The Florida Keys, The Overseas Highway, & Key West

[Music] the florida keys a tropical paradise home to some of the best fishing boating snorkeling and scuba diving in the world in this video we are going to travel from key largo down the overseas highway to key west and show you this 120 miles of tropical islands by drone by car and underwater we'll also give you tips on restaurants resorts picnic areas water sport rentals and show you some entertainment options and what to look for yes this video will be a little longer but i think will be a helpful tool as you plan your trip to florida's exotic adventure land so come with us as we explore the florida keys the overseas highway in key west [Music] we start with the sunrise over the atlantic ocean in key west now if you miss the sunrise due to late night partying on duval street don't worry you can still see the sunset over the gulf for many of the early years of florida key west was the largest city in the state however it went into a decline in the late 1800s at that time it was only accessible by water henry flagler an east coast developer changed all that in the early 1910s when he built the overseas railway which we will discuss further when we get to the bahia honda bridge for now though let's go to key largo to the entrance of the keys and make our way down the overseas highway to key west as you drive over the jewfish creek bridge from the mainland you take your first glimpse of the keys via the bohemian lifestyle of adventure waiting for you when you arrive at key largo route 1 turns to the south and becomes the overseas highway at mile marker 106. the mile marker system on the overseas highway makes it easy to find locations along the way it shows the distance you are from key west the mile marker corresponds to the address on the overseas highway check out this great picnic area on your way down the keys rails waterfront park is an 8 acre dog friendly park with picnic tables benches boat launch and swimming area there was a movie titled key largo filmed at the caribbean club the song key largo by one hit wonder bernie higgins reached number eight on the charts in 1982. as great as the scenery is above the land it is even greater under the sea john penicamp's coral reef park where you can snorkel or scuba dive on a molasses reef take a glass-bottom boat tour or kayak through mangroves it was the first underwater marine park in the u.s also in key largo you can go on deep sea fishing charters where you can catch mahi-mahi tuna tarpon and grouper check out key largo fishing adventures at mile marker 99.7 [Music] next stop on our journey i love morata which means village of islands often referred to as the fishing capital of the rural it hosts several fishing tournaments a year bone fishing and sail fishing can be found here [Music] the coconut cove resort and marina situated on a seven acre tropical island with ledges and sweeping palms overlooking the ocean and is pet friendly [Music] theater of the sea where you can swim with a dolphin or sea lion take a bottomless boat ride experience sea turtles fish sharks stingrays alligators and birds so much to do here check out their website there are two great restaurants at mile marker 83 wale harbor seafood buffet and wahoo's bar and grill which is pet friendly across the street is a publix in history of diving museum as we've moved further down isle of murata we pass by another popular option for destination weddings the islander resort [Music] another nice roadside park with picnic tables is at mile marker 80. and across the highway is the amara k resort where you can relax by the pool amidst palm trees overlooking the atlantic also bud and mary's marina with an outdoor cafe party boat fishing charters hotel accommodations scuba and snorkeling trips and boat rentals [Music] anne's beach boardwalk reopened in 2019 being rebuilt after hurricane irma destroyed it in 2017. it has a 300 feet of boardwalk with six pavilions covered picnic tables a restroom and parking lots at both ends the beach is good for shallow swimming and is dog friendly the channel number two bridge has convenient fishing platforms mangrove snapper and gag grouper roamed these waters [Music] just further down is the channel number five bridge important for boats with 65 feet of clearance also is known as one of the better fishing spots in the keys with abundant jacks tarpon and rich wildlife we now travel from isla morata to marathon the long key bridge connects long key with koch key roughly halfway between miami and key west it is the second longest bridge in the keys at two and a half miles the older bridge now a pedestrian bridge and bike path carried the overseas railroad from 1907 to 1935 it also has fishing platforms it is part of the overseas heritage trail a multi-use bike path that is currently 90 miles long and will eventually run across the complete 106 miles of the overseas highway little conch key has vacation rentals you can see on vrbo.com as we start to approach marathon the overseas heritage trail has a nice paved path along the curry hammock state park trail through a sandy shoreline in mangrove creek the dolphin research center here offers interactive demos in a shallow lagoon mile marker 54 boat ramp is another great place to have a picnic in marathon is aquarium encounters a marine aquarium in park with a 200 000 gallon coral reef tank where you can feed sharks grouper and eels see stingrays or snorkel in the saltwater lagoon [Music] we now move to the final leg of our journey from marathon to key west where some of the history of the keys can be seen through