Where to Stop on the Way to Key West

Tons of people fly directly to the popular Key West, but there are so many incredible experiences in all the Florida Keys via the Overseas Highway (it connects the tiny keys to the mainland). From Key Largo to Key West, there are tons of places to stop and things to do on the way to Key West.

A Brief Overview

If you start in Homestead near Everglades National Park, it’s just under three hours to drive to the last key (Key West). From Miami, it’s just under four. The drive down the Overseas Highway can easily be done in a day even with these stops, but the Upper, Middle, and Lower Keys all have very different “vibes,” so you might want to take a little longer to leisurely embrace the feelings. If that’s the case, I have a longer post of things to do in the Florida Keys (under construction).

P. S. This plan is laid out in the order you come across, so you’ll know where to stop on the way to Key West!

Coming from the mainland? You might be interested in these other posts:
One Day in Big Cypress National Preserve
A Huge Guide to Everglades National Park
Trails in the Everglades: Ranked!
How to Have an Amazing Adventure in Everglades National Park

Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park

For those that need to stop and stretch frequently on drives, Dagny Johnson is a nice stop to walk on over six miles of trails, mostly paved. It’s a shady hardwood hammock with 84 protected species. While there isn’t anything ah-mazing, it’s a nice spot to wander for a little bit. You can spend as little as 10 minutes or as long as a half day walking around, but I think a 30 minute jaunt would suffice for most.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Address: County Rd 905 & Mile Marker 106, Key Largo, FL 33037
Price: Honor box $2.50

If you are hungry, stop at Coco Plum Place in Key Largo between Dagny Johnson and the bird sanctuary. Smoothies, smoothie bowls, wraps, salads, coffee, burritos, and pastries are offered with many vegan options.

Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary

The best part of this sanctuary is the information it provides on their non-releasable birds (the only ones visitors can see). So many sanctuaries/rescues simply say their animals are not releasable, but don’t provide reasons or history behind that claim. Laura Quinn, however, has signs on most of their enclosures. The boardwalk with the enclosures is open daily from sunrise to sunset, but if you want to go to the education center or gift shop, be sure to check the updated hours. It won’t take long to explore, at most 30 minutes.

Note: While there is controversy around the sanctuaries and animal care in general, I found Laura Quinn to meet expectations, and I enjoyed seeing the birds they had that were not releasable. Many people complain that the enclosures are small, but they exceed standard and minimum requirements. They do not let people see injured birds or attempt to acclimate them to humans.

Another note: During the slower months of late June to early September, they often undergo construction/renovations to keep their birds safe.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Address: 93600 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070 (down the road for the gift shop)
Price: Donations are appreciated but not required to visit the sanctuary and birds.

Old Road Gallery/Our Place in Paradise

These are just two examples of the many art galleries that you may want to stop at on the way to Key West. Old Road Gallery in Tavernier has a sculpture garden, pottery studio, copper workshop, and bronze work, while Our Place in Paradise boasts paintings, pottery, glass, and photography. Each stop should be less than 30 minutes unless you become engrossed.

Rain Barrel Village

Rain Barrel Village is arguably the most popular place to go in the Florida Keys, at least for tourists. It’s extremely hard to miss because of the huge lobster sculpture outside (her name is Betsy). The Rain Barrel is an open-air complex with tons of specialty shops, galleries, food, and boutiques like jewelry, handmade crafts, local art, and more. The area itself is lovely with an outdoor tropical feeling. Unfortunately, most of the stores were closed when I stopped so I don’t have an accurate time estimate! I would guess an hour for leisurely strolling.

Hours: 9am-5pm, but certain stores may vary
Address: 86700 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park is full of Key Largo limestone, or fossilized coral. For decades, Windley Key was actually two keys, but the land was eventually sold to the Florida East Coast Railroad, and the railroad crew filled in the shallow space between them. They used the stone to build the Overseas Railroad in the early 1900s (replaced by the Overseas Highway in 1938), and the quarry continued to be used until the 1960s to produce Keystone. Now, visitors can see the 8-foot high walls and see cross sections of ancient coral. I spent under 30 minutes here, but there’s 1.5 miles of trails, tours, and a visitor center if you would like to delve deeper.

Hours: 8am-5pm Thursday-Sunday
Address: 84900 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036
Price: $2.50/person

Florida Keys Farmer’s Market

Look for the giant mermaid to find the market – I drove right past it. From local flowers and farmers to vibrant art, most anyone can find something to enjoy while they stroll. You might even pick up dinner for when you get to Key West (or wherever you are staying).

Hours: Until 3pm (Sunday only)
Address: 81001 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036 (parking lot of Islamorada Gardens Plaza)

Long Key State Rec Area/Park

Camping is really what’s popular here because everything is oceanfront (and there is minimal light pollution, so star-gazing is nice), but it’s still a nice stop to stretch your legs if you need. Alternatively, you can paddle, swim, walk on the two trails, snorkel, or go geo-seeking if you want to spend more time in this lovely spot.

Hours: 8am to sunset
Address: 67400 Overseas Hwy, Layton, FL 33001
Price: Variable based on number of people and mode of transport

If you are hungry, stop at Food for Thought in Marathon, Florida. It has an all vegetarian menu with most options being vegan (like wraps, burgers, and salads). Good Food Conspiracy on Big Pine Key (after Bahia Honda State Park) also has vegan options like salads and sandwiches.

Bahia Honda State Park

If you need to choose between stops, make Bahia Honda State Park a top priority (along with National Key Deer Refuge). It has iconic Florida scenery like palm trees, clear water, and mangroves, but it’s also beautiful in it’s own right. There’s almost everything you could ask from from a Florida state park, including snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, kayaking/canoeing, paddling, hiking, geo-seeking, camping… the list goes on.

Hours: 8am to sunset
Address: 36850 Overseas Hwy, Big Pine Key, FL 33043
Price: $8/vehicle

National Key Deer Refuge

Established in 1957 to protect and preserve the Key deer and other wildlife resources, National Key Deer Refuge spans 9,200 acres of land. It includes pine rocklands, tropical hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh wetlands, and mangrove forests, plus 23 endangered plant and animal species. I wasn’t lucky enough to see a Key deer, which is a smaller sub-species of white-tailed deer. You can spend hours roaming the area or just 30 minutes.

Hours: 10am-3pm Monday-Saturday
Address: 30587 Overseas Hwy, Big Pine Key, FL 33043

Key West

The last stop is Key West (unless you are getting on a boat to Dry Tortugas National Park!). There’s something welcoming about Old Town Key West (where your final destination will typically be). It’s warm, welcoming, but also lively. Up to this point, the other keys have a more mellow, laid back, vacation-y beach-goer feeling, but Key West infuses that with spark. You can easily spend days here, but I will be sharing my four day itinerary soon.

Have you been to the Florida Keys? Where would you stop?
Let me know if you have any questions below!

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