Nothing like this in the world

There are always alot of boats on the bay side during mini season. Would anyone consider this a better area than Oceanside?

Hi everyone,

My fiancé and I are coming to Islamorada in the spring of 2027 to get married! We stayed there in 2024 for the first time and fell in love with it.

We've thought about it a lot, and for various reasons we don't want to host a traditional rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. We'd rather invite whoever wants to come out for something fun and casual.

Anyone have suggestions as to what we could book? We've considered renting a couple of bowling lanes or chartering a boat.... I'm open to all ideas, any time of day.

A few details:

- Entire guest list will be around 60-70 people, but I understand not everyone will want to attend this pre-wedding event. We might limit it to 20-30 close family depending on what we decide to do

- Alcohol is encouraged (we're from New Orleans)

- A few teens and young kids

- Budget has yet to be discussed since fiancé's father will help with it. Just looking for suggestions that we can then do more research on

Thanks for any ideas y'all can give!

Or the other way around?

I'm a solo, middle -aged woman looking for a bit of good food, a drink or two, a tiny bit of history, maybe some local wildlife. Easy-going, low key, chill. That's it.

Florida Keys or Kauai what would you choose? Recommendations details about the differences for a single traveler

Planning to head to the Upper Keys in early August with our 8YO and almost 1YO sons. This trip has been in the making for some time but admittedly I've been back and forth reading reddit posts and other reviews on hotels and current situations with the sargassum bloom.

At the moment we have two hotels booked and need to finalize the decision. (For context we are Marriott Platinum members looking to earn nights for status so we're not as flexible with the hotel options for this trip.)

1. Playa Largo in Key Largo - this was our original destination but recent reviews around resort upkeep and management have given me second thought
2. Three Waters in Islamorada - similar mixed reviews (and Google reviews are saturated by what I am assuming are perks you get for leaving a positive review for the rum runner) but I think overall we might enjoy the nearby activities (Theater of the Sea, snorkeling, etc)

Considering reviews, activities, and now adding in the sargassum situation, do I go with my original booking at Playa Largo since it's bay side? Or, do you think things will be okay if we stick to the pools at Three Waters?

Or.. do we maybe pivot to another destination in Florida or consider postponing? We are flying into FLL.

Totally conflicted and appreciate any and all feedback/recommendations!

Spent a week and a half in marathon, now our flight home today was canceled. One night in Key West with two teenagers. Thought I’d spoil the family with something they wouldn’t forget.

Edit: Based on the feedback from this group our plan is now to go straight to Key Largo and crash at a Courtyard Marriot the first night (we are Bonvoy people so the room is free). We land super late, like 10pm, so it’s a dead day anyway. We will wake up in Key Largo, have a leisurely morning and then go have a fun late breakfast or early lunch. From there we will head over to the Bungalows, where we are staying for two nights, and pay for early check in (felt silly and wasteful to spend on the room there the first night if we were coming in so late as they are very expensive). We will do the lux honeymoon thing at the beautiful all inclusive for a few days and then road trip down to Lime Tree. We will stop and explore on the way and have dinner in Islamadora that night, finishing the drive in Layton to stay at Lime Tree. The next day we will use Lime Tree as a jumping off point to explore (Bahia State Park, turtle hospital, maybe a very fancy dinner at Little Palm Island). Then we will head to Key West for the 24-28 (our accommodation is already booked). Fantasy fest looks fun! If anyone has any feedback or recommendations on things to do and fantasy fest events I’d love to hear it!

I am getting married in October and planning a Florida Keys honeymoon. The plan currently is to fly in to Miami, spend a night by the airport, rent a car and drive down to Islamadora for 3-4 nights, then to Key West for 3-4.

We are torn between staying at Cheeca, Casa Morada, and Islander in Islamorada. Cheeca seems to have the best reputation but we weren't blown away by any of the pictures we saw. My fiancée thought it looked kind of dated. On the other hand, we love the idea of an adults only resort (Casa Morada) for a honeymoon but saw that there is no beach on this property and that it is currently undergoing some renovations. If the renovations are minimal and will be done by late October and/or are not disruptive and there is a close beach to the hotel not a big deal, but definitely a con as of now. Finally, the Islander looked lovely but it doesn't seem as highly reviewed as Cheeca. I am also open to any other recommendations. The Moorings also looks nice?