its amazing bridges the seven mile bridge among the longest bridges in existence when it was built in 1982 most of the older bridge is still in existence a 2.2 mile section 2 pigeon key on the east end of the bridge was long used as a fishing pier but was closed to pedestrian traffic in 2016. however it is undergoing a 77 million dollar restoration and is expected to open by late 2021. [Music] the west end of the seven mile bridge has been restored and is open to pedestrian traffic [Music] at mile marker 37 is bahia honda state park this is one of the best rated beaches in south florida unlike many of the other state parks you can camp here cabins are available campsites available for small tents up to large rvs there are two boat ramps plenty of snorkeling swimming and fishing in crystal clear waters fee is currently eight dollars per vehicle the state park also maintains the easternmost section of the old bahia honda railroad bridge it was here that henry flagler had his most challenging crossing for the overseas railroad [Music] the bridge had to be built taller than any of the other bridges on the railway after battling three hurricanes in four years the overseas railroad was complete in 1912. that is until the 1935 labor day hurricane ended the overseas railroad however it helped to complete the overseas highway the top of the bahia honda bridge was redecked for automobile traffic [Music] and the complete overseas highway opened on march 29 1938 [Music] we are now just 30 miles from key west as we cross the spanish harbor bridge to big pine key outside of some coastal areas of miami the florida keys are the only areas in the continental u.s to never report a freezing temperature never has the temperature falling below 41 degrees even in winter expect highs in the 70s and lows above 60. [Music] this will be our last shot with a drone at mile marker 13 due to the naval air station and key west international airport as we go over the boko chica channel we are now arriving in key west before we take you on a tour of mallory street in duval street i want to give you a tip on a great place for lodging the ibis bay beach resort rates are very reasonable although three miles to mallory square it is an ideal location in my opinion with a grocery store in mcdonald's across the street and a restaurant with waterside seating on property rooms with a nice patio beach view relaxing pool area rentals for jet skis mopeds and bikes and a parrot that says bye bye when you leave also very convenient that you can park your car right next to your room as we move to mallory square in duval street you will find lodging around here more expensive and less parking less space so i think it's an advantage to be three miles away and just take a moped to downtown [Music] mallory square is the center of key west with restaurant shops theater museums a cruise port and various entertainment it hosts the sunset celebrations which begins every evening two hours before sunset with various street performers magicians live music circus acts and storytelling check out the furry water adventures where you can tour the waters around key west on a jet ski parasail or glass bottom boat where you can see a living coral reef or take a catamaran or sailboat for a snorkel adventure under the sea with sunset water sports [Music] and plenty of options for fishing charters for a tour around the island try the old town trolley or the famous koch train the key west shipwreck museum combines actors films and artifacts to tell the story of 400 years of shipwrecks and climb a 65-foot lookout tower for a great view of key west the key west lighthouse also offers a great view next to the custom house museum there are several statues which make great props for our pictures [Music] the key west aquarium the famous duval street starts at the gulf of mexico at mallory square and runs for one and a quarter mile ending at the atlantic ocean named after the first governor of florida it has many of the restaurants and nightlife of key west [Music] key west is also proudly known as the country republic which goes back to 1982 after mayor dennis wardlow declared the independence of key west from the federal government in protest to a u.s border patrol inspection point on u.s highway one which was hurt and tourism the name stuck and has become a banner for this free spirited city [Music] we have put website links in the description below of the things we cover in this video so you can easily get more info there is so much to do in the florida keys we just could not cover it all so i'd love it if you could share in the comments below your experience maybe a resort or an activity we are tampa aerial media which shoot travel promos across the usa if you would like stock footage of this video or if you want us to shoot your city area or venue contact us at info tampa aerial media dot com we hope this video has been a helpful tool for you as you enjoy your stay in the florida keys thank you for watching [Music]

Channel: TampaAerialMedia

Views: 3,038,557

Keywords: Florida Keys, Key West, Travel Guide for Florida Keys, Travel Guide for Key West, key west, islamorada, florida, Hotels Key West, Things to do in The Florida Keys, What to do in Florida Keys, Travel Islamorada, Travel Key Largo, Coral Reef, Marine Parks, John Pennekamp State Park, Ibis Bay Beach Resort, Tips for Florida Keys, The Overseas Highway, Bahia Honda State Park, stock footage Florida Keys, Aerials Florida Keys, Aerials Islamorada, Aerials Key Largo

Id: 1EnyZ9zcWys

Length: 13min 45sec (825 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 06 2020