A key called Bahia Honda is situated northeast of Big Pine Key and just southwest of the Seven Mile Bridge (Spanish pronunciation: Bah-EE-ah OWN-dah). The term, which translates to “deep bay” in Spanish, has at least been documented on maps and nautical charts from the late 16th century.
In This Article...
What kinds of creatures live in Bahia Honda State Park?
In addition to many other species, we saw sandpipers, cormorants, red-winged blackbirds, mockingbirds, warblers, gulf fritillaries, cassius blue, mangrove skipper, bay cedar, beach beans, ocean-blue morning glory, lantana, nickerbean, sea daisies, wild bamboo, and more.
Why are Florida’s keys referred to as keys?
The Calusa and Tequesta tribes were the first people to live in the Keys, which Juan Ponce de Leon first mapped in 1513. De Len gave the islands the name Los Martires (lit., “The Martyrs”) because, from a distance, they appeared to be suffering men. [2] From the Spanish word cayo, which means small island, comes the term “key.” Key West was Florida’s largest town for a long time and prospered off of wrecking sales. The remote outpost, which was on the major trade route from New Orleans, was perfectly situated for trade with Cuba and the Bahamas. By reducing shipwrecks through better navigation, Key West experienced a downturn in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
Is there swimming at Bahia Honda?
The Calusa, Loggerhead, and Sandspur beaches in Bahia Honda State Park are well-known for their warm water, shallow sandbars, and good visibility. In the summer, the water is between the mid- to upper 80s F and the lower 70s F in the winter. Swimming is risk-free all year long, with the exception of the Bahia Honda Channel, where strong currents are present. Consider bringing your snorkeling gear if you want a view while swimming. Just a few feet from the shoreline, you can see a coral reef.
What is the entrance fee to Bahia Honda?
$8* per vehicle is the entrance fee that all guests must pay. 2 to 8 people maximum per car. $2.00* Passengers in vehicles with holders of Annual Individual Entrance Passes, bicycles, additional passengers, and pedestrians.
Is a visit to Bahia Honda State Park worthwhile?
If you’re visiting the Florida Keys, Bahia Honda State Park is a great area to stop by and spend the day—or a few days! This is a fantastic location to include on your Florida Keys itinerary, regardless of whether you are seeking for adventure, an active day, or just a few hours lazing on the beach in the sun. It is in a terrific location if you want to travel to other parts of the Keys for a day trip, but it can also serve as your home base while you are in the Keys.
Popular beach destination Bahia Honda is well-known for its wide range of activities, stunning white sand shorelines, and crystal-clear water ideal for snorkeling. There is also a short climb, fantastic campsites, and a historic railroad bridge that is visible from many locations across the park.
As a result of the park’s high popularity, you may need to arrive early in the day to guarantee a parking space, and you’ll need to make reservations for a campsite months in advance. But don’t worry—worth it’s it in spades!
We hope that this guide will offer you a solid overview of what to expect at Bahia Honda State Park, what to do, and what advance planning you might want to think about.
Be sure to get a copy of our Bahia Honda State Park Itinerary before your trip. We go through everything you need to know, including helpful maps, thorough descriptions of the treks in the region, what you should do before your visit, and what to do in the neighborhood.
Can I remain on the Bahia Honda?
The ideal location is at Bahia Honda State Park and Beach. Your ideal trip is waiting for you in one of the 455 lodges, motels, and cabins in the park and the nearby towns.
Which beach at Bahia Honda State Park is the best?
The nicest beach at Bahia Honda is unquestionably Sandspur Beach. To get there, enter the park and follow the instructions beyond the Sandspur campsite. There are many intriguing things to see, and the water is warm and clear. At this beach, we also went on a wonderful nature walk. Unquestionably worth a trip!
Was Key West once accessible by train?
Henry Flagler’s Over-Sea Railroad transported 500,000 tourists across the miles separating mainland Florida and Key West over the course of the following two decades. Unfortunately, it was severely destroyed by a 1935 hurricane and only endured for 23 years.
Despite the fact that the Florida Keys Overseas Highway now connects the mainland with the Keys, many of the original train bridges may still be seen standing beside the highway’s bridges, huge and austere.
On Pigeon Key, a five-acre island where construction workers slept while constructing the first Seven Mile Bridge, there are further reminders. Buildings on Pigeon Key have undergone meticulous restoration, and visitors may go on historical tours and check out an interesting museum. Additionally, there is a permanent train display titled “overseas to the Keys at the Custom House’s Key West Museum of Art & History.
Of course, both Henry Flagler and Ruby Whitlock have passed away. However, the Overseas Highway, one of the nation’s great roads and officially named as such by the federal government “drives on a bucket list. The renowned railroad built by the visionary Flagler and adored by 8-year-old Ruby more than a century ago is the one everyone who travels that route is following.
