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Marathon
At the heart of the Florida Keys lies
the city of Marathon. Spread over Vaca Key,
Fat Deer Key,
Long Point Key, Knight's Key, Boot Key,
Crawl Key and Grassy Key,
the city is a tropical seaside town with a long seafaring tradition,
and a host of ways to have a
memorable Florida Keys vacation. Marathon is a family-friendly community
with a wide variety of options for vacationers of any stripe,
whether you’re adventurous,
laid-back,
athletic,
eco-minded,
or just in need of a relaxing time away from it all.
At the heart of Marathon is a long tradition of seafaring. Much of your
time can be taken up on or near the water,
especially if your taste runs toward fishing. Marathon offers
opportunities for the flats fisher,
light tackle fisher,
or offshore fisherman. You can try your luck near one of the reefs if
you’d like to try for some exotic species. You can even fish from one of
the many Key bridges if you want to keep your feet dry. There are many
places to rent a party boat,
if you’d like to fish with a few friends. Fishing tournaments for tarpon,
sailfish,
barracuda,
grouper,
blackfin tuna and more are held throughout the year. No matter what kind
of fishing you’d like to try,
you would be wise to hire a local guide or charter boat to help you find
the best spots to try your luck. These boats head both to the Gulf of
Mexico and the Atlantic.
Another popular pastime around Marathon is Scuba diving. The numerous
reefs and shipwrecks surrounding the island offer great opportunities
for the beginning diver,
the advanced diver,
and everyone in between. The many beautiful reefs surrounding Marathon make it a
popular snorkeling,
diving and spear fishing destination. Sombrero Reef is a beautiful
Federally-protected reef,
part of the only living coral reef in the United States. Not far away,
there are artificial wrecks,
and you can hire a dive master if you’d like to explore. Other places
offer SCUBA lessons as well,
and some places will have personal diving equipment,
or even a submarine. Many of these opportunities are located in or
around Boot Key Harbor,
near the center of the island and home to City Marina,
which offers a large ball-mooring field and an anchoring yard,
as well as spectacular sunset views.
Whether you’d like to enjoy the environment below the water or above it,
Marathon offers plenty of options. You can hike,
bike or even kayak around the island,
and there are many great locations for bird watching,
with frequent sightings of the Antillean Nighthawk. If you’d like a
closer look at the wildlife,
Marathon is home to a Turtle Hospital,
where you can see wild turtles being rehabilitated,
as well as those who have become permanent residents due to injury. If
you’d like something kid-friendly,
try one of the beaches for a place for them to play,
learn to fish,
or go swimming.
Accommodation options are widely varied as well. Tropical resorts are
one way to stay in Marathon,
but you can also rent a private home,
take in the local scene in a small motel,
or revel in the convenience of a condo. No matter what kind of place
you’d like to stay in,
Marathon will offer you options for your vacation. Wherever you choose
to stay,
make sure to head into town and try out some of the great restaurants.
Marathon is home to lots of great seafood restaurants,
but if you’d rather have pizza or some great Cuban cuisine,
you won’t have to look far.
No matter what kind of Key vacation you’d like to have,
or who you’d
like to take it with,
Marathon is a great place to consider.
Upcoming Marathon Events
of Interest
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