Marathon

The annual Battle in the Bay Dragon Boat Festival set for Saturday, May 20, at Marathon’s Sombrero Beach offers spectators beachfront excitement as teams of 20 paddlers power their sleek boats in unison, racing parallel to the shore.

Three virtuoso Florida Keys guitarists are to present concerts in three Keys locations Friday through Sunday, June 2-4, intriguing audiences with performances in genres from classical to contemporary to Latin. 

A sun-splashed holiday season comes alive in the Florida Keys & Key West with warmth and cheer throughout the 125-mile-long island chain. From Key Largo to Key West, the 2016 holidays are sprinkled with only-in-the-Keys events, packed with spirited activities and festooned with decorated boats and bicycles.

The Florida Keys & Key West continue to unveil upscale resorts, with six properties and nearly 460 units soon to be added to the 125-mile-long island chain’s accommodations inventory.
New seasonal airlift into Key West is also coming. United Airlines is scheduled to launch seasonal service from Newark, New Jersey, and from Chicago into Key West this winter through spring.
A new coral restoration marine trail and creative dining options also highlight fall offerings for visitors and residents.

The Florida Keys & Key West offer a variety of new and enhanced accommodations, attractions, sustainable and eco libations and Everglades National Park amenities that highlight the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary in August.
Explore some new reasons to visit the Florida Keys here:

Scores of visitors envy Florida Keys "locals" who create satisfying lives full of authentic pleasures and natural ingredients. But visitors too can enjoy the indigenous flavors of the Keys, and even take home tasty "souvenirs" to help sustain them until their next vacation escape.

Visual artistry can be found virtually anywhere in the Florida Keys. Inspiration might come from palm-fringed shorescapes that edge the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, or the orange and purple abstracts unrolling against vast skies at sunset. Aspiring potters working from the clay of the earth also learn, find inspiration and practice their craft at Middle and Upper Keys studios. Opportunities abound around the island chain for those eager to explore their own potential and discover others' artistry.
 

For nearly a century the Florida Keys have beckoned many with their natural beauty and vibrant yet laidback atmosphere. But it's not just travelers that gravitate to the intriguing destination. Quaint, quirky and filled with a free-spirited charm, the subtropical islands are a haven for the creative. Artists and artisans from across the globe flock to the Keys and stay, making the island chain their home while helping shape its reputation as a cultural mecca.
 

Fans of fine beers, ales, rums and more can enjoy libations created in the Florida Keys, many of them for the first time in modern years.