One of the best things about vacationing in a place as beautiful as Marathon and the Florida Keys is that some of the best activities are completely free! It’s easy to be active, relax, and enjoy nature without spending a dime. Here’s a list of our favorite free activities in Marathon!

Break a Sweat

You can breathe in the fresh, ocean air while enjoying gorgeous views by walking, biking, skating, or jogging on the famous Seven Mile Bridge (Pigeon Key). It is 1.9 miles each way with water views all around and underneath you.

There is also the Marathon Bike Trail, which you can walk, bike, or skate. It goes from Mile Marker 47 to 54. You can also choose the bike trail that stretches from US Highway 1 to Sombrero Beach and around the golf course.

Reef Resort has bikes available for guest use free of charge so you can start exploring!

Enjoy Nature

Observe the fantastic array of sea life from the comfort of the old Seven Mile Bridge, where you may observe tarpon, sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, dolphins, and much more. The morning is the best time to go and see the sea life.

Coco Plum Beach is a great place to look for seashells and is one of the few beaches in the Keys with a wide, soft expanse of sand!

Take a walk along Sombrero Beach shoreline (wear footwear) and shake some seaweed to find tiny shrimp. You can also look for crabs, snails, mussels, chitons, man-o-war and other varieties of jellyfish. Warning: Do not touch the jellyfish. There are amazing photo opportunities at Sombrero Beach.

Birds are everywhere in the Florida Keys, but some of the best can also be found at Sombrero Beach or the Crane Point Museum (there is an admission charge for the museum).

Travel south to Big Pine Key and watch the endangered Key deer. Be sure to observe the speed limit in the refuge and please do not feed the deer. Also while on Big Pine, check out the Blue Hole on Key Deer Boulevard for alligators and nature trails.

Take It Easy

There are stunning sunset spots all over the Florida Keys, but one of the most exciting is the old Seven Mile Bridge where you can see brilliantly colorful 360-degree sunsets. Sunsets from the bridge at Bahia Honda ($2 pedestrian fee) or the sunset festivities at nearby Key West are also fabulous. Arrive early, as there can be crowds.

Sunrises are also especially great in the Keys. We recommend Coco Plum Beach or Sunset Park on the corner of W. Ocean and 12th Street for the most picturesque sunrise spots.

Relax and get a tan at Sombrero Beach. Our sun is very strong so please use a quality sunscreen product.

Sports!

There are numerous places to swim near the resort, including our pool and the surrounding beaches. There are multiple places to snorkel and look for lobsters, shells, and other sea life in waters clear enough to capture great photos with an underwater camera. Scuba diving is popular in the keys, and one of the most popular trips is taking a dive boat out to the Sombrero Reef.

Children can play in the playground area at the Marathon Community Park.

On the resort grounds, we have tennis courts, a basketball hoop, and a shuffleboard court. Guests can check out all the equipment needed to play all these activities free of charge at the front desk.