Hop on Right down to Hawks Cay in The Keys for Your Subsequent Staycation

Whether or not you’ve got a toddler or a teen, the Florida Keys are a vacation spot the place households can go to make priceless trip recollections time and time once more. The pandemic actually opened up my eyes to Florida highway journeys and staycations. There are such a lot of stunning locations to go to proper right here in our state! 

This fall, we hopped on all the way down to Hawks Cay on Duck Key, a small, secluded island close to Marathon. After I advised mates we had been headed there for the weekend, so many responded with tales from their very own childhood visits to the resort. Hawks Cay has been round since 1984 and is taken into account a basic Florida Keys escape!

Situated about 3 hours from Boca, I wasn’t positive what to anticipate as we drove over the wood bridge from US 1 to Duck Key the place not solely the resort, however a full service marina is positioned (Hawks Cay is understood for its world-class sportfishing). We took each our 9 year-old daughter and her buddy with us on our travels hoping {that a} playmate would maintain our solely baby occupied for the weekend. (Spoiler alert: it labored!)

The Rooms

Our lodging on this journey included a Lanai Household Visitor Room with two queen beds and an enormous toilet. It was the proper ground-floor location with an outsized patio that had quick access to every part on the resort together with the principle pool, considered one of 4 on property. 

There are additionally suites obtainable and tropical villas, a great setup for a bigger household or group journey. Some even have non-public swimming pools! Due to our room location, I felt completely comfy letting our women wander the pool and lagoon space on their very own, particularly very first thing within the morning once they had been bouncing off the partitions and wished to swim! We additionally had an important view of the resort’s signature fireplace pit each night. 

Issues to Do

Hawks Cay might be most well-known for 2 issues: dolphins and their saltwater lagoon. The lagoon is fed straight from the ocean—the water rises and lowers with the tides and is extraordinarily calm. The fantastic thing about it’s your toddler can play safely within the shallows whereas your tween or teen kayaks or paddleboards—complimentary on the resort (effectively, it’s included in your resort charge, amongst different issues). The lagoon can be a Florida Keys attraction discovered solely at Hawks Cay! My daughter and her buddy liked paddleboarding for the primary time. 

As for the dolphins, it’s a fairly cool and distinctive attraction to have at a resort, I’ll admit. Individuals have to be 48 inches tall to take part within the Dolphin Connection program. Our youngsters made the reduce, nevertheless it seems that kids 48-54 inches (aka ours) should be accompanied by a paying grownup (1 grownup per baby). I’ve been swimming with the dolphins earlier than and couldn’t justify the worth tag for the 4 of us to do it this journey (round $1k). 

There’s a barely extra inexpensive Dockside Dolphins program that’s about half the worth (and time) of Dolphin Discovery. For this one, you don’t truly get within the water with the dolphins and our children might have gone on their very own at age 9. Kids 4 and below have to be accompanied by a paid grownup however kids 2 and below are not any cost.

Children Membership

Hawks Cay affords some nice programming and actions at their stunning Coral Cay youngsters membership, though an grownup should accompany kids below 13 always. Camp Hawk, their former drop-off childcare program, wasn’t taking place after we visited. Nevertheless, there was nonetheless loads of motion on the schedule. We couldn’t miss a chance for Mermaid Makeovers! 

Coral Cay additionally has a soccer discipline, basketball courts and placing greens, however the centerpiece of the realm is the resort’s interactive Pirate Ship Pool that options slides, tunnels and water cannons. Even the 9 year-olds liked it! With a shallow, beach-style entry and solely reaching a depth of eight inches, the Pirate Ship Pool is a superb place for infants and toddlers to splash round and discover whereas older kids are on the helm of the ship. 

Eating Choices

Trip = meals (and wine) to me. Fortunately, there is no such thing as a scarcity of locations to eat at Hawks Cay! The property boasts six eating places inside strolling or tram distance. Sure, the resort affords a free tram for company!

You’ll be able to select to take pleasure in dinner on the restaurant or coordinate a non-public eating expertise in-room or seaside across the Saltwater Lagoon. We had been invited to dine at Angler & Ale with a wonderful view overlooking Hawks Cay Marina. It’s the epitome of “informal, Keys-style eating.” The menu idea pays tribute to its Florida Keys dwelling by specializing in the standard and freshness of domestically sourced substances. And it’s open to the general public—FYI.

Different eating choices on property embrace Sixty-One Prime, a Florida Keys-style chop home; Oasis Key, an adults-only eating spot with a waterfront view that options island-inspired dishes and specialty drinks; Coral Grill, for fast snacks and drinks for the entire household; and extra!

Should you’re on the lookout for a simple, drivable household weekend away within the Keys, I positively suggest Hawks Cay. It’s uncommon to discover a resort in Florida the place there’s something enjoyable for each member of the family, regardless of their age! Proper now, they’re having a “Fall Into the Keys” promotion the place you will get 20% off, plus take pleasure in a $25 Resort Credit score on stays now via Dec. 25, 2022. Extra particulars obtainable on www.hawkscay.com.

Michelle Olson-Rogers is a mother of 1 and the founding father of Trendy Boca Mother, an award-winning way of life web site for the trendy & trendy South Florida Mommy. She will also be discovered on Instagram at @modernbocamom.