The Islands of Marathon

     From the 7-Mile Bridge to Crane Point Hammock, from the Dolphin

Research Center to historic Pigeon Key, Marathon, in the center of the Florida Keys, is indeed rich with diversity. 

      Where else on this Earth can you watch the sunrise on one side of the road and the sunset on the other?  You can spend the morning stalking a world-record bonefish and the afternoon hours exploring an archaeological dig. 

      Marathon is both luxury resorts and wallet-friendly Mom & Pop motels.  It was an important point in the construction of Henry Morrison Flaglers awe-inspiring railroad which extended from Homestead through the islands-all the way to Key West, opening up the Keys to tourism.  In fact, the name came when one of the railroad construction engineers remarked about the 7-Mile Bridge:  What a marathon endeavor! Marathon shares with the Lower Keys the only living coral reef in North America, and is a scuba divers and a snorkelers paradise.  Its also a place where friendly people just might restore your faith that mankind can still be that way. 

      Read on, and discover some of Marathons popular landmarks and events.  Do a little checking on your own, and youll find out about the many other attractions, like wonderful dining, great entertainment, and spectacular vistas from Sombrero Beach. 

The 7-Mile Bridge MM 40-47

      The king of the Keys bridges, the 7-Mile Bridge is truly an engineering marvel.  Upon its completion, it was dubbed the Eigth Wonder of the World The original bridge, built in 1912 for train travel, began its service to automobile traffic in 1938, after the destruction of the Railroad by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.

      The original bridge was designated in 1980 as an historic monument and still stands, parallel to the newer bridge in use today.  It is now known as the worlds longest fishing pier, and is the connection to historic Pigeon Key, a vitally-important work camp location during the construction of the original 7-Mile Bridge.

      The newer 7-Mile Bridge opened for traffic in 1982, and stands today as the longest segmental bridge in the world.  The bridge sections were built by crews in Tampa, and all 288 of them were hauled by barge to the Keys for assembly.  Crossing the 7-Mile Bridge, you might be interested to realize that the waters below you host some of the best tarpon fishing action in all the Florida Keys.  The supports of the bridge cause swirling currents in the water, which attract other species, as well as baitfish. 

      Just before the bridge takes off from Knights Key, youll discover Sunset Park, the perfect place for a picnic or to simply stop and take it all in.  Once across the bridge, heading west, youre now in the Lower Keys.

The Dolphin Research Center-MM 59.5

     The Bottlenosed Dolphin is the post studied and admired marine mammal.  Endeared to us by the long-running TV series, Flipper, these extremely intelligent creatures of the sea have probably taught us about as much about our world as they have their own.

      At the Dolphin Research Center on Grassey Key, you can come face-to-face with these playful marine mammals.  A half-hour daily program, Tips on Training, demonstrates how dolphin and trainers work together , and includes an opportunity to actually be touched by one of these fascinating animals.  In what can best be described as the chance of a lifetime, the Dolphin Encounter half-day program allows you to actually swim with these wonderful creatures (reservations must be made well in advance). 

      For information, go to www.goplayoutdoors.com

Fishing

     Unquestionably, more types of fishing are offered in the waters around Marathon than anywhere else in the Florida Keys.  Of all these varieties of angling, however, Tarpon fishing weighs in as one of the most popular.  No other fish provides the heart-pounding excitement of the Silver King!  The Tarpon, with its tireless spirit and awesome leaps, is consistently one of the most sought-after game fish in the whole world.

      Light tackle flats fishing is equally thrilling.  There is nothing like sight casting for gamesters such as Bonefish, Permit, and even Tarpon out there in the Flats.  For anyone wanting to combine fishing and sightseeing, try backcountry fishing in the Everglades National Park.  Here one can seek Snook, Redfish, Sharks, and Trout, while slowly taking in the beautiful scenery. 

      Another option is to charter a deep sea sportsfisherman and go after Sailfish, Tuna, Marlin, and Dolphin-fish, just to name a few of the species that glide around in the offshore waters around Marathon.