There are some holiday destinations that feel made for families with young children, and some that feel like a logistical stretch. The Florida Keys, if you’re reading this from the UK, probably sits firmly in the second camp. You might think it’s a bit of an unusual first trip to Florida with kids – but R’s far too young for Orlando and we’re very much in the ‘where do we want to go’ stage still.
Here’s what we found: the Florida Keys might be one of the most naturally baby-friendly places we’ve ever taken R. The pace is slow (it feels much more tropical than the rest of America), the people are warm, the outdoor lifestyle means you’re never trapped inside, and the affordable accommodation (for what you get – we had a private pool!) makes the whole thing well worth it.
We flew from London Heathrow, drove the famous Overseas Highway from Miami, and spent a week in Key Colony Beach in the Middle Keys in December. Here’s everything to know when planning a Florida Keys holiday with a baby.
Getting to the Florida Keys from the UK
There are no direct flights to the Florida Keys from the UK – the closest major airports are Miami and Fort Lauderdale, both of which have direct flights from London (British Airways and Virgin fly to Miami; multiple airlines serve Fort Lauderdale). From Miami Airport, you’re looking at a couple of hours’ drive to reach the Middle Keys, or around 3-4 hours to Key West.
That drive is very much part of the experience. Once you hit Key Largo the landscape changes completely – water either side of the road, the Atlantic on your left, the Gulf of Mexico on your right, 42 bridges connecting the islands all the way down. We hired a large SUV which was perfect for fitting our luggage, the pushchair, and the 4 of us comfortably. We’d recommend searching with Discover Cars to compare the best rates on car hire from Miami.
A word on jet lag with a baby: we found it manageable. The five-hour time difference going west is generally easier than coming home. R adjusted within two days, and the early wake-ups actually worked in our favour for getting to beaches before the crowds. You can read our tips here.
Practical tips for families visiting the Florida Keys
- Book direct flights to Miami – British Airways and Virgin both fly Heathrow to Miami, journey time around 10 hours
- Hire a large SUV or people carrier – you’ll want the boot space for a pram, luggage, and all the baby kit
- If you’ve not been to Miami before, it’s worth a couple of nights in a beachfront hotel, a food tour around Little Cuba, and a walk around the art deco South Beach district
- The drive from Miami to the Keys really depends on where you’re going. Plan a stop at a takeout (like Wendy’s) on the mainland (Homestead is probably your best bet) before you hit the Keys, as options thin out. If you’re going all the way to Key West like we did the first time we visited the Keys, somewhere like Porky’s Bayside restaurant is a good midway point
- Make sure you book your child car seat in advance
- Check out BabyQuip – a fantastic network of baby and toddler items to rent. We hired a high chair and an outside playpen with a sun canopy and it was all delivered to our Airbnb before we arrived. I couldn’t rate this service more!
- The US uses 110v power sockets — bring a travel adaptor for the steriliser, baby monitor, and anything else you need to charge
- Americans are wonderfully enthusiastic about babies. Baby changing facilities are plentiful, restaurants genuinely welcome families, and strangers are delighted to coo over a toddler in a way that makes the whole trip feel warm and easy.
- The Middle Keys are a sweet spot as a base: quieter than Key West, more central than Key Largo, and with a proper self-catering base you have everything you need without the noise.
Where we stayed: our Key Colony Beach Airbnb
We stayed at a gorgeous 3-bedroom canal-front house in Key Colony Beach – a quiet, residential island that sits just off Marathon. With an 11-month old baby and my mum along for the trip, having proper space was non-negotiable, and this place delivered on every count.
The private heated pool looking out onto the canal was the real star of the show, and R adored it. Every morning started the same way: R splashing in the pool with a non-stop flurry of flying above. It was pretty perfect.
The location is peaceful and residential (with multiple food options nearby) but perfectly placed to explore the whole Keys. You can drive to the tip (Key West) for a day trip, and back up to the likes of Islamorada.
If you’d prefer a hotel or resort base for your Florida Keys family holiday, there are some brilliant options – particularly in the Middle Keys around Marathon and Islamorada. Look for properties with a pool, direct water access, and a restaurant on site, as these make life with young children significantly easier. The Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key is the standout choice for families – it has a lagoon pool, waterfront location, and a genuine resort feel.
Meanwhile Islamorada has a handful of boutique waterfront properties that are hard to beat for atmosphere – this is where we based ourselves on our first trip in 2019. We also stayed in Key West, although that’s likely better suited for trips with older kids. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Key Largo for a few nights at the end as a base for the Everglades, and it worked perfectly.
