Miami, Florida Keys at Christmas with older teens - ever been?

[SoTiredNeedHoliday]

Hello,
I'm researching a holiday for Christmas, we want to go somewhere hot. We're thinking Miami or Florida Keys and I'd love to hear from anyone who's been. Only just starting to research and have never been anywhere in Florida.

Love to hear any thoughts, advice, recommendations etc etc

Went to the Keys years ago and found it quirky and all a bit different. Some water sports and nice restaurants. Key West had some interesting characters but I think it depends what your teens like to do .

We want somewhere we can swim and do some watersports/snorkeling and maybe some day trips.

Have you looked at all at prices?
Plenty of Americans think the same as you at Christmas going for the warmth I mean , so prices are £££.

You’ll fly to Miami I guess. Car hire is simple there.
We’ve always booked cars with Virgin Holidays so all the costs and paper work is already done by the time we get there. We don’t get the ‘up sell’ from the car hire that way.

It’s just under 3 hours from Miami to Marathon Key by car.

It’ll come as no surprise that activities in the keys are water based.

We’ve stayed here a few times , never for more than a few days as it’s expensive!

www.tranquilitybay.com

It does boast it has the largest pool in the Keys, certainly kept our teens busy for hours.

Key West is where the nightlife is if bars and clubs is more your scene.

thanks @tanstaafl yes I know it might be a bit £££ we usually do air bnb rather than hotels / resorts hopefully that will help a bit

Have a look at Anna Maria island perhaps?

Do you have an idea of budget per night you would want to spend?. Would not rule out hotels entirely here.

Miami downtown near Bayside (stores and restaurant complex) is nice to see. This is also where the Thriller Miami speedboat departs from daily.

It is a fair old way down to the Keys by car from Miami; some of it is single lane (particularly so the further you get towards Key West).

I like Key West; it has its charm and some nice restaurants.

Miami airport can be somewhat chaotic to arrive into and I would not want to collect or hire a rental car from there.

@thislifetoo Please don't tell everyone about Anna Maria Island! Let's keep it our secret! Every time we go it gets busier

@shaniashania oh no I'm sorry! It is a gem!

Are you planning to be out there for NYE? I spent one NyE in Kew west. Super fun. Massive street party. Instead of a ball drop like you see in NYE, they had 3 drops the year I went (2012). A conch, a pirate walking off the plank and a drag Queen in a massive glittery red stiletto!

I live in Florida, and I love the Keys. But it's not hot in December; warmer than the UK certainly but the daytime temperature is probably in the low-mid 70s F. And there can be cooler snaps. We Floridians love it when we have coolish weather, but visitors from colder climes will often complain.

Marathon is probably more budget-friendly than Key West.

My dad lived in Key West for many many years so we have have done Christmas and New Year there a few times. With kids and without. Key West is so fun. And so much to do. Everyone decorates their houses big style for Christmas. We had so much fun just walking round and looking. Big New Year’s Eve parties and atmosphere. I would no way go to the other keys like Marathon unless all you want to do is stay in your hotel and beach. They are dead in comparison to KW. The drive down is amazing. Long yes but an experience in and of itself. You can fly from Miami too if you prefer. KW is one of my favourite places. Nothing like the rest of the US, heavily influenced by Cuba (to which it is closer geographically than the mainland of the US).

@FramboiseRoyale thank you for your comments re the heat. I had read that the water temperature in the Keys remains at about 25 degrees I was hoping that would make it inviting enough. But possibly not if the days are only about 23 degrees.....

@Wiifitmama did your family find it warm enough to swim?

If the pool is heated, then yes. But it is not the warmest time of year. We hate high temperatures so it suited us!

@SoTiredNeedHoliday

I don't really know about the water temperature and how comfortable swimming would be; like most Floridians, I never swim in the ocean in winter.

Also I'm not sure how good Key West is for beaches, water sports, etc. There may be other parts of the Keys that are better. But Key West is great just for its culture and ambience. For us it's like visiting another country without leaving the state.

Just a thought OP, Caribbean?

I’ve been to Florida over many Christmases and found the weather great on the whole. Warm but not too hot.

Hello, reigniting this thread as I am after some more information.

We've never been to Florida....where are the destination towns we should stay? Or places we should visit?
looking at a 2-week visit at Christmas time.
I'd like to see the everglades but what else should be on our list?

When are you planning on travelling?. This Christmas time or Christmas 2022?.

The Everglades can be visited as part of a day trip from Miami and you can ride on an airboat.

this christmas @AttilaTheMeerkat