Calusa Waters and the Florida Keys

When we were asked to present a workshop on outdoor writing in Florida at the Society of American Travel Writers regional conference in Cape Coral, we decided to build a road trip around the experience.

Summer in Florida is not the time to do hiking research, but as the publishers of Florida Hikes and the authors of an app on the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, it was crucial for us to visit the Florida Keys to see how businesses and natural areas were doing after the impact of Hurricane Irma last year.

We didn't spend a lot of time hiking. Instead, we brought our bicycles along for the ride, and ended up with one of us or the other being on the water daily for a week.

Early rides and cool breezes let us enjoy Florida's outdoors in summertime, along with a healthy application of sunscreen and big spray. Here are the destinations we explored over a two-week period.

We had two trips to Key West during this road trip: one by the Key West Express ferryboat from Fort Myers Beach, the other by car and bicycle.

PLANNING RESOURCES: Visit Sarasota | Florida Keys & Key West | The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel | Punta Gorda Englewood Beach | South Dade

Itinerary

Venice, Florida

DINING: Burgundy Square Cafe, Cafe Evergreen

Key West, Florida

Key West by Ferry

Using the Key West Express ferryboat instead of spending ten hours driving, we slipped away from Fort Myers Beach for an overnight adventure exploring the best of Key West.

Trails and TravelSandra Friend

Wildlife in the Mangroves

Paddling the mangrove tunnels north of Key West with Key West Eco Tours, I’m surprised to discover the wildlife that lives in these offshore forests in the Florida Keys.

Trails and TravelJohn Keatley

DINING: Azur Restaurant, Smokin' Tuna Saloon, Blue Heaven in Bahama Village, Salute! on the Beach, Half Shell Raw Bar
LODGING: Casa Marina Resort

Cape Coral, Florida

Cabbage Key Nature Trail

Hike the Cabbage Key Nature Trail for a step back in time on an island known for its great cheeseburgers and layers of mystery, from Calusa times to a mystery writer’s family retreat.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Tropical gardens from the 1920s grow lavishly around the historic winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers.

Florida HikesSandra Friend

DINING: Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant, Prawnbrokers, Marker 92
LODGING: Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village

Punta Gorda, Florida

The Pint-sized Ponces of Punta Gorda

Ponce de Leon, it seems, was a short fellow. In Punta Gorda, Florida, you’ll find pint-sized statues, murals, and even the Fountain of Youth to recollect his 1513 visit to Charlotte Harbor.

Trails and TravelSandra Friend

Ponce De Leon Park

A city park with dramatic sunsets over a beach on Charlotte Harbor, Ponce De Leon Park is a delight for birders and paddlers, too.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Punta Gorda Harborwalk

With views that offer the opportunity to watch dolphins from the shore, the Harborwalk is a recreational gem in downtown Punta Gorda. It spans 2.3 miles and connects five parks along Charlotte Harbor.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Punta Gorda Linear Park

A greenway through the heart of historic residential Punta Gorda, Linear Park provides a mile-long corridor of nature in the city along a historic railroad line, good for a 2.3-mile round-trip.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

DINING: Table & Tap, Perch 360, Dean's South of the Border, Village Fish Market, The Perfect Caper, Peace River Seafood

LODGING: The Wyvern Hotel

Englewood, Florida

Cape Haze Pioneer Trail

Don’t miss the surprising beauty of the Cape Haze Pioneer Trail, where you can bike or hike a 7-mile linear greenway from Port Charlotte through Rotonda to the mangrove-lined waters of Placida.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Stump Pass Beach State Park

At the south tip of Manasota Key, Stump Pass Beach State Park sits at just the right angle to collect seashells like a scoop, so early risers have great shelling

Florida HikesSandra Friend

DINING: Mama's Italian Restaurant

Estero, Florida

Florida’s Utopia

At the Koreshan Unity in Estero, Florida, a group of believers gathered in 1894 to build their paradise. It is now a National Historic Site and a Florida State Park.

