The Best Places to Eat in Marathon, Florida

If you’re planning a trip to Marathon, Florida, and wondering where to eat, we’re excited to share with you our picks for some of the best places to eat in Marathon. There are so many restaurants offering great food and atmosphere in the Middle Keys of Florida. From casual light bites to gourmet meals and everything in between, here are a few of our favorite contenders for the best restaurants in Marathon, Florida. While we haven’t been everywhere, these are a few of our favorite spots to visit each year.

The Best Places to Eat in Marathon, FL

We are fortunate to have spent the past three winter seasons in Marathon, camping in the Florida Keys at Jolly Roger RV Resort. While we try to cook some meals in the camper, going out to eat and sampling local fare is one of our favorite things to do. Not only does it get us out of the confines of our small RV, but it also helps us experience the cuisine and culture of any place we visit.

Since we stay for several months at a time in Marathon, we’ve had the chance to sample many of the local Marathon restaurants from Grassy Key to the Seven Mile Bridge for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We hope our picks for dining in Marathon will help you enjoy many meals during your stay. We’re presenting these restaurants simply in alphabetical order since ranking these would be a difficult task.

Bongo’s Botanical Beer Garden

59300 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050   ridethelagoon.com

View of Bongos Cafe sign

Bongo’s Cafe is an amazing watersports park and tropical cafe in Grassy Key.

Bongo’s is a place you need to visit at least once while in Marathon.  In addition to a beautiful tropical garden seating area, tiki bar space, murals, and artwork from local artists, the property features a one-of-a-kind cable park lagoon for wakeboarding and watersports. There, you’ll see people of all ages learning or practicing holding on to what looks like a ski lift cable while wakeboarding over jumps.

view of Bongos cafe tropical bar and restaurant

The welcoming entrance to Bongo’s tropical bar and outdoor dining space.

At the bar area, they serve tiki cocktails that are crafted with local ingredients and garnished with fruit from the on-site gardens. The food offerings are out of a permanent food truck onsite. Dining options vary a bit day-to-day, but often include small plates for sharing, Caribbean and Polynesian-inspired bowls and wraps,  breakfast, brunch, and sandwich offerings, as well as daily specials. Everything we’ve tried or seen on neighboring diners’  tables looks beautifully prepared with fresh and healthy local ingredients.

image of two bloody marys with garnishes

The garnishes and fresh ingredients make Bongo’s Bloody Marys special. (We remembered to take a picture only after taking several sips!)

Bongo’s is a great spot for starting your weekend or having brunch since there is usually a fun crowd and a local musician on stage. You can also take your cocktail and walk through the little garden pathways looking at the wild banana plants and other fruits growing from the trees around the bar or head down to watch the water sports. There’s also a shop onsite full of wakeboarding gear and merchandise to commemorate your visit.

When dining there for brunch, we loved the guava mimosa and the Bloody Mary with special spices and calamodin orange garnish. We also enjoyed their Mojo Pork bowl, split a breakfast sandwich, and enjoyed a delicious guava and cheese pastry that was the special of the day. We haven’t been there yet this year, but we can’t wait to visit. We have no excuse not to since it’s just a quick walk from where we stay at Jolly Roger.

Burdine’s Waterfront

1200 Ocean View Ave, Marathon, FL 33050 burdineswaterfront.com

Burdine's restaurant sign

The entrance to Burdine’s Waterfront

Burdine’s Waterfront is a Marathon restaurant fixture and a fantastic place to check out if you’re seeking a great beach bar atmosphere with a water view.  Burdine’s offers an outside open-air tiki deck bar that is situated on the waterway near Boot Key Harbor with a panoramic view of the mangroves there.

We visited with friends one day to sample the two types of key lime pie they offer as well as the famous fries and hamburgers. We returned for a second year to try the fries and the key lime pie again.  As we noted in our best key lime pie in the Florida Keys article, Burdine’s serves one of our favorite unique takes on the fried key lime pie.

Basket of french fires with condiments nearby

The fries at Burdine’s are some of the best we’ve ever had. Bottle of Old Bay not included — but recommended!

Burdine’s is also one of the best places in all of Florida for a huge plate of fresh-cut fries. As Marylanders who are known to tote a small bottle of Old Bay with us to various restaurants, we think the fries become even more perfect when we topped them with a sprinkle of this spice.

Perhaps our only disappointment with the setup at Burdine’s is that they only serve beer and wine, and the relaxed waterfront tiki location seems like the perfect place to slip a frozen drink cocktail.

We’ve heard that it’s a great spot for lunch, with plenty of seafood and non-seafood sandwiches and handhelds to try. We’d think we’d like to try their take on the Mahi Reuben the next time we’re there. The very friendly, efficient, and hard-working bar staff and the relaxed atmosphere make it a welcoming spot to spend a sunny afternoon.

Castaway Waterfront Restaurant and Sushi Bar

1406 Oceanview Ave, Marathon, FL 33050 castawayfloridakeys.com

Image of the signs at the entrance to Castaway restaurant in Marathon, Florida.

Entrance to the legendary Castaway restaurant in Marathon, Florida. Known for lionfish and fresh sushi

Castaway is the place to get fresh seafood including sushi or the lionfish they are famous for. It’s rumored that the owner often dives for this spiky and invasive fish and gives it to the kitchen to cook for that same day in creative ways.  If you’re looking for an afternoon early happy hour, this is also the place to try with an extra special deal on half-priced drafts from 2-3 pm with sake and 52 beers on on tap.

The fish dip  and a snifter of happy hour beer at Castaway Restaurant

The happy hour includes decent food specials like tuna nachos, crab rangoon, and a nice selection of sushi rolls. The full lunch and dinner menu is extensive with many sandwich and seafood offerings,  creative sushi rolls, as well as their famed pink Key West shrimp, prepared lobster roll style.

A bloody mary with all the toppings.

The famous Bloody Wilson from Castaway

We’ve tried the smoked fish dip, and the crab rangoon, but perhaps what we love most is getting a few sushi rolls to split. We also tried their legendary take on the Bloody Mary; the Bloody Wilson which is a snack in itself. This bloody mary is topped with shrimp, bacon, and a blue cheese-stuffed olive. That’s enough garnishes to help you survive on a deserted island.   As a bonus, if you’re lucky enough to sit next to the owner, as we once were, you’ll get to hear some interesting stories about his life on the sea and how Castaway Restaurant came to be.

Dockside Bar And Grill

35 Sombrero Blvd, Marathon, FL 33050 facebook.com/docksidebkh

bar chairs and the deck at Dockside in Marathon Florida

A view of the stage for live music on the deck of Dockside at Boot Key Harbor

Dockside is called a hidden gem, and that may be because it’s a little bit off of the path of the usual Overseas Highway spots, and incredibly difficult to find a parking spot.  Dockside at Boot Key Harbor is set up on the waterfront area of Boot Key Harbor next to a marina and off the road to Sombrero Beach behind Publix. It’s the perfect spot for enjoying affordable happy hour drinks and food at the bar or under the waterfront-covered canopy with many outdoor tables. It’s a very popular spot almost every day of the week, so go early if you have hopes of finding a seat at the bar.

We have been 2-3 times and there has always been live music that ranges from country to rock classics to upbeat yacht rock style standards. When you’re there enjoying the drinks and music, it’s a great place to grab a casual bite to eat. The food is simple, tasty, and budget-friendly. We look forward to the combination of tasty bar comfort food and affordability which is a nice break for our dining budget since we eat out all the time. We loved the Philly Cheesesteak, the hamburger, the sweet potato waffle fries, and the fish dip at Dockside. While the bar fare food is very good, it isn’t destination dining, but the combination of food, music, drinks, friendly and hardworking bartenders, and waterfront atmosphere makes this spot special.

Florida Keys Steak and Lobster House

3660 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050  flkeyssteakandlobster.com

If the packed-full parking lots each day are any indication we’d venture to say that people really like Florida Keys Steak and Lobster House.  One reason many love it is because their famous Happy Hour starts at 11, and goes until 6. The happy hour offers many appetizers, sushi options, and drink specials. However, it’s also well known as the place to get fantastic entrees as well. We hear that there’s an early bird dinner from 3:30 to 5:30 that offers one of their fantastic entrees, along with soup or salad, 1 side, and flan or key lime pie. That deal alone would pack any parking lot.  Florida Keys Steak and Lobster is also one of the few spots to have a classic steak house experience complete with attentive service and beautifully presented plates.  Florida Keys Steak and Lobster, as the name suggests, offers some impressive cuts of meat, surf and turf dishes, as well as filet mignon, and exciting plates like Hawaiian coconut shrimp.

While we haven’t yet had any of these dinners, we’re told people enjoy so many of the signature entree here. The reason we don’t go very frequently is that we tend to gravitate towards the light and bright outdoor tiki-style places to eat with water views that truly make you feel like you’re on vacation. By contrast, Florida Keys Steak and Lobster is quite dark inside, and beyond happy hour it’s a bit out of our daily dinner budget. But if you’re looking for a special occasion spot,  a meat lover tired of all the fried fish options in the Keys, or a family looking to appease a variety of tastes while on vacation, this slightly upscale dining option might be the spot for you.

Frank’s Grill

11400 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 franksgrillmarathon.com

colorful plate of fish piccata with capers and lemon slices

Catch of the day prepared Francaise style at Frank’s Grill in Marathon, FL.

Frank’s Grill is one of our favorite restaurants in all of Marathon, Florida, and a meal that we think of frequently when we’re not in the Keys the rest of the year. Frank’s is an unassuming little restaurant from the exterior, but the Italian food rivals that of any major city restaurant. All of the sauces are well-balanced and they have the added benefit of being able to add local fresh-caught seafood to favorite preparation styles like piccata, Francaise, and poached in clam sauce.

colorful plate of food with veal Osso Bucco over risotto

The Osso Bucco at Frank’s Grill in Marathon, FL is an unforgettably delicious dining experience!

Because of the quality of food and service, we have now made it a tradition to visit Frank’s for special events like Valentine’s Day when we’re in Marathon.  Everything on the menu is probably fantastic but in particular, we have enjoyed two piccata seafood plates; scallops and grouper, as well as the veal parmesan, and the showstopping Osso Bucco. The Osso Bucco was both a gastronomically and visually impressive plate. At least four other diners asked us about this impressive dish and even took pictures. All dinner entrees come with a salad, Italian bread, and a side of your choice of pasta.

Frank’s also offers an excellent wine list full of favorites like Caymus, Opus One, and steaks, so if you want a fine dining experience while you’re on vacation, you don’t want to overlook this little gem situated off of Overseas Highway in the corner of a huddle of small businesses and professional offices in a building that appears to have been a motel in a past life.  The service at Frank’s is also delightful. We had the witty, warm, and engaging Linda as our server two years in a row, and her quick wit and excellent service just add to the delight of this place.

Frank’s restaurant is small in square footage with just a few tables both inside and outdoors, so you’re going to want to make a reservation for this place. We’ve made reservations sometimes a month ahead of our stay, especially for big events like anniversaries or Valentine’s Day. We do have one little trick in case you forgot or were unable to make a reservation: order your food to go and take it to a sunset view somewhere nearby. If you are getting tired of the same fried seafood offerings and tiki hut standards, your taste buds will thank you for the variety of cuisine at Frank’s.

Irie Island Eats

4540 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050  irieislandeats.com

Exterior image of the thatched roof tiki style building where Irie Eats is located.

Irie Island Eats is one of our favorite spots to eat when we are in Marathon.

Irie Island Eats became a favorite spot of ours on the last day of our first year in Marathon and it has now become the first place we stop for food when we arrive.

Irie Island Eats can be easy to miss when driving by car with the windows up, because it is best found by the smell of smoking meats from a billowing grill that sits outside by the road. It was that tantalizing smell that led us to discover this amazing spot while biking past one day. Irie Island Eats is a food truck that is situated in a tropical garden space next to a thatched roof building, which was a farmers’ market for years, and is now a prepared food market that is part of the Irie Eats establishment as of winter of 2024. The thatched roof market section of Irie Island Eats now serves grab-and-go breakfast bowls, coffee, empanadas, sandwiches, and salads, as well as fresh fruit, vegetables, and eggs in addition to vegan ice cream options, honey, and other local treats and gifts.

