Take This One-Of-A-Kind Snorkeling Road Trip In Florida For The Ultimate Summer
Taking a road trip in Florida during the summer months is on everyone’s bucket list. Cruising with the windows down, the sun shining, and the sky a bright blue with no clouds in sight. We have one particular summer road trip that will combine a bit of travel with a lot of natural beauty. Grab your bathing suits, because this road trip takes you to both land AND sea.
The snorkeling road trip in Florida will take about 3 hours and 30 minutes to drive in entirety, so it is probably best to stretch it out over one weekend so that you can stop and enjoy the sights, too! You can find the entire road trip itinerary here. Ready to take to the ocean?!
To kick off this snorkeling road trip, we have a place that you likely would not expect to stop. No boat is required for this little gem, and you can actually hit the snorkeling trail, which has various boulders and an artificial reef filled with a variety of starfish, tropical fish, octopus, and more. Right next to the Blue Heron bridge you’ll find shallow water averaging about 6-10 feet in depth, but filled with wonderful snorkeling opportunities.
Address: 900 Blue Heron Boulevard, Riviera Beach, FL 33404.
Just mere minutes from downtown Miami you’ll find one of the most breathtaking state parks in South Florida. Bill Baggs Cap Florida State Park is a one-of-a-kind park that provides a relaxed and scenic atmosphere compared to other public beaches in the area. But the best part about this beach is the clear blue tropical water which can lead to some truly spic snorkeling adventures.
Biscayne National Park is one of the state parks that attracts visitors from around the world just because of the sheer beauty of the area. The water gets shallow in many spots which allows for an abundance of snorkeling opportunities. The park offers emerald islands, turquoise waters, and a vibrant and teeming coral reef, which is the perfect combination for snorkeling. Even if you choose to rent a boat for the day or bring a boat out of your own, you’ll have endless opportunities to set anchor and hop right in to explore. While there is no exact address to use to arrive, just pop the park name into your GPS and you’ll be set!
Of course we’re going to end this road trip at one of the best spots to go snorkeling in the entire state—John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This wonderful state park in Key Largo, Florida was the very first underwater park in the U.S. and was added on the National Register of Historic Places in April 1972. With nearly 70 nautical square miles of a stunning underwater world, you’ll be in snorkeling heaven with one trip to this park. Pro tip: if you happen to take an in-park snorkeling tour, make sure it’s the one where you can snorkel to the underwater Christ of the Abyss statue.
A New Jersey native with over 15 years of writing experience, Marisa has studied at both New York University and Florida International University. She has lived all over the country, including a decade stint in South Florida. Marisa is well-versed in exploration as she travels a good majority of the year in her self-converted Sprinter van. Her articles have been featured in various notable publications over the years, she has a published collection of short stories, and three completed screenplays under her belt.
