Overview
Big Pine Key is in the Florida Keys. Upper Sugarloaf Key, Cudjoe Key, Summerland Key, Ramrod Key, Little Torch Key and Bahia Honda Key are all nearby.
1 sights · 1 things to do · 2 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 6 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Big Pine Key
Bahia Honda State Park
A beautiful state park about an hour drive south from Islamorada. There is a small fee to get into the park going by how many people are entering. It is a perfect place to spend the day and enjoy swimming, kayaking, expl…
Nature Center - Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex
When planning a visit to any of the refuges located within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex, it is worth visiting the Nature Center. Situated in a natural setting, it gi…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Nov–May. Summer highs reach about 91°F; winter lows dip to about 66°F. Very hot (Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Sep and Oct. (climate data from nearby Key West)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- EYW Key West International Airport, Key West — 27 mi away. Directions
- MIA Miami International Airport, Miami — 102 mi away (major hub). Directions
There's only one road: US 1, the Overseas Highway. All other visitors must arrive by sea, as there is no airport. A small, private airport is available on nearby Sugarloaf Key, and a larger facility in Marathon (roughly 25 miles ENE). The island can be reached by sea, of course, though marina facilities are slim here.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Bahia Honda State Park
- Lunch Boondocks Grille and Draft House
- Afternoon Nature Center - Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex
- Dinner The Square Grouper Bar and Grill
- Evening No Name Pub
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
At the Winn-Dixie shopping plaza is a decent sit-down Chinese restaurant. The No-Name pub on the NE side of the island has excellent pizza and sandwiches. There are no dedicated fast-food restaurants on the island. Tonio's Seafood Shack & Tiki Bar at mile marker 25 offers casual seafood dining.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Big Pine is one of the larger Keys, and is composed of an interface of two types of limestone rock. Key Largo limestone, ancient fossilized reef tract, extends from Key Largo to Big Pine Key and then slides under (so to speak) Miami Oolitic Limestone. Miami Oolitic limestone being more porous and rather dissolvable can retain rainwater in its solution holes and this can create a freshwater lens between the two rock layers.This is so very important as it provides year round freshwater access to unique species that are found nowhere else in the Florida Keys such as Caribbean Slash Pine, Key Deer, Key Bunny and a small variety of other unique, endemic plants and animals. It has many native hardwood trees, as well as the pines for which it is named. Blue Hole, a former limestone quarry, is quite pretty and contains at least one fairly large alligator. Like most of the keys, there are no sand beaches here. A bridge connects the northeast side of the island to No Name Key, a sparsely-populated island with hiking trails.
Get in
There's only one road: US 1, the Overseas Highway. All other visitors must arrive by sea, as there is no airport. A small, private airport is available on nearby Sugarloaf Key, and a larger facility in Marathon (roughly 25 miles ENE). The island can be reached by sea, of course, though marina facilities are slim here.
Get around
Big Pine Key is bisected east/west by US 1, and the other major roadway is Key Deer Boulevard, which angles NW off US 1 near the geographic center of the island. There are numerous smaller roads through residential areas.
See
While driving on Big Pine Key, care must be taken to avoid hitting the diminutive Key Deer. These tiny whitetail deer, made dwarfs from thousands of years living on the island, are roughly knee-high. From a distance at night, you may confuse them for medium-sized dogs. They have become quite acclimated to humans, and are often seen around residents' yards and grazing on roadsides. Best times to see the deer are at dusk/dawn. They are also active at night, but are most often seen in your headlights while driving (be careful!).
At the Island's main shopping plaza (Winn-Dixie, Beall's Outlet), one can observe feral chickens. Several flocks—a black/rust-orange rooster accompanied by several darker hens—can typically be seen pecking at the ground and crowing at each other here.
See Bahia Honda State Park (John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park)
A beautiful state park about an hour drive south from Islamorada. There is a small fee to get into the park going by how many people are entering. It is a perfect place to spend the day and enjoy swimming, kayaking, exploring, fishing, bike riding, walking, relaxing. There are picnic tables all through out the park, along with public restrooms, a snack bar, kayak rentals, and snorkel tours. Overnight ocean and bay side camping available for motor homes and tents. At the south-western end of the park, Calusa Beach provides an attractive sight, sheltered between the old and new overseas highway bridges. Sandspur Beach is at the eastern end of the park, providing a long stretch of coral sand on the Atlantic side of the island.
Do
Other than observing the Key Deer/chickens, and hiking around the Blue Hole, fishing, kayaking, diving and snorkeling are common past times. Fishing charters are abundant. Solo or guided kayak trips in the backcountry are available at Old Wooden Bridge Fishing Camp adjacent to the No Name Key Bridge where Big Pine Kayak Adventures is located. You can explore the diverse seagrass meadows, sponge flats and mangrove tidal creeks of the National Wildlife Refuge island called No Name Key with one of the daily guided tours or on your own with a free loaner laminated chart of the area. Sugarloaf marina also has some great mangrove lined creeks to explore.
Snorkeling and dive trips to Looe Key, one of the best shallow water spur and groove reef formations in the Keys, are available from Underseas Dive Shop, Innerspace Dive Center, Strike Zone Charters and the Looe Key Resort. While staying in Big Pine Key, a day in Key West is typically part of the itinerary.
Do Nature Center - Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex
When planning a visit to any of the refuges located within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex, it is worth visiting the Nature Center. Situated in a natural setting, it gives visitors an appreciation and understanding of the refuges with opportunities to spot birds and other wildlife.
Buy
There are several stores along US 1, and a shopping plaza just off US 1 on Key Deer Boulevard. All basic services, including a full grocery store and pharmacy are available. A limited clothing selection can be found at Beall's Outlet.
Eat
At the Winn-Dixie shopping plaza is a decent sit-down Chinese restaurant. The No-Name pub on the NE side of the island has excellent pizza and sandwiches. There are no dedicated fast-food restaurants on the island. Tonio's Seafood Shack & Tiki Bar at mile marker 25 offers casual seafood dining.
Eat Boondocks Grille and Draft House
Dining with regular live entertainment.
Eat The Square Grouper Bar and Grill
Gourmet dining.
Drink
Drink No Name Pub
Somewhat famous.
There are several low-key taverns along US 1. Just a few miles down in Ramrod Key you will find Boondocks and the Looe Key Tiki Bar.
Sleep
Stay Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge
The lodge has camping from $50 a night (a bargain for the keys), with a few gravelly tent sites and numerous RV sites (most seasonal residents fully set-up and decorated). The facilities are pretty good, with large restrooms/shower rooms and a well-stocked camp store. They also have a large/deep boat launch ramp. Key Deer occasionally wander through the grounds at night.
Dolphin Marina Cottages are also in the vicinity (Little Torch Key).
Go next
Big Pine is located roughly half-way between Vaca Key (Marathon) and Key West, so it can be easily visited while in-transit. Those who choose to camp here can reach Key West in about 40 minutes. There are some more "touristy" bars and restaurants a little further down the Overseas Highway on Ramrod Key.
Nearby
Marathon
City / town · 14 listings · 20 mi away
Stock Island
City / town · 4 listings · 25 mi away
Key West
City / town · 90 listings · 28 mi away
Duck Key
City / town · 1 listings · 29 mi away
Islamorada
City / town · 32 listings · 50 mi away
Everglades National Park
Park · 25 listings · 55 mi away
Key Largo
City / town · 25 listings · 64 mi away
Florida City
City / town · 16 listings · 76 mi away
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