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Bahia Honda State Park
Florida Keys
Back to the Lower Keys Cruising
Section
Back to the TOP of Boot Key Harbor
North Side of Bahia Honda
Low Tide in small cove (Gulfside)
Photo Courtesy Capt Frank Danisi
There are cabins on the North side here that you can rent,
and a small basin with docks for small boats. |
CLICK HERE for a Chart view of the Bahia
Honda anchorage between the bridges (shown in photos below) CLICK
HERE for info & park layout from their brochure.
An aerial view looking West toward Key West of the park
between the two bridges. |
This view is from the inside beach looking toward your left. It shows the
cut in the old railroad bridge for sailboats to enter in between the two
bridges. The bridge here runs west toward Key West in the distance and the
Atlantic is on the other side of this bridge. The bridge is very old and
concrete can fall off the structure so its not a good idea to cut under or
fish under the standing part of the bridge. Signs will warn you. When you're
in the park you can walk up a trail to the top of this bridge and that cut
and get a great view all around.
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This view is also from the inside beach but looking toward
your right. It shows the new bridge for U.S. 1 . You can anchor in between
these two bridges. The current is VERY swift in here however, so ensure that
your anchor is set well and/or use two anchors. We've seen boaters anchor in
here during slack tide and swim into the beach because it's so close, then
get in trouble when they try to swim back when the current starts running,
and have had to go pick some up by dinghy as they get swept away. It's not
all that bad, but don't try swimming from your boat when the current is
running. You can cut under this bridge to Gulfside with a clearance of about
19'. This will take you back to the ICW, and up Spanish Channel and the
backcountry toward the West. |
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Same beach as above, looking from atop the bridge
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This is the entrance channel into their marina basin,
approached from in between the two bridges and beside the inside beach. It
looks small, and it is, but we've had our 50' boat in here (we draw 4'). If
you go in by boat you can tie up and stay for the day (free) or stay
overnight. Don't dock in front of the concession stand / store ahead of you
because that is reserved for the tourist snorkel boat that goes out from the
park.
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Looking to your starboard just as you are about to enter the
Marina basin. |
Oceanside is where the really long, and nice
beach is. You can drive back part way if you want and there are picnic shelters
along the beach. If you keep walking way down further east you'll come to the
remote parts of the beach that are not accessible by driving. We sometimes
anchor in between the bridges, then dinghy all the way around to these remote
areas. It's very shallow here way out from the beach so it's nice to put the
dinghy on one of the sand bars and just sit in the shallows and drink beer.
Watch out for the tide though, this beach is so shallow here for so far out that
even a 1 foot tide will leave your small boat stranded and you'll have to walk
it way out to float it again.
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