Planning Your Adventure in the Florida Keys
Welcome to the Florida Keys!
We’re excited to present to you our ideas to help fill out an itinerary around our nuptials. Now, before you think the Keys are a string of white sand beaches, let us adjust your expectations. The Keys are a vibe, but it ain’t about the beaches - there aren’t many! That said, there are activities aplenty. We’ve highlighted some of our favorites below. We assure you that, regardless, you’ll do just fine drinking a mojito and watching the sun make its way over mangroves from Baker’s Cay. This list could go on, and on, and on. We hope you enjoy. Please let us know if you need referrals to lodging outside of Key Largo. Happy to help.
Key Largo and the Upper Keys
Check out Key Largo’s world-class snorkeling and diving scene.
You’ve got to get in the water in the Keys, and one of the most memorable activities you’ll encounter is snorkeling or diving. Key Largo has a number of opportunities to get your fins to the left, whether you want to explore John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park, the first undersea park in the United States, or schedule a private snorkeling and sandbar tour.
2. Pickle your tail off with local pickleballers.
Close to our venue, there’s a friendly, no-frills meet-up of pickleballers over at Jacobs Aquatic Center (located here). Play is usually until about 10:30am.
3. Begin your quest in search of the world’s best Key Lime Pie.
What trip to the Keys is complete without sampling some Key Lime Pie? Take it from us, if it’s green, don’t trust it: authentic Key Lime Pie should always be a pale yellow. But your conclusion of who serves the best pie around depends on your commitment to diligencing each slice you encounter, which could begin at Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen, a beloved tourist spot so nice they opened it twice on Highway 1, or the Blond Giraffe in Tavernier, perhaps the best of the bunch. If you’d like to review a definitive guide to Key Lime Pie within the Keys, we enjoy (and largely agree) with these takes. All of this having been said, we hate to spoil your quest, but the truth is, the best, most wickedest, graham crackeriest Key Lime Pie is made by Paige’s mom - bar none.
Islamorada and the Middle Keys
4. Try your hand night fishing through Robbie's Marina’s partyboat, or explore other marine activities at the marina.
Robbie's Marina has a number of amusements, but our absolute favorite activity in the Keys is to go out at sunset on a party boat and fish the night away. There are several options for night fishing in the Keys, but we are typically happy with our experiences at Robbie’s. Pro tip: make a stop at the local Publix to pick up subs to enjoy watching touristas feed tarpon shortly before you embark on your evening journey. If you’re lucky enough to catch something edible, there are a number of fantastic restaurants that will cook your catch for you nearby.
For friends who are less inclined to fish, we get it. You can also rent a boat, kayak, or enjoy other watersports through Robbie’s.
5. Loosen your belt at Bob’s Bunz, or a number of other food shacks.
Though we were devastated to learn Bob doesn’t design wedding cakes anymore, we love a breakfast at Bob’s. If you’re craving seafood with a water view, people often recommend Lorelei’s, but we’d first steer you to Lazy Days. To be clear, there is also some fine dining that might appease even our Californian foodienados - check out this list of restaurants in Islamorada.
Marathon and the Lower Keys
6. Fall head over heels with adorable herps at the Marathon Turtle Hospital.
Confession: we might drop out of school, quit our job and devote our lives to helping rescue turtles through the Marathon Turtle Hospital (just joking, but are we?). Don’t make the mistake we did and show up unannounced - if you’d like to check out the turtles and learn about their rescue programs, you’ll need to book an educational tour. It comes highly recommended.
7. Snorkel, party, or catch a sunset via the Marathon Mermaid.
If you want to have fun in the water, you could rent a boat for a day, but it’s much easier if you can hitch a ride on a catamaran. The Marathon Mermaid launched its business shortly before the panini, and we are thrilled with the ease of experience here. They provide reef-safe sunscreen and transport you out to Alligator Reef or a local sandbar for a day of coral sand and sweet sunburn. The ride is smooth and the chips/non-alcoholic bevvies are plentiful. For those weary of coral death, you can witness the success story of coral regrowth through snorkeling in Marathon - it’s quite heartening. FYI, we are hoping to schedule a sandbar party tour with this group on Sunday afternoon.
8. Roll about in the sand like a beautiful manatee at Bahia Honda State Park.
Like we said, there are not too many real beaches in the Keys, but Bahia Honda State Park has one of the best. Bring sunscreen, a book, and the will to chill.
Key West
9. Enjoy the ride down.
Crossing the Seven Mile Bridge down to Key West truly is one of the most unforgettable drives you will ever have if you make it when the sun is shining with the right tunes on. Might we suggest you bump honorary Bridesman’s Albert Pranno’s “Reggae & Company” playlist on the way down? Or maybe Joni Mitchell’s Blue - I don’t know why, but it fits.
10. Hop aboard the Conch Train.
You might take a look on this and think, “What kind of tourista would be caught dead on that thing?” We are here to tell you that the conch train is a classic, and it’s absolutely worth the hour of your time to enjoy some shade and get a real sense of history of Key West. If you enjoy this conch train, you’d also love a ghost tour.
11. Patronize local Keys artists throughout Key West.
There are a number of galleries in Key West. Paige’s favorite artist there is Martha dePoo. Lilly Pulitzer lovers may experience deja vu reviewing dePoo’s prints, as Martha designed fabrics for the brand for over 12 years.
12. Drink rum and people watch.
Whether you’re drowning your demons, or just hankering for something fruity, Key West has you covered. Jimmy Buffet cover bands? Check. Drag queens? The saltiest. The list could go on. If you can beat the heat, you’ll find fun.
13. Tour Ernest Hemingway’s home.
You might love this spot because of its rich history, or perhaps you just want to get a glimpse of the polydactyl cats. In preparation for our nuptials, we will likely reread The Old Man and the Sea and hope to tour the Hemingway Home, which Paige hasn’t seen in years, and Hans has never explored.
14. Dine at Blue Heaven.
The food here is phenomenal; bright but down-home, and just as unforgettable is the atmosphere. Passing through the rustic gates here makes us believe in a higher power. We will leave the rest of the experience of dining here to your imagination, though Paige would be remiss if she didn’t also point out that the restaurant was founded by a Carolina grad. Go ‘Heels. If you end up in Key West, do yourself a favor and ensure you get dinner here. You will not regret it.
15. Exhale at Key West’s nightly Sunset Celebration.
Each night in Key West, artists, locals, and tourists gather to celebrate the epic sunsets across the water. It’s simple, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that.
