Driving the Overseas Highway (Highway 1) through the Florida Keys is a bucket list item for many! Driving over bridges with nothing but blue ocean surrounding me was a vision I had stuck in my mind. I had this road trip mentally planned for so long, and was so excited to finally pull the trigger in January 2022! It’s an easy trip from mainland Florida cities of Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Simply fly in, get a rental car, and cruise (with the windows down, of course). Here is my guide to a one day road trip through the Florida Keys!
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 😉
7 Mile Bridge
7 Mile Bridge is exactly that- a spectacular bridge that connects Marathon with Bahia Honda Key. This 2-lane highway stretches over the brightest, bluest water you’ll ever see and is really fun to drive over. In January 2022 (only a few days before my visit), they re-opened the walkway on Old 7 Mile Bridge from Marathon. You can walk or bike over 2 miles all the way down to Pigeon Key. There is a small parking lot in Marathon just before the start of the bridge. I was never able to find a place to park, so I couldn’t do the walk, but that might have been due to the fact it had just reopened!
And yes, I clocked it- it is actually 7 miles long. 😉
Fred and Donna
Keep a sharp eye out along 7 Mile Bridge! Fred the Tree and Donna the Bush grow out of the bridge to the right when driving down Highway 1 (or left if driving up) and are local celebrities! It’s actually pretty astounding how they have taken root and flourished on this concrete structure. They even survived Hurricane Irma!
Bahia Honda State Park
Bahia Honda State Park was one of my favorite stops on my road trip through the Florida Keys! Located just south of Marathon and 7 Mile Bridge, this state park has great beaches, views, and crystal clear water. For $4.50, you get all day access to this perfect park. When you arrive, drive all the way to the end of the road where a large parking lot will be on your right. There will be a beach on both sides of the lot, but my tip would be to park toward the back. That beach was less crowded, had larger sandy areas, and was more enjoyable! There are bathrooms and showers available near the beach, which was an added bonus.
My absolute favorite part of the park was walking out onto old Bahia Honda Railroad Bridge! To access, follow signs through the butterfly conservation area up the ramp onto the bridge. The 360 degree views are stunning. You’ll get to see both beaches, tons of reefs, 7 Mile Bridge, and beyond!
Tip: Some of the beaches didn’t have a lot of room to lay out on the sand, so try to visit during low tide if you can!
Key West
Once you make your way further down into the Lower Keys, I found that Big Pine Key was the last “big stop” until you hit Key West, about 45 minutes later. Other than that, it was pretty remote, so just kick back and enjoy the drive. Keep a sharp eye out for key deer through the lower keys!
About a half hours drive past Big Pine Key, you’ll roll into the laid back, beachy city of Key West. This is the perfect place to end your road trip through the Florida Keys! Do a quick stop at the Southernmost Point for a picture, or stretch out onto Smathers Beach for a quick nap. Take a stroll down Duval Street for some shopping, drinks, or a bite to eat. Whatever you do- make sure you make your way to Mallory Square for their nightly Sunset Celebration! Tons of vendors, musicians, and street performers come out and the square comes alive with activity. You can sip on a freshly cut coconut while getting a palm reading and listening to a live band as the sun goes down. Where else but Key West?! It’s THE place to be at sunset!
Read More: How to Spend One Day in Key West, Florida
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