Friday, September 15, 2006

Bahia Honda Key

BAHIA HONDA KEY begins at mile marker 37 and is just north of Big Pine Key. The island is virtually undeveloped, but it is the home of the beautiful Bahia Honda State Park.

The Bahia Honda bridge, pictured at left, was originally built for Flagler's Railroad. After the railroad was destroyed in the 1935 Hurricane, it was converted to use for automobiles and other vehicles. The new road had to be built on top of the original structure because the area where the railroad track ran was not wide enough for two lanes of traffic. The bridge is no longer in use.

Henry Flagler's railroad to Key West turned the remote island of Bahia Honda Key into a tropical destination. Today, the island is home to one of Florida's southernmost state parks, known for beautiful beaches, magnificent sunsets, and excellent snorkeling. Visitors can picnic on the beach and take a swim, or simply relax and enjoy the balmy sea breezes that caress the shores year-round. Anglers can fish from shore or bring a boat and launch at the boat ramp.

Bahia Honda with the perfect beach

There is not much written about Bahia Honda, because it is not a large Key Island with a lot of tourist attraction. We call it the most beautiful in Florida and if you are planning a trip it should be on your list of places to visit. Most of the time visitors come for the beach … the crystal clear water and a picknick on the beach. However be aware that you have to bring your own cooler, drinks and snacks, because at Bahia Honda it is nature pure and there is nothing to buy.


The island itself is made of Key Largo limestone, derived from a coral reef similar to the present day reefs of the Keys. Bahia Honda is the southernmost key where this formation exist. If you are a beach lover and have a thing for flowers, mother nature has done its best to decorate the shore with many complex biological communities. If you hunt through Bahia Honda you can see subtropical flowers. I recommend comming in spring for nature and the beach.

The park is home to a multiple palm trees, key spider and tiger lily, sea lavender, bay cedar, gumbo-limbo and satinwood. All these plants throughout the keys have been carried from island to island by birds, ocean waves brought it to shore or a hurricane has carried it from the West Indies.

The historical treasure is a stated earlier the Bahia Honda Bridge, take your camera with you the old bridge is one of the most photographed structures in the Keys. As a visitor or if you have vacation or are a tourist we hope this little guide has helped you. If you want to see more photos about Bahia Honda as well as Key West visit us at www.loulouphotos.com and go to our gallery to find Key West.

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