Hawks Cay Resort, sprawling over 60 acres in the Florida Keys, about half way between Miami and Key West, has become an increasingly popular boating destination.
It’s easy to see why. First off, as the real estate saying goes, it’s all about location, location, location. The resort is on Duck Cay, mile marker 61, about 90 miles south of the Miami airport and 61 miles north of Key West. It’s just a bit north of Marathon, where you can cut under the bridge if you want to head up the Gulf Coast of Florida, and a bit south of Islamorada, for shopping.
But location is only the start. Hawks Cay reopened in 2018 after a $50 million renovation. (I had been there before the renovation, and it wasn’t too shabby then.) It’s now a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Lifestyle Collection, and it has hundreds of guest rooms and villas, six restaurants, five swimming pools, a full-service spa, and even a facility where you can swim with the dolphins.
And a modern marina with 85 slips. It can handle boats up to 110 feet with a 5-foot draft. Half the slips are open to transients, on a first-come, first-served basis. From the marina, you can head out for a day of snorkeling, rent SUPs and kayaks, sign up for sunset cruises or charter a fishing boat. Hawks Cay is home of the Discovery Channel’s Saltwater Experience TV show.
If you want something to eat, the Angler & Ale overlooks the marina. Bring in your catch, and the chef will prepare it for you that evening. Other restaurants include a Tiki grill near the saltwater lagoon and the main pool, and the newer Sixty-One Prime, a Florida Keys-style chop house.
For exercise, there are four lighted tennis courts and eight lighted pickleball courts, with the appropriate lessons and clinics. For kids, there are basketball courts, a soccer field, putting greens, and a Pirate Ship Pool with slides, tunnels and water cannons. Read more:
