This January we took off on a 2 week family vacation to Florida and visited somewhere we have never explored before, The Keys Florida! Friends had highly recommended the area and of course our adventurous hearts needed to explore.
Where to Stay:
We connected with a rental company called Happy in The Keys, they have 6 beautiful rental homes in Marathon, Florida for any size family and in the end we booked The Grouper House for ours. This rental is just as gorgeous in person as it is in the photos, with 4 large bedrooms that each have their own ensuites, an open kitchen/living space, wrap around balcony with stunning views and the best sunsets…guys, this place even had its own elevator!
This rental home was in a great location with restaurants and activities nearby and about an hour drive to Key West. The home has a beautiful big pool, a private boat ramp for rental guests and a dock where you can fish too! Check out the Happy in the Keys rental homes {here}. Have you ever visited Marathon Florida? If not, I hope this blog post can help you plan your next trip.
Food for Thought – 5800 Overseas Hwy STE 23, Marathon, FL 33050, United States
My favourite on the trip as it was so nice to find a place that used all organic ingredients and made everything from scratch as per your order, including fresh pressed juices. Here you will find smoothie bowls, coffee, breakfast sandwiches, soups, salads and more. They are known for a flu buster drink, people were always coming in for one when we would be there. They have a variety of health and wellness books on the shelves to browse while you are there and even have a little grocery on site with organic produce, dried goods and holistic remedies or products anywhere from shampoo to homeopathy.
Key Fisheries – 3502 Gulfview Ave, Marathon, FL 33050, United States
Probably one of the best seafood joints in the area, super casual and chill. This is an open air restaurant so wear layers on a chillier evening.
Iris Island Eats – 4540 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050, United States
You will find a great fresh variety at this spot including freshly made lemonade with fresh pressed sugar cane.
Marathon Coffee Company – 11601 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050
An adorable coffee shop that even has a drive through. You can pick up a delicious coffee, latte or frap here and they have organic milk!
The Cafe – 509 Southard St #6835, Key West, FL 33040, United States
By far our favourite spot in Key West! It had delicious fresh pressed juices and organic meals. The menu has a large variety too!
Georgie’s Coffee Shop – 59301 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050, United States
This coffee shop has great coffee, super kind staff and fresh beignets!
Grocery shopping – We always went to the local Publix or Food for Thought in Marathon Florida and found all of the organic foods we needed. You can also shop at the Whole Foods along the way from the airport.
What to Do:
Porky’s Bayside Mini Putt – 1400 Overseas Hwy #1, Marathon, FL 33050, United States
We absolutely loved this mini putt, we went twice during our stay!
Florida Keys Aquarium – 11710 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050, United States
A great spot for the kids to learn about marine wildlife in the area.
Dolphin Research Centre – 58901 Overseas Hwy, Grassy Key, FL 33050, United States
We love dolphins so we made sure to visit the centre and learn all about the work they are doing in Florida. You can tell that the staff here are truly care about the work they are doing and are passionate about sharing it with you.
Beaches – Sombrero Beach and Bahia Honda State Park Beach.
Fishing – Craig, papa and the kids went out to fish one day on the trip and caught a bunch of stuff, they had a really great time. We also loved that we could fish right off of the dock at our rental, we fished every day.
Boating – You can rent boats in the area and visit the popular sand backs, cruise around or do some fishing. Next time we visit we will rent our own boat, especially since Group House has their own boat dock!
Swim in the pool, enjoy a coffee or a good book or even take a nap!
Shopping – I highly recommend a cute shop in Marathon, Florida called or you can try the sandal outlet stores with cheap cotton tourist shirts. Key West is more expensive but you will find brand name stuff and a Ron Jon’s. You can also stop at the most Southern Point for a photo!
This was such a great family trip and we can’t wait to go back to Marathon, Florida and rent another rental home from Happy in the Keys. They have 6 different rental homes and we plan on renting the Pirate Point House next! Which one would you rent for your family vacation? Check our all of their rentals {here}.
“Nestled in the upscale neighborhoods of Coco Plum Beach and Key Colony Beach in Marathon Shores, we created six personal sanctuaries where every indoor and outdoor space and every design element has been carefully considered so that you can live an extraordinary life while on vacation.” – Happy in the Keys Vacation Homes
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