Access to Calusa and Loggerhead Beaches is now possible from both parking lots. Repair work on Sandspur Beach and Campground started around the end of February 2020 and should be finished by the year’s end!
In This Article...
Is Bahia Honda sandspur open?
In May 2022, Sandspur Beach will be accessible. After being damaged by a hurricane, Sandspur Beach reopened in May 2022 for the first time in a while. This is what? Since I visited Bahia Honda State Park for the first time in 2022, I am unsure of what Sandspur Beach was actually like before the hurricane.
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.
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.
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.
What does the Spanish 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.
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.
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 Bahia Honda State Park beach like?
Bahia Honda Key, located 12 miles south of Marathon, offers three beaches in one park that front some of the clearest ocean imaginable. The largest beach on Bahia Honda is called Sandspur, and it extends around the island’s southeast corner. The smallest beach, Calusa, is located on the northwest side.
Which beach in Key West is the most beautiful?
Discover Key West’s best 5 beaches by reading on.
- 1) Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas. The most gorgeous beach in the Florida Keys, in the opinion of many, is found on this isolated group of islands located 70 miles west of Key West.
- Fort Zachary Taylor No. 2.
- Smathers Beach, no. 3.
- Higgs Beach, No. 4.
- Bahia Honda State Park, number 5.
What is Florida’s most beautiful Key?
With the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo is the location of one of the most well-known spectacular views in the Florida Keys. Some of the best snorkeling in the Florida Keys may be found here, which extends into the Atlantic Ocean. The park also offers kayak and standup paddleboard rentals in addition to a glass bottom boat. This topmost key is the perfect location to stop and get in touch with nature.
Which Florida Key is the prettiest?
Key West is by far the most well-known of the Florida Keys, and there’s a good reason for that. A visit here is a no-brainer with everything from stunning historical structures (like Hemingway’s Home) to exciting nightlife and delicious food. Key West provides excellent boating, snorkeling, fishing, and other outdoor experiences, just like the other Florida Keys. But its eccentricity is arguably what it is most proud of. The island once threatened to secede from the United States by staging a fictitious war with conch fritter bombs.
Old Town and New Town are the two distinct areas of Key West in the present. In contrast to New Town, which emphasizes some of Key West’s more recent improvements and locations that pay homage to the city’s past, Old Town is rich of history, bars, and many other attractions that the majority of visitors have been coming to see for years. Visit the cursed doll inside a historic fort turned museum, charter a boat or hand-feed tarpon at Charter Boat Row, or relax on Smathers Beach, one of Key West’s only non-rocky beaches, while smoking cigars with a Cuban influence and sampling local rum cocktails.
Key West has more upscale dining options than other Keys cities—there is a Margaritaville, after all—but it is nonetheless home to local favorites like Blue Heaven and the Green Parrot dive bar. It’s also worth noting that cruise ship passengers, bachelor parties, and spring breakers often come to the popular bar-lined Duval Street and Mallory Square’s waterfront restaurants. Mallory Square has a reputation for being rowdy, but it’s most well-known for its Sunset Celebration, where entertainers, musicians, and artists mingle with revelers two hours before to sunset. You may include a visit to the Little White House on your agenda (President Truman’s winter residence turned museum) and even get drunk in the Garden of Eden while you’re nude. Oh, and while everyone is enamored with key lime pie, keep in mind that Key West is so near to Cuba. If you don’t take advantage of the incredible coffee con leche or Cuban sandwiches on the island, you’ll be missing out. For these specialties, check out the Cuban Coffee Queen.
Key West also has a flourishing LGBTQ culture and some of the same laissez-faire spirit as cities like New Orleans. This is especially true when it holds festivals. The most well-known celebration in Key West is called Fantasy Fest, and it lasts for ten days in October, just before Halloween. With drag queen competitions, barely-there outfits, and various inebriated revelries, this is undoubtedly Key West at its wildest. Because this event attracts tens of thousands of guests, be sure to reserve your hotel much in advance. In search of something a little milder? Consider going in July when the island celebrates Hemingway, one of its most renowned residents.
Which month is ideal for a trip to the Florida Keys?
The months of March through May are the ideal times to visit Key West. The weather is very similar to the delightful 70s and 80s of winter, the crowds will start to thin out, and accommodation rates will drop.
Which Florida key has the greatest beaches?
The Florida Keys are a chain of islands that are renowned for their tropical atmosphere. As a result, these beaches are distinct from those on the mainland.
The beaches are smaller than those on the mainland, have fewer waves, and are significantly narrower, which are the key contrasts. Having said that, you’ve come to the ideal area if you’re seeking for warm, shallow water that has a bright turquoise hue, little swell, good snorkeling, and a very Caribbean vibe.
Why are these beaches so fantastic? As coral islands, the Florida Keys are first and foremost protected by offshore reefs. Because of the wave motion, they are unable to build extensive beaches.
However, these offshore reefs offer fantastic snorkeling opportunities. Although visiting the beach in the Keys is unlike other places you may have been, the relaxed environment more than makes up for it.
While the majority of the beaches in the Keys are undeveloped, those in Key West are often constructed using imported sand. Seagrass frequently washes up on the shoreline or in the water since the natural beaches are protected by offshore reef and grassy regions.
From their northernmost point near Miami all the way down to lively and exciting Key West, the Florida Keys are 125 miles long. Geographically speaking, the Keys can be separated into the Lower, Middle, and Upper Keys, with the Middle and Lower Keys having the most beaches. With very few exceptions, they are all found in state or national parks.
Beaches in the Keys should be a component of a larger excursion; not many people would consider them to be a destination in and of itself.
Please read our list of the top beaches in the Florida Keys if you ever find yourself in this stunning and distinctive region of the USA.
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