Floriditos are filled with Kalua pork and plantains  –  one of the amazing appetizers from Irie Island Eats. 

The main Irie Eats restaurant is a food truck that is set back in amongst a variety of tropical plants past swinging gates from the parking lots, or in the gardens behind the storefront.  The lush tropical garden seating creatively camouflages the nearby highway and makes the garden dining area feel like a vacation within a vacation. The collection of tables, chairs, and lounging couches offers an enjoyable eating oasis.

Dinner menu from Irie Island Eats

The new dinner menu (after 4) at Irie Island Eats in Marathon

There are usually many specials offered each day as well as build-your-own bowl, salad, and taco options.  To order a bowl you can select from the special bowls of the day, or create your own. To create your own you’ll first pick a base or rice, slaw, or veggies,  then pick a style with more seasoned veggie add-ins like slaw and pickled onions, and then pick a favorite protein from their wide selection of smoked meats, seafood, and vegan options. Our favorite bowl creations usually include the coconut rice, the Key Lime Cilantro slaw, and the Mango BBQ ribs. We also love the Sunshine Salad.

You can’t beat the combination of coconut rice, smoked meat, and fresh veggies found in the bowls at Irie Island Eats.

Lunchtime is the perfect time to visit Irie, the portions are generous so you’ll have enough to share for two or have a second bite at dinner time. However, if didn’t go at lunch and you’re craving Irie Eats for dinner, thankfully the restaurant is now open later, and shifts to a dinner menu at 4 pm on Thursday-Saturday.  Whether you eat-in or are waiting for your name to be called for your order, there’s usually a pleasant seat available in their tropical setting of patio couches, surfboard bar tables for two, and other outdoor seating. When we are in Marathon we often will eat more than two meals a week here.

Tropical garden dining area at Irie Eats

The unique garden seating options and pathway flanked with tropical greenery at Irie Island Eats

There are also smoothies and an excellent selection of classic hard-to-find bottled sodas and aloe juice. There’s no liquor license, so you won’t be coming to this place for a tropical drink, it’s just the destination in Marathon for some incredibly prepared meals for lunch and dinner. We think it’s wonderful to have such a healthful and flavorful food option during our stays in Marathon.

Island Fish Company

12648 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 Islandfishco.com

Sign for the Island Fish Co

The tall sign out front marks the entrance to Island Fish Co, one of the most popular restaurants in Marathon.

Island Fish Co is one of the most popular spots in Marathon.  They have outside seating with a beautiful view of the water and are known for their happy hour, oysters, tropical cocktails, and Caribbean-inspired dishes and seafood offerings.

While riding past on the bike trail, we’re always extra careful near here because the parking lot is full of cars coming and going, and it’s an area where both motorists and cyclists need to be very cautious. We have been for a couple of meals and enjoyed them, but it was during our first year in the Keys, and we haven’t been back lately, but we need to return to give a more detailed review.

We think we had the Mahi sandwich and shrimp tacos and were more impressed with the Mahi Sandwich. They make several nice cocktails including a fantastic Key lime colada, which we do remember! If you do opt for one of those cocktails, please let someone else do the driving, and use extra caution in and out of the busy and tight parking lot. We’ve also heard that they serve a fantastic breakfast, so we’ve added that to our list of places to try for breakfast.

Key Colony Inn

700 W Ocean Dr, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051 kcinn.com

exterior of a white building with palm trees out from - the Key Colony Inn in Marathon

The legendary Key Colony Inn 

The Key Colony neighborhood is one of our favorite communities in Marathon. The Key Colony Inn – known just as The Inn to locals – is a classic fixture of the community. The Inn is right next to the Key Colony golf course and has a definite old-school Floridian country club feel. One can easily imagine it being the biggest destination for dining back with Key Colony was first developed and when the Inn was one of the few restaurants in the area.

pizza on a tray

This pizza is just $5 during happy hour at the Key Colony Inn! Pair it with a shrimp cocktail or espresso martini those are only $5 too!

People continue to flock there for the unbelievable happy hour specials that run all week long. The happy hour offerings are legendary for a reason; they include a full-size cheese pizza for $5, Caprese salad, and $5 espresso martinis, and that’s just the start of it! The full menu offers classic Italian dishes as well as a multitude of sauces and preparations for seafood options. We get so excited about the happy hour specials that we have yet to eat a true meal here, but when we do we can’t wait to try some of the classic Italian offerings like spaghetti and meatballs and chicken marsala.

The bar seating is tight and goes quickly, but thankfully there are two large dining rooms, and one has a huge atrium that overlooks the golf course and offers plenty of seating for large groups and families.

Keys Fisheries

3502 Gulfview Ave, Marathon, FL 33050 keysfisheries.com

exterior of Keys Fisheries building in Marathon

The freshest seafood can be found at Keys Fisheries in Marathon, Florida.

If you’re looking for the freshest and best seafood restaurants in the Keys, and perhaps in all of Florida, you’ll want to pay a visit to Keys Fisheries. Keys Fisheries provides fresh caught seafood for many of the local restaurants, as well as restaurants in Florida and up and down the East Coast. At their location in Marathon, you’ll be sitting right next to the docks where all the fresh catches come in.

This access to amazing seafood means they let their menu shine with simple and super fresh seafood dishes. Seating in the restaurant is picnic-table style covered casual outdoor dining. You order at the window and then collect your order once it is called. From appetizers like the fresh and famous pink Keys Shrimp to the world-famous Lobster Reuben.

You only need to decide if you want to get your fresh seafood in raw ceviche, sandwich, or fried basket form. If you’re an accomplished fisherman, they also offer preparations for your own catch! The lobster Reuben in particular completely lives up to the hype. If you love a traditional Reuben, and you love seafood, we think you’ll love this combination of fresh sweet lobster meat and sauerkraut on a perfectly grilled sandwich. They also offer a great and reasonably priced slice of key lime pie.

Stone crab claws in a paper tray

The happy hour deal of the century might be these 5 stone crab claws for $20 at the Keys Fisheries happy hour, but it’s only available when seasonal catch conditions have been favorable.

Keys Fisheries became a favorite spot of ours to visit during our stays for the amazing views from the Keys Fisheries upstairs rooftop bar and deck, the fantastic happy hour specials, and delicious cocktails.

Tiki style open air bar at Keys Fisheries

They usually offer an unbeatable deal on their most famous and sought-after catch the fresh stone crabs are served at happy hour as an order of 5 along with a mustard sauce at a very happy price (around $20). However, due to seasonal environmental conditions, the stone crabs have been unavailable in the 2023-2024 winter season. Instead, they offer other sizes of stone crab during happy hour. The last time we wentthey had jumbo available when we were there, for a reasonable market price.

We also love getting the conch ceviche and fish dip during happy hour along with a “Lime in Da Coconut” or other tropical drink. While sitting at the bar enjoying the sunset, don’t be surprised if you’re given a complimentary sunset shot to toast the sunset with your fellow patrons right when the sun sets. Great service, food, and views make this one of our favorite spots.

La Isla Taco Grill + Tiki 61

243 61ST Street, Marathon, FL 33050 tropicalcottages.net

 

image of a menu at the La lsla taco truck

The menu at La Isla Taco Grill has something for everyone!

La Isla Taco Grill is a permanent food truck in front of the Tropical Cottages and Tiki 61 Tiki Bar off of Overseas Highway. It’s open from 11 to 8 with a break from 3-4. La Isla Offers authentic Mexican tacos, burritos, and more. They offer excellent fish tacos, handmade fresh salsas steak al pastor tacos and burritos, and even a few vegan options.

If it’s Tuesday, you’ll likely find us at this unique establishment and neighboring Tiki Bar Tiki 61. Usually, you’ll want to find a seat in the tiki bar area first, then place an order from La Isla Tacos and settle in to listen to live music from the Tiki Seekers or other local musicians. It’s also a great spot to enjoy conversations with the friendly bartenders the bar regulars.

After you place your order from the La Isla food truck they will then call your number while you wait. The number calling happens on a terrible old speaker, so it can be a challenge to hear your order but it’s (part of the charm), we think! We usually go around 5 and wait in Tiki 61 and enjoy a margarita, beer, or specialty cocktail.

Two performers singing in a tiki bar.

The Tiki Seekers always provide the perfect soundtrack for Taco Tuesday

If you’re there on Tuesday, it’s probably time for the Tiki Seekers to take to the stage.  This singing and songwriting team has been at it for years belting out covers and originals so well-known that people will be singing along.  Don’t go home before they play their original song, “Cargo Pants”. If you stay at the bar after most of the people have gone home you might even get to say hi to Midas, a handsome golden retriever who will sometimes make an appearance at the bar.

Parking is available but very limited, and use caution when leaving the parking spaces as there are often many folks waiting for their food order.

Lighthouse Grill

1994 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 lighthousegrillmarathon.com

Located in the Faro Blanco Resort, the Lighthouse Grill is one of the places that has been recommended to us a few times. We finally had the chance to stop there while writing this article. As we usually do with any new-to-us place, we went in to take advantage of the Happy Hour from 3 to 6 to see if the atmosphere, food, and drinks warranted another visit for more of a meal. As boaters, the beautiful open-air modern bar overlooking the water, lighthouse, and marina felt right at home. It was an uncharacteristically cold Keys evening when we visited, so the staff fired up the outdoor heaters and dropped the sides of the bar enclosure to keep the place toasty. This resort bar is modern and coastal chic, and in keeping with the upscale resort. They serve classic dishes along with some that highlight traditional Keys flavors. We enjoyed the happy hour offering of Cuban Rice Balls for an appetizer as well as a cocktail and a few of the nice selections of beers on tap. We also ordered a Caesar salad, since we’re always trying to get a few more vegetables in. It was cold and crisp, just like we like it! The happy hour prices for appetizers and beer were reasonable and a great way to take a break from some of the fast-casual spots. We met up with a friend who encouraged us to order a martini, and that was a budget breaker for sure, coming in at $19 when we asked for Ketel One. It was delicious but certainly not in our normal budget.

Service was efficient and friendly, and the gorgeous views of the marina and really pleasant atmosphere will keep us coming back for more happy hours in the future.

Porky’s Bayside Restaurant

1400 Overseas Hwy MM47.5, Marathon, FL 33050 porkysbaysidebbq.com

image of the signage outside Porky's restaurant in Marathon FL

Porky’s Bayside Restaurant is one of the last stops in Marathon just before the Seven Mile Bridge. It’s an open-air tiki-style restaurant and bayside marina, with bar and table seating, and some great offerings in terms of seafood, sushi, happy hour specials, and decadent desserts. Even after a few visits, we haven’t really haven’t even made a dent in their large menu which is so many pages long that we’re sure it offers something for everyone.

exterior view of porky's bayside in marathon florida

Usually, we are there for the unbeatable happy hour specials and excellent service at the bar. On the Happy Hour menu, the small bites including slider BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Mahi Quesadilla, Chef’s tacos, and Smoked Chicken Wings are worth a try. We tried the Pork Belly Bites once and that was a total miss –  a basket of hard-to-eat fatty, chewy bits that we didn’t finish.  The pina colada, painkiller cocktail specials are also delicious and worth a try.  They normally have decent live music that’s not too loud while sitting at the bar so that we can still hear your conversations.  We don’t eat out much for breakfast but we’ve been told that Porky’s does it right, so we’re going to try to check out their breakfast options. We also love their unique take on the key lime pie as detailed in our Best Key Lime Pie article!

Sparky’s Landing Fish N Cocktails

13205 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 sparkyslanding.com

The welcoming entrance to Sparky’s Landing, one of our favorite restaurants in Marathon

Sparky’s was one of our favorite restaurants in all of Marathon, Florida on our first and second years in the Keys.  We visited several times throughout our stay and always tried to make it by biking the nearby bike trail via our e-bikes to enjoy the happy hour specials that they offer every day they are open (they’re closed on Mondays). If you’re staying at the Fairfield Inn, then Sparky’s is right next to your hotel, and you’ll be within a long walk or short bike ride if you stay in Key Colony.

