Exploring with kids, especially toddlers, makes the experience and location much different! I have complied a list of all the family fun things we enjoyed on vacation to the Florida Keys with our toddler.

My husband, 21-month son, mother-in-law and I recently went to the Florida Keys for a ‘vacation’, and we soon learned what parents mean when they say there is no such thing as vacations with kids; there are only ‘trips’ with kids. So while this was not the most relaxing, recharging or adventurous vacation we’ve had; it still had some amazing moments.

We went to the Florida Keys for about 10 days. We flew into Miami and rented a car and then proceeded to our home base in Marathon. Marathon is about 2 hours from Miami and 1 hour from Key West.

We stayed at a beautiful AirBNB that was right on a canal and gave us access to TWO private beaches, pool and cabana club. I cannot recommend this place enough! Surprisingly, the beaches in the Keys are not the best and there are not that many of them so having access to private beaches was a marvelous bonus!

While I don’t recommend specifically planning a trip to the Keys if you only have a toddler, there do happen to be a variety of fun activities to do with your toddler. The Keys is more suited for older children or no children at all as a lot of the main activities include charter fishing trips, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and drinking very alcoholic drinks. 😊

The Florida Keys are comprised of a variety of different islands all connected by bridges. Our favorite island is Marathon as there is enough to do, is more family friendly, and is centrally located between the Keys. However, wherever you stay, you MUST drive the entire length of the Keys which includes the Seven Mile Bridge over the ocean.  I will go into detail about our favorites below and I hope that you find this information helpful as you try to plan your next vacation!

Our favorite things to DO:

• Walk the Crane Point Hammock Museum and Nature Trail. There is a nominal fee but our toddler had a blast walking this path! He got to feed some turtles, see a variety of birds and lizards, and walk by the ocean. For the adults, you can try out the fish spa. 😉

• 

• 

• Explore No Name Key and get up close and personal with some cute little Key Deer! My son went crazy every time he saw one which was often.

• Go to the ocean…a LOT. My son is a fish and loved the ocean so much. He would request it everyday and now that he’s 2, he would understand more how to play with sand too. Our favorite beach on Marathon was Sombrero Beach. It had a great covered playground, tables for picnics and was very long so even if it’s crowded there is enough room to spread out.

• Try some key lime pie! We were unimpressed with the ones on Key West, specifically the one from Kermits. Kermits was highly reviewed but honestly was disappointing. The best pie we found was actually at a bakery on Marathon called Sweet Savannahs.

• Go to Hogfish Bar for some banging food and drinks! It is a little off the beaten path but don’t let that scare you away. This is a local hotspot right on the water that hits all the marks.

• I recommend you skip Key West until your child is older; however, should you wish to explore anyways, make sure you use the bus to get around. I don’t think many people know about this considering we were the only ones last time, but it is a free bus that you can hop on and off at various points around Key West! Our toddler was given a chance to ‘drive it. 😊

Lastly, make sure you are outside as often as possible to wear out your kid so they sleep like this all night!

Have an incredible time if you are planning a trip to the Keys and if you have additional suggestions please comment below so I can try them out next time we go!