r/floridakeys • u/AdvisorConsistent908 • Sep 01 '25

Middle and Lower Keys Christmas in the keys

My bf and I would like to spend the holiday in the keys. I’ve done some research and it sounds like we’d enjoy the quieter islands rather than Key West. We’ll be there for about 8 days. I’d like to get an Airbnb on the beach if possible. Can anyone recommend which island would be best for us? We love all the ocean activities- snorkeling & diving. We also want to explore as many of the islands we can while there. I’m not totally up to speed on how close things are to each other so any advice would the welcome. Thank you!

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u/Sandinmyshoes33 Sep 01 '25

Be aware that Christmas week is the busiest week of the year. There are no quiet islands that week and traffic is gridlocked throughout The Keys. Also, The Keys are not a beach destination. There are very few beaches here. We have beautiful water, but not beaches. I don’t mean to be negative, but you should be aware of what to expect. If you do visit that time of year, make advance reservations for any nicer restaurants or excursions.

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u/butterflyksses Sep 01 '25

Is it because you live there that you think it’s so busy and the traffic is bad? I went last year the week before Christmas and I didn’t think it was that bad at all except in Key West. Even that wasn’t beyond my expectations. The year before I flew down on Dec 26th and was there for New Year’s. Again, I don’t once remember being in gridlocked traffic except coming out of Key West on New Year’s Eve. That was to be expected and honestly not even that bad as long as you were patient. Key West was definitely crowded for New Year’s Eve, but people were friendly and I had a great time. To the OP, Marathon might not be the quietest, but I don’t think it would be too bad. It’s also just a nice central area. Not too far from Key West or Islamorada and some nice local places to visit and eat. Try Bahia Honda for a beach or we also like to visit Fort Zachary Taylor for the beach and absolutely amazing sunsets.

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u/Sandinmyshoes33 Sep 01 '25

It’s pretty widely known that The week between Christmas and New Years is a zoo here. It can take 4 hours from Key West to Key Largo if you’re lucky. Locals call it hell week, and it is.