Gulf Coast and Keys - we're back!

[Lulu Belle]

​
Hi Dibbers

So we got back from our fantastic holiday just over a week ago. We had 8 nights in Cape Coral, followed by 4 days in the Keys. Sharing some of our experiences with you and hopefully it will help those of you planning similar trips.

We flew Virgin to Miami. The outbound was the quietest flight we've ever been on, the plane was empty and we were told to move seats if we wanted to, so DH and DS got extra legroom seats and service was excellent. Flight home not so good but hey ho.

Our experience with ​​Alamo was good, would use them again and it was really easy after doing check in and skip the queue online. We got a Ford Edge​ which had loads of space, low mileage and really clean. ​​

​Cape Coral - As is always the way, places are never quite as you imagine and Cape Coral was way bigger and more spread out than I expected. This wasn't a bad thing though. The area is really nice, quiet, clean and there are loads of restaurants and shops nearby. Our villa was lovely, the pool was the main attraction as always and it was in a great location on the canal which was great for fishing (mostly catfish, snapper plus a stingray). There are good local places to visit including Cape Harbour (really pretty) and the Yacht Club. The many beaches and parks are within an easy driving distance.

Restaurants -
Rum Runners at Cape Harbour. This was okay, not our favourite meal but a nice location and we enjoyed a stroll in the evening here.
CC Boathouse - We had a great evening at the Boathouse, good food, live entertainment and our server was brilliant. The pier was great and it looked beautiful at night.
​Ford's Garage - Had to try it after reading great reviews on here. Loved the theming and the burgers did not disappoint!

Beaches/Parks - the location meant there were lots of wonderful places nearby and we saw dolphins and/or manatees almost every time we went to a beach. These included Bowditch Point, Sanibel, Captiva, Naples and Lovers Key. Our favourites were Sanibel and Lovers Key.
We also did the JN Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel and so pleased we did. We almost cycled it but drove through in the end and glad we did as it was SO hot and it was a relief to get back into the a/c after stopping each time.

Tamiami Trail - we took this route to the Keys thinking we'd see plenty of wildlife as we were driving but we didn't see anything until we stopped at one of the boardwalks (we were rewarded with plenty of gators and turtles). We also stopped at the Ochopee Post Office - it might be the smallest but we received the biggest welcome. Once in the Keys, we stopped at Robbie's to feed the tarpon which the kids loved and waved to my MIL on the webcam

Florida Keys - we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Marathon. I loved everything about that place and still miss it now. That first day after our long drive we checked in, dropped our bags and headed to the beautiful pool. The kids were happy in the water and DH and I sat and had our first margarita at the pool bar... that was a moment of pure joy

Turtle Hospital - this was practically next door to the hotel and was a really fun, informative tour.
Aquarium Encounter - great few hours, our DD spent nearly the entire time touching the rays.
Keys Fisheries - we had a good lunch here and enjoyed seeing the sharks and tarpon in the marina. DH had the famous lobster reuben and it was yum but we all enjoyed the food here.

Wildlife - I think this was our kids favourite thing about the whole trip. They were in their element. We saw dolphins, manatees, gators, tortoises, turtles and once in the Keys, there were iguanas, sharks and all kinds of beautiful fish and birds.

There was only a couple of disappointing moments and one of those was really just due to us being unable to handle the heat. We went to Key West but it was so blimmin' hot that we cut our day short and didn't see much of it. We managed to get a photo at the Southernmost point (there was a queue) and some key lime pie but that day was incredibly hot and the kids just wanted to get in the water so we called it a day and headed to Bahia Honda. Unfortunately the only part of the beach that is still open (still recovering from Irma) is really thick with seagrass so snorkelling wasn't good and it was a bit smelly too. However, we went back to the hotel and DH and DS snorkelled there and had a great experience with barracuda, nurse sharks and more.

