Bike Key Largo to Key West

Bike Key Largo to Key West for a 106-mile bike ride with some of the most beautiful scenery in Florida. Those with strong legs and street smarts can do it in two days on the mostly paved FKOHT. Others who enjoy the ride but may have trouble with traffic and narrow shoulders should plan for three days or more.

The swell of the sea and the rustle of mangroves enchants cyclists as they pedal the paved path on the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (FKOHT). Its completed sections attract locals with shopping baskets on bikes who ride to food markets and laundromats. When finished, the 106-mile trail will link Key Largo to Key West across 37 bridges – many off-limits to cars.

Pedal through Islamorada on a canopied road that joggers and walkers use, then cross the Long Key Channel by the retrofitted historic rail bridge at MM 39. The short, five-mile section from there to Tavernier avoids sight and sound of the highway by a screen of roadside buttonwoods that lead to the ocean. At MM 71, the trail crosses the Tom’s Harbor Cut bridge.

A stop at the Dolphin Research Center is an opportunity for animal lovers to fulfill a dream. This 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescues and houses dolphins that have been rescued, rehabilitated or deemed unreleasable by state governments. The center also provides quarters for permanent residents that have survived catastrophic injuries. The tour costs about $28 and includes an opportunity to swim with the animals.