Winner of the 1992 "Best Beach in America" award, Bahia Honda State Park offers visitors many perks. With over 2.5 miles of beautiful sand beaches there is plenty of space for visitors to enjoy a day of sun and sand. For more privacy along the beach head east (towards the left) for a few hundred yards. The water in this area is quite shallow with decent shelling but not much to see snorkeling. There is lovely snorkeling just off the beach towards the western end of the island so dive in towards the right if seeing ocean critters is your cup of tea. While there is no reef around which fish will congregate there is still plenty to see if you swim around the area. We were able to spot a yellow stingray (pictured below) cruising along a sandy area before he stopped and concealed himself in the sand. Spiny lobster hid beneath the occasional rock and cushion sea stars lay among the sea grass. Watch the water closer to the surface to see barracuda lurking about. Cowfish were numerous on the day we visited and found them frequently as we paddled through the gently waves.
Bahia Honda is also home to a variety of other activities. Catch the snorkel tour boat out to Looe Key Reef (featured in another post) for easy snorkeling of a beautiful reef. Or stroll through the butterfly garden near the beach in hopes of seeing a rare Miami Blue butterfly. Access to a bit of Henry Flagler's railroad bridge can be had at the far western edge of the island and this lookout affords an excellent view from its height. Bicycling and roller skating are permitted throughout the park on paved roadways.
Kayak and snorkel rentals are available at the