18 Underrated Things to Do in The Florida Keys | Crowd-Free Guides | Afar - video Dailymotion

AFAR

Think you know The Florida Keys? Think again. 🌴 We’re skipping the usual tourist traps and diving into 18 local-approved, lesser-known things to do across the Keys on your next vacation—including in Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, the Lower Keys, and Key West. Join Florida-based Afar contributor Terry Ward as she shares her guide on the best places to snorkel, spot manatees, butterflies, and tiny Key deer, and take a scenic detour along U.S. Highway 1.   CHAPTERS 0:00 – Intro 0:25 – Key Largo 1:17 – Islamorada 1:42 – Marathon 2:37 – The Lower Keys 3:23 – Key West  Locations mentioned: 📍USS Spiegel Grove 📍Sharkey’s Sharkbite Grill 📍Caribbean Club 📍Bud N’ Mary’s Marina 📍Crane Point Museum and Nature Center 📍Sombrero Beach 📍Marathon Kayak 📍Castaway Waterfront Restaurant & Sushi📍The Lower Keys 📍Deer Run on the Atlantic 📍National Key Deer Refuge 📍No Name Pub 📍Kiki’s Sandbar and Grill 📍Whistle Bar 📍Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park 📍Faust’s Food Palace  📍Bahama Village 📍Hogfish Bar & Grill  #florida #floridakeys #thefloridakeys   ---- CONNECT WITH Afar Afar.com is a digital and print magazine that publishes travel tips, guides, news, and stories: https://www.afar.com  Get updates on the latest articles, travel news, and more from AFAR by signing up for the AFAR newsletter: https://afar.com/newsletters  Follow Afar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia Follow Afar on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfarMedia Follow Afar on TikTok: https://twitter.com/afarmedia Follow Afar on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/afarmedia  ---- CREDITS Terry Ward - Host Jonathan Kramer - Video Editor Tiana Attride - AFAR Senior Editor, Social and Video Elizabeth See - Senior Designer

Transcript

00:00Hi Afar, this is Terri Ward, a travel writer based in Florida.

00:04Since my college days here in the Sunshine State, I've been hitting the road south for

00:07the escapism, great diving and snorkeling, and guaranteed good times of the Florida Keys.

00:12While avoiding crowds in this favorite part of the state may feel like a challenge, I've

00:16had 30 years to hunt down the spots across the Keys that still feel underrated and full

00:21of surprises.

00:22Here are 18 lesser known places to go across the Florida Keys on your next trip.

00:27Let's dive right in, quite literally, in Key Largo, at the start of the 125-mile-long

00:31island chain.

00:32The USS Spiegel Grove is a world-class shipwreck surrounded with tropical fish and where you

00:38might see a shark or eagle ray, too.

00:40A local divemaster here pointed me to a sweet little hideaway, Sharky's Shark Bite Grill,

00:44with ridiculously good conch fritters and fish tacos.

00:47Come sense it, you'll want to post up on the Waterfront Deck at Caribbean Club, a taste

00:52of old Key Largo right on Florida Bay.

00:54Listen to live music, sip the signature Keyline Run Punch, and ask yourself how life could

00:59possibly get better.

01:00As you make your way from Key Largo to Key West, detouring off US Highway 1 into the back

01:05roads of the Florida Keys is the best way to peel back the layers in this tropical playground.

01:09Make sure to roll down the windows and take the time to turn down sandy lanes to explore

01:13and get out on those turquoise blue waters at every chance.

01:17At Nyla Murata, Robbie's is a classic stop where you can hand-feed tarpon bigger than

01:21some teenagers.

01:22And at nearby Bud and Mary's Marina, you can head out on a deep-sea fishing charter.

01:27When the fishing boats clean their fresh catch in the afternoons, the waters below the docks

01:32swirl with giant tarpon and nurse sharks.

01:34Grab some scraps to feed them for free.

01:37Just mind the cheeky pelicans, as they're also out for a free meal here.

01:41First up is Marathon, another favorite with anglers, divers, and snorkelers where you

01:45can enjoy some cool highlights on land.

01:48At Crane Point Hammock Museum and Nature Center, home to a rehabilitation center for wild Florida

01:53birds like Osprey and Roseate Spoonbills, there are gorgeous butterfly gardens.

01:57I like to stop for a natural pedicure in the tidal pools, where tiny minnows get to work

02:01in the most ticklish way.

02:03The Keys aren't known for bountiful beaches, but Sombrero Beach is worth seeking out for one

02:07of the softest, fine sand ones in all of the chain.

02:10It's also been made totally accessible with convenient parking and beach wheelchairs.

02:16Marathon's winding backwaters have tidal channels lined with red mangroves to explore during

02:20kayak ecotours with Marathon Kayak.

02:23Do your eco-friendly dining here too at Castaway Waterfront Restaurant and Sushi Bar.

02:28The sushi is made from invasive lionfish caught in these waters, and I almost always spot manatees

02:33chilling in the canal while I'm digging in.

02:36The Lower Keys come into view with more of those signature Keys colors, bright green mangroves

02:41and palms and neon blue seas.

02:44Deer Run on the Atlantic sits beachfront on Big Pine Key, and it's a hideaway boutique

02:48property in the heart of Key Deer country.

02:51The adorable species is protected at the National Key Deer Refuge here, but the animals roam freely

02:56all around, so keep an eye out.

02:59Locals swear by Big Pine's legendary no-name pub, where thousands of dollar bills cover

03:03the walls and you can try some of the best pizza in all of the Keys.

03:07I'll vouch for the Key Lime Pie here too.

03:10Stay 10 minutes away at mile marker 28 in Little Torch Key, plop down at a picnic table in the

03:15sand at Kiki Sand Bar & Grill, a beachside tiki bar with killer ahi tuna nachos and cold beers.

03:21By the time you arrive in Key West, the southernmost island in the chain and the end of the road,

03:26it might be time to get the party started at the busy bars and restaurants lining to

03:30Wall Street.

03:31You can get an overhead view removed from the revelry with a perch at Hyperlocal Whistlebar,

03:36right above the bill.

03:37If you'd like to bask in the island's quieter side, go snorkeling in the refreshingly deep

03:41waters of Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park before picnicking under the Norfolk Pines

03:46with Cuban sandwiches and gourmet snacks from Fasto's Food Wine Palace, a Key West mainstay

03:52since 1926.

03:54Take time to pedal a bike through Key West's colorful residential back lanes in Bahama Village

03:58and detour to neighboring Stock Island, too, for a fresh hogfish sandwich at Hogfish Bar

04:03& Grill, right along the shrimping docks.

04:06Step off the tourist trail in the Florida Keys and you'll encounter all these surprises

04:10and more.

04:11Even after all these years, I find something new and fabulous every time I'm back.

04:14In the comments, let us know your favorite spots in the Florida Keys, those places that

04:18remind you why you love to travel, and if we helped you find something new, don't forget

04:22to like this video and subscribe.

04:24Thanks for tuning in, and happy trails!

18 Underrated Things to Do in The Florida Keys | Crowd-Free Guides | Afar

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended