So far the month of May has been a great Florida road trip.  We traveled from coast to coast, south to the Everglades, and continued on to the Florida Keys.  Once we crossed the Card Sound Bridge we got our first glimpse of the turquoise water, which looks more Caribbean than Floridian.  Only 113 miles and 41 more bridges to Key West!  

The 1,700 islands of the Florida Keys are the exposed portions of an ancient coral reef.  There are very few beaches.  One exception is Bahia Honda State Park, which has two.  Calusa Beach has scenic views of the remains of Henry Flagler’s railway connecting the mainland to Key West. 

Past the campgrounds and nature trails is Sandspur Beach.  I didn’t run into any sandspurs, but I did have some sand crabs near my towel.  The water just off the beach is shallow and crystal clear, perfect for snorkeling and wading.  The darker shade of blue in the distance is one of the deepest natural channels in the Keys, which gave Bahia Honda, deep bay in Spanish, its name.  Offshore is the Florida Reef, the only living coral barrier reef in the US.  

The Silver Palm Trail has the largest natural concentration of Cocothrinax argentata, a rare native palm.  The fronds are blue-green with a silver underside, which shimmers when they sway in the wind. Below is the national champion, which is 29 feet tall.

 

The trail meanders along dunes at the far end of Sandspur Beach.  Seagrapes provide a little shade.  I didn’t see anyone else on the trail, but this Gulf fritillary butterfly fluttered near me the whole time, enjoying the Sea Ox eye blooms. 

There’s something interesting around every bend.  This little path leads through the mangroves to an inner cove.  An agave bloom shoots 20 feet high on the side of the road.  

Don’t miss Bahia Honda State Park on your next trip to the Florida Keys.

Bahia Honda Key, MM 37