Like Key West, without the cruise ships
Islamorada: 48-Hour Escape from Miami Beach
Six islands, one post office, and the sportfishing capital of the world.
Islamorada: Six islands, one post office, and the sportfishing capital of the world.
At a glance
Islamorada, Florida is a 1 hr 30 min drive from Miami Beach, best visited November–April. Like Key West, without the cruise ships. Top things to do: Theater of the Sea, Robbie's Marina, Alligator Reef Lighthouse. Where to eat: Green Turtle Inn, Morada Bay. Stay at Cheeca Lodge & Spa or The Moorings Village.
54
of 100
Escape score
Worth a stop on the way
A good day and a half, with an evening to spare.
- Drive
- 1 hr 30 min from Miami Beach
- Best window
- November–April
- Typical stay
- ~$263/night
Escape score: what there is to do and eat (40%), typical weekend lodging cost (30%), drive time (25%), rounding (5%). Computed from our own guide data, never from paid placement.
Why here
Islamorada is a village of six islands spread across 20 miles of the Florida Keys, 90 minutes south of Miami. It bills itself the Sportfishing Capital of the World, and the offshore reef is 5 miles out, not 30 like in the upper Keys. The vibe is fishing lodges, tiki bars, and roadside stands selling stone crab, not Duval Street t-shirt shops.
The name means 'purple island' in Spanish, and the six islands, Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe, Lower Matecumbe, and the village of Islamorada itself, sit at mile markers 73 through 90 on the Overseas Highway. What makes Islamorada the sportfishing capital is the reef, the third-largest barrier reef in the world sits just 5 miles offshore here, closer than anywhere else in the Keys, so a half-day charter reaches blue water in 20 minutes. The bonefish flats on the bay side are equally famous, and the tarpon run draws anglers from spring through fall.
A weekend in Islamorada is a water weekend. Charter a half-day fishing trip or snorkel the Alligator Reef Lighthouse, feed the tarpon at Robbie's Marina, eat stone crab at the Green Turtle Inn, and watch the sunset from a tiki bar. Come November through April for dry weather, summer is hot and hurricane season. Two nights is the sweet spot, far enough to feel like the Keys without the long drive to Key West.
The plan
48 hours in Islamorada
Same town, two different weekends. Pick the arrival that matches your Friday.
Friday, on arrival
Check inCheeca Lodge & Spa
From ~$300/night
Islamorada's grande dame. 27 acres, a 525-foot fishing pier, and a 9-hole golf course. The hotel has hosted presidents since 1946.
Leave Miami Beach after work: the 1 hr 30 min drive lands you here in the evening.
Friday night
Dinner, then the main streetGreen Turtle Inn
Open since 1947. The conch chowder and the garlic stone crab claws are the orders. It served as a hurricane shelter during Irma.
Eat first and walk it off after. Most small-town kitchens stop seating by 9.
Saturday morning
First stopTheater of the Sea
Swim with dolphins and sea lions in a natural lagoon, $35 for general admission. Marine shows since 1946, one of the oldest in Florida.
Saturday midday
LunchMorada Bay
French-Caribbean on the beach. The whole yellowtail snapper and the sunset view are the draw. Live music on weekends.
Saturday afternoon
Second stopRobbie's Marina
Feed tarpon from the dock, $3 for a bucket of fish. The tarpon are 4 to 6 feet long. Rent a kayak and paddle to Indian Key, a 10-minute crossing.
Sunday morning
Last stop, then homeAlligator Reef Lighthouse
Snorkel or dive the reef, 5 miles offshore. Book a charter at any marina, half-day trips run $75 to $120 per person.
1 hr 30 min back to Miami Beach still leaves you the afternoon.
Timings are a suggestion, not a schedule. Shift the whole plan by how late you leave.
The Basecamp
Where to stay in Islamorada
Cheeca Lodge & Spa
Islamorada's grande dame. 27 acres, a 525-foot fishing pier, and a 9-hole golf course. The hotel has hosted presidents since 1946.
The Moorings Village
18 pastel-colored Florida Cracker cottages on a private beach. No TVs, bicycles included, and a quiet stretch of sand.