The happy hour is a modest offering compared to some, but it does include a few beer, well-drink specials and the crowd favorite of chicken wings and peel-and-eat shrimp from 4 to 6 every day. We’re not big wing and shrimp fans, so what keeps us coming back is the warm and welcoming service, the staff that is hustling every minute, and the clean and welcoming huge tiki hut bar and grand dining space. Sparky’s bar looks out onto the water in the harbor across to Coco Plum Drive. Each night right when the happy hour ends, local musicians will take to the stage. The live entertainment, view, atmosphere, and great service will make you want to stay longer and enjoy the rest of the evening.

On many visits, we were quite sure we saw the owner on site, serving customers as well, and it was apparent that Sparky’s is an exceptionally well-run restaurant that values great food and friendly and expeditious service.

fruben sandwich at Sparky's Landing

The Freuben Sandwich at Sparky’s Landing Fish N Cocktails is one of our favorite dishes.

For full entrees, one of our favorite dishes is the Cajun Pasta with blackened Mahi Mahi. They refer to it as ‘dolphin’ on their menu, but it’s not the sweet and smart mammal dolphin you’ll find performing at the Dolphin Research Center, it’s Mahi Mahi. Also, you can’t go wrong with their wood-fired 3 Little Pigs pizza, we love their Fried Green Tomato BLT sandwich, and the Sparky’s Steak Salad. Another mahi mahi (dolphin) dish we love is the Freuben Sandwich, which is fried mahi served Reuben style with their delicious slaw. While they offer fried seafood, one of the great things about Sparky’s is the you have the option of taking a from the fried fish dishes once in a while. We’ve also had delicious desserts here including the tres leches cake. We hear they make a great key lime pie, and somehow we’ve missed trying it, because we’re always full after our meal!

The Sparky’s Steak Salad, is topped with perfectly prepared steak and a hearty dollop of greens with tangy balsamic dressing.

This year in 2024, we’ve noticed that the word is definitely out about Sparky’s and we’ve struggled to grab a seat at the bar, especially during happy hour. Usually, some seats open back up around 6 or 6:30, but getting there before 4 with time to spare has been something we’ve had to strive for. If you have your sights set on the dining room, they don’t take reservations, so it’s good to get there early for that as well. To get a little more room going, Sparky’s has recently widened the wraparound outside the deck, so that you have a bit more elbow room to enjoy a drink, however, according to our server, food is no longer available at the deck area – only at the bar. The fact that Sparky’s is always packed, is a testament to the excellent food and service.

The newly remodeled deck at Sparky’s Fish N Cocktails

Sparky’s is a family-friendly place and a great spot to feed a crowd and one of the few spots in the Keys that can seat a large party, so if you’re heading to the dining room there’s also usually a line out the door and a bit of a wait especially on the weekends around dinner hour, when it’s clear lots of people decide to enjoy the wonderful atmosphere and food. While you wait you can take a photo in the iconic oversized Adirondack-style Pilar beach chair, duck into their on-site airstream, and grab a t-shirt or other Sparky’s merch which will serve you well as a conversation starter and a tribute to your good taste in restaurants if you wear it on your travels.

S.S. Wreck + Galley Grill

58835 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050  sswreck.com

The S.S. Wreck and Galley Grill was one of the first spots we ate when we arrived in Marathon. The Wreck, as it seems to be known by locals, is conveniently located within walking distance of our RV resort. It offers happy hour and dinner specials as well as an extensive menu of surf and turf. While the happy hour deals weren’t our favorite offerings, The Wreck does a great job with seafood and is also well known for its prime rib specials. Overall, the S. S. Wreck is casual seafood and bar fare with a range of items on the menu that is likely to offer something for everyone in your party.

Fresh caught fish prepared with two sides at SS Wreck

We brought our own freshly caught fish to the S.S. Wreck where it was wonderfully prepared by their chef. 

One of our favorites is the Coconut Shrimp, which were wonderfully light and well battered with an excellent real coconut taste and coating.  We also loved the fresh Tuna Poke Nachos which combined delicious fresh tuna, fresh wonton chips, fresh avocado, and mango salsa on top.

Ahi tuna nachos with mango salsa

S. S. Wreck’s Tuna Poke Nachos

In the past, we have also enjoyed the fajitas that we ordered after seeing a fellow diner’s order and seeing that it was a sizzling plate with an incredibly generous portion. We also brought a fresh catch there and had it prepared by the chef. We were happy with how both the fried and Keys preparations turned out as well as the sides that were offered.

Orange tropical drink in a glass with a straw

A mango colada at the S. S. Wreck. One of the many tropical cocktails that are available.

We have had both good and bad experiences with service as well as food. The experience varies greatly from completely excellent bar service, and a hearty and warm welcome from the hostess, to sometimes and somewhat inattentive service in the dining room and at the bar seats. Usually, a seat at the bar will guarantee great service from the hard-working bar staff.    The Wreck is located next door to the Dolphin Research Center, making it an ideal spot to grab a bite to eat before or after your visit there.

Picture of a large piece of key lime pie with graham cracker crust on a plate at a restaurant tableOur biggest reason to recommend the S. S. Wreck is the key lime pie! We think it’s the best key lime pie in the Florida Keys!

More Marathon Restaurants We Want to Try

Between returning time and time to some of our favorite spots, and being busy with trying new places, we’ve missed a few restaurants along the way. Here are a few of the restaurants that we’ve heard good things about, we just haven’t made it there yet! We’ll plan to update this post when and if we get to try these places.

Brutus Seafood

Mile Marker 51 Bayside, 6950 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050  brutusseafood.com

We pass Brutus Seafood often on our trips north and south on Overseas Highway, but we just haven’t made the stop yet, since we try for waterfront dining as much as possible. The menu seems to have lots of great options including the  Mahi Rachel and the Vaca Salad.

Butterfly Cafe at Tranquilty Bay

2600 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050  tranquilitybay.com

A few of our family members stayed at Tranquility Bay for Christmas several years ago, and they raved about the experience. We’ve heard that the onsite restaurant Butterfly Cafe is a wonderful spot for upscale dining and a delicious brunch. We’d also like to try the outdoor bar, TJ’s Tiki Bar which looks like a beautiful place to enjoy a drink at sunset.

Herbie’s Bar and Chowerhouse

6350 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 herbiesbar.com

While we didn’t have the chance to have a meal at the legendary Herbie’s, we rode our bikes there and brought back a slice of their famous key lime pie to try. While there we drank a couple of craft beers from their decent draft list.  People around us in the bar area seemed to be regulars and most of them were having drinks. We’d like to try the  Chicken Sandwich made famous by Diners Drive-ins and Dives, and the Cheeseburger in Parafries as well as the Chowder when we visit.

Hideway Cafe

57784 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050  rainbowbend.com/hideaway-cafe

When we mention that we love food and that we love to go out to eat, Hideaway Cafe comes up again and again as one of the best fine dining spots in Marathon. The sign for the Hideaway Cafe is easy to miss, and visible only when cars aren’t parked in front of the sign. We’ve heard that if you can find it, behind the lodging at Rainbow Bend, the Hideaway Cafe offers a true fine dining service experience and truly gourmet cuisine. We’ve been so tempted by descriptions we’ve heard of the food and service that we’ve added this to our must-try list!

The Cracked Conch

4999 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050  facebook.com/TheCrackedConchCafe

We’ve heard this is a great spot to try for breakfast and is known for the Key lime pie. It also seems to be a good option if you’re craving some diner-style meals!

The Rhum House

58182 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050  grassyflats.com/the-rhum-house

The Rhum House is a new addition to the dining and cocktail offerings in Marathon for the 2023-2024 season, and we’re excited to try it. It’s on the grounds of the Grassy Flats Resort, and from the advertising we’ve seen it looks like it will have an amazing atmosphere, upscale food offerings, and elegant cocktails. We’re excited to visit sometime soon.

 

More Florida  Dining and Travel Ideas

Looking for more details about dining in the Marathon? Check out our thoughts on the best Happy Hour deals in Marathon! We’re also planning on sharing our picks for  best Key Lime Coladas, as well as the best places for breakfast in Marathon in two upcoming articles. After Marathon we head to St. Augustine where we will soon share our picks for camping in St. Augustine and the best restaurants we’ve found during our time in St. Augustine.

As with all of our posts, the information provided here was accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of our visits to these restaurants. However, menu items, locations, hours, and product availability are always subject to change. You may want to double-check restaurant locations and hours. All opinions are our own.

Except where noted, all images are photographed by and copyright of the editors of Currently Traveling. Use of our photos is prohibited without permission. None of this content was sponsored. unless otherwise noted, we purchase our own food and beverages for all the places mentioned in this article.

 

 

The Best Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys

Key lime pie was a favorite dessert in our family, and we have long made the habit of ordering this tasty tangy pie when we’ve seen it offered on various restaurant menus.

So, when we decided to spend the winter in the Florida Keys, the home of the Key lime pie, we knew we’d be ordering it at a lot of spots. We decided to make it an official search of the best key lime pies in the Florida Keys.

In Search of The Best Key Lime Pies in the Florida Keys

While we haven’t tried all the key lime pies from Key Largo to Key West, we tried enough of them to form a respectable little list. We certainly ate enough key lime pie to have a few favorites!

We’ll keep adding to this list as we have the opportunity to try more pies and restaurants during our travels in the Keys.

Text over image of a fluffy key lime pie slice

The History and Origins of Key Lime Pie

While we know our own personal history with how we came to be key lime pie aficionados, we did have to look up some of the details on the origins of the key lime pie.

The tangy lime filling is made with key limes, a specific type of lime, once native to the Florida Keys, although sadly it is no longer widely grown there. The key lime is smaller and tarter than the Persian lime, the kind of lime we usually see in our grocery stores and drink garnishes.

The pie itself is known for its custard-like filling, although there are also softer, fluffier creamy icebox versions. The filling is most often paired with a graham cracker crust, and sometimes a meringue topping.

Many key lime variations exist and probably hundreds of recipes that offer a slightly different approach.

The Restaurants with the Best Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys

We discovered that most restaurants in the Keys that have key lime pie strive to be unique with their offering. If they don’t have a special recipe to call their own, they may carry locally-made pies in-house.

A few restaurants bow out altogether from the key lime pie competition and don’t serve it; realizing that superior options abound in the Keys. However, those restaurants that have been able to make remarkable versions of the key lime pie can rely on tourists and locals alike to order the dessert often and on repeat.

After careful consideration of all the pies we sampled, we are excited to present our picks for the best key lime pies in the Florida Keys. We won’t keep you in suspense so we’ll start with the winner!

1. The S.S. Wreck + Galley Grill

58835 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050

sswreck.com

Picture of a large piece of key lime pie with graham cracker crust on a plate at a restaurant table

Our winner! We think the S.S. Wreck and Galley Grill in Marathon, Florida serves the best key lime pie in all of the Keys.

The best! The S.S. Wreck and Galley Grill happened to be next to our RV resort and was a restaurant we went to because it was within walking distance the first night we arrived. While our first dining experience there was a little uneven because of service and bad ordering on our part, we soon learned that the S.S. Wreck was rumored to be one of the best spots for key lime pie. We finally sampled it for ourselves (3 times!) and found we agreed with that opinion.

Now, while we don’t know the full recipe, the S.S. Wreck’s key lime pie is more of a cheesecake-style key lime pie, rather than the classic custard style. It’s a tall and generous slice of pie with a deliciously thick graham cracker crust and the perfect balance of creamy filling and a little bit of tartness. Our personal preference is always for a thicker creamy key lime pie, and this pie is it!

As we learned of others who shared in our opinion that S.S. Wreck has the best key lime pie in all of the Keys we heard stories of people going to great lengths to bring this pie back to friends and family and even to have it as a wedding cake. We understand why it’s legendary!