What we did: Ten Florida Keys family activities that work with young kids
1. Calusa Beach at Bahia Honda State Park
Bahia Honda State Park is regularly voted one of the best beaches in Florida, and the praise is deserved. Calusa Beach has stunning clear water, a backdrop of the old Bahia Honda Rail Bridge, and a sense of untouched Florida Keys atmosphere that’s hard to find further south towards Key West. We had a long wander through the park, paddled in the shallows, and then headed to Porky’s for lunch on the way back – a casual, brilliant roadside Keys institution. Entry fee applies for the state park but it’s very reasonable.
2. Sunset from Sombrero Beach, Marathon
Sombrero Beach is a lovely beach in Marathon with powdery sand, calm shallow water, shaded picnic areas, and a children’s playground. We went at sunset and really enjoyed it.
3. Feed the tarpon at Robbie’s, Islamorada
If you do one thing in the Florida Keys as a family, make it Robbie’s. This legendary marina at Islamorada is famous for its tarpon feeding – a school of more than 100 enormous silver tarpon that come to the dock daily looking for a snack. You buy a bucket of fish, lean over the railing, and these prehistoric-looking creatures leap half out of the water to grab them. It is both absolutely ridiculous and absolutely brilliant. R was transfixed with all the pelicans muscling in for scraps – it added to the chaos but gave us a great show. As a British family visiting the Florida Keys, this is the one that will make you feel like you’ve really arrived.
Beyond the tarpon, Robbie’s has kayak hire, eco-tours, a waterfront restaurant, craft stalls, and a lot of character. It’s touristy, but the good kind – fun and affordable. We first visited the Keys back in 2019 without children, and we kayaked from Robbie’s to Indian Key (a remote island) via some very atmospheric mangroves.
4. Crane Point Hammock, Museum and Nature Center, Marathon
One of the best toddler-friendly attractions in the Middle Keys and a great outdoor activity for little ones, Crane Point is 63 acres of tropical hardwood hammock with easy, flat trails that work for a pushchair (although we used our carrier). There’s a small museum with touch tanks, a children’s pirate ship play area, and the Marathon Wild Bird Center on site. It’s gentle and genuinely lovely and under 5s are free.
5. The train to Pigeon Key
Pigeon Key is a tiny island tucked under the old Seven Mile Bridge, once a workers’ camp for the men who built Henry Flagler’s famous Overseas Railway. Guided tours depart from Marathon and include a land train ride across and a fascinating glimpse into Keys history. Plan around nap times as shade on the island is limited, but the views back towards the bridge are spectacular. The tour itself was very good and we were glad we made the time.
6. A day trip to Key West
A day trip to Key West is practically obligatory on a Florida Keys family holiday, and it’s a brilliant outing – though come prepared for it to be busy, especially around Duval Street. The Old Town is gorgeous for a wander with the pram, the free-roaming chickens absolutely delighted R, and Mallory Square at sunset is a proper spectacle with street performers and the whole Keys community gathering to watch the sun go down.
When we first visited the Keys in 2019 we spent a few nights here, and enjoyed a trip to Fort Zachary Taylor and around Ernest Hemingway’s house / museum.
7. A taste of the Everglades
The southern tip of this national park is accessible from the Florida Keys – we stayed in Key Largo for a few nights to reduce the driving but you could visit from Islamorada too. As one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet it’s a pretty extraordinary site. With both alligators and crocodiles (one of the few places to have both), manatees and a vast array of birds, it’s like nowhere else we’ve ever been.
The closest entrance to the Keys is the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center near Homestead. December was an ideal time to go – it’s dry season, temperatures are comfortable, and wildlife is abundant and easy to spot. The Anhinga Trail is the must-do: a flat, paved boardwalk where alligators lounge just feet away and herons stalk the water right beside you. It’s pushchair-friendly too.
Both times we’ve visited we have then driven onto Flamingo and taken the boat trip from there. I was a little worried how R would last 90 minutes relatively confided but he fell asleep during it.
If you don’t want to drive, Captain Larry (see below) offers a boat trip from Key Largo right into the south side of the Everglades, winding through mangroves as the sun goes down over the water. As an introduction to this remarkable landscape, it’s hard to beat.
8. A private, family-friendly Florida Keys boat trip
One of the absolute highlights of the week, and an outdoor activity for toddlers that I’d recommend without hesitation, is a boat trip with Captain Larry. He operates out of Key Largo (we stayed here for a few nights towards the end of the trip while visiting the Everglades) and it’s super affordable so you can rent the whole boat.
I’d been looking for something similar from Key Colony Beach and while Marathon had plenty of option, nothing private was affordable and the shared trips were all 2+ hours, which I knew would be too long for R.
Larry clearly knows these waters inside out and made us feel relaxed with a small child on board. At $199 for a 2.5+ hour Everglades to Atlantic family charter and just $99 for a 1-hour sunset trip around the south side of the Everglades, it’s a steal. We did a 1 hour morning cruise before heading back to the airport and ended up with at least 90 minutes at sea.