Amara Cay Resort
A modern waterfront resort with a pool and a tiki bar on the bay side, walkable to the village. The beach-resort base.
What to do
Theater of the Sea
Swim with dolphins and sea lions in a natural lagoon, $35 for general admission. Marine shows since 1946, one of the oldest in Florida.
Learn more ↗
Robbie's Marina
Feed tarpon from the dock, $3 for a bucket of fish. The tarpon are 4 to 6 feet long. Rent a kayak and paddle to Indian Key, a 10-minute crossing.
Learn more ↗
Alligator Reef Lighthouse
Snorkel or dive the reef, 5 miles offshore. Book a charter at any marina, half-day trips run $75 to $120 per person.
Learn more ↗Pack for Islamorada
Beach & coast kit
Curated for sand, surf, and slow tide-pool afternoons in Islamorada.
Portable beach umbrella
Real shade that survives a Gulf breeze.
See price on Amazon →Low-sand beach chairs
The four-leg kind that do not slowly sink out from under you.
See price on Amazon →Waterproof dry bag
Keeps phones and keys dry from the car to the sand and back.
See price on Amazon →Reef-safe sunscreen
Mineral-based, reef-friendly, and reef-town appropriate.
See price on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, book2escape earns from qualifying purchases.
Where to eat
Green Turtle Inn
Open since 1947. The conch chowder and the garlic stone crab claws are the orders. It served as a hurricane shelter during Irma.
Morada Bay
French-Caribbean on the beach. The whole yellowtail snapper and the sunset view are the draw. Live music on weekends.
Most reviewed on Yelp
The most-reviewed restaurants in Islamorada. A solid indicator of where locals actually eat.
Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar
Seafood
Mangrove Mike's
Breakfast & Brunch
MEAT Eatery And Taproom
Burgers
Review counts and ratings are curated from Yelp and may change over time.
Go even deeper
Side trips near Islamorada
Once you've settled into Islamorada, these nearby towns are close enough to fold into the same weekend without moving your basecamp.
30 min from Islamorada
Marathon
30 minutes west, the midway Keys town. The Seven Mile Bridge start, Sombrero Beach, and the Turtle Hospital rehab center.
45 min from Islamorada
Key Largo
45 minutes north, the first Key and the dive capital, with John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the easiest Miami-side start.
On the calendar
Coming up in Islamorada
Events happening in town, refreshed weekly.
Refreshed weekly
Dec 4
22nd Annual Islamorada Holiday Fest
Islamorada · Founders Park
Kick off the festive season in the Florida Keys with a community holiday bazaar, a parade, and a real snow mountain on the Great Lawn. It is an ideal anchor for an early-December island escape filled with local crafts and holiday cheer.
Getting there
Drive logistics
From Miami, take US-1 South through the Keys. ~75 miles, about 90 minutes. Traffic crawls on the single-lane bridges on weekends. Leave by 8am Saturday. Watch the speed limits, every Key has a speed trap.
Drive time
1 hr 30 min
Best time
November–April
Questions & Answers
Islamorada weekend FAQ
Islamorada is about 75 miles from Miami, roughly 90 minutes via US-1 South through the Florida Keys.
Sportfishing. It bills itself the Sportfishing Capital of the World, with the reef just 5 miles offshore, plus roadside stone crab stands and the Theater of the Sea marine park.
November through April for dry, warm weather. Summer is hot, humid, and hurricane season. Lobster season opens in early August and brings crowds.
October and November are one of the best windows in the Keys. The summer heat and hurricane risk fade, the water stays warm enough to swim and snorkel, hotel rates sit below the winter high season, and the flats still hold bonefish and tarpon.
Yes. A sunset dinner at Morada Bay, feeding the tarpon at Robbie's at golden hour, and a stay at The Moorings Village or Cheeca Lodge is the classic couples' version. A half-day reef snorkel charter split between two runs about $150 per person.
Yes. At 1.5 hours, Islamorada is the comfortable 2-night Keys weekend from Miami, with sportfishing, a walkable village, and theater-of-the-sea, without the long drive to Key West.
Islamorada for most. It is far enough to feel like the Keys, close enough for a 2-night trip, with a village center and a beach. Key Largo is closer but more dive-oriented, Marathon is farther.
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