Marathon is located in the Middle Keys – about 110 miles south of Miami.
Most people fly into either Miami or Ft Lauderdale, rent a car and drive down. It takes approximately 2.5 hours from Ft Lauderdale airport.
Since I was going sailing for a week, I decided to take the Keys Shuttle to Marathon .
Known as the heart of the Florida Keys for its central location in the island chain, the 13 islands comprising Marathon have an illustrious history, influenced by Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railway.
The islands of Marathon are Boot Key, Knight Key, Hog Key, Vaca Key, Stirrup Key, Crawl Key and Little Crawl Key, East and West Sister’s Island, Deer Key and Fat Deer Key, Long Pine Key and Grassy Key. These islands are steeped with the rich Florida history of Henry Flagler’s railroad days. The name Marathon came about by the railroad workers who were working night and day to complete the railway. Due to the unrelenting pace and struggle to complete the project, the popular exclamation, “This is getting to be a real Marathon”, is how the name originated.
Before the railroad, the settlers here were farmers and fisherman. To this day, Marathon maintains its claim to some of the best fishing in the world and is one of the main reasons many visitors from all over the world choose to spend time here.
But not me…
Annapolis Sailing School
I was here to take a six day sailing course. I had bought Blue Grace by this time, wanted to become a better sailor and thought this would be a good way and place to learn.
It was an interesting week. There were only four of us signed up for the course and the boat was a 34 foot Morgan, so 5 people being on board together for a week was a little tight but overall, it taught me a great deal about sailing.
We began the week at Sombrero Beach and the first day was spent working together as a team, while the instructor gauged what we knew about sailing. At one point during the morning, he asked us what our experiences were and I had offered up the information that I had already purchased a 37 foot Beneteau the year before and wanted to become a better sailor.
We made our way out to Sombrero Lighthouse and spent our very first night on a mooring here. After we picked up our mooring, we all enjoyed some snorkelling time then made dinner. It was a great way to spend the first night getting to know each other.
Over 30 acres in size, Sombrero Reef is alive and filled with all sorts of neon coloured tropical fish and because it’s only between 2 to 30 feet deep, all we needed was fins, a mask and a snorkel to have a great time.
The next day, we sailed south to Big Pine Key, where we all took turns anchoring the boat at Coupon Bight Aquatic Reserve.
Tucked away in the south of Big Pine Key, Coupon Bight is one of the Lower Key’s best-kept secrets. It was easy to lose track of time while snorkelling here, especially in the patch coral reefs. This protected area encompasses 4,600 Acres of seagrass meadows, mangrove wetlands and coral patch reefs, which include a wide variety of sponges, soft corals and hard corals.
Day Three found us heading our to Looe Key for the day.
The Looe Key Marine Sanctuary is the continental United States’ only coral reef and the third-largest barrier reef in the world. This was a place I later came back to to scuba dive on this trip. This reef got its name from the HMS Looe which supposedly ran aground there in 1744 while towing a captured French ship, the Snow. While crossing the reef, the HMS Looe hit hard in only 25 feet of water and quickly burned to the waterline, taking the accompanying ship with her.
The reef is home to over 150 species of fish including yellowtail, angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, sergeant majors, and moray eel, plus several shark and ray species. After a good sail and some more snorkelling, we headed in to Doctor’s Arm anchorage in between Big Pine Key and No Name Key for the night.
Day Four we sailed over to Bahia Honda State Park, where we anchored at Between the Bridges anchorage just off the beach before heading off the next morning towards Pigeon Key and then back to Marathon Key. We ended our trip at Faro Blanco Marina a day later and spent the night on board before saying goodbyes the next morning. I remember falling to sleep listening to Jimmy Buffet for what might have been the first time…
To be honest, I don’t remember the names of anyone on the trip and was quite happy to get off the boat after a week of being cooped up with four other strangers in a very tight space.
All in all, it was worth the time and I did learn a lot about sailing from the Instructor but was happy to be back on land.
Diving at Looe Key Reef
The Florida Keys are home to some spectacular coral reefs or at least they were when I visited in the mid-seventies and again in 1988 on this trip. It is home to the last living coral reef in the US, so it shouldn’t come as surprise that snorkelling and diving are two of the top things to do in Marathon. There are several great spots to do that, but one of the best snorkelling destinations is Looe Key Reef.
Just take a look at those beautiful Spur and Groove reefs above.
Visit the Turtle Hospital
One of the things everyone visiting Marathon should do is visit the Turtle Hospital. This is an amazing facility, that rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured turtles, and if you are an animal lover, it will be the absolute highlight of your Marathon trip. Not only will you get up close to these beautiful creatures, but also learn a lot about the dangers they’re facing and what we, as humans, can do to minimize some of the risks.
Since it’s a working hospital, you can only visit it on a guided tour, which lasts about 90 minutes. It starts with a short presentation, where you learn about the type of turtles in care, as well as all the problems they are facing. Some are sick, others are victims of shark attacks or injured by boat strikes. The ultimate goal is, of course, for the turtles to be released back into the water, and while the hospital’s success rate is at an amazing 80%, there are some permanent residents as well. Due to their condition, they would not survive in the wild, but they live comfortably in the large salt water pool at the hospital.
If you plan on visiting, make sure to book your guided tour ahead of time, as these usually sell out. This is great news, because the hospital is able to operate thanks to the admission paid by visitors (or private donations).
I really enjoyed learning about the amazing work they do and how dedicated and passionate all the workers are.
Drive over 7 mile bridge
No matter how many days you spend in Marathon, you cannot leave without driving over the 7 mile bridge at least once. It’s one of the most iconic and best things to do in Marathon and Florida Keys. Driving down the Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West is often regarded as one of the most scenic road trips in the country, and it’s largely thanks to this picturesque stretch.
As you drive over the 7 mile bridge, you get to see the Old Bridge, which runs parallel to the new structure. Before it closed for repairs in 2016, it was a popular spot for runners, bikers and fishermen. I roller bladed down this stretch during my visit after getting off the sailboat to Pigeon Key.
That took me 10 days.
Between flying down and catching the shuttle, checking in at Faro Blanco Resort, which has a really good restaurant, getting on the boat and off 7 days later, checking back into the hotel, visiting the Turtle Hospital, roller blading along the old 7 mile bridge to Pigeon Key, a couple of nights in Key West and heading back out to Looe Key for a day of diving, I really enjoyed my time here.
Hope this helps if you decide to go…
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