Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Exploring Islamorada
Islamorada is the “City of Islands,” and it’s here where you first feel like you’re driving through the Caribbean on US 1.
Called the purple islands (morada) by Spanish explorers, most of these islands still sport natural waterfronts and tropical forests, with resort hotels tucked under the trees.
Quiet Library BeachThe four major islands of this chain include Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe, and Lower Matecumbe. It’s on Upper Matecumbe that you’ll find most services.
In addition to pocket parks and showy Green Turtle Hammock, Upper Matecumbe is home to the Hurricane Monument.
Trailhead at Green Turtle HammockIt is the final resting place of those who died in a tragic 1935 storm surge, many of whom were World War I veterans building on the Overseas Railroad.
The former railroad route is now largely the Overseas Heritage Trail, but this Keys-spanning bike path has a lot of driveways across it on most of the islands.
The Hurricane MonumentMuch of Windley Key is occupied by Windley Key Fossil Reef State Park, an outstanding historic and botanical site showcasing the geology of the Keys bedrock.
Two “out island” state parks flank the channel separating the Matecumbe Keys. Lignumvitae Key is a wild sanctuary of tropical trees, while Indian Key illustrates an early settlement.
Walkways at Theater of the Sea also edge former limestone quarriesTrails and Parks in Islamorada
Anne’s Beach Along a picturesque Atlantic beach, a family-friendly accessible boardwalk weaves through a coastal forest, passing several covered picnic tables along the way.
Eastern Continental Trail A hiking route spanning more than 4,800 miles along the East Coast, the Eastern Continental Trail spends nearly 1,300 miles crossing Florida from its southern terminus at the Southernmost Point in Key West. 
Flagler Quarry Trail A short interpretive trail at Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, the Flagler Quarry Trail leads you around the showiest of the quarries and the ruins of the railroad depot.
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail Spanning from Key West to Key Largo, this 108-mile linear state park corridor is an island-hopping slice of tropical paradise along the former route of the Florida Overseas Railroad.
Green Turtle Hammock Nature Preserve On a wild sliver of Upper Matecumbe Key, footpaths wind through a rockland tropical hammock where a rocky crevice emits sulfur fumes and signs warn of crocodiles. 
Indian Key Historic State Park On an island visible from the causeway between Lower and Upper Matecumbe Keys, walk into the past to discover the birthplace of Dade County.
Key Tree Cactus Preserve Protecting an endangered species of cactus only found in the Keys, Cuba, and the Bahamas, Key Tree Cactus Preserve showcases a tropical hardwood hammock edged by mangroves.
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park Wrapped in a dense blanket of mosquitoes, Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park is one of the United States' most significant botanical treasures, a virgin tropical forest home to more than a thousand lignum vitae trees.
Overseas Heritage Trail, Middle Keys 43.6 miles. With the most island-hopping of the ride, the middle portion of the Florida Keys delights with its aquamarine waters and coconut palms, a very tropical vibe.
Overseas Heritage Trail, Upper Keys 26.8 miles. Through the most heavily populated part of the Florida Keys, the trail quickly leaves water views behind for tropical forests between residential and commercial areas.
Plantation Hammocks Preserve Adjoining Founders Park on Plantation Key, Plantation Hammocks Preserve showcases some of the Florida Keys most interesting flowers under a generous canopy of well-established tropical trees.
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park See coral fossils up close in a tropical forest at Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park to learn the natural history of how the Florida Keys were formed.
Windley Key Hammock Trail Learn about the trees of the Florida Keys with a walk on the 0.6-mile Hammock Trail, a deeply shaded ramble in a tropical forest at Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park.
Windley Trail Winding through an ecotone where tropical forest meets mangroves, the Windley Trail is a quarter mile loop that ends up amid interpretation of quarrying history.Articles
Floating in Florida (11/6/2025) Drifting across placid waters, find your bliss with the perfect adventure on Florida's hidden waters, with Lucy Tobias your guide.
Indian Key: An Unusual Ghost Town (8/9/2015) John takes a trip back in time with Florida Keys historian Brad Bertelli to discover the layers of history found on Indian Key, once the county seat of Dade County