He doesn’t have a website, but you can reach him directly by email (keylargoafterdark@gmail.com) and I’d recommend doing exactly that – he’s the kind of local operator that it feels good to support.
9. The Marathon Turtle Hospital
The Turtle Hospital was on our list but we ran out of time. It’s a working sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation centre running tours where you get up close to turtles being cared for. Reviews from families consistently rave about how engaging it is for all ages. Pre-booking is required.
10. Morada Way Arts and Cultural District, Islamorada
The Morada Way Arts and Cultural District is a six-block stretch along the old highway in Islamorada – a world away from the strip malls and tourist shops on the main drag – where galleries, studios, and boutique shops sit side by side in a way that feels rooted in the community.
The art on display is almost entirely inspired by the landscape surrounding it: the water, the fish, the light, the mangroves. It’s completely free to visit – just park up and explore at your own pace. If you happen to be there on the third Thursday of the month, the district also runs a monthly Art Walk from 6 to 9pm with live music, open galleries, and food, which by all accounts is a brilliant evening out.
Where to eat: the best food in the Florida Keys for families
The combination of fresh seafood, casual outdoor dining, and genuinely welcoming restaurants makes eating out somewhere like the Keys far less stressful than it is elsewhere. Here’s where we’d send you:
Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe
Key lime pie is non-negotiable in the Keys, and Kermit’s is the gold standard. A tip if you’re travelling as a group: buy a whole pie – it works out significantly cheaper per slice than buying individual portions, and frankly you’ll eat it all anyway. We picked up a frozen pie so it was ready to eat by the time we got back to our airbnb.
The Island Fish Co. Restaurant and Tiki Bar, Key Colony Beach
A brilliant find right on our doorstep in Key Colony Beach – so good we went twice! Waterfront dining with a tiki bar atmosphere, fresh fish, and the kind of laid-back Keys vibe that makes every meal feel like a small occasion. Very family-friendly — the outdoor setting means a wriggling toddler isn’t anyone’s problem.
Havana Jack’s Oceanside Restaurant and Bar, Key Colony Beach
Another Key Colony Beach gem, and a great option for an evening out without driving far. Oceanside setting, a solid menu, and the sort of place that feels like a local favourite rather than a tourist trap.
Lazy Days Restaurant, Islamorada
Lazy Days sits right on the water in Islamorada with gorgeous views and generous portions of fresh seafood. It’s popular, so get there early or be prepared to wait (or sit upstairs in the inside section like we did), but it’s worth it. The drive up to Islamorada from Key Colony Beach takes around 30 minutes and makes for a lovely morning out combined with a stop at Robbie’s.
Robbie’s Hungry Tarpon Restaurant, Islamorada
We’ve already mentioned Robbie’s for the tarpon feeding, but the restaurant deserves its own mention. R was completely taken by the pelicans swooping around the dock, which meant we had a genuinely relaxed, unhurried meal while he watched the chaos with enormous concentration. The food is great and the waterfront setting is hard to beat.
Marathon Bagel Co., Marathon
A proper bagel shop doing brilliant breakfasts – the kind of place you end up going back to more than once during the week because it’s just that good. Perfect for fuelling up before a busy day.
El Molcajete Mexican Restaurant, Key Colony Beach
We did takeout from here one evening and it was excellent – proper, flavourful Mexican food. Great option when you want something a bit different from seafood and want to eat at home after the kids bedtime.
Porky’s Bayside BBQ, Marathon
A Keys institution and a brilliant spot for a casual lunch. We went after our first day at Bahia Honda State Park and it was as unpretentious as it was in 2019! With generous portions, great food, and the kind of place that feels properly local we highly recommend as a lunch stop.
Mr Beans Books and Beans, Marathon
A lovely local spot, this combination of a coffee shop and second-hand bookshop feels like a neighbourhood spot rather than a tourist trap. Great for hiding from the midday sun with a baby who needs a quiet moment.
Is a Florida Keys holiday worth it from the UK with a toddler?
We went in wondering whether the location would work as well as we’d remembered from our 2019 trip, and if the long-haul journey was sensible with an almost-one-year-old, and while different to our Boston and Cape Cod trip in August it was equally successful!
The Florida Keys as a family holiday destination has something that’s hard to find closer to home: Florida sunshine, an abundance of wildlife, tropical vibes with an undoubtedly slower pace of life, and a casual setup.
So if you’re sitting on the fence about whether to make the trip: book it. Drive the Overseas Highway slowly, find yourself a place with a pool and a water view, and let the Keys do the rest.
Keep us posted on your travels!
Allie, Jack & R x
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