 

2. Burdine’s Waterfront

1200 Ocean View Ave, Marathon, FL 33050

burdineswaterfront.com

image of a golden burrito-like fried key lime pie on a plate with a lime on a toothpick on top

For a key lime pie like no other, you have to try the fried key lime pie at Burdine’s Waterfront in Marathon, FL.

Burdine’s Waterfront was recommended to us as a place to check out for a great beach bar atmosphere with a water view, as well as great fries, burgers, and an exceptional key lime pie. We went to Burdine’s once in 2022 with friends, and visited again in 2023 to do a second tasting of their famous fried key lime pie!

In 2022, we ordered both the regular custard-style key lime pie and the fried key lime pie for a comparative taste test. The classic custard key lime was indeed delicious, but the fried key lime pie was again a stand-out. As you can tell, by this point in the review, we’re not key lime pie purists – we appreciate a little variation and ingenuity.

In 2022, the fried key lime pie tasted – and we mean this as the highest compliment – like a deep-fried McDonald’s apple pie, except with key lime in the place of piping hot apple filling. The addition of cinnamon and sugar against the tartness and creamy key lime filling was a delightful combination and it left a lasting impression as one of our favorite desserts of that trip.

In 2023 we ordered it again, and this time there was a slight difference. Perhaps it can be chalked up to the idea that we were anticipating the fried dough, cinnamon, and lime flavor combination this time, whereas we were surprised by it before. In 2023, the pie pastry also had more crispy firmness, and structure. It was presented beautifully like a  tightly folded burrito or egg roll fold shape with a delightful golden brown color. The pastry seemed ever so slightly firmer and denser and was perhaps fried for a bit longer, but still, one of our all-time favorite takes on the key lime pie.

3. Keys Fisheries

3502 Gulfview Ave, Marathon, FL 33050

keysfisheries.com

Keys Fisheries became a favorite spot of ours to visit during our stays for the amazing views from the rooftop deck, the fantastic happy hour specials, cocktails, stone crab, and the not-to-be-missed Lobster Reuben! We visited several times, but on one of our first visits with our friends, we decided to sample the key lime pie as a part of our ongoing taste testing.

The Keys Fisheries key lime pie is a generous slice of the classic custard-style key lime pie. It has a low profile and a nice high graham cracker crust. It is very tart and a great pie for those who love the classic custard-style, It’s possibly one of the top examples of that traditional style and a great compliment to the amazing seafood and cocktails available there. Sadly, we ate it up too quickly and didn’t get a picture, but this is one we’ll try again!

4. Porky’s Bayside Restaurant

1400 Overseas Hwy MM47.5, Marathon, FL 33050

porkysbaysidebbq.com

Picture of a triangle of fried key lime pie with breadcrumbs and raspberry drizzle on a plate with two spoons

With its crispy outer layer and tangy cool key lime pie with a bit of sweet raspberry sauce, Porky’s fried key lime pie is definitely a standout when visiting the Keys.

By now you know that we are a fan of unique takes on the key lime pie, which is one of the things that brought us to Porky’s Bayside Restaurant. In addition to enjoying the happy hour specials and excellent service at the bar, we decided to end one of our meals there with their famous fried key lime pie. Porky’s fried key lime pie is significantly different from that of Burdine’s, but it still earned a place in our hearts as a favorite.

Porky’s fried key lime pie is accented with a crispy breadcrumb and egg crust and is paired with a raspberry sauce. It’s crispy, sweet, tangy, warm, and cool at the same time. It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind treat and we thought it was delicious!

More Key Lime Pies We Tried

These key lime pies didn’t make it to our list of the best, but they still left an impression!

Blue Heaven

729 Thomas Street, Key West, FL 33040

blueheavenkw.com

A slice of puffy meringue style key lime pie on a plate at Blue Heaven restaurant in Key West

This key lime pie from Blue Heaven is an absolute supermodel! However, Key West’s humid weather and a fragile dollop of meringue don’t always mix. We need a redo of this one!

Blue Heaven’s key lime pie is something out of a Hollywood movie version of what a key lime pie should look like, which is why it’s our cover model for this article! On one of our first trips to Key West we missed out on going to Blue Heaven, which was suggested to us as a fabulous brunch place. A few days later we happened to spot an image of their famous key lime pie in a review online and it was so visually stunning and perfect that serious food FOMO set in, and we started planning a return trip to center around tasting this key lime pie.

What did we see that made the return trip necessary? Well, as you can see, Blue Heaven’s key lime pie has a solid 3 inches of frothy meringue topping with perfectly toasted points looks like a dream. We couldn’t wait for that meringue sugary crunch combined with a tart custard-style key lime pie.

When we did return to Blue Heaven we had a delicious brunch, which we’ll detail in a future post. To make sure we didn’t miss out while we were crunching, we ordered our key lime pie upfront, so that we would miss out in the event that they ran out for the day. Our server agreed with that plan since she said supplies of the pie were already getting low. Even at noon, it seemed like perhaps we got the second to last slice!

However, here’s where the story takes a bit of a sad turn. Our server also mentioned something about the meringue being off that day. We forget the exact reason, something about the heat, or the egg falling, or perhaps a new chef. Which leads us to the actual taste test. Something was indeed off with our otherwise model slice of pie. The mile-high meringue didn’t have that crispy frothy sugary crunch – instead, it had a bit of a gummy, eggy taste, which was a sure sign of something going wrong with the meringue mix. The base of the pie was tangy and good.

So, because of the bad batch of meringue, we’ve put Blue Heaven on our list to revisit. We feel like perhaps we didn’t get a slice of pie that was indicative of the true style of their world-renowned key lime pie. But, if you’re in search of the most gorgeous slice of pie imaginable, this slice looks like a food stylist created it!

Herbie’s Bar and Chowder House

6350 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050

herbiesbar.com

While we didn’t have the chance to have a meal at the legendary Herbie’s, my husband rode by the restaurant one day on his bike and thoughtfully brought back a slice of their famous key lime pie for me to try. While the pie arrived a little worse for wear after being in a bike bag, I am sure that it was originally a beautiful presentation. Herbie’s Key Lime Pie is definitely an authentic recipe, and rumored to be created the authentic hand-squeezed key limes. If you’re a key lime pie purist in search of the real thing, this is a fine example of it! No picture was taken, because of the bumpy transport via his bike bag.

Key West Key Lime Pie Company

Online and with various distribution locations. Headquarters at 511 Greene Street, Key West FL 33040

keylimepieco.com

Another treat brought to me was a personal-sized key lime pie from the Key West Lime Pie Company that my husband found while doing some grocery shopping. It was frozen at the time, and I barely let it thaw before eating it. Because of the size, there is a high ratio of graham cracker crust to filling, which makes for a tasty treat. This was a great little portable key lime pie to bring home to family and friends. These are readily available at various grocery stores and convenience stores in the Keys.

The No Name Pub

30813 Watson Blvd, Big Pine Key, FL 33043

nonamepub.com

No Name Pub is rumored to be hard to find, and we can imagine back in the day that it was. However, with modern GPS devices and Google Maps, finding the No Name Pub is fairly easy to do.

We went for the famously delicious pizza as well as to see this bit of Keys history with our own eyes. We also wanted to see some of the famous Key deer (from a safe distance of course).

Since it had been a few days since our last key lime pie taste test, we ordered a slice to go here even though we were stuffed from the wonderful pizza.

The No Name Pub key lime pie is soft and creamy. It has almost a whipped cream or whipped topping texture. This pie scoops up in much lighter spoonfuls than the cheesecake style or the classic custard style. It’s also a very light flavor and color. While this pie was certainly refreshing, it’s more of an ice box key lime pie style. While it’s not our personal favorite style of pie, it’s a great light way end to a big meal, and always better than skipping a slice altogether.

Take out box with a fluffy slice of pale key lime pie

This is a simple, light, and refreshing slice of key lime pie, and an easy way to end a big meal of pizza from No Name Pub in Big Pine Key, FL.

Key Lime Pies We Need to Still Try

We could only consume so many key lime pies during our trip. We averaged about 2 or 3 a week and honestly came back home 10 pounds heavier. So, because of timing and trying to pace our key lime pie consumption, we didn’t make it to a few notable spots. We we do visit these, we’ll update this article with our thoughts and perhaps some new rankings!

Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen

99336 Overseas Hwy Key Largo, FL 33037

mrsmacskitchen.com

Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen is on our list of key lime pies to try the next time we are in the Keys. We stopped there for breakfast and had the coconut cream waffles instead of a key lime pie, but we heard their key lime pie outstanding. If our yummy breakfast was any indication, we definitely believe the hype!  With two locations and easy access from both sides of Route 1, we really need to plan a stop!

Publix

Various locations

publix.com

If you spend a lot of time in Florida or in the Keys you’ll almost certainly be popping in for groceries at Publix. And since we mentioned to a few people in Florida our love of (and search for) key lime pie, Publix key lime pies were mentioned to us several times as being some of of the best around. Since we were already sampling at least 2-3 slices of key lime pie a week,  we didn’t feel the need to buy a Publix key lime pie on our grocery runs. However, we keep hearing about how good it is, so we’ll have to pick one up the next time we’re there to make our own determination of how good they are.

The Fish House

102401 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037

fishhouse.com

We had two great meals at The Fish House, in Key Largo and we have heard that their key lime pie is one of the best. Sadly, though, we neglected to try it! Instead, we were tempted by the coconut cream pie on our first dinner there. The second time we visited we stopped for a late lunch and were too stuffed to order pie! However, we try to visit each time we are near John Pennekamp, so we will certainly add it to the pies we need to try!

Sparky’s Landing – Fish n’ Cocktails

13205 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050

sparkyslanding.com

Sparky’s was one of our favorite restaurants in all of Marathon, Florida. We visited several times throughout our stay and always tried to make it by e-bike to enjoy the Happy Hour Specials! However, we didn’t order dessert except for one night when we were tempted by the waitress’s praise of the special Tres Leches cake that evening. So while we have heard that Sparky’s key lime pie is one of the best, we still need to taste it ourselves before adding it to our list of top picks!

Havana Jacks

401 E Ocean Dr, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051

havanajacksoceanside.com

We visited Havana Jacks in Key Colony a few times for lunch, happy hour, and dinner, but we neglected to order the key lime pie! We saw it being served to another patron at the bar, and it looked impressive and delicious! We instead used up our reserves in our key lime quota by ordering their Key Lime Cocktail which was absolutely one of our favorites. Havana Jack’s key lime pie will be something we’ll have to order next time, although the steep price of $12 per slice was also a bit of a deterrent for just casually ordering it.

Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe

200 Elizabeth Street, Key West 

keylimeshop.com

Kermit’s is said to be the birthplace of the key lime pie and therefore the gold standard of how a key lime pie should be made and should taste. However, we simply ran out of time, weren’t in that area, and had probably already saturated our key lime taste buds on our trips into Key West. Since Kermit’s is the way it should be done, we’ll have to try it and we’re sure it will be added to the list of our favorites soon!

Blonde Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory

92220 Overseas Hwy, Tavernier, FL 33070

blondgiraffe.com

We absolutely love the name of this Tavernier establishment and we’ve heard it’s one of the best spots for key lime pie – especially in the Upper Keys. However, when passing through Tavernier, we were on a deadline to get to our campsite, so we whizzed right by this legendary stop. Their key lime pie is award-winning, so it’s probably one we should have made time for. We’ll try to visit this spot on our next trip through the Upper Keys.

Other Key Lime Treats

As we mentioned, we were tempted several times by other key lime confections, that weren’t in pie form. We really enjoyed the Key Lime Pie Cupcake from Sweet Savannah’s, and we’ve heard they make ice cream, and a great version of the real key lime pie as well.

We also had lots of key lime-flavored cocktails! We sampled these at so many places that they warrant a separate article! Stay tuned for details on some of our favorite key lime cocktails. They were all so good that it will be an even harder list to compile! In the meantime, take a look at what we think are the best spots for RV camping in the Florida Keys.

A slice of key lime pie with meringue on top and text that says the best key lime pies in the Florida Keys

As with all of our posts, the information here was accurate at the time of our visits to these restaurants, but menu items, locations, hours, and availability are always subject to change. You may want to double-check restaurant locations and hours. All opinions are our own.

