When you’ve had enough of Florida’s theme parks and their crowded intensity, bring the kids down to the relaxing atmosphere of The Florida Keys. At the southern coast of Florida, and only 67 miles south of Miami, this string of islands from Key Largo to Key West is America’s tropical paradise. The Keys are known for their laid-back vibe, and you feel it as soon as you reach the first few Islands, known as the Upper Florida Keys. In this article, we highlight fun things to do with kids in Key Largo, Tavernier and Islamorada.
The Keys are a place where it is perfectly normal to have a purple pharmacy or a flamingo mailbox. The restaurants and shops are not always pristinely new, but here you accept it (and learn to embrace it). In our family, we affectionately call it “keys-ee.”
The upper keys are bouncing back after 2017’s Hurricane Irma and all but a few businesses are up and running. It’s a great time to visit the keys because the crowds are low and they need our tourism, now more than ever, to help recover the losses from the hurricane.
Directions throughout The Keys
A quick note before I start the list of things to do with kids in the Upper Florida Keys…
There is only one road that runs from Key Largo to Key West, US-1 (also known as Overseas Highway). Businesses and other addresses are easy to find once you know a couple of terms:
Bayside or Oceanside | MM (Mile marker) |
|---|---|
| As you’re driving South on US-1 everything on your left is considered Oceanside (on the side of the Atlantic Ocean). Everything on your right is considered Bayside (on the Gulf of Mexico side or the Florida Bay).
For sunsets, pick a restaurant on the Bayside. | Almost all of the directions you will read will include MM followed by numbers. MM0 is in Key West and the numbers increase as you drive closer to Miami. You can find businesses based on MM. For instance, Founder’s Park is listed at MM87, so you know it is near MM87. The addresses coincide with these mile markers–so if you’re looking for Founders Park at 86800 Overseas Highway Islamorada, FL 33036, you know that it is just South of MM87. |
Kayak through the Mangroves
The mangrove trees of south Florida are a great place to kayak. Take the natural pathways between the trees and take note of how the trees look as if they are standing on stilts. Many animals find refuge in the roots of the mangroves, using the trees as hiding spots. In the slow-moving waters, you can often see fish, crab, frogs and a multitude of birds. If you’re lucky you might spot a manatee, ray or even a shark fin (sharks like to feed on the bait fish in the shallow waters).
Paddle Board Tour
Along the same idea, paddle boarding is a good option for older kids (or little ones can sit on the front of your board). A sunset paddleboard tour is a great way to see the creeks and waterways and the animals beneath the sea. The viewpoint while standing up on the paddle board is a fantastic way to see the marine life.
We took a tour with Paddle the Florida Keys and really enjoyed it. This was the first time paddle boarding for the three of us, and after the initial wobbliness, we took to it easily. The tour lasted about 2-hours and the owner and other experienced paddle boarders gave us helpful advice. The store is run by Scott Baste who is an elite-level paddle boarder. Recently, he completed a race that was 1000 miles long!
If you are looking for a place to take a paddleboard or kayak tour; or to rent kayaks or paddle boards, we recommend Paddle the Florida Keys in Tavernier. They have reasonable prices and deliver boards for free MM80-MM100.
Enjoy the Beaches
Beaches in the Florida Keys are different than on the mainland of Florida. The Keys are formed out of centuries of coral deposits, so many of the beaches are man-made. Most of the beaches are small, and many require that sand is hauled in a few times a year to maintain the beach. But, when you’re in Florida (especially with kids), you expect to head out to the beach at least once during the vacation. Here are a few beaches we’ve found in the upper keys:
Founder’s Park MM87 Bayside
- Large park with a small beach and pool
- Non-Resident Park Entry Fees (Park entrance fees are cash only):
Adults (18-64) $8.00 Youth/Senior (3-17) $5.00 - Pool Fees apply to all persons entering the Ron Levy Aquatic Center (pool area):
Adults (18-64) $3.00 Youth/Senior (3-17) $2.00
John Pennekamp State Park MM102.5 Oceanside. $8/vehicle
- Cannon beach: just 100 feet off the shore are the remnants of a Spanish shipwreck.
- Rent Kayaks and paddle boards to paddle around the mangroves
- Glass bottom boat tours and snorkel tours
Harry Harris Park MM92.6 Oceanside $5 admission
- Nice beach
- Playground
- Picnic Pavillions
Morada Bay MM81.6 Bayside
- The beach here doesn’t actually lead out into the water; there is a retaining wall holding in the sand.
- Great place to catch the sunset!
- Let the kids play in the sand while you enjoy a drink.
Anne’s Beach MM73.4 Oceanside
- Rebuilt after it was destroyed by Hurricane Irma.
- Multiple small secluded beaches along a 300′ long boardwalk.
- Six pavilions and a restroom by the north parking lot.
- Free
- If you go early, you can often stake out one of the small beaches and have it to yourself.
Snorkeling above the Coral Reef
The Upper Florida Keys are a fantastic place to snorkel. The largest coral reef in the US is located in Key Largo at John Pennekamp State Park (MM 102.5). This THE place to go snorkeling. You take a boat ride out to the reef and the guides give you detailed instructions. The guides make sure that you understand everything and then let you swim out to the coral reef. The colorful coral and fish are fun to swim over. After about 1- 1.5 hours in the water, you head back to the boat and enjoy your ride back to the shore. The park also has a nice beach, a 30,000-gallon aquarium, plus kayak and paddle board rentals.
