The Family-Friendly Christmas We’ve All Been Waiting For
The 125-mile island paradise that is the Florida Keys stretches from Miami to Key West, offering plenty of fun and excitement for the whole family. From one-of-a-kind animal encounters and private beaches to sunshine and sparkling water, the Keys have everything to make your Christmas one to remember forever. Are you ready to plan your next Florida Keys vacation just in time for the holidays?
Kid Friendly Activities in the Keys
No matter what your family enjoys, you will find plenty of options to indulge your whims while visiting us here in Mangrove Marina, including:
Snorkeling
Just a few miles offshore is the United States’ only living coral reef. Here you and your family can enjoy snorkeling tours at John Pennekamp State Park or at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park and Beach. If your children are still young or you do not enjoy swimming, check out the glass-bottom boat tours for an incredible view of the diversity in these waters.
Animal Encounters
Do your children love animals? Check out Robbie’s of Islamorada, where you and your family can hand-feed a school of tarpon. At the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center, you can get up-close-and-personal with a sanctuary filled with pelicans, terns, hawks, owls, and more. Flutter on by the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory to learn more about hundreds of butterflies in a glass-canopy. You might even become a landing pad for a few of the brightly colored winged creatures! You can swim, play, and even paint with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center. At the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, your family can learn more about protected and endangered turtles.
Learning and Exploring
Top kid friendly activities in the Keys include lots of opportunities for exploration and education. Check out the Hemingway Home and Museum, where Ernest Hemingway wrote many of his novels and descendants of his famous cats still roam freely. At the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, you can take a step back in time and learn more about the rich history of the region and see actual artifacts from shipwrecks. Visit the remote Dry Tortugas National Park for a lesson about real-life pirates or a field trip to a 19th-century fort: Fort Jefferson.
Making Memories
Your family-friendly Christmas in the Keys will leave you with lots of memories and photos to spare. Check out the Mallory Square at sunset to celebrate what might be the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen. Snap some more Insta-worthy shots on the Old Town Trolley, which passes right by the Key West Aquarium, where you and your children can explore sea stars, conchs, horseshoe crabs, and more.
No matter what your family enjoys doing, there is sure to be something to appeal to everyone here in the Keys, and Mangrove Marina is the ideal home base for your family-friendly Christmas. Contact us today to learn more about planning your next Florida Keys vacation or to make reservations for one of our luxurious houseboats.
