We headed to the Florida keys over the last few weeks to drive the coast before the kids go back into school full time! We partnered with Mazda again and the car ride was so smooth! The exact car rental was the Mazda CX-9 linked here. The weather was perfect, around 80s, and the water was so clear! We started in Palm Beach, drove down the coast to Florida Keys, Key west, back up to Marathon and ended in Ft. Lauderdale. Here is our trip route and details for you to easily plan your next Florida road trip 🙂

How to get there:

• We flew into FLL because the flights from NC were so cheap! FLL airport is just 40 minutes to Palm Beach where we picked up our Mazda Car and started the trip. Other airport options if road trip the Florida keys: Miami, West Palm Beach, Ft. Myers, Key west.

Florida Keys Trip Route Map:

• Palm Beach Florida: We started our trip here to celebrate one of our friends birthdays for the weekend!
  
  
  
  Places to stay:
  –EAU Palm Beach: If you’re looking for a 5 star luxury resort that is not packed, this is your place! We had the walk out ocean front Lanai Suite and it was perfect for kids to hop back and forth from the pool. They also have a kids camp onsite my children loved! 4 hours is complimentary a day in your stay 🙂
  
  
  –The Ambassador Palm Beach: If you are looking for more of a short term or long term rental with full kitchen, this place is perfect for a small family or friends traveling. Its two bedroom, rooftop, and oceanfront!
  
  
  Where to eat:
  -Cucina, Angle Restaurant, Avocado Grill, Restoration Hardware rooftop, Buccan, Galley, Breakers.
  
  
  
• Islamorada Florida: This was our next stop on the roadtrip. It took about 2.5 hour drive down the florida coast to arrive here.
  
  Where to stay:
  –The Islander Resort: We loved this stop! The resort is beach front and very open-air spaced out. Our exact room was this “flats” Jr. Deluxe Two Queen Specialty Suite. The area has a splash park, several pools, hot tub, restaurant on site, and bikes to rent! Tons of games (ping pong, shuffle board, connect four) out side for the kids too. A great family spot for all ages!
  

  

  

  

  
  
  
  
  
• Key west Florida: From Islamorada it was a quick hour and 15 minutes to key west! You can see my last Key west travel guide here.
  
  Where to Stay:
  –Kimpton Key west: We stayed in the Winslow Bungalows here. This hotel was so cute. The pools were surrounded by the bungalows and an outdoor bar. The rooms at their own little patio too.
  

  

  

  
  
  
  
  –Parrot Key Resort: This is a great place if you have a group of friends or family because all the rooms are two bedroom villas side by side! There are 4 different pools in the center of the resort, and all the villas are walk out to the beach area. You can’t get in the water here, but you can lay out on the sand or hammocks to watch boats pass by.
  
  

  

  

  

  
  
  
  Where we ate:
  -Latitudes (favorite spot, take the complimentary 7 min ferry to this unique dining experience!)
  -Santiagos- Cute tapas place!
  
  What to Do:
  -Sunset sailing tour with Blue Sail Charters was my favorite experience! We brought our own drinks and a pizza and cruised around for an hour or so with the kids to watch sunset.
  -Go Shopping & bar hopping on Duval St., try all the key lime pie.
  -Sandbar Boat tour: I wish we would of had time to do this! The sandbars are gorgeous around the florida keys and you can spend the entire day out on the water! Book a tour with Boat Rentals KW!
  
  

  

  

  

  
  
  
  
  
• Marathon Florida: We traveled back of the Florida coast for our last stop to Marathon that is just an hour from Key West.
  
  Where to stay:
  –Tranquility Bay Resort: I am so glad we ended the trip here. The beach houses were adorable and perfect for our family. They have tons of properties that are beachfront or face the putting greens. It was so nice to have walk out rooms to let the kids easily play outside while I drank my coffee. The resort has a lagoon pool, beach volleyball, water sports on site (jet-skis, kayaks, etc), restaurants, pools, and famous Nicklaus Design putting green. You can see the full blog post on this place & area I did with Family Traveller here!