Except where noted, all images are photographed by and copyright of the editors of Currently Traveling. Use of our photos is prohibited without permission.

Best Places for RV Camping in the Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are by far one of our favorite places to camp in the United States, and we’re not alone in that sentiment. The Florida Keys is a popular destination year-round, especially during the winter months. Since affordable hotels and space, in general, are at a premium on the Keys, camping there makes a lot of sense to many RVers like us!

Best Places for RV Camping in the Florida Keys

We have been lucky enough to spend several months camping in the Keys, and we still haven’t visited all the potential camping destinations, but we hope to! Since we have researched a few places to stay, and actually stayed at a few Keys camping locations, here’s our list of the best options for camping in the Florida Keys. We’ll start with Key Largo in the northern Upper Keys, work our way down mile marker by mile marker through Marathon in the Middle Keys, and end up in the Lower Keys in Key West in this guide to Florida Keys campgrounds.

These were our findings at the time of publication and based on our personal opinion, please check with each individual park to verify any details that are important to you before booking, including amenities, dump stations, hookups, site sizes, and their ability to accommodate your RV.

a photo of the beach in Marathon FL looking out on the gulf of Mexico flanked by 4 palm trees with 3 Adirondack chairs on the beach

Best Camping in the Upper Keys

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo FL

102601 Overseas Highway (MM 102.5) Key Largo, FL 33037 

reserve.floridastateparks.org

We are huge fans of the entire Florida State Park system, and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is one of the most sought-after reservations one can have out of all of those state parks. It’s a popular spot for several reasons. First, it’s located in Key Largo, which is the first major Key off of the mainland in Florida and a short drive from Miami. This makes it an ideal stopping point on your way in or out of the Keys. Secondly, as the name of the park suggests, the bulk of the square footage in this State Park is underwater, in the acres and acres of protected water and offshore reefs. For this reason, it’s a must-visit destination for divers, snorkelers, or anyone who enjoys the water. In addition to the snorkeling and diving excursions, there are kayak rentals, glass bottom boats, several picnic areas, educational exhibits concessions, a dive shop, and a gift and equipment shop in the day-use section of the park.

The campground is about a 5-minute walk away from these amenities, by way of a paved road and parking lot. The campground sites are on the smaller and less-private side compared to the usually spacious sites with privacy landscaping that Florida State parks have to offer, and many sites are edged by the mangroves which often emit a distinctive smell, and can be a breeding ground for dreaded no-see-ums and other bugs. The real benefit of this campground is the location in the gateway of Keys as well as the proximity to all of the water-focused amenities of John Pennekamp State Park. It’s also located right off Route 1, so there are restaurants nearby –we liked The Fish House— as well as a Publix grocery store.

Biking and walking on this road outside of the park is a bit tricky, especially because it’s a two-lane highway in some spots, but it is doable for short trips if you are cautious. The park road is also pretty dark after hours, so be sure your bike and gear are reflective and well-lit if you are journeying out after sunset. We’ll go into more detail about our stay at John Pennekamp including things to do and places we ate in a post dedicated to our thoughts on that campground. John Pennekamp offers 47 full hookup sites, and is pet friendly.

For day trips and booking water activities visit www.pennekamppark.comfor camping reservations all campsite reservations are managed through Florida State Parks at reserve.floridastateparks.org.

Best Camping in the Middle Keys

Jolly Roger RV Resort, Marathon, FL

59275 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 (MM 59.2)

jrpt.com

This luxury RV Resort is our home away from home in the winter and one of the best parks we’ve ever visited. It’s the ideal combination of a dream location, amenities, service, immaculate grounds, and community that makes this park special.

If you are hoping for waterfront camping with beautiful views of the beautiful clear blue Keys water, this campground is it. There are several waterfront sites and even more water-view sites that give campers a beautiful view of tranquil waters in the Gulf of Mexico, and magnificent sunsets at night.

Because space is at a premium, the camping sites are relatively close together and there’s not a lot of privacy or landscaping between each site. But don’t worry about that too much – the gorgeous grounds of Jolly Roger Travel Park itself give you plenty of places to enjoy the view. There’s a well-maintained pool on site, which provides a tranquil spot to swim and sunbathe. It also frequently hosts morning water aerobics.

If the beach is more your thing, there is a groomed man-made beach complete with tiki shade palapas. lounge chairs and brightly colored Adirondack chairs for reading, sunbathing, or enjoying the sunsets. There’s also a Pavilion that hosts all of the many activities like bingo, dances, special movie nights, and meals and is often just a gathering spot for a little bit of shade and view.

For fishing and boating lovers, the resort also boasts a boat ramp, marina, boat slips, and a fish-cutting station, providing a great way for boaters and fishermen to have easy access to the water. If you bring your boat or kayak, there’s also a boat launch and roped-off swimming area, which has lots of sea life for exciting on-site snorkeling.

The Park offers full hookups at all 160 sites including big rig-friendly sites, and several areas of pull-through sites for large RVs and trailers. There are freshly updated laundry room facilities, and a small camp store and mail room in the office.  There is also a very clean bathroom for all campers with hot showers and a limited number of efficiency apartments available.

Best of all this park is centrally located in Marathon, Florida, which has the most modern conveniences of any of the middle keys like grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, and diversions like fishing charters, and jet ski rentals.

It’s within walking distance to the Dolphin Research Center, the SS Wreck (home of the Best Key Lime Pie in the Keys!) and Bongo’s Cafe. It’s the perfect spot to stay to enjoy easy access to Marathon and a great mid-point for exploring all of the Keys. Sites are hard to come by at this resort because of these amazing amenities, but if you do get a reservation, it’s likely that you’ll love your stay. If you stay here, also check our our picks for our favorite happy hours in Marathon, Florida for ideas on where to get food and drinks for less!

Sun Outdoors, Marathon, FL

59151 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 (MM 59.1)

sunoutdoors.com/florida/sun-outdoors-marathon

Sun Outdoors is quickly becoming one of the major brands of campground management, and while we have mixed feelings about the practice of buying up some of the mom-and-pop campgrounds all over the country, we can’t deny that the Sun Outdoors brand does a great job of updating campgrounds and bringing a little extra polish.

The Sun Outdoors in Marathon is formerly the Pelican RV Resort and Marina. This RV park has a limited number of RV sites but also offers vacation rental sites and motel efficiencies. It’s right next to Jolly Roger RV Resort, which is why we took a tour.

The sites were a mix of gravel and paved, with very little landscaping, but the park also ends with a great clubhouse and common area that gives a view of the Gulf of Mexico. The tiny-home-style motel rooms, seem like a great option for housing guests who might not fit in your RV, or as a vacation option if you’d prefer not to drive down in an RV.

 

Grassy Flats, Marathon FL

 58671 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 (MM 58.6)

grassykeyrvpark.com

Grassy Key RV Park is another RV park in the highly desirable area of Marathon, FL, and it’s another RV park we heard our fellow campers have enjoyed staying at. While we haven’t stayed here ourselves yet, we see it in our travels around Marathon. It has the benefit of being another waterfront RV park, which is a rarity. It’s also Big Rig-friendly. The sites seem to be level gravel, and there are beautiful water views, some waterfront sites, full hook-up, a pool and dog park as well as a marina and beach area.

 

Curry Hammock State Park, Marathon FL

56200 Overseas Highway Marathon FL 33050 305-289-2690 (MM 56.2)

floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/curry-hammock-state-park

There are only a few Florida State Parks on the Keys, and there’s a high demand for reservations because they offer beautiful camping sites in amazing natural settings, all for low rates. Curry Hammock is one of the most popular Florida State Parks, because it’s a large swath of protected land in the otherwise populated area of Marathon, FL.

Several of the Curry Hammock camping loops have views of the Atlantic Ocean and offer spacious sites, with level gravel in a nature preserve setting that offers mangroves, and water activities like kayaking.  Reservations for Curry Hammock are hard to come by, but we had friends who stayed at Curry Hammock. Because of that, we were able to that a quick tour of the park, even though we didn’t stay there.

What we saw was impressive there are 28 sites, all of them spacious, especially by Keys terms. Electric (20, 30, and 50 amp services are available), and water. There is no sewer and also no laundry facilities making it a little difficult for longer stays, however, there are several laundromats in town. The pads were level and gravel and several of them offered beautiful views of the water. The water and a beach area is just a few steps away from all sites.

We didn’t try the restrooms, but our friend reported that they were clean and serviceable. There are dedicated campsites for tents, in addition to the RV-style sites which allow both tent and RV camping.  Curry Hammock, because of its location on the Atlantic side of the Keys, is a destination for kiteboarders, snorkelers, fishermen, paddleboarders and kayakers. There are also nature trails for hiking, spotting unique wildlife and plants, birding, and exercise.

Coconut Cay RV Resort and Marina, Marathon FL

7200 Aviation Blvd, Marathon, FL 33050  (305) 289-1870 

coconutcayrv.com

Coconut Cay is a small RV park in Marathon, which we drove by and took a quick look into. Coconut Cay is one of the newest parks in the area and is part of a Resort Hotel and Marina that are also on the property. This small campground offers a beautiful swimming pool, close proximity to the restaurants and other amenities in Marathon. We loved the look of the houseboats known as Aqua Lodges in the marina area.

Best Camping in the Lower Keys

The Lower Keys offer beauty, nature, and tranquility if you stay towards Big Pine and end in the nightlife and excitement in Key West and Stock Island. Here are a few of the  RV-friendly campgrounds we considered in the Lower Keys.

Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key, FL

36850 Overseas Highway Big Pine Key FL 33043 305-872-2353 (MM 36.8)

floridastateparks.org/BahiaHonda

There’s a reason Bahia Honda usually gets ranked the top Florida State Park to visit and as one of the top campgrounds to visit in the US — it really is a rare gem. We watched countless reviews and YouTube videos of Bahia Honda State Park campground, but nothing really prepares you for exactly how beautiful and unique this campground is until you visit it yourself.

The Park is open for day use for snorkeling, beaches, and enjoying nature there. The Campground is waterfront with many waterview sites and views of both the Gulf side and the Atlantic side and views of both the old and new the old Bahia Honda bridges.

We visited as day visitors and enjoyed the snorkeling, beach, concessions, and riding our bikes around the campground and road loops. At the time of our visit, the Sandspur sites and beach were closed for construction and damage sustained in Hurricane Irma, but we hear that they have reopened during the summer of 2022. The Buttonwood loop was open ( sites 1-48) which seemed like the most desirable spots since they are best suited to RV camping, and offer water and electric.

Getting reservations for Bahia Honda Campground is beyond tricky, with sites that are reserved the second they become available, but we will keep trying to see if we can camp here someday! Some campers report issues with bugs as well as bridge noise, but most feel that the idyllic and unforgettable views supersede any minor inconveniences.

Sugarloaf Key/Key West KOA

251 State Rd 939, Sugarloaf Key, FL 33042 (786) 876-7724

koa.com/campgrounds/sugarloaf-key/

This privately-owned campground on Sugarloaf Key offers various amenities, including RV sites, tent sites, and cabins. Known as the “Southernmost KOA” We drove by in on our way to Key West, and noted the proximity to great water views and that it seems to have very modern and updated facilities. It is a wide-open park that can accommodate many RVs, especially bigger Class As and those needing pull-through sites. It’s a luxury campground and as a part of the KOA chain, there are certain amenities you can count on, and is equipped with swimming pools, a marina, and recreational facilities. Being right along Route One, it provides easy access to Key West, without being too close to the hustle and bustle.

Boyd’s Key West Campground, Key West FL

6401 Maloney Ave, Key West, FL 33040 305-294-1465

boydscampground.com

For camping closer to the action and excitement of Key West, many campers seek out Boyd’s on Stock Island. Boyd’s is only 4 miles from downtown Key West and is a family-run campground that has been in business since 1963. Three generations of the family now still run the business and are known for providing family-friendly hospitality to all.

