Islamorada is a village in Monroe County in the US state of Florida. United States. It is located directly in the middle of Miami and Key West on five islands—Tea Table Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Windley Key and Plantation Key—in the Florida Keys.
The name Islamorada , came from early Spanish explorers in the area. Islamorada was the location of one of the stations of the Overseas Railroad.
Hall of Fame baseball player Ted Williams began visiting Islamorada in 1943 and for the next 45 years was the island’s most well-known resident. After his retirement from baseball he became the national spokesman for Sears sporting goods, and became renowned for his abilities as a fisherman. Over the decades, he hosted numerous celebrities at his Islamorada house and took them on local fishing trips.
Much of the action in the Netflix series Bloodline takes place in and around Islamorada:
In the season 1 premiere episode, Islamorada is the Academy Bus stop where John Rayburn is scheduled to pick up his brother Danny, and the station where John drops Danny off soon afterward. In both cases, the bus is a shiny-clean Academy Bus. In episode 11, John drives Danny to the bus stop in Islamorada again, and Danny finally boards a Miami-bound, dirt-encrusted Sunnyside Coaches bus.
John and his sister’s boyfriend Marco Diaz are both detectives in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department; “Islamorada District” can be seen labeling their police boat.
In season 2, episode 6 (Part 19), Diana is running in Islamorada’s Founders Park when she discovers her tire is flat; Danny’s associate Ozzie Delveccio just happens to be nearby and changes her tire, leaving his prints on her tire iron. John notes the tire has been neatly cut, runs the prints, and confirms a connection between Ozzie and Danny.
In season 2, episode 7 (Part 20), Meg tells Marco that Sarah drowned in Whale Harbor, a well known harbor in Islamorada.
Access : Coordinates: 24.935833, -80.613611 / Hop in a car and drive from Miami. It will take you about an hour and a half.
Highlights :
- Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, are shown in the fossil corals and quarry machinery from the construction of the Overseas Railroad.
- In San Pedro Underwater Park is still one of the 1733 sunken Spanish galleons
- Anne’s beach : Anne’s Beach is located at Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida. The Islamorada Beach is dedicated to local environmentalist Anne Eaton. There are 2 parking lots approximately 1/4 mile apart on US-1 at MM 73. Anne’s Beach features a shallow swimming area, covered picnic tables, boardwalk and bathroom facilities.
- The Florida Keys Memorial :The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was a very compact and intense hurricane that caused catastrophic damage on the Florida Keys. He was one of only three hurricanes that hit the US with Category 5 intensity in the 20th century. He was also one of only four storms with a central pressure below 900 hPa and the only one with such a low pressure that hit the US directly. The United States narrowly missed the eye of Hurricane Allen. Because of its force, this storm is also called the “storm of the century”.
- Theater of the Sea : On Windley Key was created in 1946, the marine theme park Theater of the Sea includes dolphin, sea lion, and parrot shows,
- Diving Museum : the History of Diving Museum Located right off of the Overseas Highway,The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- the Secret Sandbar : The sandbar is located on either side of Whale Harbor Channel and take about 20 minutes to get to if you are paddling a canoe or kayak or by boat.
Activities : sunset cruises / Islamorada Fishing / Kayak to Indian Key / Scuba or snorkel! / sightseeing / photo opportunities / Learn the History of the Florida Keys
Go next : Lower Matecumbe Beach / Plantation Key Colony / The Moorings Village / Marathon Key Florida / Miami / Key Largo / Duck Key / Key West
