by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:00 PM ET, Wed June 21, 2023
The Florida Keys & Key West are celebrating their bicentennial this year, and the destination is showcasing some of the events, festivals and new tourist attractions to commemorate the important year.
July 3, 2023 is the day the commemoration will be celebrated in the Keys, and Big Pine Community Park will be marking the day with the creation of the world’s largest Key lime pie, projected to measure 13.14 feet in diameter.
But there’s also plenty of other things to celebrate this year in the storied destination.
Accommodations
Travelers looking to ensconce themselves in nature at Everglades National Park can enjoy 24 new one- and two-bedroom suite options with kitchenettes at the upcoming Flamingo Lodge & Restaurant, opening this fall to complement the reopening of the park’s Guy Bradley Visitor Center following its renovation.
A new 12-acre RV park, resort and marina, Sun Outdoors Islamorada, has opened this year on the island of Islamorada. It features 82 full hookup RV sites featuring pergolas, outdoor kitchens and living spaces, 47 boat slips across three marinas, pool, watersports, workout center and more to offer a resort-style feel with a pet-friendly policy.
The 102-year-old Casa Marina, Curio Collection by Hilton, will be undergoing a full renovation this year and is expected to open later this fall. The 311-room hotel on Key West will feature an updated design, additional 5,000-square-foot outdoor lawn space overlooking the ocean and a new rooftop bar.
The Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa has begun the first-ever “Infinite Bottle Project” at a Hyatt resort, implementing the use of and recycling of aluminum water bottles, ditching plastic. The resort is partnering with Proud Source Water to implement the program.
Attractions
The Florida Keys are also celebrating some new and updated attractions this year.
The Pigeon Key Visitor Center and Pigeon Key train in Marathon have new summer tours, including a shark pool feeding, offering new ways to enjoy the train ride and historic Pigeon Key.
The Key West Aquarium, which opened as the destination’s first attraction in 1937, has been renovated to recapture the original aquarium’s design. It also now features a new “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” audiovisual show.
Nature & the Environment
The Florida Keys are also celebrating new additions and experiences to enhance its environment.
Key Largo’s Coral Nursery at Reefhouse Resort debuted a new weekly “Slice of Paradise” activity for travelers to participate in coral microfragmentation, after which they mount the coral fragments on ceramic pedestals in the nursery as the first step towards growing and reintroducing them into the ocean.
Crane Point Museum & Nature Trails in Marathon will be unveiling a new Marathon Wild Bird Center in September. It’s a rehabilitation center for injured and rescued birds located within the National Register of Historic Places. Crane Point is noted for its early Bahamian village and Native American artifacts, as well as the island’s first train depot.
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