WHAT'S NEW IN THE FLORIDA KEYS & KEY WEST FOR 2023
Keys museum exhibits, art showcases and festivals are themed to celebrate the island chain's historic anniversary and vibrant heritage.
Community activities are to include a June 10 Sea to Table Dinner at Bud N' Mary's Marina in Islamorada to showcase the region's longstanding fishing industry, seafood and talented chefs. Keys fishing captains are to host each table. Attendees can also view Keys artists' work and historic photos, and visit Mote Marine Laboratory's on-site coral nursery during the event.
On
the afternoon of June 17, a celebratory picnic is scheduled at Rowell's
Waterfront Park in Key Largo with activities to include swimming, sailing and
live music by the Mangrove Swamp Band and others.
In
the Lower Keys on July 3 — Bicentennial Day — plans call for themed
festivities, traditional fireworks with a laser light show, and the creation of
the world's largest Key lime pie, expected to measure 13.14 feet in
diameter. The gargantuan version of the Florida Keys' signature dessert is to
be certified in a resolution by Monroe County commissioners. The high-energy
event is to also feature live music by Brian Roberts and the Prime Movers and
former American Idol finalist and Keys resident Kristen McNamara.
Among
what's new in the Keys:
Keys
Accommodations
At
Everglades National Park, the all-new 24-unit Flamingo Lodge &
Restaurant is slated to officially open this fall. The
lodge is to offer 24 units with kitchenettes including studios and one- and
two-bedroom suites fronting Florida Bay. The park's fully renovated pink Guy
Bradley Visitor Center — with interactive exhibits, a gift shop and expansive
views overlooking Florida Bay — also is scheduled to open in fall. The park is
the continental United States' third-largest national park at 2,400 square
miles. It celebrated its 75th anniversary in December 2022 in Monroe
County's Flamingo area, a 50-minute drive from the park's entrance in Homestead,
Florida. Bird species found in the park include the roseate spoonbill, white
pelican, reddish egret and painted bunting. Visit nps.gov/ever or flamingoeverglades.com/flamingo-lodge-restaurant or
call 855-708-2207.
In
Islamorada, the new 12-acre Sun Outdoors Islamorada has
opened at 87395 Old Highway oceanside. The resort features 82 full hookup RV
sites with amenities including pergolas, outdoor kitchens, patio furniture, 47
boat slips at three marinas, pool and private poolside cabanas, kayak and
watersport offerings, clubhouse, organized events, camp store, workout center,
Tiki hut, second-story ocean view lounge and complimentary Wi-Fi. Sun Outdoors
Islamorada is Florida's 59th Sun Outdoors resort and the third in the Keys, in
addition to Sun Outdoors Key Largo and Sun Outdoors Marathon. All three are pet
friendly. On-site are 48 pastel-hued vacation homes for sale. Visit soislamorada.com or sunoutdoors.com or
call 888-886-2477 or 786-841-0030.
In
Islamorada Chesapeake Beach Resort has unveiled new villas as
well as a new boat ramp and a new dock. The property currently offers 52 units
with balconies, 11 villas with outdoor paved patios, two pools, a beach bar
cart and a beach venue for weddings, events, family reunions and corporate
retreats of up to 100. Villas, each with a kitchenette, include an
830-square-foot ocean king villa, a 700-square-foot one-bedroom ocean view, a
650-square-foot two-bedroom, 520-square-foot king and ADA-compliant king
efficiencies, and 320-square-foot standard king units. Kayaks and fishing rods
can be rented on-site. Visit chesapeake-resort.com or
call 305-664-4662.
On
Duck Key, Hawks Cay Resort offers a new scuba partnership
through Marathon-based Better Than Most Scuba, offering snorkeling, SDI and
PADI dive certification, lobstering and spearfishing courses and excursions for
resort guests. With its Coast Guard–certified vessel Diane Marie — stocked with
water, fresh fruit and reef-safe sunscreen — the scuba operator takes a maximum
15 divers on each trip. The 60-acre Middle Keys resort has 177 guest rooms, 250
two- and three-bedroom villas and 20,000 square feet of oceanfront meeting and
event space. Visit hawkscay.com or
call 888-395-5539 or btmscuba.com or
call 305-432-1214.
Two
new Florida Keys “Aqua Lodges” with waterfront two-bedroom,
one-bath tiny house–style accommodations have been added in Marathon, and a
central Keys reservation line and booking website are now operational. An
additional 38 Aqua Lodges are available for overnight stays at marinas in Islamorada,
Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West. Each 350-square-foot lodge has a full
kitchen, flat screen TV and air conditioning and accommodates four adults and
two children. Visit keyslodging.com or
call 888-976-0794.
In Key
West, Mellow Ventures Backcountry Outfitters is
launching a catamaran cottage for overnight accommodations, with
bookings expected to be available beginning in late May. The new
“Outpost,” a fully restored former cigar-maker's cottage that accommodates
overnight parties of up to six, is built on 50-foot catamaran hulls.
