When traveling, it is always good to get advice from an expert. Let Ava Roxanne Stritt of the blog Spa Travel Gal be your romance and Florida Keys expert and guide your romantic trip to the Florida Keys!
Skip the Key West crowds and parties and instead find your perfect heaven during a romantic excursion to the Florida Keys. Whether you’re planning a honeymoon or anniversary getaway or just seeking a slice of peaceful paradise with your partner, the Keys can deliver luxury, nature, views, and intimacy. Here are 7 ways to fill your next Keys vacation with romance.
Photo Credit: Jason Stemple, courtesy of Hawks Cay Resort
1. Treat yourself.
One of the biggest travel highlights of early 2017 will be the opening of the new Hotel Key West at Stock Island Marina. This upscale hotel will offer guests every little bit of luxury and thoughtfulness, from a private marina to an organic community garden to an onsite distillery.
With a location like this, of course every room offers a water view from its own private balcony. For an extra splurge, request a room with an outdoor shower.
2. Get in touch with history.
The 100-room Hotel Key West is inspired by the region’s interesting industrial heritage—of saltwater fishing and boatyards. Rooms feature designs and decor borrowed from this history, making it not only luxe but also a bit quirky and totally unique.
Beyond the rooms, browse the nearby shops in the Stock Island Marina Village complex and make sure you visit the Keys’ largest deep-water marina, which can hold boats up to 300 feet long. Even today, Stock Island is home to the Keys’ biggest fishing fleet, making it an interesting place to visit with a rich history that you can still feel.
Get a taste of the fishy heritage at the onsite restaurant, where you can order from a “boat-to-table” menu of fresh seafood.
Photo Credit: Jason Stemple, courtesy of Hawks Cay Resort
3. Get active.
In true Florida style, Hotel Key West has a long list of ways to get active while visiting. The hotel has an outdoor pool and offers some of the world’s best fishing, diving trips, and eco-tours via paddleboard. Go boating or book an excursion of the area, and when you’re done, retreat to a hammock or private cabana overlooking the marina.
4. Hide away on a secluded island.
For a more private Keys vacation, head to Duck Key, a small, secluded island in the Keys. While still close to Miami and easily accessible, this island is totally surrounded by crystal water and isolated from all of the hustle of the big city.
While on Duck Key, stay at Hawks Cay Resort, tucked away on the edge of the water. Request one of the new two-room, 1,400-square-foot penthouses for ultimate luxury. At night, watch the stars from your private rooftop terrace.
5. Book a spa day.
While at Hawks Cay, book a romantic day at the award-winning Calm Waters Spa. Indulge in a variety of island- and locally-inspired therapies, and wrap up your day at the spa in the jacuzzi or dry sauna. Calm Waters was voted the Best Hotel Spa in the U.S. in 2009 by Travel + Leisure readers.
After your treatment, relax by the Sunset Pool with a frozen drink in hand while watching the boats drift by on the harbor.
Hawks Cay has six pools, each a different kind of wonderful.
Want to relax but can’t pull yourself from your room? You can book an in-room couple’s massage—or even do it cabana-side.
6. Do it Beach Boys style.
There’s a reason Key Largo is mentioned in the famous Beach Boys’ song, “Kokomo.” This location in the Florida Keys is one of the best. White-sand beaches. Breathtaking views of Florida Bay.
While in Key Largo, stay at the romantic Playa Largo Resort & Spa, which opened just this August. This is where beachy meets luxury, and where inside is inspired by the outdoors. Book a beautiful room, or better yet, a private beach house of your own. The resort is situated on 14 private beachfront acres.
The resort also includes a freshwater pool, a spa pool, fire pits, dockside dining with fresh seafood, and a private boat launch and marina. Or visit the famous “African Queen” vessel, from the 1951 movie starring Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.
Pick your romantic activity; you can’t go wrong.
7. Say “I do,” mermaid style.
Key West is also a popular wedding destination, and Playa Largo offers something different and exciting for the big day: underwater weddings amid the corals and shipwrecks.
If you prefer to say your vows on dry land, Playa Largo has plenty of other impressive locations, from a ballroom to courtyards to lawn.
Toast your vows on a champagne catamaran sail or by a beachside fire pit, underneath the ceiling of stars.
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