Miami To Key West : The Classic American Drive
Driving Miami to Key West is usually on the lists of most beautiful drives in the world. The 150-mile drive from Miami to Key West is one of the classic American road trips, zooming you off the mainland and through the fabled Florida Keys to an island city that has been a refuge to writers and presidents. The Florida Keys are a string of tropical islands known for their laid-back vibe and as a perfect holiday destination for fishing, boating, and water sports.
The breathtaking scenery of just you and the water surrounding for miles induces sensory overload. A 4-hour drive on Overseas Highway leading to US-1 awes you in its own right as an engineering marvel. Its concrete stretches across impossible expanses of water, the Atlantic spreading out to the left, the Gulf to the right leaves you spellbound!
I drove to Key West along with my husband during Independence day weekend of this month and completed the long awaited drive on my bucket list. As I went to Miami several times before but never got time to visit the Florida Keys!
It was a beautiful Saturday morning with a cool gentle breeze. We started around 7 AM. I had always thought about renting the convertible, wind-in-the-hair, epic playlist adventure through the Florida Keys for years. But after looking at the weather forecast of scorching heat, humidity and showers of rain in the afternoons, we decided to go by our own car.
I was glad of our decision going by own car as it was extremely hot with the temperature above the 80’s. I tried to open the window of our car for less than few seconds but couldn’t resist the heat. And therefore we didn’t go for the wind-in-the-hair but cool-air-inside-the-car with an epic playlist of our favorite artists!
The 4-hours drive took us 6-hours to reach Key West due to heavy traffic but it was totally worth it as we got more time to admire the breathtaking scenic view around! We took only 1 stop at the gas station near Islamorada during our classic drive.
Driving for miles over the water stretching to the Atlantic ocean to the left and the Gulf of Mexico to the right is an ultimate experience in itself. Let the below pictures speak for themselves!
We stopped at our final destination — the Southernmost Point, one of an iconic spot and most visited tourist attractions in Key West located at the corner of South Street and Whitehead Street. The Southernmost Point Buoy is an anchored concrete buoy marking one of the extreme points of the United States as well as the continent of the North America. No trip to Key West is complete without clicking your picture at this point! I had to stand for almost 30 minutes to get my picture clicked here as the spot is always crowded with people. But I bet, you would definitely like to capture this memory forever!
We had a wonderful time on our epic drive on Overseas Highway. Do check out the video to get the glimpse of our drive from Miami to Key West? And I bet that this will definitely entice you for this dream road trip!
If you’ve more time on your vacation, try to explore the Florida Keys breathtaking water life and adventure. The Florida Keys has some secluded islands, historic shipwrecks and some of the best fishing holes in the country. It’s the home of turtles, dolphins, North America’s smallest species of deer and most unique flora and fauna.
Do share your experience if you ever drove from Miami to Key West in the comments below? If not, which was your last epic road trip that you enjoyed most?
Happy Traveling!
Ana
www.kidfriendlyeurope101.com
August 8, 2016I love a good ol’ road trip! I have not been to the Keys yet, but maybe eventually I will! My friend lived there for awhile and loved it!
View Commentwanderingwagarschristina
August 8, 2016We have had this road trip on our list of things to do for so long. But somehow it keeps getting bumped. I think we should definitely make time to do it next year. Your post has reminded me how beautiful this area. We will try to time it though so it is not so hot so we can explore without the kids complaining too much hahaha.
View Commentiamsuanlee
August 8, 2016I love the moving map! This looks like such a beautiful and exhilarating drive, i’ll definitely have to show my boyfriend. We recently went driving in Japan and it was thrilling, this looks like such a lovely and scenic view!
View CommentLiz
August 8, 2016Wow, this combines two of my favorite things: road trips and the sea! Looks like a really fun adventure! 🙂
View CommentAmi Bhat
August 8, 2016Beautiful captures of your drive. I would love to zip on those roads – would be so refreshing.
View CommentRoberta
August 8, 2016Roadtrips are the best! In January I went on a roadtrip in florida from Orlando to Miami. I wish I could’ve gone farther and into Key West because it looks amazing!
View CommentStella the Travelerette
August 7, 2016This sounds like so much fun! Sadly I don’t know how to drive so I don’t think I could do it. But I still want to visit Southern Florida some day!
View Commentsuchi
August 7, 2016Ah! i always wanted to do this drive…. now you have tempted me more! lovely clicks!
View CommentKomang Ayu
August 7, 2016I see a small island in your picture. green island with lots of trees. what the island was uninhabited?
View CommentVery nice your picture, I think this place is fun.
Sona Sethi
August 6, 2016I concur with your views on the drive. It is absolutely awesome! Whats I enjoyed most was the sight of Cuba and how close it was from the Key West. Ernest Hemingway has his house in the Key West. How cool is that! 🙂
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