A 5 minute walk from Isla Bella Resort! The perfect place to venture out from the resort.

Great Views, Good food, Awesome drinks, Amazing Times, & Sunday Funday! This is a great place to watch the sunset - and anytime of day sitting at the foot of the Historic 7 Mile Bridge. It looks like a thatched south seas tiki hut and has a large patio with one of the largest pools in the Florida Keys. The food is very good and customers love that the catch of the day features local, if somewhat uncommon fish. The Hogfish is very good and well prepared. Finish off the evening with Key lime pie and/or Bourbon Pecan Pie which is delicious! Join every Sunday for “Sunday Funday” – Marathon`s newest tradition featuring a different theme each week from BBQ Pool parties to Oyster Roasts to Reggae Sunsplash parties. Hangout, dance, enjoy the best day of the weekend from 2-6 pm. Live music nightly as well!

Enjoy a day living the beach life! Pack a cooler, towel, and beach chair! Stop by the Visitor Center marketplace to grab beverages, sandwiches, snacks, and snorkel gear for a day in the sunshine. The park boasts Long Beaches to swim around looking for fish, or simply dip your toes in the sand. Along with its iconic Florida Keys scenery, sandy beaches, gin-clear waters and magnificent sunsets, the park is known for balmy sea breezes that caress the shores year-round.

Hours
8 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year

Fees
$8 per vehicle

This is an amazing facility, that rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured turtles. 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 saltwater 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 ).

There are 10 State parks in Florida Keys and one of them is located right in Marathon. Curry Hammock State Park, spreading over 1,000 acres, is the largest uninhabited piece of land between Key Largo and Big Pine Key.

For a short visit, you can take a walk on a 1.5 mile nature trail, which runs through the hardwood hammock, or bring lunch and have a picnic at one of the waterfront tables. Curry Hammock State Park was also recommended as one of the best places to launch a kayak (you can either bring your own or rent one). The water is usually calm, and you can paddle through mangrove trails.

Curry Hammock State Park is also very popular among campers. There is a campground with 28 sites right along the ocean, that is open between November 1- May 31. These spots are in high demand, so if camping in Marathon is something you’d like to do, plan in advance and reserve your spot ASAP!

Curry Hammock State Park is open daily from 8 am to dusk. Entrance fee is $4.50 ($5.50 for 2 people).

This one is a bit of a splurge, but if you don’t mind spending a little extra on a great experience, booking a flight with Keys Helicopter Tours will sure be one of the top things to do in Marathon. If you think views driving over the 7-mile bridge are great, imagine flying above it!

Prices start at $157, and you can check out all the tour packages here.

Be sure you spend some time exploring Key West! Fuel your day of sightseeing with strong, sweet espresso from Cuban Coffee Queen. A visit to Key West isn't complete without walking down Duval Street with its restaurants, bars, art galleries and souvenir shops. Grab a slice of Key lime pie from Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe a few blocks over, sign up for a tour, or catch some live music at the legendary Sloppy Joe's Bar. Best of all, "you can people-watch here free of charge!"

For a great view of the Key West sunset, head to Mallory Square at the northwest tip of the island. During the Sunset Celebration (a free, nightly arts festival that starts about two hours before sunset), this is one of the best spots on the island to catch the sun's last moments and revel in the end of the day. But because it's one of the best vantage points for watching a sunset, it's also extremely crowded, especially with cruise passengers when ships are in port.

One of the most popular things to do in Key West is to snap a photo with the colorful buoy marking the southernmost point of the United States. Sitting at the intersection of Whitehead and South streets, the striped buoy is just 90 miles north of Cuba. Next to it, you'll find a plaque dedicated to Cubans who have lost their lives trying to reach America, and a plaque detailing the history of the Black community on the Southernmost Point.

Tun on over to Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

and combine this stop with the Key West Lighthouse across the street. Then, visit nearby Blue Heaven in the quirky, colorful Bahama Village neighborhood for the best backyard vibes (and Key lime pie) in town!

Find so much more of top things to do in Key West here:

https://travel.usnews.com/Key_West_FL/Things_To_Do/

Visit Big Pine Key

If you are in Marathon for a few days and are looking for another day or half a day trip, head to Big Pine Key. It’s the last big key before Key West and it’s about a 30-minute drive from Marathon.

Visit Key Deer Refuge

Big Pine Key has the adorable Key Deer, that reside in that part of Florida Keys. In fact, it’s the only place you can find them. There are about 800 of them, and even though their population is up from the all-time low of 40, they are considered to be endangered. Key Deer Refuge is a great place to see them and learn all about them, but you are almost guaranteed to spot them in random places as well. They are all over Big Pine Key, roaming neighborhoods or on the side of the road.

Blue Hole

If you enjoy nature, you’ll like this quick stop by the Blue Hole. Keep your eyes open for turtles, iguanas, key deer and alligators. There’s usually one alligator hanging out on one of the big rocks. If you can’t spot him, make sure to go to the viewing platform and use the binoculars there. There is a trail you can take, but parts of it are closed, so the hike is rather short.

No Name Pub

A dive bar with a cool ambiance, this is a must stop in Big Pine Key.

Bahia Honda State Park

The most popular State Park in Florida Keys is also where you will find the best beaches. Bahia Honda has 3 of them: Calusa Beach & Loggerhead Beach and and a mile long Sandspur Beach.

Day trip to Islamorada

Even though there’s no shortage of things to do in Marathon, it would be a shame not to take advantage of its proximity to other great spots in Florida Keys. One of them is Islamorada, which is just 30 minutes away and makes for a fun day trip. If you leave early enough, you’ll be able to check out some of the top spots in Islamorada.

Take a nature walk at Long Key State Park

Covering 965 acres, Long Key State Park is massive, and you could easily spend an entire, blissful day there. I highly recommend taking a walk down the 1.1-mile Golden Orb nature trail. The park is open daily from 8 am to dusk, and there’s an entrance fee of $4.50 per person ($6 for two).

Feed tarpons at Robbie’s

Robbie’s marina is a hopping place and a must visit while in Islamorada. There is plenty to do, from renting a kayak or a jet ski, to snorkeling or having lunch at the Hungry Tarpon restaurant. However, the main attraction is feeding the giant tarpons. For a few bucks, you get a bucket of fish, then dangle them off the dock, while the tarpons leap out of the water. Just watch out for the pelicans, that just wait for the opportunity to steal your fish.

Snorkel the Sombrero Reef

Florida Keys have reefs, that rival those found in the Caribbean. Sombrero reef is one of them and a popular destination for diving and snorkeling. If you are already at Robbie’s, sign up for a snorkeling trip with Sundance Watersports. They go out twice daily (weather permitting) at 10 am and 1.30 pm for a 2.5-hour trip, with 2 snorkeling stops. The deeper Sombrero Reef and the more shallow by the Alligator Reef. The boat is spacious, and the crew is fun. If you have your own snorkeling gear, the trip is just $45. If not, add an extra $10 to rent it.

Stop at Rain Barrel Village

An open-air market is a great stop to either browse or pick up a unique souvenir. They sell everything from art to handmade crafts to clothes. Also, Betsy the Lobster, the 40 feet sculpture right in front, is a great photo op.

Watch the sunset dinner at Lorelei

No better way to end your day in Islamorada than enjoy dinner and a drink by the water, watching the sun set. One of the top places to do that is Lorelei restaurant. The seating is on the first come, first serve basis, so make sure to arrive on the earlier side to score a table right by the water.