Florida HikesJohn Keatley

Miami, Florida

Biscayne National Park

Florida’s largest offshore park, Biscayne National Park protects living coral reefs and islands that are the northernmost part of the Florida Keys

Florida HikesSandra Friend

Pinecrest Gardens

Established in the 1930s as a tropical tourist attraction, the roots of Pinecrest Gardens spring from the former Parrot Jungle, with winding paths through an enhanced tropical landscape.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

DINING: Shorty's BBQ, Pinecrest Wayside Market, The Fish House

Key West, Florida

Key West Au Naturel

On a recent visit to Key West, we sought its natural side - what it looked like before it became a city. And since it’s been a city for more than 150 years, it takes a bit of sleuthing to find natural habitats.

Florida HikesSandra Friend

Biking the Lower Keys on the Overseas Heritage Trail

On its 35.1 mile route from Key West north to Spanish Harbor just north of Big Pine Key, the southernmost segment of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail delights with many historic bridges.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Sonny McCoy Indigenous Park

Within sight of the Atlantic Ocean, Sonny McCoy Indigenous Park is a rare patch of green space in the city of Key West, with native trees and a natural freshwater pond.

Florida HikesSandra Friend

Little Hamaca Park

A preserve along the historic Key West Salt Ponds, Little Hamaca Park has a boardwalk and footpath leading through a cross-section of the island’s habitats.

Florida HikesSandra Friend

Waves at White Street

At the Atlantic end of White Street in Key West, a convergence of history, culture, and recreation happens on one of the quieter corners of this bustling island

Florida HikesSandra Friend

Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden

Boardwalks and footpaths wind through curated plant collections against a backdrop of natural habitats at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Cuban chugs in Key West

Sometimes we take history for granted. A walk through the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden led to a collection of Cuban chugs, which we didn’t know what they were until we learned their story.

Florida HikesJohn Keatley

Big Pine Key, Florida

National Key Deer Refuge

Established in 1957 to prevent the extinction of the diminutive Key deer, National Key Deer Refuge spans 84,351 acres across 25 islands in the Lower Keys.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Bahia Honda State Park

Home to natural beaches and a campground, Bahia Honda State Park is one of the more popular outdoor recreation destinations for camping and snorkeling in the lower Florida Keys.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

DINING: Milagro
LODGING: Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge

Marathon, Florida

Sombrero Beach

At the southern tip of Marathon, Sombrero Beach offers beachgoers a natural strand and an easy beach walk within sight of the Keys’ largest lighthouse.

Florida HikesSandra Friend

Curry Hammock State Park

Spanning more than 1,110 acres across a chain of islands northeast of Marathon, Curry Hammock State Park protects rare Florida Keys habitats and provides camping with a view of the Atlantic Ocean.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Long Key State Park

A former coconut plantation and angler’s destination, Long Key State Park is now a natural oceanfront outpost in the Florida Keys.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

DINING: 7 Mile Grill, Cracked Conch Cafe

Islamorada, Florida

Green Turtle Hammock Nature Preserve

On a wild sliver of Upper Matecumbe Key, footpaths wind through a rockland tropical hammock where a rocky crevice emits sulfur fumes and signs warn of crocodiles.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park

Preserving a patch of tropical forest surrounding quarries opened in 1908, Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park showcases the uniqueness of the geology of the Florida Keys.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Plantation Hammocks Preserve

Adjoining Founders Park on Plantation Key, Plantation Hammocks Preserve showcases some of the Florida Keys most interesting flowers under a generous canopy of well-established tropical trees.

Florida HikesSandra Friend

DINING: Craig's Restaurant
SHOPPING: The Rain Barrel, World Wide Sportsman

Key Largo, Florida

Pennekamp State Park

Molasses Reef, the most accessible living coral reef in the United States, is the reason that John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park exists in the Florida Keys. Hike, paddle, swim, snorkel, and camp.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park

A botanical treasure rescued from developers, Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park has the highest concentration of National Champion trees in the United States.

Florida HikesSandra Friend & John Keatley

Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Protecting more than 6,700 acres of Key Largo to provide prime habitat for the endangered American crocodile, Crocodile Lake NWR has a small visitor complex where you can learn about species conservation at the refuge.

Florida HikesSandra Friend

DINING: Mrs. Mac's Kitchen, Lazy Lobster
SHOPPING: Key Lime Products