Located almost 70 miles west of Key West, you’ll find the beautiful Dry Tortuga National Park, accessible only by boat or seaplane. It is comprised of 99% water and the remaining 1% is made up of seven major islands. Known for its spectacular reefs and marine life, as well as the iconic Fort Jefferson Situated on Garden Key. Surrounded by pristine turquoise water, it’s a must-see while you’re in Florida.
We planned to visit this beautiful National Park while staying in the Keys. It’s a place I got to visit as a child, and I was even more excited to bring my own family here for the day.
FLYING ON A SEAPLANE
Instead of taking a long boat ride there, we’d make the trip even more fun by taking a seaplane. If you have the chance to go, I highly recommend taking flying over with Key West Seaplanes. We flew about 500 feet above the beautiful water and got an excellent little tour during the quick 30 min flight over. Taking off and landing in a seaplane was a lot of fun, and the kids loved the experience as much as my husband and I.
After landing, we grabbed our bags and snorkel gear (supplied by key west seaplane charters) as well as an ice cooler filled with drinks (Also supplied by Key West Seaplanes) and went to explore the North Shore of the island.
The fort has a walking path that goes around the perimeter, and with the water being crystal clear, you can see plenty of sea life below. My daughter enjoyed identifying the different kinds of coral, and my son loved seeing the big fish.
After exploring the fort some more, we jumped in and spent the rest of our time there exploring the underwater world. It’s even more stunning than I can remember and highly recommend visiting if you’re ever in the sunshine state.
Special thanks to Key West Seaplanes for making our trip so amazing! Flying to the Dry Tortugas was one of our favorite parts of the entire trip.
You can read more here: 5 Reasons To Take a Seaplane To The Dry Tortugas.
OOut of all the National Parks we've visited, this one will certainly be one of our favorite adventures to remember. If you have the chance to go, I highly recommend it. The drive down to the keys is a long one, but there's plenty of fun in the sunshine on your way down!