Key Largo - Must Do Items for Families?

[Anonymous]

We dragged our feet on Spring Break airfare and now we’re headed to Key Largo.

What are you must-do or things to avoid beaches and activities for the Florida Keys, focused on the upper keys. We’ll do a day trip to the southernmost point, but plan to minimize driving time the other days.

Kids are 1st and 4th grade and have experience hiking 3-5 miles and kayaking 2-3 hours in a tandem with an adult, but have not experienced kayaking with real waves.

[Anonymous]

Dry Tortugas National Park?

[Anonymous]

Butterfly house

[Anonymous]

There is a swim with the dolphins place in key largo that my daughter 2nd grade loved.

[Anonymous]

A day trip to key west is a long day. The drive can take at least 2 1/2 hours but seems longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dry Tortugas National Park?

That's a good three hour boat trip from Key West, which is two hours from Key Largo.

[Anonymous]

Island girl snorkel your was fun and they are out of islamorada. We enjoyed shopping in shell world, feeding the giant nurse sharks and big fish at the various bars/restaurants and did parasailing. I love the keys. Kayak through the mangroves too.

[Anonymous]

Also depending on what resort you stay at, just play by the pool and relax

[Anonymous]

Feed tarpon at Robbie’s in Islamorada

[Anonymous]

It was a bunch of years ago but we went kayaking in Islamorada. I think the kayak place may have actually been at Robbie's as I remember lots and lots of tarpon.

We went back to Key Largo when DS was a baby. It actually seemed really really boring so we checked out and drove to Key West and stayed there for a few days instead.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in and around Key Largo. John Pennekamp State Park is great with kids and definitely spring for the glass bottom boat tour, it's worth the money. You'll see a ton and the biologists who narrate them are all great. The aquarium in the visitors center is good as part of the larger visit but not enough on it's own.

There are a few places that do kayak tours of the mangroves and that time of year the bugs won't be bad (never do a mangrove experience between May-October, you will be sucked dry no matter how much spray you put on.) There are also stand-up paddle boat tours but my kids couldn't really pull that off until middle school.

For a dry day, not too far inland is the Miami Fruit and Spice Park, which my kids adore and always ask to visit. You can eat your way through the place (fallen stuff only, you can't pick anything) and the tours are fun, although you can also just wander. And if you go there, you need to also check out Knaus Berry Farm, which is just a few minutes away from the park and has life-changing sticky buns that are worth the line (trust me, you will end up going back to buy more to bring home after you taste them).

[Anonymous]

Robbies to feed the Tarpon
Turtle Hospital
Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters
Swim with the Dolphins

If you like fishing, consider getting a fishing charter. You can do a half day for around $800 plus tip, a full day will be about double that. But they do all the work, will clean the fish, and then you can take it to a "cook your catch" restaurant.

I would not waste a day driving down to Key West with kids that age. You will get there mid-day and wait over an hour for a picture with the southern most point sign. In the world of social media, the line is insane unless you get there at 7am.

[Anonymous]

I would skip Key West its too far and meh. If you are set on a day trip I'd do Bahia Honda State Park just west of Marathon - its about an hour closer than Key West. It has a lovely beach, which is rare in the Keys.

[Anonymous]

Definitely check out John Pennekamp. The snorkeling there is great. If snorkeling isn’t your thing, somebody earlier recommended a glass bottom boat your, which would be a good alternative. I’m sure there is great fishing there too. Maybe charter a trip?

[Anonymous]

Turtle Hospital in Marathon is the best!