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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Marathon, Florida
Marathon
Give Marathon 2–3 nights as a mid-Keys base with a car: Turtle Hospital, Sombrero Beach and the Dolphin Research Center, then drive on to Key West.
Marathon sits on Vaca Key at about mile marker 50, roughly two hours by road from Miami and one hour from Key West, with the Atlantic on one side and Florida Bay on the other. It has a hospital, grocery stores, marinas and more year-round residents than most Keys, so it works as a base rather than a stop. There is no scheduled commercial air service: you arrive by car, shuttle or boat, and you need a car once you are here.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Marathon
- Best months
- Dec–Apr (dry, cooler); May and Nov are good value
- Avoid
- Jun–Nov Atlantic hurricane season; Sep–Oct is the peak risk
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–150 excl. bed · Mid $150–260 excl. bed · High $260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Fish sandwich or seafood plate | $14–28 |
| Stone crab claws, in season | $30–60 per lb |
| Key lime pie slice | $6–10 |
| Beer: draught at a bar / six-pack at a store | $6–9 / $10–14 |
| Turtle Hospital tour | $30–35 (check) |
| Dolphin Research Center entry | $30–35 (check) |
| Crane Point Museum and Nature Center entry | $15–18 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MTH · Florida Keys Marathon International Airport
- General aviation and FBO only; no scheduled commercial flights. Greyhound/FlixBus stops at the airport on the Miami–Key West route.
- EYW · Key West International
- About 1 h south on US 1; the nearest commercial airport.
- MIA · Miami International
- About 2–3 h north by road, traffic dependent; main gateway for most trips.
Typical fares
- Miami airport → Marathon, Keys Shuttle
- door-to-door shuttle, about 2.5–3 h (check)
- Greyhound/FlixBus Miami → Marathon
- stops at the Marathon airport, about 3 h (check)
- Metrobus #301 Marathon → Florida City
- stops at the Publix on US 1, MM 50 (check)
Get around
Rent a car: the sights are spread along US 1 and public transport is thin. Metrobus #301 links Marathon to Florida City via Islamorada, Tavernier and Key Largo, and the Lower Keys Shuttle runs to Key West via Big Pine; both are slow for sightseeing. The island is flat and good for cycling, and marinas rent kayaks and run charters.
See and do
Known for
- Seven Mile Bridge
- Turtle Hospital
- Dolphin Research Center
- Pigeon Key
- Snorkelling, diving and fishing charters
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Key West | Drive US 1 south, about 50 miles | 1–1.5 h each way |
| Big Pine Key | Drive US 1 south, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Islamorada | Drive US 1 north, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Key Largo | Drive US 1 north, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
| Duck Key | Drive US 1 north to MM 61 | About 20 min |
| Stock Island | Drive US 1 south past Key West | About 1.25 h |
Sleep
- Overseas Highway (US 1) corridor, MM 47–54
- Motels, resorts and most restaurants; walkable only in patches, so a car is still needed.
- Sombrero Beach area (Oceanside, MM 50)
- Closest to the public beach and picnic area; quiet at night.
- Key Colony Beach
- Small incorporated city on its own key, with a marina and short-term rentals; a short drive from Marathon's shops.
- Duck Key / Hawks Cay (MM 61)
- Resort island about 15 min north; see the Duck Key page.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the beach? | Where is Sombrero Beach? |
| A table for two, please | Table for two, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take cards? |
| Is there a charter today? | Any boats going out today? |
| How much is it? | How much does it cost? |
| Where is the nearest hospital? | Where is the hospital? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Once you pass Knights Key Blvd at the south end you are on the Seven Mile Bridge with no turnaround for about 7 miles — a missed turn is a 14-mile detour.
- Keep valuables out of sight in parked cars; outboard-motor theft is a known problem in the Keys.
- In a storm warning, leave early: US 1 is the only road out and closes after accidents.
- Do not buy fish or shrimp from roadside truck vendors if freshness is in doubt.
Marathon is a low-crime small town; the real risks are storms, US 1 traffic and property theft from cars and boats. Check the National Weather Service before any boat trip, and leave early if an evacuation is advised.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Marathon, Florida yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Seven Mile Bridge
- Turtle Hospital
- Dolphin Research Center
- Pigeon Key
- Snorkelling, diving and fishing charters
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Florida Keys Marathon International Airport (Monroe County): www.monroecounty-fl.gov/109/Florida-Keys-Marathon-International-Airport
- Monroe County Public Transportation: www.monroecounty-fl.gov/143/Public-Transportation
- Florida State Parks — Curry Hammock: www.floridastateparks.org/park/Curry-Hammock
- Wikivoyage: Marathon (Florida), revision 5217255 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5217255
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Marathon, FloridaMarathon
Take me to this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in the Keys; consulates are in Miami. US travellers: 911 for emergencies.
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis. Prices are shown before Florida sales tax.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/marathon-florida). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.