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I was so excited that it was finally our family’s chance to discover the best things to do in Marathon Florida Keys and report back to you! I know it’s nerve-wracking as a Mom to travel that far south and not know if the long trip will be worth it and family friendly. That’s why I do what I do! If you’ve been tagging along, this is part #4 in our Florida beaches tour as we’d been on the hunt to find the best East Coast Florida beaches from North Florida all the way to Key West. Be sure to read the following Florida beaches reviews first to catch up on our trip: Things to Do in West Palm Beach, Miami Beach with Kids, and the family guide to Islamorada Florida Keys. We’ve had fun gathering the best things to do in Florida so your family won’t waste time on things that are boring or not so family friendly. Enjoy all of our photos and video about the best things we found to do in Marathon Florida Keys below.
THINGS TO DO IN MARATHON FLORIDA BACKSTORY
We stopped to discover Marathon as part of a travel article for Okefenokee Living Magazine. Our thanks go to The Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau and the venues below for hosting us. As always, my honest Southern opinions are my own.
Yet, there’s another reason I was very excited to take a week-long Florida Key family vacation. A part of a military family, we were stationed in Key West, Florida when I was very young and I barely remember traveling the iconic seven mile bridge to go back and forth between the Keys and Georgia to visit my grandparents. I was thrilled to find the best things to do in Marathon Florida with my own little family and can’t wait to share our travel secrets with you.
Marathon, Florida itself is a petite, 10-mile-long, family-oriented island community conveniently situated right in-between Islamorada, Florida and Key West, Florida. Marathon has a longstanding fishing heritage, an old-Keys lifestyle, unwavering seafaring traditions, and one of the Keys’ most marine-friendly cities with nearly 1,200 wet slips and 1,200 dry slips. We found it to be a low-key vacation spot with small hotels, beachside inns, and family-style resorts with waterside restaurants that harvest fresh fish, lobster and stone crab claws from local waters.
MARATHON FLORIDA FAQS
These are the most commonly asked questions about a Marathon, Florida family vacation below:
How far is Marathon Key from Miami?
I would say that if you drive from Miami, Florida to Marathon, Florida non-stop, it’s about 110 miles, and depending on traffic would take just over two hours.
How far is it from Marathon to Key West?
Driving from Marathon, Florida to Key West, Florida is approximately 50 miles.
What Florida Key is Marathon located on?
Marathon is located in the midst of what’s known as the Middle Keys of Monroe County, which are small remote keys that are home to mostly nature and wildlife: Knight’s Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and the Grassy Key islands.
Which airport is closest to Marathon?
Of course, we took a Florida Keys road trip, but if you wanted to arrive by airplane, you would have to fly into the Miami International Airport or the Key West International Airport.
OUR FAVORITE FAMILY FRIENDLY THINGS TO DO IN MARATHON FLORIDA
#1 DISCOVER THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE
For the love of all things holy, make sure to travel the seven-mile bridge at leisure so that you can take in all its beautiful glory. It sounds like it would take forever, but it’ll be over before you know it! Completely surrounded by water and part of the Overseas Highway, the seven-mile bridge is a beauty to behold. The modern bridge includes room to pull over and capture photos and video of the perfectly clear water. The old seven-mile railroad bridge can be viewed from the modern one and is a great reminder that dreamers can certainly make things happen.
#2 BEACHCOMB AT SOMBRERO BEACH
Since we were on the hunt for Florida beaches along the east coast on this trip, we were dying to see what Marathon, Florida beaches were like. A local told us about Sombrero Beach and told us it was part of a nice, clean city park. Located in the midst of what appeared to be a very nice residential area, we found Sombrero Beach to be a slightly bustling little place with a family-friendly vibe.
One of the best things to do in Marathon Florida is to take the family to Sombrero Beach as early in the morning as possible before everyone else arrives. This sandy beach is open from 7:30 a.m. until dusk and has handicap accessibility, picnic pavilions, restrooms, and showers.
#3 VISIT FLORIDA KEYS AQUARIUM ENCOUNTER
Our of our very favorite things to do in Marathon Florida is spend the day at Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters. Seriously, our time there was so relaxed yet heart-pounding, safe but thrilling that I honestly didn’t want to leave. This aquarium is a marine life facility with diving, snorkeling & feeding activities, with touch tanks, tours & even its own cafe. It features a stunning coral reef exhibit and a predatory fish habitat housed in a 200,000-gallon interconnected saltwater aquarium.
Visitors can enjoy an immersive, interactive experience where they can touch, feel and feed reef fish, invertebrates, stingrays and even sharks. Like us, you can interact with sea life like stingrays, tarpon, starfish, queen conch, horseshoe crab and then hand feed sharks!
#4 ENJOY MARATHON RESTAURANTS
Dinner at the Lighthouse Grill at Faro Blanco in Marathon, Florida was a special surprise. We enjoyed exceptional service from a fabulous waiter and a delightfully unique waterfront atmosphere. In the shadow of the historic Faro Blanco lighthouse, the marina view as the sun set behind the palm trees in the distance was breathtaking. I couldn’t wait to walk the gorgeous property including the lengthy boardwalk of the marina. It’s true… there’s something special about a sunset in the Florida Keys.
I hope this list of 4 must-see things to do in Marathon Florida has been helpful and assists you in planning a family vacation in the Florida Keys of your very own. You’ll find our adventure video below and links to all places below. Enjoy!
