The Florida Keys are one of RVers favorite destinations for many good reasons. An RV trip to the Florida Keys offers kayaking, fishing, diving, snorkeling, and any recreational activity imaginable on the water. Plus, it’s all sunshine, palm trees, and turquoise waters, so it truly feels like you’re on vacation.
Are You Ready To Plan Your Florida Keys RV Trip?
Due to its popularity, an RV trip to the Florida Keys does require some advanced planning. You’ll need to plot your route, plan where you want to stay, and start making your reservations early. Let’s dive into some considerations for your RV Florida Keys vacation, including when to go, where to stay, and what to eat.
Florida Keys RV Parks
The first step in planning your RV trip to the Florida Keys is knowing when and where you want to visit. If you’d like to visit in the Winter, that’s the busiest season for RVing. RV parks and State Parks will book up a year in advance for the Winter months (December through March).
March begins the peak season for general tourists (non-RVers), which runs through May. Due to this overlap with the Winter RVers, March is the single busiest month on the Keys. Summer is hot and humid, and Fall brings hurricane season. So, we recommend visiting sometime between December and May but avoiding March if possible.
We stayed at the Sugarloaf Key, Key West KOA, and paid $150/night for our site during a May visit. Their premium water view sites are over $200/night. Prices go up even more during peak months. This is the most we’ve ever paid for an RV park, but it was well worth it. We loved the location of being right on the water and less than 30 minutes to downtown Key West. The landscaping at this newly renovated park is impeccable.
We scheduled a stay at Fiesta Key RV Resort & Marina since we’re Thousand Trails members and this park is an Encore Resort. With our Thousand Trails membership, we paid only $20/night! Their waterfront RV sites retail at $257/night or $221/night at the weekly rate. The regular back-in sites are $200/night or $175/night at the weekly rate. This place is a true resort, and even has a beach bar!
The state parks along the Keys are a beautiful and budget-friendly option for your RV trip to the Florida Keys if you can manage to secure a booking. Bahia Honda State Park is probably the most popular state park in the Keys, located in Pine Key. Just watch for closures due to tropical storms and hurricanes.
Sites at Bahia Honda are only $38/night and come online 11 months in advance for bookings. The stay limit is 14 days. Have your mouse ready to click first thing, exactly 11 months out from when you want to visit. This state park is always fully-booked, but it’s worth checking for cancellations any time.
So you survived the planning and booking process, and you’ve arrived in the Florida Keys, what’s next?
Local Seafood in the Florida Keys
It’s easy to eat fresh and healthy while you’re traveling in the Florida Keys. Fresh seafood comes right out of the ocean and is served up locally at many restaurants and seafood markets. If you’re not from a coastal area, you might wonder, is seafood healthy?
Yes! Seafood can be part of your healthy RV eating plan. Seafood comes complete with omega-3s, iron, B and D vitamins, and protein. These nutrients are important for skeletal muscle, strong bones, healthy brain functioning, and your immune system.
So now that we know seafood is on the menu, where should we go?
The Best Seafood Restaurants in the Florida Keys
Our favorite seafood restaurant was the Eaton Street Seafood Market in Key West. They offer “the freshest seafood from local fishermen.” Choose your fresh piece of fish and have them cook it for you. They have a great outdoor seating area to enjoy your fresh fish.
At Broil Small Island Steakhouse in Cudjoe Key (middle Keys), fresh seafood tops the menu. It’s walk-ins only, so don’t worry about a reservation, just note they’re only open Tuesday-Sunday from 5 pm-9 pm.
In the upper keys, visit The Fish House Restaurant & Seafood Market in Key Largo. They guarantee fresh, local fish, and because it’s locally caught, you get what they catch, no promises on availability. There’s always a “today’s catch” on the menu, and that’s what we’d recommend.
So is an RV Trip to the Florida Keys Worth It?
One-hundred percent, yes. You will be grateful that you put in the effort of having to plan ahead. The spendy price tag is redeemed with relaxation. Even the two-lane road to get there seems like a small price given the reward. The fresh air, sunshine, shimmering blue waters, and vacation-mode feeling you get, all make it worth the trip.
Just remember to set your alarm one year out from your desired booking dates, and you’ll have no problem getting a spot. Plus, booking this far out gives you so much time to look forward to this classic RV trip!
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