• Miami To Key West Poker Run Route Map

The Overseas Highway from Miami along the Florida Keys looks like a commercial for a swanky sports car – long ribbons of road spool out along the coast and elegant bridges span glittering expanses of blue water.

In order to make the most of your trip, here are 5 great places to spot on your drive from Miami to Key West.

John Pennekamp State Park

I was fortunate this past week to be a part of the Miami to Key West poker run put on by the Florida Powerboat Club. We were also in Key West for the Superboat International Races to watch our buddy compete in the Superboat Vee class. He ended up taking the World Championship and the entire.

This state park was the first underwater park in the USA, having opened in 1963. The park’s borders include the shorefront and three miles out to sea.

• I chased the Florida Powerboat Club from Miami to Key West during their annual Key West Poker Run. I started in Miami at Haulover Inlet and raced them all th.
• Florida Powerboat Club’s signature poker run event, attracts a global roster of participants and features scenic cruising from Miami to Key West, through the beautiful Florida Keys. Checkpoints along the way take participants to Florida Keys’ hot spots in Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, and Bahia Honda.

Enjoy a swim in the clear and tranquil waters, or go snorkelling or scuba diving (you can rent gear) and check out the nooks and crannies of a Spanish shipwreck. If you want to peer into the underwater world without getting wet, you can take a glass bottom boat tour.

If you are planning to drive to Key West and back in one day, you won’t have time to fully enjoy John Pennekamp State Park. However, if you are staying somewhere along the way it’s worth spending half a day in this stunning park. If not, visit it on a separate day trip from Miami — it will be time well-spent!

The Tiki Bar

This laid-back bar is a famous stop along the journey to Key West, so it’s worth taking a break here to stretch your legs. Rebuilt after damage sustained with Hurricane Irma and open as at Dec 2018.

The bar is famous for the Rumrunner Cocktail. It was invented right here at the bar and it is delicious – potent and refreshing. The story of the RumRunner cocktail is a simple one that arose out of necessity – the local bartender had an excess of rum and came up with a creative and delicious way for customers to drink it. If you haven’t tasted it before you should order a round for your road trip crew (and a virgin one for your designated driver).

Seven Mile Bridge

The bridges along the Overseas Highway have been used as the backdrop for many epic car commercials and they are quite thrilling to drive across.

If you have a convertible, put the top down and let the wind whip your hair as you blast your favourite tunes. Seven Mile Bridge is the longest of these bridges and it’s a great place to stop for photos.

Miami To Key West Poker Run Route Map

You can also stop and walk for 2.2 miles (or enjoy a short boat ride) along the old bridge to Pigeon Key – an interesting historic site. It is a tiny island nestled underneath the bridge and it was a base for railway workers during the early 1900s.