Key West is a vacation spot that provides an array of activities for families. Families with young children should consider staying in accommodations away from the downtown bustle of Duval Street. The Hyatt Resort and Marina on Front Street is a luxury resort, offering a private beach, golf course, swimming pool and on-site dining. The Casa Marina is four blocks from Duval Street on Reynolds Street, providing the largest private beach on the island, two pools, gardens and rooms with double beds for families. Families can rent a cottage or house while in Key West. Family activities in Key West include boating out of Lands End Marina on the Glass Bottom Boat, which allows up-close views of sea life such as sharks, tropical fish, coral and sea turtles. Attractions such as the Key West Aquarium, Butterfly and Nature Conservatory and Shipwreck Historeum provide families with daytime enjoyment. Restaurants such as A&B Lobster House and Louie's Backyard offer upscale oceanfront dining and cuisine while Conch Republic, El Siboney, Hard Rock Café and Daddy Bones BBQ offer casual dining atmospheres.
Key Largo is the northernmost island of the Florida Keys and the diving capital of the world because of the many shipwrecks and an enormous artificial reef. Families can enjoy marine activities such as diving, snorkeling and riding in a glass bottom boat. Dolphin Cove is a facility that gives families the opportunity to spend a day swimming with the dolphins and provides charter boat rides to Everglades National Park where families take ecology tours to view plants and wildlife such as mangroves, manatees, dolphins, flamingos and alligators. Key Largo's Theatre of the Sea offers dolphin, sea lion and parrot shows, marine life exhibits and guided tours. Key Largo accommodations options include resorts, private vacation homes and chain hotels for families to stay at based on budget and preferred type of lodging. Restaurants such as the Bayside Grille, Fish House and Café Largo provide family-friendly atmospheres with menu options including fresh catch-of-the-day seafood.
Bahia Honda State Park on Bahia Honda Key offers an outdoor venue where families spend vacation camping and enjoying activities provided within the park, such as kayaking, biking, swimming, fishing and snorkeling. Three duplex cabins that sleep six, and 80 tent or RV campsites, are available for family lodging. Snorkeling boat tours depart daily from Bahia Honda, allowing families to rent equipment. Kayaks are rented from the concession stand, which is opened during the day, serving snacks such as pizza, ice cream and sandwiches.
