Sombrero Beach, Marathon, Florida Keys

There aren't many sandy beaches in the Florida Keys. Most of the shoreline is mangrove swamp. Sombrero Beach is a rare gem. Here you will find soft, white sand on a beach with a pleasant curve. The water is clearish brown, typical of the Keys and not terribly appealing. But from afar, the ocean looks gorgeous with thin stripes of pale creamy blue where the sand bars are, contrasting with vibrant turquoise at the deeper spots.

There is a large tree right on the beach that provides an abundance of shade- this too is rare! Coconut trees also form a few patches of shade here and there.
To top off the bliss, there is a playground like none you've seen before! Two large saucer swings, a slide, a climbey thing with a trampoline in the middle, and a huge pyramid rope climbey that spins around all provide over an hour of fun for your kids! You can sit in one of the shaded huts beside the playground while your kids have a blast. There are picnic tables in huts spread out on winding paths in the grassy area that fronts the beach. Tall grasses and a fence separate the beach from the park, and there are little wooden boardwalks that connect the two areas.
There is a large restroom building, and there are showers.
The neighborhood surrounding the beach is lovely, though shadeless. What a nice life to live here and walk to Marathon High School down the road!
Make a reservation or arrive on the hour and take a tour of the Turtle Hospital just down the road while you're here. It's lovely to find out all about the turtles and see the modern exhibits.

Directions

Sombrero Beach is located in Marathon in the Florida Keys. At Mile Marker 50, you will find Sombrero Beach Rd, which leads to the beach.
From the Turnpike, take Highway 821, the Turnpike extension toward Homestead. Follow it for 46 miles to the end. Follow the signs to U.S. Highway 1 south. Continue 77 miles into the Florida Keys. You are in the town of Marathon. Turn left on Sombrero Beach Rd and after a few miles you will see a long parking lot on your left.

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