Bahia Honda State Park

Key West has history, bars, and sunsets; what it lacks is a great natural beach. For that, drive about an hour up the Overseas Highway to Bahia Honda State Park, which consistently ranks among the finest beaches in Florida. The park spans a key at the edge of the Lower Keys where deep water — "bahia honda" means deep bay — cuts between the islands, and it has three distinct beaches: Calusa Beach on the bay side, small and sheltered with the old bridge as a backdrop; Loggerhead Beach facing the Atlantic, shallow and wild (its sand was thinned by the 2022 storms); and Sandspur Beach, nearly a mile of soft sand and turquoise shallows that is the park's postcard. The landmark is the Old Bahia Honda Bridge, part of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad, which ran to Key West from 1912 until the 1935 Labor Day hurricane destroyed it; the steel truss bridge was later converted to carry the original highway, and now sections have been removed and the remaining span serves as a viewpoint reached by a short trail — the panorama over the channel's blues is one of the great views in the Keys. The park concession rents kayaks and snorkel gear and runs boat trips out to Looe Key, a celebrated reef area in a national marine sanctuary, and there are picnic areas, a nature trail, and a small campground and cabins that book up far ahead. Entry is a modest per-vehicle fee plus the county surcharge.

The drive is half the reason to go. The Overseas Highway (US 1) runs 113 miles from the mainland to Key West across 42 bridges, built largely on the bones of Flagler's railroad after the 1935 hurricane. Heading north from Key West, you cross a string of Lower Keys — Stock Island, the Saddlebunch Keys, Sugarloaf, Cudjoe, Summerland, Ramrod, and Big Pine Key, where tiny Key deer, an endangered subspecies, browse the roadside (obey the reduced night speed limits) — before reaching Bahia Honda at around mile marker 37. Continue another twenty minutes north and you reach the Seven Mile Bridge, one of the engineering wonders of the route; the restored Old Seven Mile Bridge alongside it reopened to walkers and cyclists in 2022 and leads to tiny Pigeon Key, the historic railroad workers' camp. A full day can combine Bahia Honda's beach in the morning with the Old Seven Mile Bridge walk in the afternoon and a drive back into the sunset.

Beach strategy: arrive early, especially on winter weekends, because the park can reach capacity and close the gate temporarily. Sandspur is the best for long walks and wading; Calusa is best for families with small children and for kayak launches; Loggerhead is the quietest. Bring water shoes, plenty of water, shade, and reef-safe sunscreen — services are limited to the concession and restrooms. The Looe Key snorkel trips from the park are excellent value and fill up, so reserve with the concession; conditions matter, and windy days can cancel them. Sargassum seaweed occasionally washes up in quantity in the warmer months, which affects the Atlantic-facing beaches more than the bay side.

Who should go? Anyone staying four or more days, beach lovers who find Key West's small beaches disappointing, and families who want a classic sandy beach day. If you are on Key West for only two days, the drive is a stretch; prioritize the island's own sights and Fort Zachary Taylor instead. If you are driving down from Miami, stop at Bahia Honda on the way in — it breaks up the journey perfectly and gives you your first swim of the trip before the final hour to Key West.