Dry Tortugas Day Trip

by Gary and Carla
(Dayton, Ohio)

Dry Tortugas Day Trip Photo

My in-laws just got back from Key West Florida and were telling us all about their vacation.

I am going to do my best regarding one of their favorite attractions/day trips - The Dry Tortugas.

They provided some insight and tips if this is something you are planning to do while in the Keys.

The tale goes that they inquired about the boats (I believe there are 2 - Yankee Fleet vessels) that leave first thing in the morning about 8am and you are to check in 10 minutes early or the company has a right to sell your seat.

Also, there are no refunds!! Remember this as you plan this day trip and make sure that everyone is at the docks at least 10-15 minutes before they're scheduled to leave.

There are typically folks who get in line very early in the morning and if there is a cancellation (which must be done by 3pm the previous day of your trip or they will not refund the $150 or so per person. My in-laws were going to wait in line at 6am til they opened to see about getting on the boat, but a cancellation came through that allowed them to grab two tickets.

They did witness a group that showed up 5 minutes after they were supposed to check in (the boat hadn't left yet) and their seats were sold about 2 minutes before they got there and had to forfeit their seats and money - yikes!!

About 70 miles off of Key West, this string of islands offered a great trip and well worth the price of getting there.

The boat trip was enjoyable as they had a great day - sunny, warm - just what you want in December!

There was food, drinks, snorkeling equipment, and very informative guides came with the vessels.

The way they described the area was there were some beautiful sandy beaches. The water was crystal clear and the coral reefs were spectacular.

The area is filled with history and they even said they'd love to go back and spend more time going through and reading about all the landmarks and so forth.

They were filling us in on how the name came about - Dry Tortugas became b/c mariners' charts labeled it this way to show they had no fresh water.

However, they did say the wild birds were all over and found out about the pirate legends of the islands.

A tour of about an hour is available once you reach Ft. Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas National Park. This is optional as you can certainly venture off on your own - you have 4 1/2 hours to tour the island and learn as much as you can while enjoying the warm weather.

This trip they said was well worth it which is why it was voted as one of the top 10 things to do in The Florida Keys.

Just be sure to bring things you need (i.e. proper clothing, sunscreen, etc.), get there on time, and enjoy the day!

Oh, they did state that tax in Key West is pretty high and that is on everything.

Find out more about Key West and various things to do around this beautiful island chain