Experiences
Tour boat service to the island is available through several local charters. Ranger-guided tours of the island are available December through April, Friday through Sunday, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. In order to protect the fragile natural resources of the island, trail access is restricted to guided tours.
Please contact the following vendors for information on island boat tours:
- Seamonkeys Watersports: 305-664-4555.
- KeyZ Charters at Robbie’s Marina: 305-393-1394.
- Easy Adventure Boat Tours: 305-451-8393.
- Robbie’s Marina: 305-664-4878.
Visitors can rent powerboats and kayaks from several local marinas. Knowledge of the channels is critical because of the surrounding shallow grass flats.
Kayaks and canoes can float across most flats, offering spectacular opportunities to see a variety of wildlife, from dolphins and manatees to sharks and rays.
Boat Rentals
- Robbie’s Marina: 305-664-4878.
- A1A Watersports and Boat Rentals: 305-664-8182.
Kayak Rentals
- Robbie’s Marina: 305-664-4878.
- Backcountry Cowboys: 305-517-4177.
Anglers can fish for a variety of species from bonefish on the flats to tarpon in the channels. Snapper, Spanish mackerel and snook are also found in the area. Caribbean spiny lobster and stone crab in the waters surrounding the park can be harvested when in season.
All fishing within the park must conform to regulations concerning size, number, method of capture and season.
- A Florida saltwater fishing license, with special stamps for lobster and snook, may be required.
- More information is available at Fishing in Florida, a website of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
- Fishing is allowed around the island but not within 100 feet of the nearest dock.
Some local charters run ecotours that involve brief stops at the island and snorkeling around the island and out on the reef. Remember, all snorkeling requires a diver-down flag. All snorkeling must be conducted at least 100 feet from the nearest dock.
For more information on snorkeling tours, please contact the following vendors:
- Sea Monkeys Watersports: 305-664-4555.
- KeyZ Charters at Robbie’s Marina: 305-393-1394.
- Easy Adventure Boat Tours; 305-451-8393.
- Robbie’s Marina: 305-664-4878.
Ranger-guided tours are currently unavailable; however, there is a self-guided tour brochure that visitors can use to learn about the home and other features that dot the lawn.
Access to the Key for these tours is limited to privately owned boats or charter boats available at nearby marinas.
- For reservations, call 305-664-9814.