Most sites, except for those designated for tent camping, include full hookup, i.e., 30/50 Electric,  Water, Sewer, Cable, picnic tables, and pad. The most desirable sites are the full hook-up sites that back up to the waterfront for all classes of RVs as well as travel trailers, there are also Dockside and Limited Waterview as well as Inland sites. Boyd’s offers a marina, fish cleaning station, and kayak rentals for water lovers a large pool swimming offer laundry, and security, and is pet friendly. Boyd’s is also near restaurants including the legendary Hogfish Grill.

We have not yet stayed at Boyd’s but we drove by on our way to Hogfish Grill. While we loved the proximity to downtown Key West, we also saw that the surrounding area of Stock Island revealed properties that showed both extreme wealth and extreme poverty, with some of the houses and streets still showing the devastation from storms.

These are just a few of the options we looked into for camping in the Florida Keys, but there are many more campgrounds to visit and review. We’ll be providing in-depth details on our stays at John Pennekamp and Jolly Roger and we’ll add any future stays in the Keys or campground considerations to this post as we visit more camping spots in the Florida Keys.

 

10 Reasons to RV Camp In the Florida Keys

Camping in the Florida Keys offers a unique and memorable experience due to the natural beauty, warm climate, and abundant opportunities for fun. Here are some reasons why we think camping in the Florida Keys is a not-to-be missed experience!

1. Crystal Blue Waters

The Florida Keys are known for the crystal blue-green water that surrounds this string of islands on both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic sides. It’s like being transported to the Caribbean, except that you can drive and bring your RV. Camping allows you to wake up near the beach and enjoy activities such as swimming, sunbathing, beachcombing, and relaxing by the water, then jump back into your RV for air conditioning, refreshing food or drinks, and take a quick shower after a day on or near the water.

2. Stunning Sunsets

The Florida Keys are renowned for their long sunny days, with a light breeze followed by spectacular sunsets and many waterfront campgrounds offer views that rival the sunset you’ll see in Key West.  Each night at our RV Resort it’s a ritual to head down to the common areas along the water and watch the sunset set over the bays on the Gulf of Mexico. Watch for the green flash!

3. Water Activities

Visiting the Florida Keys means being in close proximity to both the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. You can enjoy a wide range of water activities, including jet skiing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, and boating. It’s a paradise for water enthusiasts, and there are lots of campgrounds and parks that will give you the opportunity to interact with the marine life in a way that is safe for both you and the animals.

4. Tropical Climate

The Florida Keys are tropical environment, which means you can expect warm  temperatures and lush palm trees, tropical flowers, and other vegetation. There’s always a slight breeze blowing which helps the humid warm air. It’s the only place we know of in the US where the climate rivals that of the Caribbean islands. There is consistently good weather and warm temps between 70-80 if you stay in January, February, or March.

6. Marine Life and Wildlife

The Florida Keys are home to a rich array of fish, birds and other wildlife, both on land and in the water. While camping, you may have the chance to spot creatures like birds and lizards,  and on the water, you’ll see marine creatures like dolphins, manatees, pelicans, and sea turtles, as well as a variety of unique and colorful fish and coral reefs while snorkeling or diving.

7. Island Atmosphere Without the Plane Trip

The Florida Keys provides a laid-back island atmosphere in almost every spot you’ll visit. Whether you stay at a campground or in a resort you can unwind and enjoy the relaxed pace of the Keys. Tropical drinks, island-themed food, and a slower schedule all create an easy way of living. It’s one of  the few places in the US that you can drive to and feel like you’re visiting an island in the Carribean.

8. More for Your Money

While the Keys are always a very expensive place to visit, camping there makes staying in the Keys a bit more reasonably priced, so that you can stay for longer. While you’ll still pay top dollar for restaurants and groceries, you’ll be paying a moderate fee for your site, rather than a huge fee for the room rate at a resort or hotel.

9. Plenty of Things to Do

Whether you’re out on the water boating, snorkeling, kayaking or fishing in Key Largo or having a few cocktails in Key West, there’s so much to do in each mile of the Keys.

10. Great Food and Drink

We found so many restaurants and bars to enjoy while visiting each of the Keys. Here are our favorite restaurants in Marathon, our favorite happy hour deals in Marathon, and our picks for the best Key Lime Pie in the Keys.

Remember to plan and prepare for your camping trip in advance, considering factors such as reservations, campground facilities, and any specific regulations or guidelines set by the campsite or park. Enjoy the natural beauty and outdoor adventures that the Florida Keys have to offer during your camping experience!

More Adventures to Read About

If you like the combination of summers in the Northern US and winters in the South, you might like these recent posts we’ve done on Camping in Maine in Boothbay, Camping in Delaware at Lums Pond, Cape Henlopen in Lewes, and Delaware Seashore State Park in Rehoboth Beach. You might also be interested in our review of our RV, the Thor Gemini 23TW on the Ford Transit chassis.

Picture of palm trees and a beach with text that reads Camping in the Florida Keys

Best Places for Camping in Boothbay, Maine

We recently camped in Boothbay, Maine for the second time. In this post, we’ll share some of our experiences from camping in and around Boothbay Harbor, Maine. We’ll share our ideas for where to stay and what to do while you’re there!

Footbridge and flowers in Boothbay, ME

Best Places for Camping in Boothbay, Maine

We’ve camped twice in Boothbay Maine, and stayed at the same place both times. As luck would have it, thanks to a huge backlog of posts we need to write for our 2021 travels, we were just getting ready to write up our experience from 2021 in Boothbay, when we traveled back to Boothbay for 2022. Therefore, I’m using some notes and photos from 2021, but I will be adding to the post with the benefit of our 2022 experience of staying for a second time in the Boothbay Harbor area.

Camping in Boothbay, Maine at Boothbay Craft Brewing

When we go to Boothbay, since we are traveling by RV, we love to stay at Boothbay Craft Brewery which is a brewery, tavern, restaurant, Harvest Hosts site, and a small RV campground that now has 16 sites. (There were only 14 sites last year when we visited). We stayed last year after searching for a spot to stay with our Harvest Hosts membership and then ended up staying for a longer stay in the RV park. For those who may not know, Harvest Hosts is a membership-based network of wineries, breweries, farms, and restaurants that allow self-contained boondocking for RVs and campers. The stays at these sites are free with a Harvest Hosts membership, but they do ask that you make a purchase from your host of at least $25.00 per night. Usually, this is easy to do, especially at Boothbay Craft Brewery where there are so many fantastic beers, and food offerings available at their Biergarten. This year we stayed one  night as a Harvest Hosts guest, and then paid for additional days directly to the campground.

Picture of Boothbay Brewery and RV Park in the evening eith cabins and RVs in viewView of the RV sites and Cabins in the evening at Boothbay Craft Brewery & RV Park

Boothbay Craft Brewery RV Camping Amenities

Boothbay Craft Brewery is an excellent spot to stay when exploring the Boothbay Harbor region. The RV park has both back-in and pull-through spaces, available with full hookups for electricity, water, and sewer connections. The gravel sites are level and edged with grass to give each space some nice room for spreading out chairs and grills. There’s also free Wifi, a dumpster for trash removal, and a beautiful bath house for paid RV guests. Sites also come with a picnic table, fire ring, and light post, and some of the back-in sites also have a grill.  The owner, Riley, could not be kinder and more welcoming. He is often the one who will see you to your site. He’s often hard at work on-site and in addition to knowing everything about brewing and Boothbay, he is also quite knowledgeable on all things RVing as an RVer himself.

Picture of the tavern and biergarten sign at Boothbay Craft Brewery & RV ResortThe Watershed Tavern provides delicious farm-to-table food, craft cocktails, and stellar beers made on-site at Boothbay Craft Brewery

Beers and Food at Boothbay Craft Brewing

While there are some great restaurants to explore in Boothbay — and we’ll touch on a few of those — we really enjoy staying at our campground and having the benefit of the on-site food and beverages at Boothbay Craft Brewing at the outdoor biergarten that is an outdoor extension of the Watershed Tavern. On our first visit in 2021, we tried a Margarita Pizza and their famous Thirsty Botanist beer.  On our visit in 2022, we were able to enjoy even more of the menu. We again ordered and enjoyed the Margarita Pizza – delicious large pieces of mozzarella basil and tangy tomato sauce, along with their sour beer –  Puckerberry, and their flagship 633 Beer.  On our second night we tried the cheese pizza, also delicious – and the Farmers’ Salad.  The craft cocktails are also exceptionally good. We kept coming back to the Farmer’s Daughter and The Tools of the Trade. The brewery also features pop-ups and collaborations with other local purveyors.  That night was Brother Shucker. We enjoyed the dirty oysters – which were actually a very clean-tasting combination of oysters, roe, and sour cream, and the smoked mussels with fried jalapenos.

The Biergarten is lined with picnic tables games and lights that make it a festive and welcoming spot for enjoying all the food and drinks the Brewery has to offer.

Since the brewery isn’t open for breakfast or lunch, it’s also worth noting that there’s a  combination Dunkin’ and Subway combination restaurant within a 1/3 of a mile of Boothbay Craft Brewery, which is a short walk, and an even shorter bike ride or drive. The road between Boothbay Craft Brewing and Dunkin’ is very busy, so definitely use caution if you walk or bike. We went a few times and since we don’t have a car were thrilled to be able to get coffee, donuts, and sausage egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches so close to our site, without needing to bike or drive the RV into town for breakfast.

View of the the covered outdoor dining space at Boothbay Craft BreweryThis area at Watershed Tavern hosts music and food from local farmers. We enjoyed fresh scallops and oysters from Brother Shucker here.

Parking and Getting Around Boothbay in an RV

Getting into town is easy by car, but can be a little trickier by RV or bike. Parking in Boothbay can be crowded and a bit hard to come by for the most desirable spots, but the town tries its best by having a good mix of paid on-street parking and municipal lots.

During our trip in 2021, we just had the RV, so we drove that into town and were able to find some parallel parking spots with 4 hour parking that we fit into. This was good, because RVs are prohibited in most of the paid parking lots in Boothbay. Our rig also did a great job of handling the hills and somewhat twisty roads of this area of Maine. In 2021 we tried a few times to get and Uber to be able to go downtown in that but, to no avail.  In 2022, we relied heavily on our Rad e-bikes to get us into town, since we wanted to keep the RV set up and the AC on for the dog at our campground. While there are bike lane signs and even a biking initiative supported by the local Rotary, it is still pretty difficult to ride around and into Boothbay because of the steep hills, narrow breakdown lanes, tight sidewalks and congested areas of town, and basically non-existent biking amenities like paths and racks. It was definitely a drawback to trying to get back and forth to enjoy the downtown area.

As we mentioned, RVs aren’t allowed in many of the public parking spaces in Boothbay, even for our smaller rig (24 feet). We did have some success with parallel parking, especially the 4 hour spots on the street which had some nice shade. We found a few parking spots near smaller Beaches in Boothbay in Southport, that are fun to visit to read a book.

The Footbridge Across the harbor in Boothbay is one of the many historic and scenic attractions by the water in this quaint town

Where to Eat in While Camping in Boothbay, Maine

Boothbay is full of great places to eat. One of our favorite things to do in a new-to-us town is to check out the dining options! Since food is a necessity as well as a fun diversion in any new town, here are some of the places we went. We’ll write more in a list of Places to Eat in Boothbay, but here’s a quick overview of some of the spots we liked.

On our drive into Boothbay during our trip in 2021, we stopped about nine miles away from Boothbay in Wiscasset, ME to get a lobster roll at the infamous Red’s Eats. We’ll detail that adventure in future posts about all things lobster and lobster rolls!  While the lobster rolls were pretty good, the line was no fun. To avoid that line in the future, and to get another perspective on lobster rolls, we’d also like to check out Sprague’s Lobster across the street.