We had such wonderful experiences on this trip. It really was one of the best holidays we've had and my DD (10) said she loved it more than the parks

I thought we'd do this once and then return to the parks but not anymore. I think our Florida holidays will always look a bit like this from now on, maybe combined with parks, but we have fallen in love with the 'other side' of Florida.

Edited to say I did get bitten to buggery by mozzies and no-see-ums (only me though) but that was a small price to pay for being there

[smithlane]

Sounds like you had a wonderful time! When we next go to Florida we too want to explore more of the State including the Keys. The Marriot looks like a perfect location, did it take long to drive to Key West?

[florida addict]

we head to Miami and the Keys this weekend so very excited thanks for posting. We are in the Hyatt in Marathon so interested in places to eat there and best place to swim and snorkel. think it is next door to the Marriott

[Lulu Belle]

Originally Posted by smithlane

Sounds like you had a wonderful time! When we next go to Florida we too want to explore more of the State including the Keys. The Marriot looks like a perfect location, did it take long to drive to Key West?

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It would be about 5hrs from CC to Marathon, took us longer because we stopped but it wasn’t a bad drive at all.

[Lulu Belle]

Originally Posted by florida addict

we head to Miami and the Keys this weekend so very excited thanks for posting. We are in the Hyatt in Marathon so interested in places to eat there and best place to swim and snorkel. think it is next door to the Marriott

See more...

Yes the Hyatt is right next door! It’s a great location near the Faro Blanco marina and lighthouse. The Lighthouse Grill is supposedly lovely but we didn’t get round to eating there. We loved Keys Fisheries, it’s not fancy but a great spot for good seafood and right on the water. You order at the window and they call your name when it’s ready. People were using funny names which was amusing.

There’s not much in the way of beaches although there’s Sombrero beach which isn’t far and of course places like Bahia Honda and John Pennenkamp (we only went to Bahia and had the weed problem) but for us the best snorkelling was from the hotel late afternoon once the watersports had ended but not sure if you can access the water from the Hyatt? I did see people paddle boarding one evening around that area though so guess there must be. There were parrotfish, barracuda, grouper and nurse sharks. It was pretty deep though so not ideal if you want to be able to touch the bottom. There are lots of snorkelling trips though and many boats at Faro Blanco offer these. The Pigeon Key one seemed popular.

It’s amazing. Have a great time!

[bonnies mum]

No beach access from Hyatt, just down to a small marina., though hotel is nice. We didn’t eat at Lighthouse Grill as we prefer more relaxed and informal.
Porkys is just along from the Hyatt and we had a dinner there. Nothing fancy but friendly service (family owned & run) happy hour drinks and overlooking the water.
Also went to the Sunset Grill which has amazing sunset views, food very good there but our server wasn’t great.

[Disney Dizzy]

Thank you for posting Lulu Belle. Part of our holiday is 5 nights at Cape Coral followed by 5 nights in Key Largo so it’s great to hear that you have had such a wonderful time doing a similar trip. Not sure what my DD will do if she sees any sharks whilst snorkelling as she’s really worried about them. We’ve got a snorkelling tour booked at John Pennenkamp.

[katiec68]

Great report - thank you.

We have 1 night at Key Largo, 3 nights at the Keys and 4 nights at CC (and then AMI) in December so really lovely to see your report x

[Lulu Belle]

Originally Posted by florida addict

we head to Miami and the Keys this weekend so very excited thanks for posting. We are in the Hyatt in Marathon so interested in places to eat there and best place to swim and snorkel. think it is next door to the Marriott

See more...

Hi Florida Addict

Just wondering how your holiday was and what you thought of the Hyatt? I really want to go back!

[macy]

Nice to hear you enjoyed exploring Florida, there is so much to see over there. We all love the Key's, so different from everywhere else. It's one of those places that draw you back again at least it has with us. The hurricane did cause a lot of damage, sounds as if the rebuilding is really making progress now. Thank you so much for posting.