South Swim Beach

Located in Dry Tortugas National Park, South Swim Beach is a small beach with white colored sand. This beach is situated near the southern side of a 19th century fort known as Fort Jefferson on an island known as Garden Key. Tropical vegetation is also present near this beach. 

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

South Swim Beach and the area around it offer many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, star-gazing, picnicking, camping, swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, surf-skiing, boating, jet-skiing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, and parasailing. The water near South Swim Beach is generally calm and has a gradual depth, 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 - the water near this beach has vibrant sea grass fields. While snorkeling here, visitors can also explore the water near the moat wall present along the adjoining Fort Jefferson, where you can find some interesting maritime antiques and cultural artifacts. You can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including hermit crabs, sea turtles, corals, and lobsters, along with a large variety of fish. However, if you are planning to enter the water near South Swim 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 South Swim Beach. In addition, you can also view migratory birds around this beach during spring. The area near South Swim Beach also offers a fantastic tent camping experience. If you are planning to camp near South Swim 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. 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 South Swim Beach on the nearby island-city of Key West. Harry S. Truman Little White House was initially constructed in the 19th century as a military installation. This house was later used as a seasonal vacation home and office by Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States. Truman spent 175 days of his presidency in this house, which is a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places. Today, visitors can explore this house’s premises through guided tours and see the quarters where the former president and his family worked and lived.  If you like shopping, Key West’s Duval Street has many interesting shopping stores, restaurants, bars, theaters, and art galleries.  If you are looking for another attraction near South Swim Beach, The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum has interesting historical exhibits which focus primarily on maritime history and technology. The museum has artifacts and treasures recovered from a variety of shipwrecks including the Henrietta Marie, an 18th-century slave ship and Santa Margarita, which was a 17th-century Spanish galleon. The museum also has interesting exhibits on underwater archaeology. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Seaplane Beach on the nearby island-city of Key West.  Latitudes Restaurant is an upscale restaurant which is situated on a small island near Key West. The restaurant, which is only accessible by boat, offers a rosy ambiance and a pleasant oceanfront dining experience. In addition, this restaurant offers a seasonal and innovative menu featuring fresh seafood and tropical culinary influences.  Lobster Shack Key West is an immensely popular restaurant which serves excellent lobster rolls, lobster sandwiches, and freshly prepared seafood salads.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near South Swim Beach, Cuban Coffee Queen is known for serving amazing coffee. In addition, the restaurant also serves excellent breakfast dishes, salads, and sandwiches. This restaurant was awarded TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice award in 2021.  

If you are looking for a hotel near South Swim Beach, there are many great options on the nearby island-city of Key West. The 4-Star Casa Marina Key West, A Waldorf Astoria Resort offers many amenities including multiple restaurants and bars, a gym, two pools, a spa, and a private beach area. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star The Southernmost House Hotel which was built in the 19th century and offers many amenities including a pool, a bar, hammocks in an oceanfront area, and complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near South Swim Beach, the 2-Star NYAH Key West offers many amenities including complimentary continental breakfast, three pools, and two hot tubs. In addition, the hotel also offers a daily happy hour.