In researching what to do in Biscayne National Park, there wasn’t a lot that we felt would work well for our family and the time we had allotted for the park. We eventually settled on a Biscayne boat tour to Boca Chita Key. We took one day to visit Biscayne while in the area visiting Everglades National Park, Marco Island, and Key West. Our rental home in nearby Homestead was the perfect place to see these areas from!
Most visits, including those that use the tours run by the Biscayne National Park Institute, originate at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center near Homestead. A note on south Florida traffic — it is awful. Absolutely a mess. Ensure you have plenty of time before your tour is to depart. There is a good video in the Visitor Center, a short walking trail, picnic tables, and more to enjoy while you wait.
We chose Boca Chita Key as it is the most popular tour and includes the tour of the 65 foot tall lighthouse and access to the observation deck. The history of Boca Chita Key is interesting as it was originally developed into a personal party island by Carl Fisher, a wealthy automotive entrepreneur. He was a publicity hound and used an elephant named Rosie to draw attention to Miami Beach and also Boca Chita Key.
The island was later bought by Mark Honeywell in 1937 and a holiday resort was built out that included a number of buildings that no longer stand. Mr. Honeywell purchased the island to hold exclusive parties and it sounds like he was quite the host! This was also short lived, but today we get to enjoy the lighthouse built in the 1930s.
The Good and Bad of a Biscayne Boat Tour
One of our biggest concerns about the tour was seasickness. Seemingly all of our family gets motion sickness on boats and the open ocean aspect of this tour had us pretty nervous. Thanks to Sea-Band wristbands, the style of boat used, and the relatively smooth day we were fine. The open air style of the boat and the ability to look forward always helps! It also makes it loud and windy but we were glad to accept that trade.
The route is nearly straight out from the visitor center, so once you get out into the deeper water the driver will have the boat running pretty fast but the speakers are loud and you can hear their program well. Our boat was mostly filled with older couples but there was at least one other family with small children.
Arriving out at the island brought something we hadn’t expected — music. Loud, loud music and lots of it! Chock that up to the many people who use these islands as a boating destination on the weekends, as all camping and docking fees are waived from May 1 to September 30. They dock at the island and stay for the day or camp for longer periods. It sure created a dichotomy between people partying and those of us on the tour! We would suggest going on a weekday to avoid this experience! The rangers don’t engage and instead encourage you to relax and settle in.
The lighthouse really is the star attraction on the island and getting to go up to the top on the observation deck is worth the price of admission (you can only go up in the lighthouse if you are on a tour)! You can see as far as Miami Beach and the Downtown area, as well as the Ragged, Sands and Elliott Keys.
Boca Chita also has a small beach area on the east side of the park where you can splash among the mangrove trees. We then took a short 1/2 mile hike looking for some solace and found a bit of it despite the music in the background. The trail leaves near the restrooms (they are flush toilets but expect to use hand sanitizer afterwards as there are no sinks on the island).
We saw a bit of wildlife, but mostly birds including a heron. We also got a great family picture that we used for our Christmas card! If you travel on your own to the island you can also use paddleboards in the lagoon area assuming the boat traffic is quiet.
The overall tour is 3 hours long and you will have plenty of time to tour the lighthouse, walk the island, splash around/swim, and be back to the boat for your return trip.
Overall, it was an interesting trip but didn’t feel at all like a normal National Park experience. We were disappointed with all the people and the music when we were expecting something much different. Other than the short trail we found, there weren’t any good hikes on the island and the most redeeming part of the trip was the lighthouse and the history we learned about the island. If you choose to go on a Biscayne boat tour to Boca Chita Key we hope this post helps you go in with more realistic expectations than those we had.
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Thanks for the honest review. I am planning a trip for next summer and will keep your tips in mind. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Hope our post is helpful for your trip planning and that you have a great vacation!