This Florida Keys All-American Road Is the Ultimate US Road Trip

Most people don’t expect to spend most of their road trip over water. That’s what makes the Florida Keys Scenic Highway so unique: rather than long stretches of open land or winding mountain roads, this 110-mile network of bridges crossing 43 islands in the Florida Keys spends most of its run island-hopping over the emerald-green Caribbean waters of the Florida coast. If you like your road trip with an ocean view, there’s no better place to find one. And for those planning to tackle this stunning three-hour drive between Key Largo and Key West, there are a few things not to miss.

History of the Florida Keys Scenic Highway

Before the advent of commercial air travel, it wasn’t easy to reach the remote Florida Keys. A series of islands flung out to the southwest of Florida into the Caribbean Sea, they remained fairly isolated. And though rudimentary roads connecting Key Largo to the mainland were built in the 1880s, that was about it as far as overland access to the Keys went. Then, the railroad came to the Keys, bringing modernization and development to the region — but even that didn’t hold up after a hurricane slammed the Keys in 1935.

The disaster of the railroad’s destruction (active trains were running when the storm surge hit, and hundreds died) left a mark on the minds of Floridian locals and lawmakers alike. They began to clamor for a proper highway to replace both the railroad and the insufficient ferry service that still served the islands, but not especially well. And within three years, the Florida Keys Overseas Highway was open for business. Though the building of new bridges has changed some parts of the route since its debut in 1938, it remains as scenic and beloved by travelers as it was the day it opened.

Road Tripping the Florida Keys Scenic Highway

If you’re looking to travel the Florida Keys Scenic Highway, you’ll start in one of two places: the northern terminus at Key Largo or the southern terminus at Key West. Since Key Largo is about an hour’s drive south of Miami, and Key West has its own commercial airport, those visiting from out of state will likely fly into one of those two airports; since there tend to be more options for flights into Miami, this itinerary will assume a northern starting point, but can be reversed without changing anything. To that end, you’ll begin in Key Largo.

Key Largo

Take your time to begin your Florida Keys road trip: you’ll likely want more than a pit stop in Key Largo. That’s because this once-sleepy pineapple-growing center is now the so-called “Diving Capital of the World.” Even if you’re not into diving, the coral reefs at John Pennekamp State Park - Florida’s first underwater state park and the home of some of the northernmost coral reefs in the U.S. - warrant an underwater pit stop. Those more interested in the dry-land kind of nature can substitute a day at Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, which protects native Floridian plant life.

If you’ve got any extra time, you might want to consider a visit to the Coral Restoration Foundation a little ways south to learn about the fascinating underwater ecosystems of the Keys. Those with a full day to spare could even consider taking a trip with the Foundation to replant coral in the wild — it’s an experience you’re unlikely to get anywhere else, and one worth prioritizing for ocean lovers! Then, either way, cap off your time in Key Largo with a cruise on the African Queen, a hundred-year-old steamboat used in the classic 1951 movie of the same name, before continuing on to the sleepy town of Marathon.

Marathon

Marathon may be a quiet fishing village, but it’s got its fair share of action to offer. First off, if you’ve ever dreamed of having your Disney moment with a dolphin, check out the nearby Dolphin Research Center, a one-of-a-kind rescue and research facility where you might get to meet a dolphin up close. In a reversal of the usual swim-with-dolphins model, humans are encouraged to “entertain dolphins as they people-watch”: this is a facility that centers the animals it cares for, not its human guests, so it’s an encounter even the most skeptical visitors can feel good about.

If dolphins aren’t your thing, though, there’s one other animal rescue in Marathon worth your attention, and that would be the Turtle Hospital. Similar to the Dolphin Research Center, the facility takes in injured animals that wouldn’t have been likely to survive in the wild, rehabilitates them, and then releases them when it’s possible (or offers them a permanent home when it isn’t). A tour of the Turtle Hospital will give you the run-down on Florida’s sea turtle population and maybe even let you feed a few. Oh, and speaking of feeding: want to snack on invasive lionfish? Check out the Castaway Restaurant in Marathon to contribute to the cause of eradicating this uninvited guest from Florida’s waters.

Big Pine Key

After driving across the famous Seven Mile Bridge (and then a little further), you’ll arrive at Big Pine Key. Although this town has much to offer, one of the biggest reasons to stop here is that it’s the only place in the world where you might spot a Key Deer. These diminutive deer might look like the mainland variety, but they’re incredibly rare due to their confinement to this single island, so the chance to see one makes Big Pine Key a worthy pit stop. Grab a snack, stretch your legs, and snap a few deer shots to show off back home before you get back on the road for the final stretch of your Florida Keys road trip.

Key West

As the southern terminus of the Florida Keys Overseas Highway, Key West is necessarily where your road trip comes to an end. But it’s also the focal point of much Florida Keys tourism, so you’ll find no shortage of enjoyable ways to end your trip here. Watch the world-famous sunset or grab an iconic slab of key lime pie on a stick at Kermit’s Key Lime Shop. You can also catch a ferry day trip out to Dry Tortugas National Park or take a spin around town on the Conch Tour Train - Key West is a happening place after the sleepy towns you’ll have just passed through. You could spend a whole vacation exploring Key West alone, so stay awhile if you have the time to cap off your trip.

An Island-Hopping Gem

With 43 islands scattered along the route of the Florida Keys Scenic Highway, this whistle-stop list doesn’t even begin to cover the breadth of what you could see and do on a road trip like this. You could easily fill a week of exploration with this itinerary alone! So the more time you have to dig deep and spend a couple of days on island time, the more you’ll enjoy and appreciate this truly unique American road trip. But it’s always worth carving out what time you can: half-Florida kitsch and half-Caribbean escape, the Florida Keys Scenic Highway is the perfect domestic tropical escape.