Discover 10 Super Fun Florida Keys Family Vacation Ideas: Create Memories That Last a Lifetime!
The Florida Keys are a dream destination… but what if you have kiddos in tow?
Known for scuba diving, sports fishing, seafood, and an uncanny abundance of men who look like Ernest Hemingway, the Keys might strike you as a place best tackled by couples, friends, or solo adventurers.
While all those folks are welcome at the Keys, we assure you this gorgeous archipelago has something for everyone – kiddos especially included! In fact, we’ll prove it to you by sharing our favorite Florida Keys family vacation ideas!
Finding Your Way Around the Florida Keys
Before we hop into our ideas list (although, I guess you can scroll ahead if you really want to…), let’s tackle some frequently asked questions about family vacations in the Keys!
One of the most prominent questions is what part of the Florida Keys is best for families? As we said, the Keys aren’t known for having a mouse-owned theme park, so it makes sense for families to wonder if it’s even worth a visit. However, you’ll be pleased to learn each Florida Key is family-friendly! That being said, we’d particularly recommend Islamorada and Marathon Island for families.
Marathon Island is especially great if you have younger kiddos – they’ll love the Dolphin Research Center and spending afternoons on Coco Plum Beach or Sombrero Beach! Meanwhile, Islamorada will likely have more appeal for those with tweens and teens with its fascinating History of Diving Museum, fishing charters, and watersports such as kayaking and snorkeling.
Okay, but what about bar-on-every-corner Key West? Believe it or not, even this “grown-up” key can be worth visiting with kids! There are a number of family-friendly lodgings, and kiddos will love snorkeling and playing on the beaches here. In-town activities include the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, the Conch Train Tour, and the Shipwreck Treasure Museum.
Nevertheless, when it comes to picking your “base,” Islamorada or Marathon Island are still the best islands to stay on in the Florida Keys if you’re taking a family trip. But island hopping to other Keys is possible with the shuttle services!
Some of the best family resorts in the Florida Keys include:
- Isla Bella Beach Resort & Spa (Marathon)
- Cheeca Lodge & Spa (Islamorada)
- Tranquility Bay Beach Resort (Marathon)
- Hawks Cay Resort (Duck Key)
- Hampton Inn (Key Largo)
- Sunset Cottages (Key West)
If you’re looking to go on an affordable family vacation in the Florida Keys, you may consider going during the off-season, which stretches from June to November. The cheapest month to go to the Florida Keys is generally September. That being said, it’s the off-season for a reason, with sweltering temperatures in summer and higher chances of hurricanes in the fall. While the decreased hotel rates during this time will be kinder to your wallet, you’ll need to plan ahead for harsher weather and the possibility of canceling altogether in the event of a hurricane.
Now, with ideas for where to stay out of the way, we can dive into the really fun stuff: things to do with your family around the Keys!
Florida Keys Family Vacation Ideas
There’s so much to do around the Florida Keys, from reveling in nature to marveling at indoor exhibits. We’ll look at a variety of activities spanning across the Keys to give you a well-rounded set of options for your vacation itinerary! Additionally, we’ve tried to pick activities that are suitable for a wide age range – from the young to the young at heart.
Here’s wishing you the best family vacation in the Keys!
1. Beach Days
When it comes to Florida Keys family vacation ideas, this one is, admittedly, pretty obvious – but it shouldn’t be overlooked!
Beach days offer great opportunities to both relax and play, from swimming to sunbathing to hunting for the perfect seashell. Going to the beach is also perfect for any age; little ones can spend time building sandcastles while teens play it cool with boogie boarding or body-surfing in the waves.
As previously mentioned, Marathon is home to Sombrero Beach, one of the best beaches in the Keys! (Coco Plum is fun, too, but it’s less of your “classic” beach as it has more shells, seaweed, and seagrass.)
The warm, shallow water is perfect for kiddos to wade in, and the soft sand feels lovely against bare feet. Backed by swaying palms, this gorgeous beach is a fairly long one for the Keys and perfect for walks. You can even bring along your furry friend (on leash), as Sombrero is one of the few pet-friendly beaches in the area.