PLACES TO VISIT IN MARATHON FLORIDA
Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters: 11710 Overseas Highway, Marathon FL
Lighthouse Grill at Faro Blanco: 1996 Overseas Highway, Marathon FL
Sombrero Beach: Sombrero Beach Rd, Marathon, FL
For more Islamorada Florida Keys information, visit The Florida Keys & Key West
Published on HuffPost, Okefenokee Living Magazine, and more, Shan is a Family Travel Journalist with a passion for helping women lose the overwhelm of planning family-friendly trips in the south. She shares travel reviews & insider secrets that Women REALLY want to know about Georgia, Florida, & the Carolinas vacations.
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So, it’s like a less touristy alternative to key west? It looks so beautiful I’d love to visit it. My kids would love that you can feed the creatures at the aquarium. I don’t see myself being able to travel their anytime soon since I am all the way across the US 🙁
Author
Yes, MUCh less tourist-y! We loved it! 😉 Maybe you can make a longterm plan to visit! 🙂
much love,
shan
I miss Florida so much! We lived in Fort Lauderdale for several years and we would drive down to the Keys but we only ever went to Key Largo and Islamorada because the weather never seemed to cooperate. So I would love to visit Marathon!!
Restaurants – YEP!! That’s where I would go first! hahahaahah!
Love this! Florida has a soft spot in my heart! We used to live in Jacksonville <3 This seems like another great florida spot!
These photos are gorgeous! I lived in Florida for a while back in high school (Gainesville), but never made it down to the keys. I’d really love to at some point. It looks so fun!!
I absolutely LOVE the keys! I grew up in Florida so we would go camping there about once per year, usually in the summer. We stayed on either Fiesta Key or Marathon Key, but always took a trip down to Key West and across the bridge. It’s gorgeous there!
I want to go to Florida so bad! The water looks gorgeous!
This takes me back to my husband and I’s vacation pre-children and before his last deployment. We spent most of our time at Key Largo and there was this awesome diner! I wish I could remember the name.
Marathon is absolutely beautiful!! We are taking a trip there next May. I can’t wait. I love the seven mile bridge and the beaches are gorgeous.
Author
Yay, Madison. So glad you already have a trip planned. It’s a unique and amazing place!
much love,
shan
The water looks like paradise! My son would totally would love the aquarium! He is obsessed with sharks. We really need to put Marathon on our bucket list.
Author
Yes, that aquarium was unbelievable. During that shark encounter where we handfed them, my heart was beating so fast. I was pretty nervous, but it was awesome!
much love,
shan
My friend went to Marathon a year ago and had nothing but rave reviews. It is on my to do list.
Author
Yay, Rachel. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Lovely vacation destination. 😉
much love,
shan
What an amazing place! And all these photos! Florida looks so beautiful and your suggestions are on point. Wish I had the time and the money of course to take a trip over there!
Author
Awe, thanks, Helene. So glad you liked it and found it helpful. You could do some longterm planning! I think it’s worth it! 🙂
much love,
shan
This looks so beautiful! We are heading to Florida in October, definitely going to look into this 🙂
Author
Yay, Cassie! I hope you have SO much fun. Let me know if I can answer any questions!
much love,
shan
Thank you, Shan!
We have been to the commercial Florida and this side which is what I call the REAL Florida. Loved the place, natural beauty and lovely people too x
Author
Awesome! Yeah, the tourist-y stuff is fun to see quickly but the natural, real Florida is where it’s at!
much love,
shan
Author
Yay, Tami. Glad it was helpful and I love the whole look of the aquarium too. The tiki hut theme was so neat! 🙂
much love,
shan
Author
I’m glad it’s been helpful, Adrienne, and thanks for your kind words. It’s never too late to start planning – even if it’s longterm and it certainly won’t hurt anything! 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions about Florida and maybe I can help!
much love,
Shan
I have lived in Florida my whole life and have yet to go there, can you believe it?! I need to for sure!
It’s so beautiful! I’d love to visit the seven-mile bridge!
The Keys are without a doubt one of my favorite places to visit. It’s just so laid back and the Island vibes are strong. Definitely a great place for a family get away with so much to do!
I just want to go to Florida!! FL is a day’s drive for us and I can’t wait to take the family back there. This is such great info for us!
Author
I’ve discovered how amazing Florida really is in just the last three years. There are so many family friendly things to do – whether you want to amusement-style trip or a more laid-back natural Florida vibe. We love it!!
shan
We LOVE the Florida Keys!! Adding Marathon to our list of places to go next year. Those restaurants look so fun!
Author
We now love Marathon too. Such an under-the-radar but fabulous spot!
shan
My dad just went there and loved it! I’ll have to check it out next. And that Aquarium is so cool!
Author
It’s SO much fun. Let me know when you go!!
shan
I’ve never been to the Keys before, but these look like a lot of fun! Pinning this for later!
Author
I was nervous to travel so far but the Florida Keys are still spectacular. Definitely worth all the time to get there!!
shan
This looks so beautiful. It would be nice to get to go on a trip like this.
Author
You should go for it, Rachel! Even if it’s a trip planned way out in the future, it’s definitely worth it!
shan
I am planning a Miami to Key West road trip for next March for my family. This looks terrific. Any tips for hotels?
Author
How exciting, Susan! Not sure which area you are wanting to stay but I would definitely say Havana Cabana Resort or Casa Marina in Key West (look up my Key West post!). For a halfway mark, the Islander Resort in Islamorada (look up my Islamorada post!). In Miami, my pick would be the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach Hotel at 6261 Collins Avenue (look up my Miami beaches post!). Let me know if I can help any further.
Shan