Florida Keys Are for Families of All Ages

Excite your senses, expand your mind and mingle with flamingoes at the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservancy. "Flamingle" is an hour-long encounter in Key West, where human participants sit in a white gazebo overlooking the pond and lushly planted conservatory. The male and female breeding pair, Rhett and Scarlett, walk free and interact as they choose.

Like Florida Keys residents, visiting families enjoy all the natural splendor of the Florida Keys during a day in the Lower Keys backcountry boating, kayaking or paddleboarding through mangrove tunnels, basking in the sun, unplugging and simply spending quality time together.

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon is the world’s only licensed veterinary hospital that specializes in sea turtles, and the hospital even has its own turtle ambulances. Kids in the Keys can take guided tours of the facility to learn about sea turtles, get a behind-the-scenes look at the hospital and rehabilitation facility, and even feed some of the permanent residents.

Marathon also offers an immersive experience with reef fish, invertebrates, stingrays and even sharks without having to go out in the ocean. The signature feature at Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters is a coral reef exhibit and shark habitat housed in a massive 200,000-gallon interconnected saltwater aquarium for viewing.

Kids of all sizes can learn how to wakeboard via a cable system and tackle an aquatic obstacle course at the Lagoon on Grassy Key.

Some visitors bill it as the most unique, exciting and cost-effective attractions for families of any age in the entire Florida Keys. For a dollar admission and a few bucks for a pail of baitfish, you can hand feed tarpon right from the docks at Robbie's Marina in Islamorada.

Key Largo has been described as a nature lover’s paradise and home to America’s first underwater preserve, where ocean life abounds with brilliant tropical fish as far as the eye can see. Christ of the Deep is a 4,000-pound bronze statue just beneath the ocean’s surface and remains one of the Keys’ most-photographed underwater sites. Start your dive excursion to see this wonder or take a glass-bottomed boat or snorkel tour from John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Family time in the Florida Keys means grandparents, moms, dads, ‘tweens and teens can bond during a variety of soft adventure learning vacations. Together, they can try new experiences in the active-lifestyle destination, learning skills in as little as two days or embracing the ultimate experience on a weeklong adventure.

Adventure Sports

Learning to scuba dive is increasingly popular among families. The Keys are situated parallel to the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef. Calm, clear waters provide the perfect learning environment for parents and children, and a lifetime of diving fun, adventure and memories. Kids as young as 10 years old can learn to be junior scuba divers.

Creative Learning

If you’re a creative spirit visiting (or about to visit) the Florida Keys, opportunities abound around the island chain for those eager to explore their own potential — and discover others’ artistry. A comprehensive listing of creative events, gallery openings, lectures, films, concerts, classes and workshops can be found at Florida Keys Council of the Arts.

Older travelers typically want special access to historic sites and museums, tasty local cuisine and popular attractions — without a wait in line. Many seniors want to avoid spending valuable personal time planning and scheduling trips with multiple activities within a destination. And, ones that attract visitors from golden-agers to tiny kids — all drawn by the Keys’ lively atmosphere.

Road Scholar, a Boston-based nonprofit renowned for its educational programs or trips for over 40 years, escorts learning adventures to the Florida Keys & Key West. Demanding and ever-inquisitive, today’s active senior travelers seek meaningful, immersive experiences that enable them to connect with the unique history, culture and residents of a bucket-list destination.

The iconic original vessel from John Huston's classic 1951 film "The African Queen," starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, is plying Key Largo's nearshore waters and canals again and Florida Keys visitors can take a ride on the historic vessel from the Marina Del Mar at MM 100.

In Key West, the land ends and meets the sea amid 19th-century charm and contemporary attractions. Visitors actively sightsee, tour the attractions and museums, enjoy watersports and shop by day, then become part of the nightly sunset celebration at waterfront Mallory Square, alive with vendors, performers, jugglers, acrobats and musicians.