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 The Florida Keys Marathon Airport
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Special Advisories
Marathon's city government invites visitors to stay informed about local ordinances and developments by visiting the city web site. |
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The sun sets over Marathon's Boot Key Harbor, the hub of many of the island's marine activities.
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The city of Marathon and Pigeon Key, where Henry Flagler's railroad workers once lived, shimmer in the afternoon sunlight in this view from high above the Old and New Seven Mile Bridges.
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Marathon, a quaint tropical city with a rich sea-faring history, boasts a modern airport, the impeccably well kept Sombrero Beach and some of the best fishing, diving, snorkeling and watersports anywhere in the world. Many marine activities are centered on Boot Key Harbor, a sheltered cove in the center of the island that is home to the City Marina. History buffs and eco-tourists will enjoy the Museums and Nature Center of Crane Point Hammock.
Marathon is situated at the mid-point of the Florida Keys island chain, which is why locals have declared their home "The Heart of the Keys." The city boasts homey resorts, luxury accommodations, numerous restaurants, ample shopping and all the conveniences of a modern community, including a 58-bed hospital. Marathoners have modernized their community without losing their roots as a 19th-century fishing village.
While most of the waters around Marathon are open to fishing, some areas have been set aside purely for eco-tourism and fish-viewing by divers and snorkelers. Sombrero Reef, one of the most beautiful sections of North America's only living coral barrier reef, lies just several miles offshore and is protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Marathon is rich in history. At the northeast end of town, you will find Crane Point Hammock, a 64-acre protected area of historic sites, wild flowers, tropical trees, walking trails, and museums. Another historic site is Pigeon Key, a tiny island that was home to those who built Flagler's railroad. It can be reached by walking a little more than a mile across the Old Seven Mile Bridge.
Marathon is also home to the Dolphin Research Center and the Turtle Hospital, which are working to preserve two of Florida's most famous marine creatures. Perhaps best of all, visitors to Marathon can take convenient forays to Key West and the Upper Keys.
Each April, Marathon holds the annual Seven Mile Bridge Run. Fifteen hundred runners including weekend warriors, children and Olympic hopefuls, race over the longest segmented bridge in the world, often with a beautiful sunrise at their backs.
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