Marathon Florida is like the middle child of the Florida Keys. Everybody’s heard of it, but nobody really raves about how much there is to do there. Until now that is. Fishing, museums, hiking, spectacular dining, and even a turtle hospital are all waiting for you in Marathon Florida.
Everybody knows Key West, everybody knows Key Largo, and everybody knows the Seven Mile Bridge. Marathon is that little strip of highway that you race through right before that bridge. But. Do yourself a favor, stop and stay in Marathon for a few days and see all the wonderful things that it has to offer.
Marathon Florida, Many Islands, One Name
Marathon is not one island, or even one key. It’s a community made up of 13 islands that was incorporated in 1999. It was inhabited by sponge fishermen in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While the Overseas Railroad was being built, hundreds of construction workers lived in the area. After the railroad was destroyed in the 1935 hurricane, the Overseas Highway was built. And today, almost 10,000 people reside in this 9 square mile community and millions more visit annually.
Things to do in Marathon
When you’re traveling through Marathon Florida on the Overseas Highway, just going by the Sandal Factory billboards, you would think that there are nothing but t-shirt shops. But once you find out how much there is to do there, you’ll probably want to spend a few days in this middle keys destination.
Marathon Florida Marinas
Visitors not only get to Marathon by car, and they can also fly into the local airport, but many actually get there by boat. Marathon boasts multiple marinas with 1200 wet slips available for transients and permanent docking. Additionally, Boot Key Harbor offers over 200 mooring balls to attach to and is managed by the city. There are also multiple locations where you can anchor and stay for free.
The main marinas range from the “first class” Faro Blanco Marina, that accommodates boats from 35′ to 140′. The members only Marathon Yacht Club, which offers Mah-Jongg with your lunch, but you have to be a Yacht Club member. If your needs are less than docking a 140′ and you’re not a Yacht Club member anywhere, then the Marathon City Marina might be a good fit for you, and their prices are fantastic! Skipjack Marina is also a resort, you can dock your boat and enjoy all the amenities that the resort has to offer.
Fishing in Marathon Florida
Saltwater fishermen know about Marathon; it’s been a charter fishing hotspot for years. Tarpon, mahi mahi, sailfish, and tuna all run at different times during the year. Grouper, and wahoo will get your fishing rods flexing too. If you’re more of a snorkeler and shellfish lover, make sure that you’re around for lobster season (Aug – March) and pick up some Florida spiny lobster. There is also the world’s largest stone crab fishery in the world right in the Florida Bay!
Whatever season that you happen to be in Marathon, there’ll be fish waiting for you. Bring your boat, grab a charter, or just fish from shore. Just make sure that you have the proper license.
Crane Point Hammock and Museum
Visit a hardwood forest that was at one time slated to be a condominium complex. Crane Point is a 63 acre preserve that was saved from development by the Florida Keys Land Trust, and they still own it today.
Today, you can walk the nature trails through the woods to the bay and be educated on the trees and fauna that are native to the Florida Keys. Take in spectacular views of the Florida Bay, sit for a while and get a fish pedicure, or hang out at the bridge and feed the tarpon.
Also on the property is a perfectly preserved home of a sponger who lived on the property in the early 1900s. It’s the oldest house in the Keys outside of Key West. The custom mid-century home was built by conservationists Frances and Mary Crane, whom the property is named after. The museum is a treasure trove of Keys history and its inhabitants. Be sure to visit the butterfly meadows, bird sanctuary, and keep a look out for assorted wildlife, they are all on the 1 1/2-mile nature trail.
Admission is $17.95/9.95 for adults/children.
Read more about Crane Point Hammock here.
Pigeon Key
What was once a camp for workers building the Overseas Railway is now a designated historic landmark of original buildings. It’s just off of the old Overseas Highway that was closed when the new seven-mile bridge opened. To get there you can walk two miles on the old seven-mile bridge, or you can take a trolley from the parking lot to the island.
On the island if you choose to, you can take a guided tour of the buildings. The tour covers the history of the island and the people who helped build the railway. After your tour you are free to walk around. Bring your own lunch and dine at the picnic tables as there are no food accommodations on the island. On the west side of Pigeon Key there’s a dock that you can walk out on and enjoy the breeze. Bring your bathing suit and snorkel gear with you and witness some amazing marine life.
There’s a museum that explores the deeper history of the island; it has artifacts and portraits. If you’re there for the 1 PM tour, you can feed the sharks in their pool.
Admission is $28/20 for adults/children if you’re taking the trolley and $15/12 if you walk or bike the bridge. Of course, there is a discount for veterans too. If you’re staying in Marathon for a while, you can always sign the kids up for their summer camp.
Check out our sister site article on Pigeon Key!
The Turtle Hospital in Marathon Florida
A motel with a pool that turned into a motel with an aquarium, that turned into a turtle hospital. Sound confusing? Well, that’s only part of the story.