All-inclusive, customized Backcountry Eco Vacations include on-the-water stays,
experiences and healthy meals, and feature three tiers: the Eco Outpost with a
Tiki boat dockside, Eco Sailing with a dockside catamaran and Eco Adventure
with overnight trips from the Dry Tortugas to Everglades National Park. The
backcountry charter company has locations at 1605 N. Roosevelt Blvd.
and at 201 William St. Its Mellow Café & Gastropub on
North Roosevelt Boulevard has expanded outdoor seating for up to 60. It serves
vegan fare, artisan tacos, exotic meats and craft beer. Visit mellowkw.com/eco-vacations or
call 305-745-3874.
In
Key West, The Keys Collection's four properties — The Gates
Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn Key West, 24 North Hotel and Fairfield Inn &
Suites — offer lively monthly programming featuring “puppy yoga” classes and
Paint & Sip Nights with local artist Lance Berry. The Collection's “Na Ma
Sit & Stay Yoga” is held the second Sunday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at
the Sunset Green Event Lawn. Admission is complimentary; a $10 donation per
person is suggested with all proceeds donated to Florida Keys SPCA. The Paint
& Sip Night is offered the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at
Republica Bar & Lounge at 24 North. Reservations are required; a $40
admission per person includes a complimentary cocktail. The hotels collectively
feature 519 rooms, six bars, four pools and five dining options. Meeting and
event space includes Sunset Green Event Lawn, an outdoor green landscaped area
of more than 12,000 square feet and space for 1,200 guests. Visit thekeyscollection.com or
call 786-644-1600.
Keys
Attractions
In
Key Largo at Mote Marine Laboratory's third land-based Keys
facility — the Key Largo Coral Nursery at Reefhouse Resort, located
at 103800 Overseas Highway — a new “Slice of Paradise” activity enables
participants to experience microfragmentation, using a small diamond-bladed saw
to create small coral fragments. After slicing the coral, participants mount
the fragments onto ceramic pedestals to allow growth at the land-based nursey
until the fragments are large enough to outplant onto Florida's Coral Reef.
Participants also tour the facility and learn about endangered coral species
and Mote's genetic diversity and resiliency-focused strategies. Minimum age is
10 and those ages 10-17 must be accompanied by a paying adult. The experience
is priced at $125 per person. To schedule, visit Mote.org/KeysTours,
email shuber@mote.org or call 219-363-3493.
Dolphins
Plus Marine Mammal Responder (DPMMR) rescue group is
developing The Protect Center as South Florida's only working and
teaching veterinary hospital to treat injured bottlenose dolphins, whales and
other marine mammals. The new hospital facility, located at 82748 Overseas
Highway bayside in Islamorada, is to include a 40-foot-diameter pool for
long-term marine mammal rehabilitation, an educational classroom and a
3,000-square-foot marine conservation-themed museum. It's slated to be fully
open by late summer. Currently, the Protect Center's retail space is open daily
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The center's affiliated experiential learning facility,
The Connect Center, is located at 31 Corrine Place in Key
Largo. DPMMR has responded to more than 700 injured, sick and stranded
marine mammals in the Keys. Visit connecttoprotect.org/hospital or
call 305-453-4321.
In
Marathon the Pigeon Key Visitor Center and Pigeon Key train
depot have a new location at 1090 Overseas Highway bayside at the old Seven
Mile Marina property. Pigeon Key Express train tours depart daily at 10 a.m.,
noon and 2 p.m. with check-in at least 10 minutes prior to departure. Lying beneath
the historic Old Seven Mile Bridge, the tiny island of Pigeon Key was a work
camp for laborers constructing the bridge in the early 1900s and now features
restored buildings and a museum. Guided tours of Pigeon Key, which can be
booked online, begin at the yellow picnic tables on the south side of the
bridge tender's building by the umbrellas. The Historic Florida Keys Foundation
recently designated two ceramic star awards to Monroe County Project Management
for preservation and restoration of the Pigeon Key Honeymoon Cottage (its
construction began in 1942), and commissary buildings (whose construction
started in 1913). Visit pigeonkey.net or
call 305-743-5999.
In
Key West's Truman Waterfront Park, the state-of-the-art family-friendly Florida
Keys Eco-Discovery Center, with contemporary new exhibits that highlight
Florida Keys mangrove habitats and allow interaction with life-size mangrove
branches, is open to the public Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A
freestanding main exhibit focuses on the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary, while other exhibits include a colorful light-filled aquarium
showcasing coral restoration, the Florida Keys Shipwreck Trail and an
interactive paddleboard experience through mangroves. The center is located at
35 Quay Road. Visit floridakeys.noaa.gov/eco_discovery.html or
call 305-809-4750.
