And Marathon thrives on its central Keys, watery environment.  Marathon has excelent swimming beaches (not common in the Keys), and good diving and snorkeling, from novice to experts, at all water depths.  Some divers think that some of the best parts of the coral reef along the Keys are right here.  The Sombrero Key Lighthouse area is an example.

Fishing can be either oceanside or Backcountry (gulfside), with your own boat, on party boats, or with a personal guide.  There’s plenty of flats fishing, as in the rest of the Keys, but oceanside offshore fishing (excelent) prevails, since there’s not quite the same extensive range of backcountry options as elsewhere in the Keys, given there’s fewer islands and the area isn’t quite as wild as having Everglades National Park for your backdoor neighbor (like Key Largo).

Boating in general is a little different here. Most boating is fairly open water or along the Overseas Highway and Keys chain; there aren’t as many protected areas (think multiple islands for kayaking or canoeing) as there are in either the Upper Keys or the Lower Keys or Key West.  And waters seem to have more of a chop more of the time here, too.  On both sides the water gets deeper faster.

But if you want to be on a canal with a big boat tied up at your back door, this is a good part of the Keys to be in: lots of deep canals, and easy Ocean access.  (Most of the deep canals and good big boating access is on the south, or Oceanside, part of the islands.) It’s also one of the few spots in the Keys where you can easily get a big boat or a sailboat back and forth from Bay to Ocean.

In addition to these water-based sporting activities, there’s  9-hole Par 3 golf at Key Colony Beach, plenty of tennis, some nightlife particularly at the resort hotels, and a variety of restaurants where you can eat outside under the sun or indoors in air-conditioned comfort.  There’s also Islamorada  and Big Pine just short drives away for variety.

KAREN ANGLE
REALTOR®
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
11050 Overseas Highway
Marathon Fl, 33050
(305) 289-6504 Business
(305) 731-6219 Cell
(305) 743-7012 Fax
1-800 366-5181 Ext 6504
E-MAIL
www.allfloridakeysrealestate.com