Feed the Tarpon
What started as a fish-rescue has become a beloved tourist attraction. Go to Robbie’s to see the up to 6′ long tarpon. You can buy a small bucket of fish to toss to the tarpon and watch them leap out of the water. The side benefit (and sometimes hindrance) to this attraction is that you can also see pelicans up close. But beware, they do snap at you and try to steal your fish. Robbie’s
Theater of the Sea
Established in 1946, Theater of the Sea is THE place to go for animal encounters. If you have a kid that is crazy about sea-life, you must take him/her here. The theater holds daily dolphin, parrot, and sea lion shows; a bottom-less boat ride; and an abundance of animal interactions:
- Wade with, swim with, paint with, or meet the dolphin.
- Paint with, swim with or meet the sea lion.
- Swim with the rays.
- Swim with the sharks.
- Meet the sea turtle.
- Meet the alligator.
Most of the encounters are ages 5+, but the If you have little ones, they can still participate in the interactions with the “Wade with the dolphin” option (open to all ages, but under 7 must be accompanied by a paying adult). TheateroftheSea.com
Gift Shops
There are many fun and quirky gift shops throughout the Upper Florida Keys. A few of our favorites are Shell World and the Rain Barrel Artisan Village.
At Shell World, you can find all the shells you could ever want. They also offer beach decor, clothing, and even key-inspired food.
You will want to visit Rain Barrel Artisan Village, if for no other reason than to take a photo in front of the HUGE lobster. From the outside, this looks like a small shop; but, don’t let that deceive you. Located in behind the front building are pathways leading to many more buildings with different artists set up along the winding, shaded boardwalk. If you’re looking for a unique souvenir, this is a good spot, plus you can oftentimes meet the artist that created it.
Vacation Rentals
If you’re looking for a place to stay, check out AllTheRooms.com , where you can search for rentals by category (with pools, with wifi, pet-friendly, etc.). It’s simply magical staying by the water, so try to find accommodations on a canal or on the bay or ocean.
Have you visited the Upper Florida Keys with kids? What was your favorite thing to do? Tell us in the comments below.
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I live in Florida, and always enjoyed driving down to the Florida Keys every so often. It’s such a laid back lifestyle down there, and it makes me feel like I’m in a tropical island outside of Florida.
Hi Carmen, It is relaxed, isn’t it? I’m already looking forward to going back.
Kayaking through a mangrove is not the easiest thing to do ! Haha
Ha ha. Actually most of the mangroves we kayak through have “alleys” that are 6′ wide. But, we did venture into some tight spots and had to back out.
I just got back from “the rest of the Keys'” so was glad to read about the Upper Keys that I missed. I did pull over and take pics of the Theater of the Seas, it looked really nice. Glad you had so much fun. I live on the Treasure Coast and we have incredible mangroves but I will say that your pictures showed that the Upper Keys definitely give us a run for.our money. 😉 Definitely a great place to take the whole family. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for commenting, Melody. I’m glad you had a chance to visit the rest of the Keys…maybe you can hit the upper keys on your next trip 😉
The Florida Keys is pretty much the last part of the states that I’m dying to explore. Kayaking through the mangroves, snorkelling in the reefs and paddle boarding look like the perfect way to explore this beautiful region 🙂 I’d love to see those manatees or even a shark fin!
It really is a great place to visit. So many adventurous things to do, then relax with a drink and the sunset. I hope you get a chance to visit soon.
There are mangroves in Upper Florida Keys? And you can do kayaking? This is news to me. What a fun experience that must have been. How long did you spend kayaking?
Hi Punita. Yes, the mangroves line the shore in most of the Upper Keys and they are beautiful to see. We visit the keys often, and try to kayak every time we go. We were on the Kayak about an hour each time.
The upper keys look like a fun place to explore! I love the fact that there are so many adventure activities planned for children and adults alike. I hope tourism catches on and more and more people visiting help the place get back to its original glory! Thanks for sharing, loved it.
Hey Arti, Yes, they need our tourism right now! And there’s so much to do; or not do 🙂 It’s a great place to relax, too.
Visiting Upper Florida with kids must be interesting as they have a wide range of activities. I would love to kayak around mangroves, swim with dolphins and enjoy the stunning beaches.
Hi Yukti. There really is a lot to do for kids and adults. Thanks for commenting.
I remember when I was a kid my fav things to do on family trips were feeding the fish and kayaking. My family, like yours, was a bit more adventurous than most and it was the best thing about growing up. Keep giving your kids these kinds of experience, it makes a brave and adventurous adult.
Hey Anthony. I’m glad you can appreciate the fun there is in adventurous activities! It is fun to see that my girl is willing to try just about anything. Thanks for commenting.
The mangrove trees are stunning!!! Definitely adding kayaking there to my bucket list! Sad to hear Anne’s Beach got destroyed by the hurricane, but all the rest sound just as beautiful as well. Florida Keys seriously looks like such a perfect place to spend a weekend!
Thanks for commenting. The structure of the mangrove roots is really interesting to see, and one of the best ways to get up close is by kayaking…you will love it.
The Florda Keys are really sooo beautiful! We visited two years ago during our East coast road trip from NYC down to the Keys and reallyloved our stay in Islamorada, the highlight of our trip! Now reading this post of yours makes us want to go back! 🙂
Ahh, yes…The Keys Disease, I know it well. That feeling you have where you try to figure out how to sell everything and move to the Keys. I’m with ya.