Sombrero Beach

Located in the city of Marathon in the Florida Keys, Sombrero Beach is a curve-shaped beach with white sand and nearby reefs.  This beach was listed as one of the “25 Best Beaches in the United States” by TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards in 2023.  In addition, it was also listed as one of the “13 Top Florida Keys Beaches” by the media company U.S. News & World Report, and is also a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach.

Sombrero Beach is open between 7 am and dusk.

Although Sombrero Beach does not have lifeguards, it has many other amenities including picnic pavilions, volleyball courts, restrooms, nearby grassy recreational areas, a playground, a nearby pier, nearby biking paths, and showers. 

Dogs on leash are allowed at this beach.

Sombrero Beach offers many fun activities including picnicking, beachcombing, fishing, sunbathing, volleyball, biking, surfing, swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, paddleboarding, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, skimboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching.

This beach is ideal for less-experienced swimmers because the mostly shallow water here is known to have gentle waves.  You can check the online Sombrero Beach webcam to see the gentle water conditions here.  Snorkelers and scuba divers frequently visit this beach to explore the nearby marine biodiversity here – there is a protected marine area nearby named the Sombrero Key Sanctuary Preservation Area.  This protected area has coral reefs that are home to many aquatic plants and animals and it offers a fun Sombrero Beach snorkeling experience. 

The eastern end of Sombrero Beach occasionally offers fun kitesurfing waves. 

If you are planning to swim, kayak, kitesurf, or scuba dive here, we recommend being careful because the water here can have unpredictable rip currents.  Submerged rocks here can also cause injuries to visitors. 

From April to October, the beach is the nesting ground for loggerhead turtles that visit here to lay eggs – you can visit the beach early in the morning during these months to see turtles nesting here.

Sombrero Beach offers a wheelchair-friendly pathway for visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Sombrero Beach is easy – it is located at the end of Sombrero Beach Road and it is easily accessible from United States Highway 1.  There is a free parking lot near the beach.  We recommend visiting this beach earlier during weekends and holidays because it can get crowded during these times.  Some parts of Sombrero Beach are closed for visitors from the month of April to October because sea turtles use these portions for nesting.

If you like taking pictures with excellent views, Sombrero Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Florida Keys shoreline, especially at sunrise.  In addition, this beach and its nearby areas also host a fun annual running event named Sombrero Beach Run.

There are many great attractions near Sombrero Beach.  Dolphin Research Center is an aquarium and research center – this center is home to dolphins, along with many other animals including sea lions and several exotic bird species.  The research center also offers various fun activities including educational tours and swimming sessions with dolphins.  The Turtle Hospital is a wildlife rehabilitation center that primarily treats and rehabilitates sick and injured sea turtles – this center also offers guided tours of its premises and it also has informative exhibits on local wildlife.  Crane Point Hammock is a 63-acre nature preserve that has a tropical hardwood hammock forest and it has many fun things to explore including a museum, a lagoon, historic sites, butterfly gardens, mangrove forests, and a nature trail.  Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters is an aquarium that is home to many kinds of aquatic or semi-aquatic animals including stingrays, turtles, sharks, and isopods.  This aquarium offers interesting animal encounters where visitors can interact with animals and it also has a gift shop and a cafe.  Curry Hammock State Park is a coastal state park that has many fun things to explore including a beach named Curry Hammock State Park Beach, a mangrove swamp, and rockland hammock forests.  This state park also offers many fun activities including camping, picnicking, swimming, snorkeling, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Marathon Community Park  is a recreational park that has many amenities including multiple tennis courts, a tennis wall, an amphitheater, a combined area for hockey and baseball, restrooms, two bocce ball courts, concession stands, two soccer fields, a skate park, and picnic areas.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Sombrero Beach.  The Cracked Conch Cafe is known for serving excellent seafood, particularly delicious conch shells – it also serves other dishes including pizzas, breakfast dishes, soups, salads, and burgers.  Barracuda Grill has a marine-themed decor and it serves many delicious dishes including seafood, steaks, meatballs, lamb, salads, tacos, and burgers.  Porky’s Bayside Restaurant & Marina has an island-themed decor and it is known for serving amazing barbecued dishes, a swimming pool, and its signature key lime pie.  Burdines Waterfront offers many amazing seafood dishes including mahi reuben, shrimp burger, and tuna melt and it also offers delicious burgers, salads, and sandwiches.  Sunset Grille and Raw Bar has a tiki-themed decor and it also has a swimming pool – this restaurant also serves amazing dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including eggs, wraps, salads, pasta, seafood, and steaks.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, La Nina Restaurant is known for serving excellent Cuban-style dishes including Cuban-style sandwiches and Cuban-style steaks and this restaurant also offers refreshing coffee.

If you are looking for a hotel near Sombrero Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Isla Bella Beach Resort is a nearby Sombrero Beach rResort that offers many fun amenities including multiple restaurants, a bar, multiple pools, a spa, a marina, a market, a gym, and bike loaner facilities.   The 4-Star Tranquility Bay Resort is another upscale hotel that offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a fitness center, volleyball courts, kayak and boat rental facilities, bike loaner facilities, spa services, a bar, a barbecue area, three pools, and a putting green.  Another great upscale hotel is the 4-Star Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club that offers many amenities including a marina, a restaurant, two pools, a fitness center, and a cafe.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Skipjack Resort & Marina that offers many amenities including a restaurant, a pool, a tiki bar, tennis court, a sand volleyball court, a game room, and a marina.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Captain Pip’s Marina & Hideaway offers many amenities including boat, bike, and kayak rental facilities, a fishing dock, a pool, and a gift shop.  If you want to stay at a cheaper and flexible form of accommodation, you can book one of the multiple vacation rental houses near the beach – there are many nearby Sombrero Beach rentals that you can book for your stay.