Best Day Trips from Key West by Car
Five drives that justify the rental, from a thirty-minute hop to Big Pine Key to a full day up to Islamorada.
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- By Key West Car Rental Editorial Team
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Quick answer
Which day trips from Key West are worth driving?
Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key and No Name Key, and Marathon's Seven Mile Bridge are the three that repay the drive. All need a rental car and a full morning start.
Rent a car if you are
- Visitors with three or more nights in Key West
- Families wanting beaches beyond Smathers
- Wildlife and snorkelling fans
You can probably skip it if
- Cruise passengers in port for a day
- Visitors on a two-night Old Town break
Leave by 8am, pick one park, and you get the Keys at their best.
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- 7 min read
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Which day trip suits you?
Best beach day
Want the best beach in the Keys?
Happy with a 50-minute drive
Recommended
Bahia Honda State Park, MM 37.
Wildlife morning
Want Key deer and quiet backroads?
Early start possible
Recommended
Big Pine Key and No Name Key, MM 30.
Half day only
Only have a half day?
Prefer less driving
It depends
Stay local - Fort Zachary Taylor and Smathers Beach.
30-second summary
- Bahia Honda is 37 miles up - roughly 50 minutes each way.
- Big Pine Key's Key deer are most active at dawn and dusk.
- Marathon combines the Turtle Hospital and Seven Mile Bridge.
- State park entry runs a few dollars per vehicle.
- Fuel up before leaving Key West; prices climb mid-Keys.
Best for
- Families
- Beach lovers
- Wildlife spotters
- Couples on a short break
- Cruise visitors
01
Big Pine Key and No Name Key (about 40 minutes)
The shortest worthwhile drive. Big Pine Key is home to the National Key Deer Refuge, where the miniature deer are genuinely wild and often visible at dawn and dusk. Cross to No Name Key for quiet backroads and a famously unremarkable-looking pizza restaurant that everyone talks about. Drive slowly: the deer step onto the road without warning.
02
Bahia Honda State Park (about 50 minutes)
The best beach in the Keys, with shallow turquoise water on both sides of the key and a walkable section of the old railway bridge for the classic view. Arrive early — the park limits vehicles and closes entry when the lots fill, particularly at weekends.
03
Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (about 1 hour 15)
Cross the signature bridge, visit the Turtle Hospital, and swim at Sombrero Beach. Marathon is also the practical fuel and lunch stop if you are continuing north.
04
Islamorada (about 2 hours)
A full day out. Sport-fishing capital of the Keys, with galleries, roadside seafood, and the tarpon-feeding dock at Robbie's. Leave early and plan to return after dark.
05
A short sunset drive
If you only have an evening, drive out past Boca Chica toward the Saddlebunch Keys, pull into a legal roadside spot, and watch the light go. It is fifteen minutes from Old Town and, in a convertible, one of the best things you will do all week.
Reviewed by
Key West Car Rental Editorial Team
This guide is regularly reviewed to help visitors make informed transportation decisions while visiting Key West.
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