BOCA CHITA & RAGGED KEYS - SANDS/ELLIOTT
Let Midnight Sun Charters take you on an island adventure to the northern most FL Keys. What better way to spend a day aboard ORO than to run south on the crystal clear blue waters of Biscayne Bay.
Soldier Key is the first key south of Key Biscayne and lies alone, though old charts show there were two islands here. Named for the soldiers who lived there while building the lighthouse at Fowey Rock, this quiet key is a good spot for snorkeling.
Boca Chita Key is the most popular island in Biscayne National Park, and is located in Biscayne Bay about 12 miles south of Cape Florida and Key Biscayne. The best way to experience this gem is via Midnight Sun Charters. Boca Chita Harbor is small, and offers space for anchorage if you are early enough. Take a few hours and enjoy the half-mile hiking trail, beautiful views, sea breezes, and swimming off the beach in Boca Chita’s delightful crystal waters. The most notable site on Boca Chita is the 65-foot lighthouse on the island’s western side built in the 1930’s by the island’s original private owner. The lighthouse is not illuminated and is not an official lighthouse for navigation, but when open, provides great vistas of Miami and the Keys.
If we run further south, the Ragged Keys will be our next encounter. This chain of six small islands is rife with numerous channels which provide outlets that keep Biscayne Bay from experiencing excessive high tides.
Sands Key is next and actually looks like a car key from the air. Sands Key has an undulating shoreline of coves and mangroves that invites plenty of exploration.
Elliott Key is Biscayne National Park’s largest island and measures a narrow seven miles long. Camp sites are available on Elliott Key, as well as picnicking, swimming, bird watching, fishing, hiking, and as 36 boat slips. Elliott Key stands out from the previous keys because it is the only one with drinking water.
Just on the southwest side of Elliott Key lies Adams Key. It contains a boat landing, picnic area and nature trail. Some remains indicate where homes for the wealthy stood in the 1920s and 1930s.
The last area to see before we turn and cruise back to port includes Caesar’s Creek, a channel south of Elliott Key and Adams Key that connects Biscayne Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. Islands we’ll view just south of Caesar’s Creek include Rubicon, Reid, Porgy and Rhodes Keys.
SOLDIER KEY IS ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES FROM OUR MARINA
ENJOY THE WARM WATERS OF THE FL KEYS!
EXPLORE CHANNELS, SANDBARS, MANGROVES, AND SMALL DESERTED ISLANDS
GREAT SNORKELING DESTINATIONS
PACK A LUNCH AND ENJOY IT ON BOCA CHITA