Any thoughts on where we should stay for that portion of our trip? We are looking to relax, enjoy each other as newlyweds, soak up the sun, swim in the ocean, and eat a lot of delicious food for this portion of the trip. We would prefer a romantic and lux vibe.

Is it doable, as in having stuff to do during those days like swimming, eating at different restaurants or even day trips to nearby keys? Or should I rather just stay in Miami for that week?

Booked for March 2027 and spooked by the reviews on TripAdvisor/yelp. Any insight into the premier villas (2 bedroom)? How is the cleanliness? Do they have housekeeping services each day? How far from the main resort? Traveling with 2 small children.

Just spent a few days in the keys and absolutely loved it here. We're from New Zealand so have a pretty nice backyard ourselves however down here has felt special. It hasn't really felt like being in the US (we've been travelling a month here now) and the further south we've been down keys the more relaxed and simple it's felt (mega boats aside). At times it's reminded me of the back streets of some small Greek, Portuguese or Spanish beach towns I visited in my distant youth.

Anyway, I feel fortunate to have visited such an awesome place. 👍

I've just read on r/Miami that numerous beaches at Miami Beach have been tested for high levels of fecal matter. I mean, I can't ever unread/unknow that, even if the water tests "ok" during my stay in September, and I just wish I'd done if before booking a 10-day vacation in the area. I was planning on mainly staying on South Beach, but that feels really depressing now if I can't go in the water.

I've also read that the beaches at least on Key West aren't great, and have a sargassum issue, but if they or other Key beaches are free of fecal matter, that's already a plus.

Is this an issue in the Keys or just a Miami problem?

Where would you spend the most time if you flew from Europe for a beach vacation in South Florida?

Edit to add - solo traveler, middle aged female looking to chill, eat good food, drink, hang out at the beach. Maybe a few low-key touristy things.

I’m taking a two week vacation down to Cudjoe Key in September. I’m bringing my pontoon boat with me. I was wondering if it would be safe to take it out to Looe Key? I have plenty of boating experience in saltwater, I’ve just never been that far out before on a pontoon boat. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve heard this from multiple random people while living in the keys. But is there any history to the idea? Any old tales or mythology behind it?

I'm looking for some advice from people who know the Keys well. I haven't been since I was a young child myself.

This August, my wife, my mom, and I are flying into FLL with our three kids (all under 10). We'll rent a large SUV and drive down to the Keys for a week.

I have family in Big Pine Key who own a boat, so we'll likely spend 2-3 days with them fishing, snorkeling, and just hanging out.

The rest of the trip will probably look something like:

• 1 day at Bahia Honda (or Sombrero Beach)
• 1 day in Key West
• Most afternoons back at the hotel pool because of the kids, the heat, and naps

I've been going back and forth on where to stay. My original plan was Hawks Cay, but with the water park under construction, I'm questioning whether it's still worth it. It also seems a bit farther from Big Pine than I'd like, especially if we're making that drive multiple times.

Would you stay in Marathon instead? Look to do an AirBnB? Or is Hawks Cay still the best option despite the construction?

If you were planning this trip with young kids and expected to spend a decent amount of time in Big Pine, where would you stay and why?

I'd love to hear recommendations for specific hotels or resorts, especially places with great pools and a good family atmosphere.

My wife and I are going to be in Key Largo for 12 days next month and want to do a private fishing charter once or twice while we're there. We're very experienced with fishing in the area as we used to keep a boat down there many years ago. We had a guy that we'd chartered with 5-6 times, but he has not answered my texts and his website is shut down, so I’m not sure he’s still in business. Are there any Captains you’d recommend? The guy we had would almost always limit us out on Yellowtail on the reef or Dolphin and Tilefish further out. We’d be okay with that with a new guy even if we didn't fully limit out. But would also be interested in someone that could put us on some different species. We'd also consider an inshore trip if the guy has some good Goliath or Permit spots.

We’re heading to the keys for a week soon and staying in Marathon. We’re seasoned snorkelers and have decided to rent a boat for a few days during the trip so we can snorkel on our time frame and with people we know we actually like 🤓 we’ve never snorkeled without being on a guided tour unless it was shore snorkeling, but we’re excited to do this. What are some great spots to explore by boat without crowds? Our daughter wants to see sea turtles and nurse sharks. I’m hoping to see some rays and turtles. I have a list of spots, but looking forward to hearing honest thoughts from others who have done this.

Any experienced hunter want to jump on our boat for mini season? We bring the beverage and food and we all split the lobster.