Photo Fiona Sunquist ©

Biscayne National Park. Tel: (305) 230-7275

Less than 10 miles east of Homestead, Biscayne National Park contains a small stretch of the mainland, a large area of Biscayne Bay and a number of barrier islands. Ninety-five percent of this park is underwater and most visitors to this park come by private boat, but the Park Service offers canoe rentals, snorkeling and scuba diving trips.

In 1992, this section of the coast was ground zero for Hurricane Andrew; the storm leveled the park’s visitors center before moving on to destroy much of the town of Homestead. (The visitor center and Homestead have since been rebuilt.)

Biscayne National Park offers an excellent introduction to coral reefs and tropical fish, but unless you have your own boat, don’t expect to see much unless you participate in one of the glass-bottomed boat trips, snorkeling trips or scuba diving outings offered by the park service. Snorkeling trips cost $29.95 and include all the required equipment. The three-hour glass-bottomed boat tour costs $24.45 for adults and takes you to the coral reef where you might see dolphins and sea turtles. Call (305) 230-1100 for information and reservations.

More information on their web site

Biscayne National Park web site

top of page | back to Keys and Other Islands