Immerse Yourself in Paradise
It’s easy to appreciate why so many pilots and families enjoy flying to Marathon in the heart of The Florida Keys. Today, Marathon International Airport (MTH, KMTH) serves as a vital gateway to The Florida Keys & Key West and offers a VIP welcome to private-plane owners and small commercial carriers. That is what makes traveling here as much a pleasure as staying here.
Inside the plantation-style main terminal you will discover a world-class facility with a small-town touch. Here you’ll find every modern convenience, including rental car companies, shuttle buses, the Marathon Air Museum with its unique collection of air memorabilia and, of course, homemade key lime pies. Head south out of the terminal and you can be in the Lower Keys in a matter of minutes. Head north and you’ll be in Islamorada and Key Largo in about an hour.
While Marathon’s central location makes the perfect hub from which to explore the entire Florida Keys, there are a world of compelling reasons to unpack and never leave the comfort of your oceanfront hammock. In fact, one of Marathon’s most noteworthy attractions could easily be listed among the seven wonders of the world. Stretching for seven picturesque miles over the crystalline waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay, Marathon’s famed 7-Mile Bridge Overseas Highway bridge serves as a vital gateway to all that lies to the south including Big Pine Key, Florida’s Lower Keys, Stock Island and anything-goes Key West. The iconic bridge also parallels where Henry Flagler’s 1912 Florida Keys Overseas Railroad once rumbled its way from Miami to main street Key West.
Today, much to the delight of locals, visitors and historians alike, a remaining 2.2-mile section of the Old Seven Mile Bridge (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) recently reopened for fishing, biking, walking, running, roller blading and more. In Marathon, the opportunities for adventure and relaxation are endless. You can swim with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center. Dive or snorkel the only living coral barrier reef in the continental U.S. Try your hand at offshore or backcountry fishing where you can battle world-record gamefish. Experience kayaking or paddle boarding in the pristine backcountry. And enjoy waterfront dining on succulent dock-to-table fresh seafood. Of course, when you’re ready to call it a day, there’s no shortage of award-winning hotels, motels, cottages, inns, bed-and-breakfasts and resorts to help you relax. Come see why this quaint paradise in the middle of The Florida Keys continues to live up to its name fun central.