Miami to Key West via the Overseas Highway
Road Trip Summary
- Begin: Miami Florida
- End: Key West
- Distance: 170 miles
- Drive Time: 3 ½ hours
- Best Time of the Year: December to May
This stunning road trip down the overseas highway (Rte1) will take you across miles of ocean, 24 bridges and just about every island that makes up the Florida keys. There will be plenty of places to stop to enjoy the weather while kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling or simply soaking up sunshine on a white sandy beach. It’s the perfect tropical getaway.
Some must-see places include:
Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen– This little road side restaurant is something worth seeing with it’s walls covered in license plates from across the US and around the world and a ceiling stuffed with dollar bills. It’s a nice place to stop for lunch after leaving the hustle and bustle of Miami behind you.
Key Largo Glass Bottom Boat Tours– Boat rides are fun for the whole family and by riding on a glass bottom boat you can see vibrant colorful coral and hundreds of species of fish without ever getting wet. You may even see a sea turtle swimming by.
Rain Barrel Sculptural Gallery– A stop at the Rain Barrel Sculptural Gallery in Islamorada will provide you with shopping among a variety of small shops in a jungle like setting. Just seeing the giant lobster out front of the gallery is worth the stop, but the stores inside offer you every thing from wind chimes and tiki heads to clothing and jewelry and some unique souvenirs.
Morda Bay– Everything you imagine a tropical paradise should be, Morda Bay has a beautiful white sandy beach, clear sparkling water, palm trees, and icy cold tropical drinks. Why not stop for lunch or for an afternoon of sunning on the beach?
Robbies– This is a great place to stop for those looking forward to feeding those giant tarpons by hand. It is both fun and little frightening to dangle a small dead fish above the water and have a huge 8 foot fish burst up out of the water to eat from your hand. Preventing the pelicans from eating your bucket of food is almost exciting as feeding the fish themselves.
Key West Snorkel Dip and Sip– There’s nothing better after a long drive then to get out and do a bit of snorkeling. Key west is a great place to go on a snorkel dip and sip adventure with your partner or friends.
Duval Street– Taking a walk down Key West’s 1 mile long Duval Street is a rich experience as the street is crowed with gorgeous mansions and quaint little bars where you stop and refresh yourself along the way.
While the Keys are known for warm tropical weather and sunshine, not every day is sunny, so be sure to take along rain gear whenever you are going to be out for a long period of time and check on weather conditions while driving the overseas highway.