12 miles south of Marathon, on Bahia Honda Key, is where you’ll find the park. On the oceanside of U.S. Highway #1, between Mile Markers 36 and 37, is where you’ll find the entry.
In This Article...
What city is Bahia Honda in?
The Florida Keys archipelago includes the island of Bahia Honda. Southwest of Marathon, in the lower Keys, is where you can find it. The island is home to some of the Florida Keys’ most breathtaking views and some of the state’s most gorgeous beaches.
Bahia Honda State Park is which key?
The park is renowned for its year-round, mild sea breezes that caress the coasts in addition to its trademark Florida Keys beauty, sandy beaches, gin-clear waters, and breathtaking sunsets.
The uninhabited island of Bahia Honda Key became a popular tourist destination thanks to Henry Flagler’s audacious plan to construct a train to Key West in the early 1900s.
The park is well-known for the gentle sea breezes that caress the coasts year-round in addition to its typical Florida landscape, which includes palm-lined beaches, gin-clear waters, and breathtaking sunsets.
The park introduces nature enthusiasts to the island’s flora and fauna and is a great site to watch wading birds and shorebirds.
Rentable kayaks and snorkeling equipment are available, as well as boat cruises to the reef for snorkeling excursions.
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.
How far is Key from Bahia Honda?
With its smooth sandy shoreline and tranquil, clear waters in the shadow of the railroad trestle bridge, Bahia Honda State Park, 37 miles north of Key West, consistently rates as one of the greatest beaches in the country.
One of the beaches near Bahia Honda is Sandspur Beach.
picture provided by Hans Gruber
The only live coral barrier reef in the continental United States lies off the coast of the Florida Keys, which provides great fishing, snorkeling, and diving opportunities. However, that same reef also prevents sand from washing ashore and forming natural beaches. The exception is Bahia Honda, which boasts not just one, but three breathtaking beaches, earning the park the title of America’s Best Beach in the past.
The largest beach on the island is Sandspur Beach, which you can reach by hanging a left as you approach the park. Grab a floatie, drop your belongings at a picnic table beneath one of the three pavilions, and enter the crystal-clear, shallow water.
You might search for a more sedate section of beach for a little more adventure. At the end of the Sandspur parking lot is where you can find the Silver Palm Nature Trail. One of the greatest remaining clusters of the shiny-tipped palm, follow its meandering, shaded trail.
You’ll pass by dancing orange butterflies, beach crabs, and sparkling spider webs as you stroll through a lush corridor of buttonwood, poisonwood, sea grape, and gumbo limbo trees. After passing over sand dunes, a tangle of green sea oats, and baby palms, you’ll come to a sun-bleached wooden gate that leads to a more private section of beach with gentle waves lapping at your feet.
Can you bring alcohol to Bahia Honda State Park?
Bahia Honda State Park only permits the consumption of alcohol in certain areas. Alcohol is legal where you are camping, but it is not allowed on the beaches of Bahia Honda.
How much does it cost to get into Bahia Honda State Park?
A motorcycle or car with one occupant must pay $4.50 to enter Bahia Honda State Park. In the case of a vehicle carrying two eight people, the fee rises to $8. (plus a surcharge of 50 per person). It costs $2.50 to enter as a pedestrian or cyclist.
How do I get a reservation at Bahia Honda State Park?
On the Florida State Parks website or by phone at (800) 326-3521, you can make a reservation for a campsite at Bahia Honda State Park.
Is Bahia Honda State Park fully open?
Due to Hurricane Irma’s substantial devastation to the region in 2017, NoSandspur Campground is still closed. Restoration work is now being done. To help with this rebuilding initiative, you can donate to The Friends of Bahia.
Does Bahia Honda fill up?
Oh, by the way, it does! Campsites at Bahia Honda State Park quickly sell out due to its high level of popularity. In fact, looking for canceled bookings is your best bet for finding a campsite there.
What is the entrance fee to Bahia Honda State Park?
$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.
Does Bahia Honda State Park have shells?
Bring a strainer if you’re looking for seashells because they are incredibly tiny but magnificent here. Find the wrack line, where there is a trough, by wading into the water between 1 and 3 feet. There are several shells to be found if you dig in this trough.
What does the English word “Bahia Honda” mean?
The lower Florida Keys contain the island of Bahia Honda, which translates to “deep bay” in Spanish and is locally pronounced as “BAY-ah HON-da” (be hnd).
Near the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge, between Spanish Harbor Key and Ohio Key, 12 miles (19 km) west of Marathon, is where U.S. 1 (the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at roughly mile markers 36-38.5.
Being home to the 524-acre (212-hectare) Bahia Honda State Park, the island is essentially deserted.
[1][2] The park, which opened in 1961, takes up most of the island. [2] One of the Florida Keys’ deepest natural canals is located at the west end of the island.
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.
Which is superior, John Pennekamp or Bahia Honda?
Although the boat out of Pennekamp can travel to the well-known Christ the Redeemer statue, the reef off of Bahia Honda is typically regarded as being better. JP is little, but incredibly convenient. The water is nearby once your automobile is parked. To protect your feet, put on a bootie of some sort.
The Bahia Honda Bridge is accessible by foot.
There are several beautiful views of the Old Bahia Honda Bridge. You can either stroll below the old bridge or up a very short piece of it. The beach area is excellent, and the water is lovely and clear.
How long does driving across the Keys take?
The 113-mile distance could be driven in just under three hours, but why would you want to? The stops along the way are what make road trips, especially one as well-known as this, so memorable. So lower the top and turn on Jimmy Buffett.
Is Bahia Beach a swimmable beach?
Due to excessive levels of germs, a health advisory has been issued for Bahia beach. Swimming is not advised because this could pose a risk to those using public pools. The level of enterococci bacteria in the samples was higher than expected. In a week, the beach will be sampled once more.
The advisory will be lifted after resampling shows that the water is within the acceptable limit.
When the beach action value reaches 70.5 or above, an advisory is released. The Environmental Protection Agency established this (EPA). Through the Healthy Beaches Measuring Program, the Florida Department of Health has been monitoring the water quality of Hillsborough County’s coastal beaches at nine sites every two weeks since August 2000 and every week since August 5, 2002.
The water samples are being examined for enteric bacteria (enterococci), which often live in both human and animal intestinal tracts and can lead to illness, infections, or rashes in people. Enteric bacteria are a sign of fecal contamination, which can come from pets, wildlife, human feces, and storm water runoff. The Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program seeks to ascertain whether Florida’s coastal beaches have major water quality issues.
Please visit the Beach Water Quality page on the Florida Department of Health’s website. Click on a county name to display the beach water sampling results for that county.
Through coordinated efforts from the state, county, and community, the department—which has received national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board—works to safeguard, promote, and improve the health of every person in Florida.
Is Bahia Honda State Park a nice place to snorkel?
For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, board the snorkel boat trip operated by Coral Reef Park Co. Discover the magnificent Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary, home to the Florida Keys’ most magnificent reef. The reef is alive with marine life, and you may explore an amazing underwater world. The water depths here range from 5 feet to 70 feet, making it the ideal location for snorkelers of all skill levels.
At Bahia Honda State Park, you may also go snorkeling close to the shore right off the beach. Bring your own equipment or rent some here, then relax above the near-shore rocky, hard bottom and seagrass beds to see the world below. A spiny lobster, starfish, or queen conch may be visible. Whatever you like, snorkeling seems to deprive you of some of your senses and transform the experience into a completely visual one where it’s just you and the ocean.