Seaplane Beach

Located in Dry Tortugas National Park, Seaplane Beach is a narrow yet long beach with white colored sand. This beach is situated near a 19th century fort known as Fort Jefferson on an island known as Garden Key. Tropical vegetation is also present near this beach, along with a boat pier.

Seaplane Beach does not have lifeguards. However, the area near this beach has many other amenities including restrooms, walking trails, picnic tables, and barbecue areas. Dogs on leash are allowed in Seaplane Beach. 

Seaplane Beach and the area around it offer many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, star-gazing, fishing, picnicking, camping, swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, surf-skiing, boating, jet-skiing, kitesurfing, and windsurfing. The water near Seaplane Beach is generally calm, which makes it ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, and canoers. In addition, the water near this beach is also popular with snorkelers, who often enter the water near this beach to explore its vibrant biodiversity and marine landscape - you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including hermit crabs, sea turtles, and lobsters, along with a large variety of fish. However, if you are planning to enter the water near Seaplane Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of seabirds around Seaplane Beach. In addition, you can also view migratory birds around this beach during spring. A tent campground is present near Seaplane Beach which offers a fantastic oceanfront camping experience. If you are planning to camp near Seaplane Beach, we recommend visiting Dry Tortugas National Park’s webpage on the National Park Service’s website for more helpful information regarding camping here. At night, the clear skies above the beach offer an amazing stargazing experience for campers. If you are planning to fish in the water near Seaplane Beach, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations. The 19th century Fort Jefferson is also present near this beach - this interesting fort is a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places and offers a unique insight into Southern Florida’s vibrant history and United States’ military history. The Dry Tortugas Visitor Center (which is also present within Fort Jefferson’s premises) also offers interesting historical exhibitions.

Apart from Garden Key, Dry Tortugas National Park also has two additional islands that visitors can explore - the islands are named Loggerhead Key and Bush Key. Bush Key, which is approximately the same size as the adjacent Garden Key, is open to visitors between October and January. This island has a vibrant flora and fauna and visitors can explore its amazing biodiversity via hiking trails. In addition, many kinds of birds seasonally use this island for nesting including brown pelicans, terns, and cormorants. Depending on the time of the year, sea turtles also use this island as a nesting spot. Sometimes a narrow sandbar connects Bush Key to Garden Key, and visitors can simply walk to this island from Garden Key. However, visitors can usually access Bush Key via kayak/canoe. Another nearby island is the Loggerhead Key, which is the national park’s largest island. This island is only accessible via canoe/kayak. Loggerhead Key is also an amazing spot for hiking and wildlife watching. In addition, the island has many historic structures including a lighthouse and the lightkeeper’s residence which were constructed in the 19th and the early 20th centuries respectively

The only way to access Garden Key in Dry Tortugas National Park is via a boat or a seaplane. The Yankee Freedom offers ferry services to Garden Key from the nearest island-city of Key West. In addition, Key West Seaplane Adventures also offers flights to Garden Key from Key West.

There are many attractions near Seaplane Beach on the nearby island-city of Key West. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park has a 19th-century fort named Fort Zachary Taylor (also known as Fort Taylor), which is a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places.  The fort’s premises offer a unique insight into the military history of Southern Florida and this fort also has one of the largest collections of Civil War-era armaments in the United States. The state park also hosts many interesting events throughout the year including multiple exciting American Civil War battle reenactments, a pirate festival, boat races, and concerts. The state park, which is the southernmost state park of the continental United States, also has a beach which offers a fun fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling, and kayaking experience. 

The Shipwreck Treasure Museum is an interesting museum which highlights the story of the local marine salvage industry, which was once a flourishing industry in Key West. The museum is set in a replicated model of a 19th century wrecker’s warehouse - wreckers were people who were generally engaged in salvaging vessels which were damaged or shipwrecked and rescuing sailors of these damaged vessels near the Florida Reef. This museum offers a unique insight into the lives of the people who undertook this profitable yet hazardous occupation. In addition, the museum also exhibits artifacts recovered from the salvage operation of a ship named the Isaac Allerton, which sank in 1856. The museum also has an observation tower which offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Key West shoreline and the Atlantic Ocean. If you are looking for another attraction near Seaplane Beach, Key West Aquarium has interesting exhibits that are home to many kinds of interesting marine animals including jellyfish, sharks, grouper, moray eels, barracuda, alligators, and sea turtles. The aquarium also has a touch tank and it also organizes interesting education programs and interactive events that offer a unique insight into the aquarium’s animals and the local biodiversity. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Seaplane Beach on the nearby island-city of Key West.  Martin’s is an upscale restaurant which has an elegant decor and ambiance. In addition, the restaurant serves amazing European cuisine with regional tropical culinary influences.  El Siboney Restaurant serves amazing Cuban dishes. In addition, the restaurant also serves excellent steaks, seafood, pork chops, sandwiches, and poultry dishes. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Seaplane Beach, Pepe’s Cafe Key West serves excellent breakfast dishes, sandwiches, soups, chili, seafood, burgers, steaks, and salads.

If you are looking for a hotel near Seaplane Beach, there are many great options on the nearby island-city of Key West. The 4-Star Pier House Resort & Spa offers many amenities including a pool with a hot tub, a spa, private beach area, a fitness center, a cafe, a restaurant, and a bar. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Truman Hotel offers many amenities including complimentary continental breakfast and a courtyard with a pool and a sundeck surrounded by plants and palm trees. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Seaplane Beach, the 2-Star Seashell Motel offers many amenities including bike rental facility, a garden, and a coin-operated laundry.