Read More: 5 Tips for Road Tripping Through the Florida Keys
Key Largo
Key Largo is the city at the top of the keys, and the largest one you’ll pass through until Key West. It’s a great place to fill up the gas tank, as well as your belly. Lots of restaurants and shops line Highway 1 so it’s a great place to stop, especially if you’ve already been driving for over an hour from Miami. One place that was on my itinerary was to stop at Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen for some food and famous key lime pie. On my drive down, I forgot to put it in my GPS and ended up driving right past it. It wasn’t until I was much further down the keys until I realized I missed my stop. I then adjusted my plan to then hit it on the drive back up, but it was a Sunday and they were closed. Such a bummer! If you only have one day to do the road trip through the Florida keys, I’d recommend cruising through Key Largo and focusing more on the middle and lower keys!
Islamorada
Islamorada was one of my favorite stops along the drive- mainly for the gorgeous beaches! While unsure of the name, I found a beautiful beach with lots of sand, shallow waters, and tons of tall palms. To be honest, I’m not sure if they are public beaches, but so long as you keep to yourself and are respectful I don’t see why anyone would have a problem with you using the space. To access, turn off of Highway 1 and drive all the way to the end of Beach Road . You can park along the shoulders and walk down the path to the beach. I spent a little time here walking, laying in hammocks, taking pics, and relaxing in Adirondack chairs. The palm trees here were picture perfect! *chef’s kiss*
Marathon
Marathon is a decently-sized city (for Florida Keys standards) located right smack dab in the middle of the drive. No matter the time of day, The Wooden Spoon is a perfect place to stop for a bite. I actually ended up meeting a friend there who I met on a previous solo trip in the Caribbean. She lived in town and it’s so fun to see our travels coming full circle after all these years. Have I mentioned lately how great solo travel is? While there aren’t that many beaches in the Florida Keys, Sombrero Beach in Marathon is a great one to visit! It is open and wide with plenty of space to spread out (or have an shame-free impromptu photo shoot). It is just a couple minute drive off Highway 1, has plenty of parking, showers, bathrooms, and many entry points to the beach. It’s also a great place to catch the sunset, but save that for your drive back up the keys
