Last-updated: 2026-10-22

# Visit Marathon FL (visitmarathonfl.com)

An independent, sourced visitor guide to the City of Marathon in the Middle Florida Keys (Monroe County; about MM 47 to MM 60 on US 1): things to do, the Turtle Hospital, Dolphin Research Center, Crane Point and Aquarium Encounters, Sombrero Beach, Coco Plum Beach and Curry Hammock State Park, the reef and Sombrero Key Lighthouse, Boot Key Harbor, Pigeon Key, FWC fishing seasons, the Original Marathon Seafood Festival and other events, restaurants, where to stay, getting here and mile-marker orientation. Every fee, hour, date and rule links the agency, attraction or organizer that published it, with the date it was read; anything unpublished is marked. Published as a community guide by LPE Realty LLC, a licensed Florida real estate brokerage; not affiliated with the City of Marathon, any chamber of commerce, park or attraction.

## Key pages

- [Things to do in Marathon, Florida Keys](https://visitmarathonfl.com/): Marathon runs from about Mile Marker 47 to 60 on US 1 in the Middle Keys. Visitors come for the Turtle Hospital's guided tours, the Dolphin Research Center, Sombrero Beach and Curry Hammock State Park, the reef off Sombrero Key, Pigeon Key's railroad camp, Boot Key Harbor and the seafood festival each March, plus fishing in FWC's seasons.
- [About Visit Marathon FL](https://visitmarathonfl.com/about/): Visit Marathon FL is an independent guide to the City of Marathon in the Middle Keys, published by LPE Realty LLC, a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. It covers the reef, the beaches, the turtle hospital, the harbor, fishing seasons and the year's events, and each fact on it carries the source it came from and the date we read it.
- [Contact](https://visitmarathonfl.com/contact/): Reach the team behind Visit Marathon FL at LPE Realty LLC with a correction, an event we should list, or a question about selling a home in the Middle Keys. Use the form below, email info@lperealty.com, or phone (561) 652-6917. That line takes calls only and cannot receive text messages.
- [Thinking of selling in Marathon? A consultation with LPE Realty LLC](https://visitmarathonfl.com/feature-your-home/): Owners of a home in Marathon or nearby in the Middle Keys who are weighing a sale can book a consultation with LPE Realty LLC, the licensed Florida brokerage that publishes this guide. It covers the steps of a sale, the costs that come out of the price and the people involved, before you sign anything. No homes are listed on this guide.

## Tools

- What's in season on a date: https://visitmarathonfl.com/events/#market-check (FWC season openings and closures, lobster and stone crab, dated Marathon events, sea turtle nesting and hurricane season for any date)
- Where can I get in the water: https://visitmarathonfl.com/beaches-and-parks/#lake-match (public beaches, parks and ramps matched to an activity, with the fees and hours each operator posts)
- Marathon day planner: https://visitmarathonfl.com/plan-your-visit/#planner (sourced stops ordered by mile marker from Marathon Community Park, MM 49)