More absolutely stunning Keys beaches are in Bahia Honda State Park (Big Pine Key) and John Pennekamp State Park (Key Largo). Smathers Beach (Key West) is also incredibly popular for the spectacular beauty of its white sands and turquoise water.
2. Snorkeling
A fantastic way to experience a whole new world beneath the waves, snorkeling is a great Florida Keys family vacation idea! Certification isn’t required, and neither is deep diving, which makes it a fun and inclusive activity for all ages.
The offshore reefs among the Keys make just about every beach in the area acceptable for snorkeling, but the best place to snorkel in the Florida Keys (or even Florida in general) is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park! The first undersea park in the United States, John Pennekamp, is about what’s beneath the surface.1 If you or your kiddos have even the slightest interest in marine life, snorkeling here is a phenomenal experience!
You can bring your own snorkel gear or rent a mask, snorkel, and fins from John Pennekamp. (We love that you keep the snorkel; no unnecessary germ-sharing going on here!)
Even if snorkeling isn’t your thing, you can take a glass-bottom boat tour (2.5 hours long) and still observe the reef while staying dry! John Pennekamp is located on Key Largo and is home to over 600 species of fish, 70 species of coral, and even the occasional manatee.
3. Kayaking
If your family is the “outdoorsy” type, then kayaking in the Florida Keys is a must for your itinerary! Best for families with pre-teens and teens, there are so many opportunities for a peaceful paddling trip throughout the Keys.
John Pennekamp is the total package because it’s also a popular kayaking spot, as is Bahia Honda State Park. However, the best place to kayak for families with kids and teenagers has got to be Curry Hammock State Park.
Located on Marathon Key, there are two different paddling adventures: a short, 1.5-mile trip or a longer, 5-mile trail. The shorter option goes around Little Crawl Key and is probably the best if your kids are on the younger side. It takes about an hour to complete the trail, and it features a mangrove tunnel, deep water lagoon, grassy flats, sandbars, and open ocean.2
The 5-mile option includes mangroves, too, but also takes you out around a little island, which has the completion time clocking in at around 4 hours minimum. Due to this length, families with teenagers who have kayaked before are probably best suited to tackling the challenge.
Kayaks and paddle boards can be rented at the park in two-hour increments.
4. Theater of the Sea
A list of Florida Keys family vacation ideas simply wouldn’t be complete without Theater of the Sea!
Located on Islamorada, this fun marine park offers a SeaWorld-esque experience with its dolphin and sea lion shows! You’ll also get to go on a fish and reptile tour, where you’ll see stingrays, sharks, alligators, crocodiles, and sea turtles.
For an additional fee, you can also opt to swim with dolphins, meet a sea turtle, or paint with sea lions!
Whether or not you opt for an extra animal encounter, you and your family will surely enjoy everything general admission offers at Theater of the Sea. You really can’t go wrong looking at cute sea critters!
5. Marathon Turtle Hospital
Turtles. Need I say more??
Probably not, because obviously nothing gets better than turtles, but Marathon Turtle Hospital is so great, I’ve just got to tell you more about it! The Turtle Hospital is a small, nonprofit organization on Marathon Island that rehabilitates sea turtles, educates about sea turtles, and releases them back into the wild when possible. (In fact, depending on when you visit, you may even get to witness a release!)
Guided educational tours of the hospital happen throughout the day at select times and last from 70 to 90 minutes. Because space is limited, reservations are highly recommended! At the end of each program (which includes a presentation on sea turtles and a behind-the-scenes look at how the hospital is run), guests are invited to feed the hospital’s permanent residents!! And these residents are absolutely adorable.
Admission is $30.00 for adults and $15.00 for kiddos ages 4 to 12. However, if you like turtles, then this experience is truly priceless.
6. Beach Camping
While the Florida Keys are known for fancy resorts, there’s another way to stay in the area: beach camping!
