Hi there!
Driving directly, it might take 1 hour 15 minutes of driving time through the Florida Keys to get from Marathon to Key West.
Explore the map.
So it’s obviously doable to drive from Marathon to Key West in one day.
If you’re staying in Marathon, you can make it an easy day trip to Key West!
And some of these things you might save for another day for an easy-going day trip from Marathon!
Below will show some ideas of stops you can make as you make the drive from Marathon to Key West!
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Here are some of the prettiest views to be seen on a drive from Marathon to Key West!
1. Seven Mile Bridge
This isn’t necessarily a stop to make on your drive from Marathon to Key West, but it’s an icon of a Florida Keys drive!
So if you have made it to Marathon, it’s just a little bit further to drive across Seven Mile Bridge, so you should definitely go!
If you’ll be starting your drive from Marathon around sunset time, then Seven Mile Bridge can make for an epic Florida Keys sunset too!
You can find parking areas on either side of the bridge.
2. Bahia Honda State Park
Bahia Honda State Park is one of the most popular state parks in the Florida Keys.
It’s a Florida state park located between Marathon and Key West.
This is where you will find another icon of the Florida Keys, the Old Bahia Honda railway bridge.
You can actually see the old bridge if you continue your drive without stopping at Bahia Honda State Park.
You’ll see it as you continue your drive to Key West.
But if you do stop at Bahia Honda State Park, you can get a classic view of the old bridge.
And you can also get amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean!
There are also beaches in Bahia Honda State Park for swimming.
You can also try snorkeling in Bahia Honda State Park for a chance to see some underwater life.
Emphasis on CHANCE!
The fish are wild and they do what they want when they want!
That said, I did have some fun snorkeling experiences in Bahia Honda State Park!
It’s considered one of the best snorkeling spots in the Florida Keys from shore.
Bahia Honda State Park also has picnic tables so it can make for perfect stop for a picnic with views!
So stop by a Publix grocery store for prepared food or picnic food and eat your meal outdoors with views!
You can find a Publix in Marathon and Key West.
If you will be at Bahia Honda State Park for sunset, then this can also make for a sunset spot in the Florida Keys.
Bahia Honda State Park does have a state park entry fee. This is around $8 per car. See current fees.
If you plan on making this the year of visiting many Florida state parks, then there is also an annual Florida state park pass that you can buy when you arrive at any Florida state park that is staffed.
Even with the Florida state park pass, you may or may not be charged an extra 50 cents for the county tourism fee when you arrive at Bahia Honda State Park.
You can also go camping in the Florida Keys in state parks!
The best state park for camping is Bahia Honda State Park!
See more about planning your drive from Marathon to Key West:
- Things to do in Bahia Honda State Park
- Bahia Honda State Park snorkeling
- Bahia Honda State Park camping
3. Looe Key reef
Looe Key is more than just a simple stop as it’s all about snorkeling at the Looe Key reef!
And, it requires a boat ride to get out to Looe Key!
Which is not actually an island, but just a location of the reef!
Looe Key is considered among the best snorkeling in the Florida Keys.
This means that Looe Key can make for the best snorkeling between Marathon and Key West!
So if you are going to do just one snorkeling tour in the Florida Keys, you likely won’t be disappointed if you make it a Looe Key snorkeling tour!
Here are the top ways to get a Looe Key snorkeling tour:
- Bahia Honda State Park Looe Key snorkeling tour
- Captain Hook’s, Big Pine Key
- Looe Key Reef Resort, Ramrod Key
See more about planning your drive from Marathon to Key West: Looe Key snorkeling
4. Blue Hole, Big Pine Key
If you don’t mind making a 30 minute detour for a chance to see alligators in the Florida Keys, then you can head to Blue Hole on Big Pine Key.
And, emphasis on CHANCE!
Alligators are wild so they do what they want when they want!
That said, there are alligators that like to hang out at Blue Hole, so it can be one of your best chances to see alligators in the Florida Keys.
I actually went out to Blue Hole 3 times… because I didn’t see alligators the first 2 times!
But finally I did see an alligator at Blue Hole!
Otherwise, if you really want to see alligators, when you head back up north, drive the Tamiami Trail west of Miami to go to Everglades National Park or Big Cypress National Preserve!
5. Key West
And you’ve made it to Key West!!!
There are many different ways to see Key West.
To get you started, you can make Smathers Beach your first destination in Key West.
Smathers Beach is one of the best beaches in Key West, and it will give you the tropical vibes you’ve imagined!
You’ll also pass by mile marker 1 with a drive along the coast on your way!
Right in front of Smathers Beach is paid parking for $5 per hour. ($2.50 if you think you’ll be in and out in 30 minutes!)
Or if you don’t mind walking an extra 5 to 10 minutes, then further east (or “north”) you can find free parking. This is in the area of the mile marker 1.
Just be mindful of the parking signs!
If you don’t see any “no parking” or “paid parking” signs, you can probably feel safe about parking there!
And then, you can continue the drive to mile marker 0!
You will also probably want to at least drive by the southernmost point of the continental United States.
If you want to park and take pictures here, then expect to wait in a line to take a picture with one of Key West’s most famous icons.
The Southernmost Point is a very touristy spot so you can expect crowds here in Key West.
Once again, there’s paid parking directly around the southernmost point. And once again, the paid parking near the southernmost point is $5 per hour.
Or if you don’t mind walking an extra 10 minutes, you might be able to find free parking if you’re lucky and/or it’s not too busy of a day!
To get you started on where you look for free parking, you can look on South Street beyond Duval Street in the direction that’s further away from the southernmost point.
And then if you want to park and leave your car behind, you can get on the free Duval Loop bus to further explore Key West!
Or, you can get back in the car to drive to one of the best snorkeling spots in Key West!
Then, once you’ve spent all the time that you want in Key West, you can start making your way back up north to Marathon!
Marathon to Miami
And then once you get to Miami, where to go if you want to make a quick stop with epic views?!
Make a stop at South Pointe Park of Miami Beach!
And then you might also be interested in these South Florida activities:
And then onwards north, you can make a stop north of Orlando at Ocala National Forest for some of the prettiest springs in Central Florida!
Or maybe you want to head to the gulf coast for the beautiful beaches in Southwest Florida!
In which case, also see:
HAPPY DRIVING FROM MARATHON TO KEY WEST!
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