Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

[chrishick]

We leave next Tuesday for a week in Big Pine We have a house on a canal with dock space for the 24' Crownline. I have both paper and electronic charts and have been studying them for a while now.

We don't really fish on the boat, we just look for a sandbar to hang out on or a restaurant with dock space for lunch. I'm looking for suggestions of things to do around the area. Any good hang outs, sandbars or boating hot spots?

Also, my boating experience is about 2 years old, boating in Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay, Egmont Key and sometimes out on the Gulf if conditions permit. Never more than a mile or two offshore and always parallel to the coastline. I feel my skills are pretty good and I am confident at the helm. What can I expect boating around Big Pine? Should I focus on the Atlantic side or the Gulf side? Things I should watch out for?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[capt sam]

Re: Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

well the not fishing really kills the reason to go to me, I'm down there 3 or 4 times a year, I stay at the Fishing Lodge right as you get on BPK. Looe Key is 5 miles out, pretty easy to do on a calm day, pretty nice snorkling/diving reef. No Name Pub is popular but it's landlocked. You could boat out to Picnic Island and there's some dive areas just off the south side of the island. Bahia Honda is right there, they have a nice beach on the Ocean side you can get to by car or boat. All I ever do there is fish so that's all I got, I'll be back down in mid June.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

No Name Pub, is a must do. preferable for dinner, best pizza in the world. either follow the Strike Zone boat out to Loe Key, or take their trip. beautiful reef, scuba, or snorkel.
behind the Winn Dixie grocery, you can drive slowly and see Key Deer roaming wild.

we stay on the cut across from Big Pine, on Little Torch Key.

 

[capt sam]

Re: Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

The Fishing Lodge has alot of key deer too, we hand feed them Cheerios, not suppose to but we do, same thing out at Looe Key, Cheerios for the Yellowtail snapper. Lobster season is closed till the end of July, but the reality is you can dive almost anywhere, there are some non-anchoring zones but they're marked on the charts and make sure you have your dive flag out, they watch for that, have fun it's a great town. Oh yeah, eat at the Cracked Egg for breakfast, great food.

 

[gcboat]

Re: Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

You have to make a day trip to Key West if you've never been. I think it's about a 30 - 35 mile ride from Big Piney ( maybe Capt. Sam could verify).
It really is a must see. Besides the destination the journey is just as nice.
Plenty of little stores to stop along the way and places just to gawk at.
Remember to take and post a lot of pictures.
BTW - they have finished repaving US 41 so it is a good alternate route south from Naples and CR 951. The traffic on I-75 can be challenging to say the least. But anyway call the FHP before you go to make sure Alligator Alley is even open. They've been shutting it down recently due to smoke and haze from the fires. The recent rains have quelled it some - but you never know when it will flare up again.
Have fun !!

 

[capt sam]

Re: Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

yeah it's about a 40 minute drive to KW, park at the end of Duval in the municpal parking if you can, do Mallory Square at sunset, it's a trip the first time you go. I usually go I-75, every time I've taken 41 the last couple of years I always seem to get behind someone doing 45mph.


btw, there's no fast food joints on BPK, they don't allow them so stock up at Winn Dixie. There are some good restaurants though like previously mentioned.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

do Mallory Square at sunset, don't miss the CatMan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAx1Zthusn8

 

[chrishick]

Re: Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

Thanks for all the great ideas guys. I guess I should have mentioned that we have been going to the keys for years, just never taken the boat until now. I've got some new waypoints plugged into the GPS and we are doing our final packing for an early departure tomorrow.

Thanks again!

 

[maldoro]

Re: Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

Thanks for all the great ideas guys. I guess I should have mentioned that we have been going to the keys for years, just never taken the boat until now. I've got some new waypoints plugged into the GPS and we are doing our final packing for an early departure tomorrow.

Thanks again!

Are your waypoints just for big pine. I was looking for some for marathon and cudjoe. I too am packing and will be staying on Keywest for a week.

 

[chrishick]

Re: Things to do in Big Pine Key area?

Are your waypoints just for big pine. I was looking for some for marathon and cudjoe. I too am packing and will be staying on Keywest for a week.

Big Pine mostly. Here's what I have. Marvin and Snipes are closer to Cudjoe.

Little Palm Island N24.62428 W81.40148
Looe Key Reef N24.54474 W81.40537
Looe Key Tiki Bar N24.66162 W81.40411
Newfound Harbor Reef N24.61653 W81.39241
Picnic Island N24.63599 W81.39560
Marvin Key N24.71148 W81.64445
Snipes Point N24.69167 W81.67333