How much does camping in Bahia Honda State Park cost?
- $2.50 for pedestrians, cyclists, additional passengers, and occupants of vehicles with annual individual entrance pass holders (Monroe County surcharge is included).
- $4.50 for a single-passenger car or motorcycle (Monroe County surcharge is included).
- $8 per automobile (two to eight people). There will be a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person.
- $10 per boat plus park admission costs.
- $36 a night + tax, in addition to a $7 nightly utility fee for RVs and a nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee. (Camping in a tent is exempt from the utility fee). Water, electricity, and sewer are all included in the utility cost.
Residents of Florida may get a 50% discount on the current base camping costs if they are 65 years old or older, have a Social Security disability award certificate, or a 100% disability award certificate from the government (Reservation fee and utility fee are excluded). Requires eligibility documentation.
- From November 1 through April 30: $160 per night, plus tax, with a $6.70 reservation fee that isn’t refundable and a $7 utility cost per night. includes power and water.
- May 1 through October 31: $120 per night plus tax, plus a nonrefundable reservation charge of $6.70 and a nightly utility cost of $7. includes power and water.
Is Bahia Honda State Park a good place to watch the sunset?
The best beach and sunrise/sunset views in Florida are found in Bahia Honda, which is 38 miles north of Key West on U.S. Route 1.
Can dogs be brought into Bahia Honda?
With some limitations, you are welcome to bring your leashed dog with you to Bahia Honda State Park. Pets are not permitted in the cabins, bathhouses, pavilions, buildings, or on the beaches or in the water. Thankfully, dogs are permitted on the park’s nature trail.
A sinking Florida Keys
The Miami Herald reports that the majority of the key roadways in the Florida Keys will probably be under water by 2025 as a result of the worrying rise in king tides. And although it would be wonderful to take precautionary measures to save the roads, doing so is essentially costly. It would cost $1.8 billion to simply raise 155 kilometers of highways in Monroe County, which might be completely submerged by 2045. Highways and city roads are excluded from the list of remaining routes that will be flooded by 2025, which might total a staggering $750 million.
Due to the fact that they require much more than an asphalt overlay, these projects are more expensive in flood-prone areas. To collect water from the road and clean it before dumping it back into the ocean, workers must erect pipes and pumps. Some of the roads might just need to be raised a few feet, but the most crucial thing is to lay a solid foundation because by 2100 the water levels in the area would have increased by 6 feet. But it’s not yet clear from where Monroe County will acquire the money for these initiatives.
Politics appears to be standing in the way of villages in the Keys being partially saved.
“Due to the present administration in Tallahassee, we will not discuss funding during this session. Roman Gastesi, the administrator of Monroe County, told The Miami Herald that his office has not given up on the concept and that they intend to reintroduce it during the 2023 session.
But because it seems as though these floods are unavoidable, officials must quickly come up with a solution.
What are Florida’s seven keys?
Marathon, located in the middle of the Florida Keys, includes the following keys: Long Pine, Grassy, Deer, Fat Deer, Knights, Hog, Vaca, Stirrup, Crawl and Little Crawl, East and West Sister’s Island. Since its incorporation as the City of Marathon in 1999, it has quickly developed into the Florida Keys’ top family vacation spot, offering something for everyone to do, including golf, boating, world-class diving and snorkeling, swimming with dolphins opportunities, and a variety of water sports like kayaking and standup paddling.
The hardwood hammock and rainforest regions of Crane Point Hammock, a 64-acre reserve on some of the most historically and archaeologically rich territory in the Keys, are among the region’s environmental and natural attractions. Here, pre-Columbian items have been found, and the Children’s Museum and the Museum of Natural History of The Florida Keys are both here.
The laborers who constructed Flaglers’ railroad in the early 1900s were previously housed on the historically significant Pigeon Key offshore. Today, you may visit this island and get a glimpse of what it was like to live in the early 20th century while taking in the beautiful, serene surroundings.
The expansive sweep of the Straits of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico may be plainly viewed from the Bahia Honda Bridge after the Seven Mile Bridge, one of the longest segmental bridges in the world. Visit the state park nearby to see a beach that is frequently rated among the best in the country.
Is Cuba visible from Key West?
No, Key West or any other portion of Florida cannot provide a view of Cuba. It basically comes down to looking at another country’s landscape from another, which seems rather hard given that Key West is located approximately 90 miles from Cuba (at least through the naked eye).
You could believe climbing the Key West lighthouse would be beneficial, but in reality, it doesn’t because the maximum view from the top is just 30 to 35 miles away (the human eye is plainly not that powerful).
And if you’re on the ground? a lot less. But should this prevent you from boarding the next available aircraft to Key West’s intelligent but joyous lands? Without a doubt! However, it’s truly so close that it would be a pity to miss it when you’re having a drink in Key West. Now you’re curious. Go on reading!