After a visit to Everglades National Park, you should consider stopping by another National Park near Homestead, Florida, Biscayne National Park! Here, you can take a short walk around the visitor center and learn a lot about this beautiful area, but to really experience this place, you’ll have to get out on the water!
95% of Biscayne National Park’s 173,000 acres is underwater. Unless you have access to a boat, the best way to explore this park is through one of the many tour options available through Biscayne National Park Institute. They have a variety of tour options and tour lengths available and they take off from the Dante Fascell Visitor Center.
There is so much to see and do. For more active visitors, the Biscayne Institute offers a Snorkel & Paddle Eco-Adventure tour. In this tour, small groups get up close to the diversity of habitats in the park, snorkeling on a shipwreck at the Maritime Heritage Trail and the beautiful coral reef in the park, and kayaking or paddle boarding in the mangrove forests in and around the many park Keys. You can bring your own gear, or they have equipment available to rent. This tour is recommended for ages 12 and up; we can’t wait to come back and visit when the kids are older!
For families with young children, the Heritage of Biscayne Cruise is the perfect fit! Although you don’t get to snorkel or paddle in the water, you do get to cover a larger portion of the park in a small boat. Right now, the tour is running at half capacity so boats are not crowded, but, a private trip for 6 is the same price as 6 tickets on the larger boat. Each has their advantages, but for our family with small children, we felt the private boat would be better for us, and for other passengers on the larger boat!
We cannot say enough good things about this tour. Our tour guide, Hans, was so knowledgeable and passionate about the park. He spent the entire tour teaching us about it’s wild history, and the many people who worked hard to protect the land (and water). Over the years, many people have tried to develop into a tourist area, with big plans for resorts, private fishing clubs, and more, at one point, even naming this grouping of Keys as the city of “Islandia” and bulldozing space for a 6 lane highway down the middle of Elliott Key in an attempt to destroy the natural appeal and spite the conservationists. Now referred to as Spite Highway, this is the only true hiking trail in Biscayne National Park. For details on hiking this 7 mile stretch, click here!
The highlight of the Heritage of Biscayne tour is the stop at Boca Chita Key. You get to stretch your legs and explore this tiny, but beautiful island. As Hans explained, the famous Boca Chita Lighthouse was never a functioning lighthouse.
The island was once privately owned by a wealthy industrial, Mark Honeywell, founder and creator of Honeywell thermostats, and he and his wife added the lighthouse and various other structures to the island, including a chapel (to confess their sins after a night of partying), and stables (for elephants)! The Honeywells created this as their private party resort, hosting Gatsby-esque parties for the social elite of Miami. Today, many people still make the trip across the bay from Miami to enjoy the day and camp on the island.
On the tour, the time at Boca Chita is unscheduled so you can explore at your own pace. While we were there, we took pictures at the beautiful lighthouse, visited the stables, and spent time at the beach. After a little more than hour, it was time to get back on the boat and return to the Dante Fascell Visitor Center.
We cannot say enough good things about the Biscayne Institute. They are a non-profit with a partnership with Biscayne National Park and the Florida National Parks Association. Their tours are top notch and the funds are used to continue the preservation of the park. If the Heritage tour isn’t your thing, they have many other options including glass bottom boat trips, island excursions with snorkeling and reef adventures, canoe and kayak trips, scuba diving, and more!
TIPS FOR VISITING BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK
- The best time to visit is December – April. Bugs are very bad on the islands in the summer, and there are frequent thunderstorms.
- Plan to spend at least half a day in this park, but a full day would allow you to cover more area and not feel rushed. We recommend booking a half day or full day tour through the Biscayne Institute.
- Bring food! You can purchase snacks at the visitor center, but there are no restaurants or snack bars elsewhere in the park so bring plenty of snacks, and pack a lunch if you are doing a full day tour. Don’t forget to bring enough water!
- Plan ahead! If you want to visit the park in your own boat you may do so, but visit the National Park Service website to make sure you understand the rules and regulations around the park. The water is very shallow, only about 4 feet in a large majority of the area, and there are many slow wake zones around the keys.
- Where to stay? There are no hotels or RV campgrounds near the park. You can camp overnight on Boca Chita. but you must be able to access it by boat. The closest town is Homestead, Florida, but there are many more options in Miami.
