Accommodations

From luxury resorts to little-­known hideaways, the Florida Keys’ myriad accommodations suit every vacation fantasy and budget. What began in the 1930s as a small assortment of fishing camps experienced a renaissance after World War II ended. Henry Flagler’s railroad and the creation of the Overseas Highway had made our islands more accessible, but residents still relied on cisterns for freshwater until water lines were installed to service the Key West naval base during World War II. The availability of freshwater made our region a more civilized and desirable vacation destination, and in the 1950s and 1960s, when motoring became a popular means of travel, hotels and motels sprang up throughout our islands.

Overview

In this chapter we escort you through some of the Florida Keys’ more outstanding facilities. Our selections are based on attributes of rooms, service, location, property, and overall ambience.

Accommodations - Campgrounds

Just as the whooping crane, the Florida panther, and the green sea turtle are on the endangered species list . . . so are campgrounds in the Florida Keys. The locations of most mobile-­home parks are on prime real estate. A vast majority of these parks are situated on waterfront/view parcels and are being gobbled up by developers building condos, hotels, or private condotels (condotels are condos privately owned then placed in a pool of properties to be rented by a management company). Whether you enjoy pitching a tent or traveling with a self-­contained motor home, the campgrounds of the Keys offer a reasonably priced alternative to motels and resort accommodations. However, you will find that camping rates in the Florida Keys are generally much higher than in other areas of the US. But all our recommended campgrounds have water access, and many are perched at the edge of the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico.

A wide range of amenities distinguishes each campground, but one thing is certain: If you wish to camp in the Keys during January, February, or March—those winter months when the folks up north are dusting off their snow boots—you must reserve your site a year in advance. The Keys have a second high season in the summer months, when Floridians locked into triple-­digit temperatures head south to our cooling trade winds and warm, placid waters. During sport lobster season, the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July, it is standing room only in the Keys.

Overview

We have listed our recommended Keys campgrounds and RV parks by alphabetical order beginning in Key Largo and ending at Stock Island. Key West devotes its land use to megahotels and quaint guesthouses, presenting a dearth of recommendable campgrounds.

If you think you might fancy a really unusual camping experience, be sure to see the Camping in the Beyond section in this chapter for information on camping in Dry Tortugas National Park or Everglades National Park.

You may assume that all our inclusions maintain good paved interior roads, clean restrooms and showers, laundry facilities, and 20- and 30-amp electrical service. Most campgrounds accept pets if they are kept on a leash at all times and walked only in designated areas and never on the beach. Exceptions will be noted.

Rates vary by the type of site you secure. Most campgrounds offer a range of options: tent sites, with or without electricity; RV sites with electricity and water; and sites with electricity, water, and sewer. Waterfront sites or sites with boat dockage will be more costly. Extra people or vehicles at a site will incur additional per-­diem charges. All water is municipal, piped down to the Keys from Miami. Cable television and telephone hookups are noted when applicable. Back-­in and pull-­through dimensions vary; call the campground if this is critical for your rig. Toll-­free telephone numbers, when stated, are for reservation purposes only. Major credit cards are accepted unless noted to the contrary.