Things to Do in Islamorada
Islamorada sits halfway between Miami and Key West, and the best things to do here are on the water or under it: see the coral reef through a glass-bottom boat, spot dolphins, manatees and sea turtles, and catch the sunset off Florida Bay. At Transparensea Glass Bottom Tours we take guests out to the reef every day, so this is our list: what we tell people at the dock when they ask what to do while they’re here.
The one most visitors miss
See the coral reef without getting wet
The only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States runs a few miles off Islamorada, and you don’t have to snorkel, or even swim, to see it. A glass-bottom boat has windows built into the hull. You sit in the shade and look straight down at coral heads, sea turtles and schools of fish while a naturalist tells you what you are looking at.
The day reef tour runs 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm, plus 9:30 am on busy days and takes about 2 hours. Adults are $75, kids 5 to 17 are $60, and kids 4 and under ride free. Our boat has a Seakeeper gyro stabilizer, so it rocks far less at anchor, which matters if anyone in your group gets seasick.
Dolphins, manatees, sea turtles
Where to see wildlife in Islamorada
Islamorada has two sides, and each has its own animals.
- The reef (ocean side): sea turtles, nurse sharks, parrotfish, barracuda, rays and moray eels. The day reef tour shows them through the glass.
- Florida Bay (bay side): bottlenose dolphins, manatees, wading birds and iguanas along the mangroves. The bayside cruise goes looking for them in calm, shallow water.
- After dark: octopus, lobster, squid and moray eels come out to hunt. The night tour lights them up.
These are wild animals in their own home, so no sighting is guaranteed. If you want a sure thing, Islamorada also has a marine park, Theater of the Sea, and you can hand-feed the tarpon at Robbie’s dock.
All ages, toddlers to grandparents
Things to do in Islamorada with kids
Plenty of Keys activities leave somebody on the dock: the toddler, the grandparent, the cousin who doesn’t swim. A glass-bottom tour doesn’t. Nobody gets in the water, the deck is shaded, there’s a restroom on board, and you can bring your own snacks and drinks. Kids under 5 ride free.
Other family favorites in town: feeding the tarpon at Robbie’s, the shallow, calm water at Anne’s Beach, and the History of Diving Museum, which is indoors and good for a hot afternoon.
Free every evening
Watch the sunset over Florida Bay
Islamorada faces west across Florida Bay, so sunsets here are a nightly event. You can catch one from almost any bayside restaurant or dock for free, or watch it from the water.
Our bayside and sunset cruise leaves in the late afternoon, looks for dolphins and manatees in the bay, and catches the sunset on the way home. It is $50 for guests 5 and up, and kids under 5 ride free.
After dark
Things to do in Islamorada at night
Most of Islamorada winds down after dinner. The exception is the reef. Our night tour leaves just before sunset, watches the sun go down from the open deck, then switches on the underwater lights so you can watch the reef’s night shift come out. As far as we know, it is the only night glass-bottom tour in Islamorada.
Adults are $75, and it runs on calm evenings only, since it needs the reef.
Affordable and free things to do in Islamorada
The sunset is free every night from the bay side, and so is Anne’s Beach, a public beach with a boardwalk and water shallow enough for little kids. Feeding the tarpon at Robbie’s takes a small fee for a bucket of bait and gets you a lot of splashing. Windley Key Fossil Reef is a state park where you walk past ancient coral in the walls of an old quarry.
If you want to see the reef itself, a glass-bottom trip costs a fraction of a private snorkel charter. Kids under 5 ride free, and you can bring your own snacks and drinks.
What to do in Islamorada when it’s windy or rainy
Wind is the usual spoiler in the Keys, not rain. When the ocean side is too rough for the reef, the bay side behind the islands stays calm, so we run bayside trips instead and contact you ahead of time. Indoors, the History of Diving Museum and the World Wide Sportsman store are easy ways to spend a stormy afternoon, and our boat departs from the marina right behind it.
Islamorada questions we hear a lot
What is the most unique thing to do in Islamorada?
Seeing the reef after dark. Our night glass-bottom tour starts with the sunset and then lights up the reef, and as far as we know it is the only night glass-bottom tour in Islamorada.
What can you do in Islamorada with kids who can’t swim?
A glass-bottom boat tour. Nobody gets in the water: kids watch sea turtles, fish and coral through the windows from a shaded, stabilized boat. Kids 4 and under ride free.
Where can you see dolphins, manatees and sea turtles in Islamorada?
In the wild, from a boat. Sea turtles are regulars on the reef, and the bayside cruise looks for dolphins and manatees in the calm water of Florida Bay. Nothing is guaranteed, because they are wild animals.
What is there to do in Islamorada on a windy or rainy day?
When the ocean is too rough for the reef, the bayside cruise still runs in the calm water behind the islands. On land, the History of Diving Museum is indoors, and the shops and restaurants along the Overseas Highway stay open in any weather. Full guide: what to do in the Florida Keys on a windy day.
Are there affordable things to do in Islamorada?
Plenty. Sunsets and Anne’s Beach cost nothing, and our tours start at $50 for the bayside cruise, with kids under 5 free on every tour.
Ready to see the reef?
Pick a date on the live calendar. Prices, times and open seats shown there are the final word.
Trouble booking? Call us or email info@glassbottomtour.com.