If you’re not arriving by boat and want to be picked up by someone in the anchorage, there are a couple options. One is Dolphin Marina (MM 28.2) on Little Torch Key where the ferry for Little Palm Island departs. If they’ll let you park your car there someone can dinghy or boat in to pick you up. The other option is the Looe Key Tiki Bar and Grille on Ramrod Key (MM 27.1). They have a good sized dirt parking lot on the east side of the bar, with the canal out to the harbor right beside it. Both Dolphin Marina and Looe Key Tiki have launch ramps if needed.

Activity: Aside from lounging around on the sandbar and Island all day, or hitting the local restaurants/bars, there are some nice snorkeling spots right outside of newfound harbor. The R50 daymark in Hawk’s Channel is just to the East of Little Palm Island and the entrance to the Harbor - 24 36.736N 081 23.590W. It’s an excellent shallow reef with good snorkeling in a Sanctuary S.P.A. area with mooring buoys. Looe Key Reef is about 5+ miles out. 24 32.939N 081 24.031W is the approach - about 1/8 mile to the East of R24 on the outer edge of the reef approaching from the Newfound Harbor area.

Charts: . Newfound Harbor is found on Chart # 11445 Bahia Honda to Sugarloaf Key. Marathon area is #11451 (make sure it’s Nov22, 97 or later, since the daymarks changed).

Navigation: From Marathon: Boats able to clear the 19’ bridges have two options depending on weather.

The most direct is to go Oceanside in Hawks Channel past Bahia Honda to Newfound Harbor, a distance of about 16.4nm from the Boot Key Harbor West entrance, to the R2 daymark at Newfound Harbor. Bridges are not a factor this direction.

                            Boot Key Harbor R2 W. Channel Entrance: 24 41.942N 081 07.226W

Bahia Honda - 2 miles straight offshore: 24 37.150N 081 17.117W (you don’t have to stay this
far offshore, but it absolutely keeps you away from reefs and shoals and lines you up for a
straight in to the next R50 towards Newfound Harbor.)

R50 Approach to Newfound Harbor from East: 24 36.736N 081 23.590W (This is where the
nice shallow snorkeling reef is located)

R2 Channel into Newfound Harbor: 24 37.117N 081 24.419W (Don’t head directly from R50 to
R2 because this will cut across some 4-5 feet water. Instead arc out some (watch your charts)
and come in to R2 from a more Southerly, rather than Easterly direction. It doesn’t take
much of an arc - just watch the depth as you approach R2.)

The other option from Marathon, if you can clear the 19’ bridge at Bahia Honda, is to go on the gulf side of the 7 mile bridge, then cut through to Oceanside at Bahia Honda Channel. This is a longer route. The only advantage to this is when Hawk’s channel is a bit rough with winds from the south. You’ll be protected for a while on the back side of Bahia Honda Key, but you still have to cut over and go the rest of the way to Newfound Harbor - about another 6-7nm. You save about 10nm of exposure to weather, but even then the 7 mile bridge area can still be rough. Mid-Channel (Bahia Honda) at the bridge on Gulfside is about 24 39.528N 081 17.240W. This first bridge has a clearance of about 19’. The old bridge on the South has a section cut out so that clearance is not a problem. Use this cut even if you can fit under the old sections. The bridge is so old that chunks routinely fall from overhead!

Nearby Restaurants: (See the Satellite Photo)

The Looe Key Tiki Bar and Grille is located on Ramrod Key at MM 27.1 just to the NNW of the anchorage. http://www.diveflakeys.com/tiki.htm It’s accessible via dinghy or small boat by a residential canal just to the NW of the anchorage. The entrance is marked by a set of daymarks located at 24 38.803N 081 24.194W. Don't dinghy directly from the anchorage to these daymarks because of the shoal on the West side of the anchorage - curve around to avoid it. It’s marked with a sign on a pole. Once you’re in the canal entrance, it turns right and heads straight North after you're in it - up toward US 1 - then turns East (right) in behind the Looe Key Reef Resort and Dive Center. Tie up and enjoy. It's 1.85 nm from the anchorage to the Bar by dinghy route. We usually dinghy in here in the evening for dinner and drinks, with live music on weekends.

Little Palm Island (Munson Island on the chart) Resort is located at the entrance to Newfound Harbor. The docks are at 24 37.444N 081 24.115W. This is the exclusive resort with thatch roofed cottages, 5 star restaurants and a white sandy beach. No kids or dogs are allowed. If you call them on VHF you can dinghy or boat in to their docks for dinner and drinks, or you can arrange dockage there.

The Sandbar Tiki Bar is on the Gulfside of Little torch, (MM 28.2) on the other side of US1 from the Dolphin Marina. The bridge clearance from Newfound Harbor, up through Newfound Harbor channel to the NE, is 15 feet. A long dock sticks out from the bar with about 4’ of water alongside. It’s well marked with their big "Sandbar" sign.