## Facts we hold (each sourced on-page, checked 2026-10-22)

- The City says its boundaries run from the east end of the Seven Mile Bridge, approximately Mile Marker (MM) 47, to the west end of the Toms Harbors Bridge (the City's spelling), approximately MM 60. (Source: City of Marathon: About Marathon, https://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/community/page/about-marathon)
- The City says Marathon incorporated in 1999, which set its boundaries. (Source: City of Marathon: About Marathon, https://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/community/page/about-marathon)
- The U.S. Census Bureau lists the April 1, 2020 Census population of Marathon city, Florida, as 9,689. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau: QuickFacts, Marathon city, Florida, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/marathoncityflorida/PST045224)
- The City says the name Marathon came from railroad workers who worked night and day to finish the railway, and that the exclamation 'This is getting to be a real Marathon' is how the name originated. (Source: City of Marathon: About Marathon, https://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/community/page/about-marathon)
- The Turtle Hospital lists admission at $38.00 for adults, $19.00 for children 4 to 12, and free for children under 4, with payment collected at check-in on site. (Source: The Turtle Hospital: Visit Us, https://turtlehospital.org/visit-us/)
- The Turtle Hospital says its guided educational programs run daily, rain or shine, every half hour from 9 am, with the last program starting at 4 pm. (Source: The Turtle Hospital: Visit Us, https://turtlehospital.org/visit-us/)
- Dolphin Research Center says it is open 7 days a week, 9:00am to 3:30 pm from September 8 to December 13 and 9:00am to 4:30 pm from December 14 to September 6, with last admission one hour before closing. (Source: Dolphin Research Center: Hours of Operation, https://dolphins.org/plan-your-day/hours-and-pricing/)
- Crane Point lists its hours as Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 5pm. (Source: Crane Point Museum and Nature Center: History, https://cranepoint.net/history/)
- Crane Point says the Adderley House is a classic Bahamian-style house and the oldest house in the Keys outside Key West. (Source: Crane Point Museum and Nature Center: Things to Do While You're Here, https://cranepoint.net/things-to-do-while-youre-here/)
- Pigeon Key lists its hours of operation as 9:00am to 4:00pm every day except major holidays. (Source: Pigeon Key: The History of Pigeon Key, https://pigeonkey.net/about/pigeon-key-history/)
- Pigeon Key's timeline says the island started as a railroad construction camp for the 7 mile bridge in 1908 and became a bridge tender maintenance camp when the railroad was completed in 1912. (Source: Pigeon Key: The History of Pigeon Key, https://pigeonkey.net/about/pigeon-key-history/)
- The City says Sombrero Beach is open Monday through Sunday from 7:00am to dusk, reached by turning south on Sombrero Beach Road and driving to the end. (Source: City of Marathon: Sombrero Beach, https://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/parksrec/page/sombrero-beach)
- The City says beach parking is $5 for each of the first two hours and $2 per hour after that, with no overnight parking. (Source: City of Marathon: Launching and Parking Information, https://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/publicworks/page/launching-and-parking-information)
- The City says the boat launch fee is $25 in and $25 out and trailer parking is $20 per day. (Source: City of Marathon: Launching and Parking Information, https://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/publicworks/page/launching-and-parking-information)
- Florida State Parks says Curry Hammock State Park is open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year. (Source: Florida State Parks: Curry Hammock State Park Hours & Fees, https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/curry-hammock-state-park/hours-fees)
- The City says the City Marina runs a 226-ball mooring field that occupies most of Boot Key Harbor, plus an anchorage south of the main channel between Sister Creek and the Boot Key Bridge. (Source: City of Marathon: Marina Hours and Directions, https://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/marinaandports/page/hours-and-directions)
- The U.S. General Services Administration described Sombrero Key Lighthouse in 2022 as a 142-foot cast iron octagonal screw-pile tower with keeper's quarters, built in 1858 and sitting seven miles off the coast of Marathon. (Source: U.S. General Services Administration: GSA Announces Public Auction for Three Historic Lighthouses in Florida Keys, https://www.gsa.gov/about-gsa/newsroom/former-gsa-regional-news-archive/region-4-newsroom/news-releases/gsa-announces-public-auction-for-three-historic-lighthouses-in-florida-keys-02242022)
- NOAA's regulations summary lists anchoring among activities prohibited in habitat conservation areas and sanctuary preservation areas, and says this prohibition will not take effect until 2027. (Source: NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: Sanctuary Regulations, https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/regs/)
- The Original Marathon Seafood Festival says its 51st annual festival is March 13 to 14, 2027 at Marathon Community Park. (Source: Original Marathon Seafood Festival: About, https://marathonseafoodfestival.com/about-our-event/)
- The festival says admission is $7 per person and kids under 12 are free. (Source: Original Marathon Seafood Festival: About, https://marathonseafoodfestival.com/about-our-event/)
- Monroe County's airport site says commercial service at Marathon is not ready yet, that scheduled service ended in 2009, and that depending on the airline service could begin in late 2027. (Source: Monroe County Airports (eyw.com): The Future of Air Service at Florida Keys Marathon International Airport (MTH), https://eyw.com/blog/Marathon-Airport)
- FWC says the spiny lobster sport season daily bag limit is 6 per person in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, versus 12 for the rest of Florida. (Source: FWC: Recreational Regulations, Spiny Lobster, https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lobster/)
- FWC says only stone crab claws may be harvested, with a 2 7/8 inch minimum claw size. (Source: FWC: Recreational Regulations, Stone Crab, https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/stone-crab/)
- The Monroe County Tax Collector says the Tourist Development Tax is a 5% tax on rentals of 6 months or less, collected by the Tax Collector. (Source: Monroe County Tax Collector: Tourist Development Tax, https://monroetaxcollector.com/services/tdt/)

## Contact

LPE Realty LLC, (561) 652-6917, info@lperealty.com. Corrections: https://visitmarathonfl.com/contact/