On our trip in 2021, we enjoyed the Boothbay Harbor landmark, McSeagulls. This tavern and restaurant has a waterfront dining room and bar, and a great well-rounded menu of seafood and traditional fare. In 2021, this was one of our first dining experiences during COVID, and it felt very clean and safe in a sunny, open-air environment. We had a Haddock Sandwich with onion rings and a Maine Fields Salad which features blueberries also the Mc Seagull’s Mule which also features blueberries. To continue with the blueberry items, we also enjoyed blueberry ice cream at the Downeast Ice Cream Factory for dessert. On our trip in 2022, we were happy to see that McSeagulls was still in business after we heard the news that it was closing and/or changing hands in 2021. While we didn’t eat there this visit, the menu and the view looked just as good as before, with many of the same favorites we enjoyed, and we’d certainly go back anytime!

In 2021, we also stopped at Pinkham’s Market one day for lunch – an amazing meatball sub! And we ordered two lobsters and steamers already prepared which we brought back to our campsite to eat with drawn butter. It was a memorable camping meal, and it was made so much easier by being able to pick up the seafood already steamed and prepared from Pinkham’s. In 2022, we enjoyed the Cape Cod Chicken sandwiches from the same market and picked up provisions as well as lobster again!

On our trip in 2022, we decided to check out Kaler’s which offers a beautiful view of the harbor from their picnic table-filled deck. It was the afternoon, and we had dinner reservations, so we kept it light and just split an order of onion rings and a pitcher of beer. However, we found both the bartender, John, and owner Mary at Kaler’s to be extremely welcoming and fun to chat with! We went back before boarding the Cabbage Island Clambake to try the lime mule cocktail the Bad Larry. We’d love to return again for some fried seafood and blueberry pie!

For dinner one evening, we were celebrating a special occasion this trip, so we decided on Ports of Italy as a fine dining spot for our special dinner. We enjoyed the Bocce Ball cocktail, Eggplant Rollatini, Fruite de Mare, and Osso Bucco.

In addition to the Dunkin’ that is close to Boothbay Craft Brewery and RV Park, there is Bet’s Fish Fry, which is open odd hours, because they close when they sell out for the day, but is usually open Tuesday through Saturday 11-2. The Fish Sandwich and fries can’t be missed.

Kaler’s offered waterfront dining with a panoramic view of the harbor, excellent food, drinks, and welcoming service

Things to Do While Staying In Boothbay

While some of our camping arrangements and dining experiences qualify for us as things to do for us, we also found some other wonderful diversions in Boothbay! We’ll write up a longer post of specific things to do, but here are a few things we enjoyed while there!

In 2021, we took one of Capt’ Fish’s Harbor Cruises to get a view of the water. We elected to take the Harbor Cruise with Lighthouses, Seals, and Lobster Trap Haul,  They also offer whale watching, puffin cruises, and other itineraries! We enjoyed it because it helped us get our bearings, see the Harbor and interesting islands, see some of the Maine coast, and learn some history of the area — all while enjoying a beautiful day on the water!

In 2022, we did the famous Cabbage Island Clambake.  While this is a dining experience, it also qualifies as a once-in-a-lifetime (or perhaps more than once, if you’re lucky!) kind of authentic Maine travel experience. The boat ride out to the island is a narrated tour that lasts about an hour and takes you through some of the beautiful details of the history of Boothbay Harbor. The tour will also point out some of the landmarks nearby, as well as the islands you pass on the way out to Cabbage Island where the Clambake is held. The Clambake is a feast of lobster, clams, corn, fish chowder, potato, and a hard-boiled egg. Accompanied by iced tea or water and a delicious, and famous blueberry cake for dessert! The whole experience isn’t one you’ll ever forget.

Man tending a lobster bake at Cabbage Island Maine with the ferry boat that takes you to the island in the background

The Cabbage Island Clambake is one of the most classic and unique Maine dining experiences in Boothbay, Maine

Boothbay is home to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens  It’s just a few miles from the campground, but requires pre-purchased tickets and also doesn’t allow RVs to park on the property. Dogs are also not allowed, so it was a bit tricky for us to figure out a visit. For some of these logistical issues, we haven’t gone yet, but is on our list of places to visit.

The Boothbay Harbor Shops also include Galleries that feature local artists paintings and crafts. There are so many talented artists that make Boothbay their home, thanks probably in part to the endless sources of artistic inspiration from the water, boats, and coastline. We also enjoyed Maine and Ivy, and The Footbridge Shop, and thought they were some of the nicest stores to visit for classic-meets whimsical preppy attire and tasteful gifts respectively.  We also ducked into Marcel’s Submarine Shop and Whisky Bar –  a winning combination of excellent gourmet subs and fine whiskies, which had an extensive list of whisky and cocktails. There’s much more to experience in Boothbay including spas, beaches, resort hotels, and even more restaurants but we didn’t have the chance to visit those during this stay.

Bright red cooked lobster on a plate against picnic table with newspaper on itNo cooking and easy clean up is appreciated when you’re trying to eat lobsters in an RV. Pinkham’s Market will steam lobsters for you. We took them back to our campsite and ate them there!

More Places to Stay in Boothbay

For RVers, there are a few other places to camp in Boothbay. For instance, Shore Hills is down the street from Boothbay Craft Brewing and we passed in on our drive-in. We also passed Gray’s Homestead Oceanfront Camping in Southport which looks like a neat spot to try sometime since it’s waterfront and offers seasonal sites. The harbor also has several gorgeous resorts, hotels, and bed and breakfasts.

If we ever travel here just by car, enjoying a fine dining and spa experience while enjoying the Spruce Point Inn or staying at Linekin Bay Resort in one of their Oceanfront rooms or pet-friendly cabins or looks like it would be a fun thing to do. However, we absolutely love the hospitality and location we found at Boothbay Craft Brewery and will likely return again next year.

Cover image of blue flowers at the footbridge in Boothbay Harbor with text that reads Visiting Boothbay Harbor Maine

 

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Review of Camping at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware

Today’s post details our travels to Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware. We’ll share the amenities the park has to offer, as well as some of the things we did in the town of Lewes, and some of the benefits and drawbacks of camping at Cape Henlopen.

Review of Camping at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware

We’ve been trying to write posts in sequential order of our travels, but we are making an exception for Cape Henlopen. We traveled to two other state parks in Delaware in the Spring of 2021 for our shakedown trip, and then ventured to Cape Henlopen State Park in the summer of 2022. Since we’re on the theme of Delaware camping and we just made this visit, we thought we should write about our Cape Henlopen experience while it was still fresh in our minds! We’re still catching up on posts we need to write about Delaware, in addition to our adventures in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Georgia, The Florida Keys,  and Maine.
rvs in a line with trees at Cape Henlopen State Park Campground

Getting To Lewes, Delaware

We had traveled to Lewes, Delaware for a wedding in 2015, and had driven through the area on our camping trip to Delaware Seashore State Park in Rehobeth and on trips to Dewey Beach, so the travel into Lewes was something we had experienced before. From Pennsylvania, we took Route 30 to 41 and onto Route 1 in Delaware. Cape Henlopen is just a few miles off of Route 1 in Lewes, making it very accessible. It’s also located very close to the Cape May Ferry Terminal, so if you’re coming to town that way, you’ll be close by! There weren’t any issues like low bridges or tight turns on the way that we felt we needed to be aware of as RVers.

Cape Henlopen Park Attributes and Amenities

Cape Henlopen offers a location near the charming town of Lewes, as well as a spot that is near the beaches on both the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  Dewey Beach, Rehobeth Beach, and Ocean City are also close by.
The Park itself is large with many paths that lead to the many historical sites, beaches, and educational centers that are housed within the park. There is the Fort Miles Historic Area, which was a defense station in World War II. There is also a Nature Center, a Fishing Pier, and a place to rent bikes to explore the park.  There’s an office building at the entrance where RV visitors check-in.
We had no problem parking, but it is a small area. From there, you will proceed through the gatehouse with your RV camping pass. The sites, campground roads, and map were clearly marked and we had no trouble getting to our site.

The Campground at Cape Henlopen

The Campground at Cape Henlopen has well-kept sites but does have spots that are closer together than some of the state parks we’ve visited.
Cape Henlopen is definitely more of a parking lot-style campground; by that we mean there’s minimal privacy landscaping between sites, the spots are fairly close together, and you can easily see all of the campsites near you.
It’s also a very family-centric campground, so there’s lots of activity with kids riding bikes, playing games in the roads, and running in and around the facilities and playgrounds. While that’s usually not a deal breaker for us or undesirable, Cape Henlopen was probably 85% families the week we visited, and it definitely dominates the feeling of the campground.
The bustling an social nature of Cape Henlopen in season is great for families who want kids to have that social camping experience. It also feels very safe because of all of the families present, it also was not as quiet and relaxing as many state parks. And, because of the paved nature of the park and sites, it doesn’t give that feeling of being peacefully surrounded by nature like some of the more secluded spots we’ve encountered in other parks, it feels more like an RV resort where space is at a premium.

Review of Cape Henlopen Campground Amenities

Like so many campgrounds this year, spaces and reservations for Cape Henlopen are hard to come by, but we were able to find a spot because we booked a few months ahead of time.
We were fortunate to get a pull-through spot, which is a bit of overkill for us because we are a 23-foot motor home, but it was nice to have the space. We had site C 19, which is very large but not level, it took all of our levelers to put the front tires up so that we weren’t heading too much downhill.
The parking pad was freshly paved and the rest site was edged with sand, a few trees, pine trees and needles, and some brush, which gave it some other nice areas to set up our chairs and to enjoy the fire pit.
There was something about the pull-through spot and our smaller camper also made it a magnet for kids to ride their bikes through, which was a bit of a privacy and safety issue because kids would whizz by while we were opening our doors. Again, as campers who go seeking solitude, the busy nature of the park was one of the reasons we wouldn’t be rushing to go back to Cape Henlopen until the off-season.
The campground bathrooms were also a big drawback and in disappointing shape. We use our own bathroom in the RV most of the time when there’s a hookup available, but since there’s no sewer hookup at these sites, only a dump station, it’s nice to have the option of a real shower and toilet when you don’t want to have to depart the site to dump full tanks.
Unfortunately, because of the beach location, the bathrooms have gritty and sandy floors that are constantly wet. They have individual showers and toilets, which are usually a huge luxury, but the private shower rooms and toilets are not well-ventilated or cool, and are pretty sparse, and uninviting. The shower also has poor pressure and temperature control. The shower head is next to the wall, making it nearly impossible to stand under it. If you’re used to roughing it, it’s not an issue, since any shower is welcomed, but if you’re looking for a good shower this isn’t it.
Despite all of this, the showers are still very busy with beachgoers rinsing off and a necessity for larger families and tent campers. Additionally,  groups of kids were using the bathrooms as their own personal spaces for games of hide and seek, which again made the whole restroom situation a little frustrating.

Another drawback to the campground was that the trash dumpsters were also a bit of a walk and located only at the exit near the dump station in the campground. It’s an easy drive if you have a separate vehicle, but a little bit of a walk with your bags if you have only your RV for transportation.

Biking Near Cape Henlopen, Delaware

While the busy atmosphere was one of the reasons why a return trip to Cape Henlopen isn’t high on our list during the summer, it would certainly be a spot we’d visit again in the quieter times of the year.

One of the biggest reasons we would return is for the bike trails that go through the park. Gordon’s Pond Trail was beautifully level and perfectly maintained. We also enjoyed the proximity of the campground to the quaint town of Lewes. We took the bike paths not only to downtown Lewes,  out to the Junction Breakwater trail and also saw the start of the Georgetown trail, which we’d like to explore further.

Bike Trails had clear paths, but they aren’t always well-marked in terms of where certain trails connect and what elements and attributes will be found along your journey.
Specifically, we were a little confused about which way to go trying to pick up the Cape Henlopen paths from the Breakwater trails. There are a few places where the trail is under construction, and also spaces where the trail blends with the main roads in Rehobeth and Dewey Beaches, but with Google Maps and a bit of instinct, we were able to find our way.

When you are on the dedicated bike trails, however, it’s clear that Delaware certainly knows what it’s doing with creating and maintaining walking and bike paths, and it was one of our favorite benefits and activities of being based at Cape Henlopen.

