I love discovering new hobbies. Even more, I love finding little adventurous experiences not far from home. Both of these loves defined my day trip to the Florida Keys a couple of weeks ago.
Different from another time when I took a day trip to the Florida Keys, I finally went paddleboarding for the first time on this trip! With my experienced paddleboarding friend Meli, we rented paddleboards and explored mangroves and even a tiny island.
All in all, this was a perfect little getaway day trip and now I can’t wait to paddle board again!
Planning A Day Trip To The Keys
I live right next to the Florida Turnpike. So getting down to the Keys on a Friday morning was no problem. It was Labor Day weekend, but most traffic starts after people get out of work.
I was traveling with my friend Meli. We left for the Keys late in the morning, at about 11:00AM. We made it down to the Keys by 12:00PM. We left by around 9:00PM—it was a great 9-hour day-trip to the Keys!
We didn’t plan ahead—we just knew we wanted to do something outside on the water. I had my kayak along just in case. Paddleboarding was also on the table since Meli is a paddleboarder.
First, we stopped in at Rainbow Reef Dive Shop to ask them some questions about SCUBA diving, snorkel areas, and other things to do on the water. The salesperson there suggested we get a boat out to snorkel because there isn’t much to see nearby. I knew this but he confirmed it!
Not wanting to spend the money on a boat, we decided to head further down to a place called Paddle the Florida Keys.
Paddleboarding Cost and Location
A Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) at Paddle the Florida Keys costs $35 for a whole day rental. It was about 1:00PM by the time we got out on the water and we had to return the SUP by 6:00PM. We spent a total of 5 hours out on the water and got our money’s worth!
The area we paddled was between Plantation Key (South) and Tavernier Key (North).
The map of where we paddled with markers indicating main points along our path
There was a woman named Betsy working that day at Paddle the Florida Keys. She gave us a suggested path to follow. We paddled out from the canal next to the Overseas Highway. We turned left under the bridge and then took the second right along Tavernier Creek into the mangroves (at the yellow star indicated on the map above).
Betsy showed us that the mangroves would lead to an open “lake” called Ramshorn Cut (at the orange arrow indicated on the map above). She said we could trace our path back out and visit Kalteux Key (at the green arrow indicated on the map above) before heading back. The entire paddle was just under 4 miles.
SUPing For The First Time
Betsy offered to give us a quick paddle boarding lesson before we set out. She was so great and we loved her attitude!
Here were her main tips, which were super helpful as a new SUPer:
Hold the top of the paddle handle with one hand bending your fingers over the top.
Squat as you press the paddle through the water.
Use your core muscles to sweep/glide the board across the surface of the water.
Don’t use just your arms and shoulders—it’s a full body maneuver that will keep you from getting tired.
Move your feet around. Planting them can make standing hurt after a while. Stretch your toes and feet as you stand.
I really enjoyed paddleboarding and found that I was a natural at it (thanks to Betsy’s tips!). I found it to be the perfect amount of challenge without being too much. I liked that I could see more from standing than I can sitting at sea level in my kayak. I actually can’t believe it took me this long to try SUPing. It was about time!
I’ll say that doing so much yoga over the last year really helped me balance for this experience! Two weeks ago, I actually celebrated 1 year of at least 20 minutes a day of yoga! Paddleboarding is so much about balance that I’m sure I would have had a much harder time without my daily yoga practice.
Paddling The Mangroves
Paddling up Tavernier Creek, we were very aware of the sun at our backs. It was hot! And with so much sun exposure, I was a little worried about burning. I lathered on the sunscreen before we left but Florida sun is still no joke!
I was looking forward to getting out of the sun and into the shady groves.
On the way there, we spotted a loon swimming underwater, hunting fish, and poking its head out. I see these a lot around Florida! They are fun to watch and try to predict where they will pop up.
A loon swims underwater ahead of my paddle on Tavernier Creek
Soon we turned into the mangroves and paddled along under branches overhead. The path became increasingly narrow and above us the tunnel of vegetation was closing and closing.
I took on the challenge to see how far in I could remain standing. It was a challenge, squatting down at times to duck under some areas.
Maneuvering through was definitely a workout. Out of the sun now, the heat inside the densely packed mangroves was the new challenge. I was dripping with sweat by about halfway in! A lot of my photos actually came out smudgy because of how steamy and sweaty it was!
The other challenge was that the mosquitoes were in full effect in there. In this damp, dark, still water environment, the mosquitoes were lurking and waiting for tourists to come through with fresh blood. I ended up with multiple bites, including several literally on my ass! Still, mosquitoes will never bother me as much as the sand flies in New Zealand!
Betsy told us there was an area where we could swim—a small pool with a sandy bottom in one part. We were looking forward to finding it!
The tide was high and we had a hard time finding the right spot. So we missed it and had to press through the heat without a dip in the water. But I know I was motivated to keep going anyway!
After a while, the tunnel got so narrow that I could no longer stand. I had to sit cross-legged or even flat on my stomach in parts to make it through. It was such an adventure having to pull ourselves through the mangroves, branch by branch (or root by root).
We eventually did make it to the Ramshorn Cut opening. We took a break there, had a snack, drank water, and then turned around and back out the way we came in.
Back under the bridge and looking out toward the Atlantic Ocean
I surprised myself by not being tired at all. I wanted to keep going! We decided to continue on to Kalteux Key at Betsy’s recommendation.
To Kalteux Key
Kalteux Key is a tiny deserted island West of Tavernier Key. The island was named in 1992 after a local named Franklin James Kalteux. Kalteux died 9 years prior to the naming but he lived there from 1951 . He became known as “Mr. Tavernier” for building homes and a resort in the area.
The paddle out to Kalteux was open and exposed to the sun. The area immediately around the key is a no-motor zone but there are still boats in a channel that sweep through on both sides. This means paddling requires a bit of attention to the boats that may speed through as you cross out to the island.
There is a rocky-sand shore to park the paddles so we could get off and explore. Three other paddlers were there when we arrived. We asked them some advice on local restaurants to go to and they made some great recommendations.
After they left, we explored the shallows around the island. There wasn’t much else to see except I bet there are some great sunrises and sunsets here!
Eventually, we sat on a wooden swing set up there and observed the many iguanas that have taken over and thrived on the tiny island.
Sunset Drink And Music
We were super hungry when we returned. So we went to the Sharkey’s Sharkbite Grill which is right next to Rainbow Reef Dive Center docks. There was outdoor seating so we could be COVID-19 safe and there were lots of vegan options for Meli. We scarfed down a couple of “Shark bowls” and then skipped out to make it to sunset.
In addition to Sharkey’s, our Kalteux island friends recommended going to the Big Chill for sunset. Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill has lots of outdoor seating and live music. It’s also facing West toward sunset.
I ordered a “painkiller” (a rum cocktail) from the menu. We sat as the sun set over the water, ending a perfect day trip to the Florida Keys.
In Conclusion
My first paddleboarding experience was amazing! Even with the heat and mosquitoes, this was such a positive experience. I loved discovering a new hobby that I am good at and enjoy. The experience of pulling ourselves through the branches of the mangroves was just the right amount of adventure! And we even got to explore a tiny little iguana-filled island.
We ended the day perfectly with good food, drinks, and a great view of the sunset. I can’t wait to see more of what paddleboarding and the Florida Keys has to offer!