Definitely one of the best things to do in Marathon is to take a 90 minute guided tour of the working turtle rehabilitation center. You’ll learn about the different types of sea turtles, what hazards they face, and what’s being done to help them out. You’ll also get a tour of the various pools that the turtles are kept in as they rehabilitate. And you’ll get to meet some of the permanent residents, turtles that are too injured to make it on their own in the wild. While there are a minimum number who can’t make it in the wild anymore, the good news is that there are over 1500 sea turtles that the hospital has rehabbed and returned to the wild.
Tours of this non-profit need to be scheduled, you can do it online. You can walk up but you might have to wait awhile for your tour to start. Admission is $35/17.50 for adults/children.
Read more about the Turtle Hospital here.
Aquarium Encounters
Have you ever wandered around an aquarium and wanted to get into the tanks with the wildlife? If so, this is the aquarium that you’ve been looking for.
Your admission into the aquarium includes a guided experience of the grounds. Plus, they have touch tanks, where you can interact with sting rays, other tropical marine life, you can even reach into a sub-50-degree tank and touch some isopods.
If you’re more of a feeder, you can feed tarpons, freshwater turtles, lobsters, sting rays, and other reef residing fish. While you can watch and this is included with your admission, you do have to buy food if you want to actually feed them.
If you really want to get up close and personal with the marine life and don’t want to go to all the hassle of getting scuba certified, then Aquarium Encounters offers exclusive access to sharks, stingrays, and other tropical marine life.
Don’t worry, you won’t be getting into the water with the sharks, you’ll just be petting them. But you can get into the water with the sting rays, and snorkel in their lagoon. For a more immersive experience, you can jump into their 200,000-gallon saltwater tank and snorkel or dive the coral reef. If you’re a certified diver you can dive the reef, they also have a non-certified diver encounter.
Admission to the aquarium is $30/20 for adults/children. The guided tour, and feeding the fish are included in general admission, the other encounters are at an additional cost.
Sombrero Beach in Marathon
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay up to date on current events going on in the Florida Keys!
If you just want to hang out under the sun and enjoy cool ocean breezes while you gaze out into majestic turquoise waters, then load up the family truckster and head over to Sombrero Beach.
As most keys visitors find out, even though you’re on a bunch of islands, surrounded by gorgeous water, you really don’t have a lot of good beach options. Sombrero is the exception to that. White sand lines the shore where you can set up your beach chair and tent and just enjoy the day.
There is also a grassy park area with pavilions, picnic tables, and volleyball courts. Bring your snorkel gear because you can snorkel right off the shore and see amazing marine life. If you’re a kayaker, you can launch from here and paddle the mangrove trails on Boot Key.
Parking is $5 for the first two hours and $2 an hour after that.
Places to Dine in Marathon
You could stay in Marathon for a month and not run out of new restaurants to try. There are tiki huts galore, stand-alone concrete block buildings that look like dive bars but hide surprisingly upscale restaurants. Not to mention the local pubs. But the one thing that they have in common is fantastic food, and most of the time unsurpassed views.
Dockside Boot Key Harbor
If you really want to hang with the locals, then you’ll want to hit up Dockside. Located right on the harbor, they have cold drinks, bar food, live music, and plenty of characters. Grab lunch and watch the boats come and go or have an enjoyable sunset dinner and stay after for the fun. Dockside is located at 35 Sombrero Blvd, Marathon, FL 33050.
Fish Island
If you’re the big, as in huge, tiki hut restaurant type, then you’re going to want to check out Fish Island. Underneath their tiki hut they have a raw bar, delicious sea food, and they’re on the bay side of the island so you know what that means? That’s right, fantastic sunsets, but you don’t have to wait until the sun goes down to enjoy their food, they’re open from 8 AM until 10 PM. Find Fish Island at 12648 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050.
Porky’s Bayside
Porky’s is the place to go to get you BBQ fix while you’re in Marathon. They have great open views of the bay under, you guessed it, a tiki hut. The food is great, the atmosphere is Marathon, and it doesn’t matter whether you want BBQ or seafood, they have both and they’re wonderful. Bonus – if you bring your catch in, they’ll cook it for you while you’re enjoying their nightly band. Porky’s Bayside is at 1400 Overseas Hwy MM47.5, Marathon, FL 33050.
Staying in Marathon Florida
Marathon is packed with mom-and-pop motels, mid and upper range hotels, and world class resorts. But you’re not limited to brick-and-mortar hotels either, you can book house boats or even a boat in a marina. Be sure to check the total trip price and not the nightly price because they do throw resort fees and cleaning fees on top of that.
Captain Pip’s Marina and Hideaway
You can opt for the rare “deluxe triple room”, or you can get away with a deluxe double room. Or any of the other 22 variations available in this brightly painted hotel. Conveniently located on the water and right down the street from Porkys.
Blackfin Resort and Marina in Marathon Florida
Nice little motel with its own private beach and pool on the Florida Bay side. Short walk to Crane Point Hammock, and a less than 5-minute drive to Sombrero Beach.
Faro Blanco Resort and Marina
This is a more upscale hotel, with four swimming pools, but no beach. The Turtle Hospital is walkable from here. Plenty of activities and there’s even a lighthouse.