For a truly unique and natural experience on your family vacation, you can try camping out on the beach (even just for one night!). The best spot for this is Bahia Honda State Park.
This gorgeous state park has three full-facility campgrounds where you can hook up an RV, pitch a tent, hang a hammock, or even stay in a cabin! Making reservations well in advance is the only way to guarantee a spot, as space is limited and fills up quickly. In addition to typical beach activities, Bahia Honda is also known for breathtaking stargazing. That alone is worth spending the night here!
Bahia Honda State Park is located on Big Pine Key, which is one of the best Keys for experiencing the natural world. Plenty of deer roam the Key, making it a really fun spot for deer spotting, too!
7. Key West – Indoor Attractions
While you may not want to spend your entire family vacation in Key West, there are definitely enough kid-friendly activities there for a full day or two! For indoor fun, you can check out the Shipwreck Museum, which has genuine shipwreck artifacts, films, costumed actors, and even a kiddo-friendly scavenger hunt!
The Key West Aquarium is another great indoor getaway that will wow kids and adults! No one can resist a touch tank – especially not one that includes giant hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, sea stars, sea cucumbers, and more! What’s really cool is that not only can you pet these creatures, but you’re also welcome to actually hold them! The shark and jellyfish exhibits are also highlights of a trip here.
(Note: as of writing, there are combined ticket packages for these two attractions.)
While it’s not necessarily geared toward kids if you have literary or history-loving teens – or just someone who needs to read A Farewell to Arms for school – you may also want to check out Hemingway House, home-turned-museum of author Ernest Hemingway. (It’s also home to a number of polydactyl cats!)
8. Key West – Outdoor Attractions
For outdoor adventures, we recommend wandering around the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, where you’ll get to meet over 50 species of butterflies flitting in the gardens. You’ll also find flamingos, koi, and spot turtles here!
Another outdoor attraction is the easiest way to sightsee with toddling tots in tow: taking a ride on the Conch Tour Train! This 90-minute narrated tour of Key West (with pit stops) lets you sit back, relax, and check off several Key West attractions.
If you’re in Key West during the evening, you may want to check out Mallory Square and its nightly sunset celebration. The sunsets here are truly gorgeous, and older kids will likely appreciate the market, live music, and food.
9. Dolphin Research Center
All right, we had some turtle talk. Now it’s time to discuss dolphins.
If dolphins are your thing, you’ll definitely want to consider setting aside a day to check out the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key. At the DRC, you can observe ongoing research, medical behaviors, training, and play times with the dolphins. Sessions happen every half hour and are unscripted, so what you see is authentic dolphin-trainer behaviors! Once you’ve enjoyed some education presentations, why not cool down on the Sprayground?
For an additional fee, you can meet and play with a dolphin or even choose to collaborate on a painting together (that you get to take home!).
Note: well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome to visit the DRC with you!!
10. Dry Tortugas National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park is a bit remote. In fact, you have to get there via boat or seaplane! But if your family enjoys adventures, this is definitely for you!
Dry Tortugas has an absolutely gorgeous beach – one of the prettiest in the Keys – and the shallow, teal-blue waters are ideal for youngsters to wade in. (Not to mention the snorkeling here is some of the best in the Florida Keys!) You can also explore historic Fort Jefferson and even camp for the night – in primitive style, of course. Whether or not you stay the night, kiddos will enjoy participating in the park’s junior ranger program for the day!
Be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen, water, snacks, and anything else you might need for the duration of the day. We recommend booking a trip to Dry Tortugas early since the minimal transportation there can fill up fast.
While it’s a bit “out there,” many have found the Dry Tortugas to be the hidden gem amongst Florida Keys family vacation ideas – and we hope you do, too!
Hopefully, our Florida Keys family vacation ideas have given you a head start on planning your next family getaway. What are you looking forward to most? We’d love to hear about your trip in the comments below! (You went to see the turtles, right??)
See you on the next adventure!
Featured photo: Sunny Studio via Canva.com
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