Getting to The Beach at Cape Henlopen

Another reason we like Cape Henlopen is for the options of the beaches. However, it’s not one of those campgrounds where you are right on the beach. In fact, we had a lot of trouble trying to find exactly where the beach areas were! When did finally find signage within the campground directing you to the beaches it still wasn’t very clear, so it took us a long time to figure out where the beaches and entrances near us actually were. We searched for a while on our bikes to find the water views, and we found other visitors doing the same.
There are a few access points within the park to beaches, but we believe the closest one for the campground was near the Fort Miles area.  The entrances to the beaches are about a 8- 10 minute walk from the campground and the paths down to the beach are mostly very deep dunes to traverse until you get to the beach.
Just something to be aware of, since it makes it difficult to bring chairs, beach wagons, coolers, and other beach essentials if you are walking or biking. Most beach accesses have either parking or at least drop-off points making it a little easier to bring your beach essentials if you are able to take a car.

Things To See and Do Near Cape Henlopen

In addition to the beach and biking, we used this location as a jumping-off point to be able to travel to a number of places on our e-bikes. We enjoyed going to the Saturday Farmers’ Market in Lewes and getting to visit some of the restaurants in Downtown Lewes, as well as being able to visit friends who had a slip at the marina in the center of downtown. It was also a great spot to be able to ride our bikes to Dewey Beach and Rehoboth. We also took our RV and ventured out to dining spots like Crooked Hammock and Matt’s Fish Camp which are near Route One.
We’ll detail some of those dining adventures in our upcoming post about where to eat in and around Lewes!  We wrapped up our trip to Cape Henlopen by heading back to Lums Pond. We’ll update that post with more details about our 2022 visits soon!
Image of the campers and campsites at the Cape Henlopen State Park campground

Review of Camping at the Delaware Seashore State Park, Rehoboth DE

We decided on Delaware Seashore State Park as the next destination on our first shakedown trip in our RV. After visiting Lums Pond, we wanted to not only extend our trip a little but also visit the Delaware beaches. So, we headed to Delaware Seashore State Park as our next destination. Here’s our take on the highlights of the park!

Review of Camping at the Delaware Seashore State Park, Rehoboth DE

Indian River Inlet Bridge in Rehoboth Beach DelawareIndian River Inlet Bridge in Rehoboth Beach Delaware

The Campground at Delaware Seashore State Park is ideally located right on the water with a path to walk out to the beach at the park. Delaware Seashore State Park Campground is in Rehoboth Beach, and close to Lewes, Dewey Beach, Fenwick, and Ocean City.

Getting To Delaware Seashore State Park

It was about an hour and a half drive to Delaware Seashore Park on the way from Lums Pond.  We wanted to make a few stops on the way, namely a Target to pick up some more storage bins, and also a trip to the grocery store. During the trip, we were having some issues with our GPS – which is a known issue in the Thor Gemini, which we now have a fix for and will document on this site at some point – but it prevented us from successfully finding the Target! walkway and view of campground at delaware seashore state parkpground at DelawareWalkway from the Campground to the Beach, Heading back to the Campground

We picked up groceries at the Acme in Lewes and then decided to drive past our campground and around Rehobeth, Fenwick, and Ocean City to get our bearings. We’ll share more about those trips down below!

Things to Know about Camping at the Delaware Seashore State Park

The campground is actually two separate areas on either side of the Inlet, ( North Inlet and South Inlet) so it’s very important to know which side you’re going to be on since it’s no fun to have to cross the bridge unnecessarily to turn around. The entrance is also a little bit tricky from what we remember, you have to turn right then follow an access road, and be sure to pick the correct land for RV, since there is also a lane for just general beach access)

Off Season Camping at Delaware Seashore State Park

We were there in the off-season of March 2021, so there was no sewer available. It also made the park pretty open, but there were still a fair amount of campers. If it had been during the prime summer season, it’s not hard to envision how packed in the campers would be.  Despite being a state park, and close to the beach,  Delaware Seashore State Park, isn’t our favorite type of camping because it lacks a little bit of the things we love about camping – namely privacy, and feeling close to nature. It’s basically a parking lot. There is no landscaping between sites, and the entire place is paved. The inlet itself is pretty, but watching the water current is also a little intense! There’s a reason the Indian River Lifesaving Station was erected there over 100  years ago. The current just rips through the inlet, and boats from the nearby Indian River Marina the Coast Guard boats that leave from the station there have to fight the strong current coming in and out of there.  We were also there during extremely windy weather, and without other campers or any barriers like trees bushes and other buildings, the wind gusts were constant and hit us hard.  In the summer it seems like the park would be exposed to the elements like sun and heat, making the power hookup (and the resulting access to air conditioning) a key component of the place.

Things To Do Near the Delaware Seashore State Park

beach dunes and fence at Delaware beachDunes and the Lovely Beach near Delaware Seashore State Park

We’ll have to go into far greater detail at some point about all the things there are to do in the Delaware Seashore Area. There are so many restaurants and activities to enjoy in the surrounding areas including Rebobeth, Dewey, Fenwick, and Ocean City. On our trip, since it was still towards the time when things were shut down for Covid we simply walked around the Bethany Beach area, checking out shops and restaurants along the boardwalk that we’d love to come back to. Dining is always a big part of our adventures so some of the spots we ate make up the biggest part of our things to do!

Places to Eat near Delaware Seashore State Park

Ultimately, for dinner, we ended up down the road Matt’s Fish Camp at the Bethany Beach location. Matt’s Fish Camp has been a favorite of ours since we first visited a few years ago at the Lewes location. We love it because as originally New Englanders, we are always in search of New England-style seafood when we aren’t able to be in our hometowns!  Matt’s Fish Camp gets it, they have delicious lobster, great onion rings, clams, and more. Because of Covid, we decide to place an order for take-out. It was fun to be able to just pull up, get our order, and eat in the RV in the parking lot. We usually try to drive to a scenic spot to eat, but the food smell was too tempting! We had and would highly recommend the Lobster Deviled Eggs, crab cakes, and fried clams.

Inside view of Matt's Fish Camp restaurantViews of Matt’s Fish Camp Bethany Beach

The next day, we decided to drive the RV into Dewey to get a break from all the wind at the campsite. Thanks to our smaller size, we were able to find on-street parking and we walked to Dewey Beer Company.  Dewey Beer quickly became a new favorite when we discovered their amazing sour beer – Secret Machine. Amazing flavors like marshmallow, tangerine, oreo, and raspberry get combined into a sour beer that tastes like a smoothie!  The food was delicious as well – we had the hamburgers. Sitting at the bar tables that face the street and are open to the air felt safe during Covid.

burger seaweed salad and three sample size beers from Dewey Beer CoLunch at Dewey Beer Company and Sample Sizes of Secret Machine Fruited Sours

We spent another windy night at Delaware Seashore State Park before heading home! Our next adventures included New England, South Carolina, and Florida before we returned to Delaware, but if you want more info on Delaware Camping, stay tuned for our next Delaware camping post where we will detail our visit to  Cape Henlopen State Park, and we also went back to where it all began – Lums Pond!

Image of a sandy dune and beach in Delaware with text that reads Camping at Delaware Seashore State Park

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Review of Camping at Lums Pond State Park

motor home in trees at pond setting

Review of Camping at Lums Pond State Park

We chose Lums Pond State Park in Bear, Delaware as our destination for our maiden voyage; the trip that was to serve as our “shakedown trip” of our new RV, a 2021 Thor Gemini 23 TW. Lums Pond ended up being a wonderful spot for our first camping trip for several reasons. Firstly, since it’s 2-3 hours away from our primary residence, it gave us enough distance to impart that truly away-from-home feeling.  In other words, we felt it qualified as an adventure, but was still close enough to be close to home should any major issues occur. It was also the ideal spot to really experience the pleasures of nature while being close enough to amenities to make us feel secure.

Early Spring Camping in Delaware

A bit of early warm spring weather also helped us decide to get out of the house. Since we arrived at the campground in March, some of the campground amenities weren’t fully available, but it still gave us the opportunity to test out our camping setup quite well. Lums Pond is a large park with several distinct areas for recreation and a separate campground. There were several hiking trails that can be accessed from the campground itself, along with a larger portion of the park across the pond from the campground that is either a short drive or bike trip, with trails, sports fields, a disc golf course, horseback riding areas, and Go Ape a zipline and climbing park. We loved this campground for its welcoming feel from camp hosts and other campers, the wide campsites, open park layout, close restroom facilities, miles of hiking trails, plus beautiful views of the pond.

Getting to Lums Pond

We made a few quick stops on our trip to Bear, Delaware from our home base in Lancaster County. We intentionally took a route that took us through North East and Havre De Grace, Maryland. It was a great mix of back roads and highway travel to give us a sense of the way the motorhome would handle this terrain. All the things we packed were mostly secure, although there were a few rattles from our belongings that we have since solved. That drive truly gave us some insight into the shakedown aspect of driving an RV.  While we didn’t encounter any really low bridges, the twists and turns and few bridges route along the country road to North East certainly reminded us that it’s always a good idea to make sure your route does have clearance.

Stopping in North East was our first-time parallel parking our RV in a town setting, and it fit the spaces along the main street in North East perfectly. Because of the weather (and during the time of still in-place Covid restrictions), we decided to enjoy a lunch at Woody’s Crab House before driving the rest of the way to Bear, Delaware. We also made a stop in Lewes, Delaware for some groceries, since we hadn’t packed too many groceries from home. One of the nice things about having an RV is being able to put groceries away in the fridge right after you buy them! We then headed to Lums Pond.

Lums Pond Campground Amenities and Features

The Campground Entrance is separate from the entrance to the part of the state park that houses the sports fields and other main attractions of the park. Since we were arriving early in the season, it was self-service check-in with just a quick visit to the host.  The campground itself is a wide-open space with large campsites. It has the feeling of a welcoming town park, with just enough landscaping and trees to make each site stand out. While the site we ended up getting was pretty level, we drove by one of the sites we had been considering, and saw that it –and others near it– were at quite an angle, and would require many more leveling blocks than we had with us! Now that we’ve camped 20+ places, we can safely say that we’ve never seen quite such a steep spot anywhere else! We ended up in another spot ( I have forgotten to record the exact number, but I think it was site 34, with a  large level paved site with some stone dust surrounding the edge, and quick access to both the restrooms and a short walk to the hiking trail. It also offered a slight view of the pond through the trees.  The site was full hookup, which was great for convenience and having the chance to test our set up, and there was a dump station available.  We ended the day by taking a walk to the campground side of the pond and around some of the trails there, before getting settled for the night. The camp store was closed and out of firewood that night, but there was a great-sized firepit on our site, which we would have used. The next day we moved across to site 35.

Things to Do Near Lums Pond

The next day was sunny and warm, so we decided to head toward Chesapeake City to visit Schaeffer’s Canal House for lunch. It was a good chance to see how our RV handles small spots and parking lots. With bikes in our future plans, we also wanted to check out the bike trail that runs next to the C&D canal. After a great lunch outside, with good service, a cobb salad that helped us stick to our loosely-followed keto diet we were trying at this time. We didn’t cross the bridge into Chesapeake City – because we’ve visited before and we wanted to get back to explore Lums Pond a little more.

The Park

On our way back, we drove to the official Lums Pond State Park entrance.  We were impressed by the expansive spaces for picnicking, family gatherings, sports, and other outdoor recreational activities. My husband enjoyed playing a few holes of disc golf at their facility, and I wished I had time to do some of the horseback riding available there!

We recommend Lums Pond Campground and would love to return in the season to do some of these activities like horseback riding, the Go Ape park, and –now that we have e-bikes –we’d love to be able to ride the trails.  If you don’t have an RV, they also offer campsites for tents and yurt camping which looked pretty cool!

The Location Details

If you’d like to camp at Lums Pond too, you’ll want to make reservations through the website at Delaware State Parks. 

Lums Pond State Park (Campground Entrance)

3488-3598 Red Lion Rd, Bear, DE 19701

Up next, we drove through Bethany Beach and headed to Delaware Seashore State Park for our next camping reservation!