many resorts with beaches. Keys resorts often manufacture beautiful, sandy beaches (and keep them clean and tidy) to give their properties that expected South Seas beachy vibe.
If you’ve got some time, you can seek out some very pretty beaches along the way to Key West. Here are some of the best beaches in the Florida Keys to try.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
102601 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037
Pennekamp is your first stop for a Keys beach day, but there’s more to see and do at the park beside the beach. Entering from the ranger station on the highway, the road will take you straight to the main parking lot. Canon Beach, named for the displayed guns raised from Spanish shipwrecks, is right across from the park visitors center. A little farther down the road will take you to the quieter and aptly named Far Beach.
These two beaches are small, but they overlook a protected lagoon called Largo Sound. Even on windy days, the water is calm here, making it a good place to take kids to splash. The visitor center also has a large aquarium, allowing you an up-close look at some local fish and lobsters. It’s also a good place to take a snorkel trip or glass-bottom boat tour of the offshore coral reefs.
You must pay admission to the state park to visit these two beaches. While the water is warm and pleasant, it is not very clear here and is nowhere near the coral reefs that the park is named for.
Harry Harris Park
50 E. Beach Road, Tavernier, FL 33070
Harry Harris is a small community park in Tavernier on the south end of Key Largo. There’s a small, protected swimming basin here next to the boat ramp. It’s a good spot to launch kayaks or paddleboards, but as beaches go, it’s a bit underwhelming. Still, it’s a nice spot if you’ve got a picnic lunch and just want to get off the highway for a few minutes.
Anne's Beach
US 1 on Lower Matecumbe Key, Islamorada
Anne’s Beach is a park in the village of Islamorada. It’s right off US 1, and it’s hard to miss as you head south out of town. There’s a short boardwalk nature trail through the mangroves and a parking at each end. When the water is near low tide, the beach widens out, and you can do a lot of walking and exploring along the shore.
Unfortunately, the entire park is right off the highway. The constant highway noise doesn’t lend itself to spending a lot of time there, but it’s a beautiful spot to pull over, nonetheless.
Sombrero Beach, Marathon
Sombrero Beach Road, Marathon, FL 33050
The farther south you go, the better the beaches get in the Florida Keys. The first really nice beach is a park within the City of Marathon. It’s a few miles down a side road, so you’d never find it from US 1 unless you were looking for it.
Sombrero Beach is a very nice stretch of sand overlooking the open Atlantic. The park has volleyball, walking trails, restrooms, beach showers, and picnic tables. The water is clearer here than at many Upper Keys beaches, and it’s a nice place for trying out snorkeling.
Bahia Honda State Park
36850 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key, FL 33043
The beaches listed up until now have been alright, but Bahia Honda State Park will blow you away. It has arguably the best beach you can drive to in the Florida Keys. The entire island is a state park, and you can camp here by RV, tent, or boat. Note that even though the park’s address is in Big Pine Key, it is on its own island 12 miles south of Marathon, just after the Seven Mile Bridge.
Bahia Honda is best visited during periods of low tide when the wide stretches of sand just off the beach become exposed. You can spend all day walking and exploring little tide pools and shallows.
Admission to the park is $8 per car. There’s not much on the island, but there is a small snack bar with drinks and snacks. You can also take a snorkel tour to visit the offshore coral reef at Looe Key.
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
601 Howard England Way, Key West, FL 33040
Even though its name provides no clues, this Fort Zach State Park is home to a Civil War-era fort. But it’s also home to one of the prettiest beaches in the Keys. It’s lined with tropical foliage and palm trees, and the sand is clean and picturesque. There is a little cafe with tasty treats and refreshing beverages, as well.
Admission is $6 per car.
Fl Keys Beaches, Boat Trips, and Sandbars
The very best beaches in the Keys require a boat to get to. Here are some of the most fabulous sandbars in the Florida Keys that are worth checking out.
Holiday Isle Sandbar
Boat, paddle, or swim from Postcard Inn in Islamorada, FL
Holiday Isle was rebranded years ago as the Postcard Inn. But generations of Keys folks will always know it as Holiday Isle, and the sandbar just off the shore here will forever be the Holiday Isle Sandbar. While it’s alluring to watch from the Tiki Bar on a busy weekend, you can only easily get out there by boat. If you don’t have one, you could launch a kayak or paddleboard from the Postcard Inn to check it out.
The Holiday Isle sandbar is the place to be if you have a boat and want to party and hang out on a nice weekend. From the bridge, you can see dozens (hundreds?) of boats beached in the sand and chilling. On a weekday, you’ll likely have the whole place to yourself.
Dry Tortugas National Park
70 miles east of Key West (long swim, better take the ferry instead)
Mile Marker 0 in Key West may be the end of the road, but it’s not actually the end of the Keys. The islands continue out into the Gulf of Mexico until they end at the Dry Tortugas, more than 70 miles away from Key West harbor. The Dry Tortugas is a group of small islands that make up one of the country’s most remote national parks. Besides having stunning beaches, the Tortugas are also home to Fort Jefferson, another huge red-brick 19th-century fort.
The only real way to get to the Tortugas is to fly by seaplane or take the Yankee Freedom ferry. You can camp, but most people just take the ferry for a day trip to walk the beach and tour the fort. The water here is crystal clear, and the sandy beaches stretch for miles. It’s a glorious place that looks more like the Caribbean than Florida.
Key West Sandbars
Several incredible sandbars around Key West are easier to access than the Dry Tortugas. These sandbars are found in the backcountry, the uninhabited islands surrounding the Keys — the ones that aren’t attached to the highway.
The very best beaches in the Florida Keys are those that require a boat to get to. Unless you’re a local, you might not have a boat — but there’s a solution to that problem. A private sandbar charter is booked for just your family, and it’s completely customizable. Combine your beach exploring with snorkeling, dolphin watching, or a sunset cruise.
Call Captain Zak and Casual Monday, and he’ll have the boat gassed up and ready to go when you arrive. In just 30 minutes, you can be on a secluded, private island that looks like your own tropical paradise.
Are you ready to hit the beach?
