Marathon: Discover Nature and History

When choosing a place to stay in Marathon, it is worth first distinguishing the themes that appeal to you: sea turtles, bird care, history or snorkeling. The places and activities have different focuses—from a guided educational program to trails and boardwalks in a natural area. This lets you plan your trip around specific interests before looking for hotels in Marathon.

Sea Turtles and Educational Programs

Sombrero Beach is a beach where sea turtles lay their eggs. The Turtle Hospital has a different focus: it offers guided educational programs to the public seven days a week. Among other things, these programs cover how to identify sea turtles and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the hospital and its rehabilitation areas. At the end of each program, guests are invited to feed the resident animals. This distinguishes the nesting activity on the beach from a guided introduction to identification, the hospital and rehabilitation. The hospital’s hours and reservation requirements may change; check them before your visit.

Wild Birds and Nature at Crane Point

For those interested in birds, the Marathon Wild Bird Center offers a distinct focus. Visitors can visit the center while exploring the 63-acre tropical oasis of Crane Point Hammock Museums and Nature Center. The center rescues, rehabilitates and releases migratory and resident wild birds. This makes the work with wild birds the main focus here, while the Turtle Hospital offers guided educational programs about sea turtles. The two themes give your trip different emphases, even though both are connected with wildlife and care.

History and Trails

At Crane Point, the Adderly House and a network of trails and boardwalks appeal to different interests. The Adderly House is the oldest house in the Florida Keys outside Key West. Crane Point also has 1.2 miles of maintained trails and boardwalks. This distance gives you a concrete indication of the extent of the trail network, while the historic house offers a single point of reference for local history.

“The Old Seven” is another historic point of reference: the structure was built in the early 20th century by Henry Flagler as part of the Florida East Coast Railway’s Key West Extension. The Old Seven Mile Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the original Knights Key Bridge. Together, these names offer an entry point into railway history, although they do not necessarily refer to the same historic subject.

Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters in Marathon

At Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters, visitors can snorkel in the 200,000-gallon tank in Marathon. The immersive experiences also include opportunities for divers and snorkelers to feed fish. There are also touch-tank experiences with docile nurse sharks or rays. These activities differ from the Turtle Hospital’s educational program: here, the focus is on direct encounters with animals in an aquarium experience, while there it is on guided information about sea turtles. Since individual experiences may change, check in advance which activities are available during your visit.

Snorkeling at Pigeon Key

Snorkeling around the Pigeon Key pier is another option.

Which Focuses Suit Your Trip?

If you are interested in historic sites, the Adderly House, “The Old Seven” and the Old Seven Mile Bridge offer different points of connection. For wildlife and nature, you can choose between the Wild Bird Center, the Turtle Hospital’s educational programs and the aquarium snorkeling experience. The maintained trails and boardwalks at Crane Point add another option: exploring the natural area itself.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Layton, Sugarloaf Key, Tavernier, Islamorada, Marathon Shores, Duck Key, Key Largo, Big Pine Key

For the overview of the wider region: Monroe.