In
Key West, Pride of Key West, operated by Fury Water
Adventures, carries on a glass-bottom boat tradition that marks its
70th anniversary this year. In 1953 the Fireball, the island's first commercial
glass-bottom boat, began operating from a dock at the foot of Duval Street on
the Gulf of Mexico. Today the dock is home to Pride of Key West, a contemporary
window on the undersea world that continues the city's seven-decade
glass-bottom boat tradition. The 60-foot air-conditioned glass-bottom catamaran
carries passengers on narrated eco-excursions to view the continental United
States' only coral barrier reef and colorful marine life such as subtropical
fish, rays and sea turtles. Visit furycat.com/key-west/glass-bottom-boats or
call 888-976-0899.
Keys
Television and Podcast
The
Florida Keys & Key West have launched FloridaKeysTV, a free
on-demand globally streaming channel that showcases exclusive programming
dedicated to the island chain. The channel is available on Amazon, Android
Mobile and TV, Apple TV, Apple IOS for iPhone and iPad, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung
and LG. "Our new on-demand streaming channel, free to download and watch,
is an easy, convenient way for viewers to experience Keys-dedicated
programming," said Stacey Mitchell, director of the Florida Keys
tourism council. "Viewers can explore the entire island chain, learn about
sustainability initiatives such as 'Connect & Protect', experience deep-sea
fishing adventures and discover the Keys' unique culture and cuisine.”
Florida-based Crawford Entertainment, creator of the “How to Do Florida”
TV series, produced the channel and is managing its dedicated programming.
FloridaKeysTV features more than 75 hours of family-friendly one-hour and
half-hour episodes focusing on history, environmental stewardship, eco-tourism,
fishing, diving and travel adventures. Additional programming is slated.
Visit floridakeystv.com or fla-keys.com.
A
new “Florida Keys Traveler” podcast, a 30-episode series showcasing
the continental United States' southernmost island chain from the early 1800s
to the present, launched globally March 23 on more than 25 platforms including
Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify. Two episodes per week are
scheduled, with the podcast's last episode to air Monday, July 3, commemorating
the Florida Territorial Legislature's establishment of Monroe County July 3,
1823. Produced by Armchair Productions, episodes feature Keys personalities
including historians, wildlife experts, colorful locals, environmentalists,
entrepreneurs and adventurers. Host Elizabeth Harryman Lasley has hosted shows
on KABC Radio and Southern California Public Radio station KPCC and is
immediate past-president of the Society of American Travel Writers. Visit fla-keys.com or armchair-productions.com
Keys
Pride
The Key
West Business Guild is planning a 20th anniversary celebration to
commemorate the island city's famed 1.25-mile-long sea-to-sea rainbow flag,
billed as the world's longest rainbow flag, with events to take place during
the guild-produced Pride festivities set for June 7-11, 2023. The flag was sewn
in Key West in 2003 by rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker to mark the 25th
anniversary of his original banner's debut. To highlight Pride 2003, it was
unfurled by several thousand volunteers along the entire length of the island's
Duval Street, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, with its ends
dipped simultaneously into the two bodies of water in a sea-to-sea
demonstration of diversity and pride. The 2023 celebration's highlight is to be
a three-night laser light show that re-creates the flag above Duval Street,
with its colors once again stretching the nearly 1.25-mile length of the
renowned thoroughfare. Visit gaykeywestfl.com/pride/ or
call 305-294-4603.
Keys Makers
The
Lower Keys' Grimal Grove, billed as the first and only
breadfruit grove in the continental United States, has launched Mutiny
Island Vodka – Grimal Grove Reserve, the only spirit distilled from Keys
breadfruit grown at Grimal Grove. It's crafted in partnership with St.
Croix–based Mutiny Island Reserve Vodka and is available at stores in Key
Largo, Islamorada, Summerland Key and Key West. Future plans include
distilling the spirit in the Keys. Grimal Grove also offers 90-minute guided
“fruit excursions” showcasing species of subtropical fruits, trees and plants.
Visitors can sample breadfruit and other fruits, attend plant clinics and learn
about 1950s-era hermit Adolf Grimal, a recluse who designed Old Grimal Estate at
258 Cunningham Lane on Big Pine Key. It's open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon
for guided and self-guided tours. Visit grimalgrove.com or
call or text 305-923-6663 to book a tour.
Keys
Accolades
Tripadvisor
has named Key West among the 10 most popular domestic visitor
destinations in its 2023 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best awards. Key West
ranks seventh on the roster of the United States' domestic destinations. “Key
West offers a laid-back and warm embrace to its visitors — an atmosphere and a
welcome that continue to draw people from around the U.S. and the world to
share that experience," said Stacey Mitchell, director of the Florida
Keys tourism council. Key West was cited for its refreshingly slow pace,
history as a haven for U.S. presidents and literary legends Ernest Hemingway
and Tennessee Williams, exceptional diving and the kid-friendly Florida Keys
Eco-Discovery Center. The Travelers' Choice Best of the Best awards are the
highest honors bestowed by Tripadvisor, billed as the world's largest travel
guidance platform. Award winners are selected annually based on millions of
reviews and opinions collected from travelers around the world. Visit tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations-cPopular-g191.
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