City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Address: MM 49.5 Bayside
2. The Blackfin Resort And Marina
City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (305) 743-2393 or (800) 548-53
Address: MM 49.5 Bayside
Description: The 35-unit Blackfin Resort and Marina sits on 4.5 acres abutting the Gulf of Mexico. The grounds are peppered with poinciana, gumbo-limbo, strangler fig trees, and curving coconut palms. Stone paths wind through gardens of tropical flora. On a remote point of land at the end of the marina marked by a miniature lighthouse, guests enjoy a 600-foot, man-made, sandy beach sprinkled with lounge chairs, picnic tables, barbecue grills, and a thatched chickee. A freshwater pool overlooks the gulf. The placid waters of the gulf shelter a potpourri of tropical fish, a virtual aquarium for anglers and snorkelers. Personal watercraft and kayak rentals are available on-site. Also on the premises are the Hurricane Grille restaurant and a jazz/blues bar with live entertainment.
3. Blue Waters Resort Motel
City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (305) 743-4832 or (800) 222-48
Address: MM 48.5 Bayside
Description: You’ll enjoy a Mediterranean feeling here at Blue Waters Resort Motel, for the white stucco buildings, gray tile roofs, and bright, turquoise-blue doors evoke visions of Greece. Two banks of motel units, some with efficiency kitchens, flank the parking lot. The rooms feature 2 double beds or a king-size bed. For a real getaway, try renting an Island Home. This is a 1,400-square-foot house floating on the water! It has 2 bedrooms with queen beds, 2.5 baths, and a fully appointed kitchen. A raised swimming pool affords a view of a small boat basin on the gulf where guests may dock their boats for a small additional charge per day.
4. Coral Lagoon Resort And Marina
City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (866) 904-1234
Address: MM 53.5 Oceanside
Description: These 25 Key West–style villas and detached marina homes with white picket fences and wood shutters sit on 6 acres next to the Boat House Marina (see the Boating chapter). The 2-story homes offer an open floor plan with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and luxury interiors with peaceful tropical colors and tasteful decorations. You’ll enjoy the full gourmet kitchens, washers and dryers, Wi-Fi, cable, a film library for your viewing pleasure, housekeeping services, and wonderful water views from the first- and second-floor private porches. The resort rents these homes daily, weekly, or monthly and allows easy access to the Atlantic Ocean for excellent blue-water offshore fishing and the Gulf of Mexico for thrilling backcountry wreck fishing and boating.
5. Crystal Bay Resort
City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (305) 289-8089 or (888) 289-80
Address: MM 49 Bayside
Description: Situated on the Gulf of Mexico and dotted with hammocks, coach lights, and a gazebo, Crystal Bay Resort offers reasonably priced lodging in its 26 Conch-style bungalows. Children enjoy the extensive sandbox play yard; adults like the picnic area, which is peppered with brick barbecue grills; and everyone loves the free-form swimming pool and waterfall. Equipped with fiber-optic lighting, the waters change colors in the evening, creating a kaleidoscopic effect that carries on where the spectacular sunset left off. Chaise lounges and chickees are sprinkled about the water’s edge, and a small marina basin allows easy access to explore surrounding waters. Guests may launch their boats here; dockage is an extra fee. A fishing pier, complete with cleaning station, juts offshore.
6. The Hammocks At Marathon
City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (305) 743-9009 or (800) 456-00
Address: MM 48.2 Bayside
Description: Perched in lush tropical foliage, the Hammocks at Marathon offers you an escape. Wildlife of parrotfish, tarpon, and lobster are in the clear waters of the lagoon, and egrets, pelicans, and herons populate the mangroves. Palm trees and tiki huts dot the landscape, which also features a pool and hot tub. Lodging options include studio rooms (without kitchens); 1 bedroom, 1 bath, and kitchen; or 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and kitchen. On the property, Barnacle Barney’s Tiki Bar & Grill overlooks the marina, with a full bar and menu to satisfy. Barney’s also celebrates the famous Florida Keys sunsets with the firing of a cannon as the sun sizzles into the cool gulf waters. Water sports and fishing abound to keep your appetite humming.
7. Indigo Reef Resort & Marina
City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (305) 396-3002 or (866) 643-53
Address: MM 53 Bayside
Description: Built on 15 acres in the heart of Marathon, this waterfront enclave offers classic Florida Keys architecture and lush tropical landscaping. Sixty-seven “homes” are casually themed with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, gourmet kitchens, and Wi-Fi, with first- and second-level porches for maximum water views. On the property is a waterfront swimming pool, and full-service private spa services can be arranged by appointment in your villa. The marina was built with anglers and boaters in mind, with easy access to the Gulf of Mexico and tropical reefs, private boat slips just steps away from each home, and an on-site dock master. Guests can also avail themselves of the services of the Adventure Concierge Program for personalized dive, snorkel, boat, and fishing trips.
8. The Reef Resort
City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (305) 743-7900
Address: MM 50.5 Bayside
Description: As you drive through Marathon, you may spot what looks like a cluster of beige spaceships hugging Florida Bay. No, the aliens have not landed. These 22 octagonal villas, suspended on “landing” shaft stilts, actually provide a luxurious Keys getaway. Lushly landscaped grounds on 6 acres, surrounding the 2 tennis courts, belie the fact that the Reef Resort borders the Overseas Highway. Bicycles, canoes, paddleboats, and rowboats are available at no extra charge for guests who can tear themselves away from the swimming pool. Picnic tables, grills, and chickees on the waterfront inspire a cookout at sunset. The Reef Resort’s marina offers dockage for your boat of 25 feet or less (5-foot draft at low tide). Rentals are available for the week or the month.
9. Tranquility Bay Beachfront Hotel & Resort
City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (305) 289-0888 or (866) 643-53
Address: MM 48.5 Bayside
Description: Built on 12 acres overlooking the aquamarine Gulf of Mexico, Tranquility Bay is your own little “private island.” Magnificent palm trees shade the sand dunes, where sea oats sway in warm breezes and a 2.5-acre white-sand beach sparkles in the sunlight. The beach houses are decorated with tropical cottage flair, offering a choice of 2 or 3 bedrooms. Twenty-four-hour room service and daily maid service are available. Part of your stay should include their Island Spice Private Spa, which offers in-home treatments. And be sure and catch a sunset or two at TJ’s Tiki Bar, which is perched on the beach. Tranquility Bay also has a supervised children’s program called Keys Kids Adventure Camp.
10. Tropical Cottages
City: Marathon, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (305) 743-6048
Address: MM 50.5 Bayside
Description: Built in 1952, this enchanting hideaway caters to honeymooners, weddings, reunions, and small groups (adults only; no one under the age of 18). Tropical Cottages is adjacent to the Florida Keys Land and Sea Trust, which offers kayak trails that make for quiet exploring of backcountry and calm waters. (Don’t forget to put snorkeling on your list as well.) Daily housekeeping (upon request) and complimentary use of the resort’s bikes, rowboats, canoes, and sea kayaks are all included in your stay. Also, one of their special touches is a treasure map to help you uncover natural bathing beaches, scenic bike paths, and picnic spots, with a bonus of restaurant and shopping tips.