Staying in Marathon or at Hawks Cay Resort puts you in the middle of the Keys, and Key West is close enough for a day trip or a big night out. The drive is one of the most beautiful in the country, but it is still a drive: about an hour each way, and the trip home after dinner and drinks is the part to plan carefully.
Here is how to plan a Key West day from Marathon or Hawks Cay, from the first mile to the ride back.
How long is the drive?
Marathon to Key West is roughly 50 miles on US-1, the Overseas Highway, and usually takes about an hour depending on traffic. Hawks Cay sits on Duck Key, a little farther up the road, so plan on a few extra minutes from the resort. Weekend and holiday traffic, and construction, can stretch the trip.
Right after Marathon, the road crosses the Seven Mile Bridge, and from there it is a string of small keys and long bridges all the way to Key West.
Stops worth making on the way
- Seven Mile Bridge: the famous span itself, with views of the old bridge running alongside.
- Bahia Honda State Park: one of the best beaches in the Keys, with the old railroad bridge as a backdrop.
- Big Pine Key: home of the tiny Key deer, often seen near the road.
A short stop or two fits easily into a day trip. Tell us when you book and we will plan the timing; for a full day built around the stops, see our Florida Keys tours.
Spending the day in Key West
Most visitors start on Duval Street and in Old Town: the Hemingway Home, the Key West Lighthouse, the Southernmost Point buoy, and lunch at one of the waterfront spots at Key West Bight. Fort Zachary Taylor has the best beach on the island. In the evening, sunset at Mallory Square is the classic, followed by dinner and the bars on Duval.
Getting home safely
The drive back up the Keys at night is long, dark in places, and mostly two lanes, with lower nighttime speed limits through Big Pine Key to protect the Key deer. After a day in the sun and a night out, it is not a drive anyone in the group should have to make.
That is why most groups book transportation both ways. With our Marathon and Hawks Cay to Key West service you choose how it works: drop-off and return, where we bring you down and come back at a set time for one flat price, or hourly, where your chauffeur stays with the group all day or night. We use luxury SUVs and 11- and 14-passenger Sprinters, and bigger parties get several vehicles.
