Where can you take you family for a tropical island vacation that offers a great place to stay with all the amenities and activities for everyone but does not require you to have a passport and does not involve leaving the continental United States? There's no better place than Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys. Read on to find out why it's "the only key you'll need" for your next beach getaway.
Situated on Duck Key midway down the Florida Keys a scenic two hour drive from Miami, Hawks Cay offers everything a family needs for a fantastic Keys vacation. Comfortable accommodations with upscale amenities? Check! Numerous dining options and kids' meal selections? Check! Refreshing pools? Check! A clean, sandy beach? Check! A kids club with activities for various age groups? Check! Palm trees? Check! Breathtaking sunrises and sunsets? Check! Hawks Cay has all that... and more!
In addition to a main resort building with hotel rooms and suites with various bedding arrangements (including a family room that features bunk beds and sleeps up to 5), Hawks Cay's 60 acre property consists of four villages with numerous villa sizes. Restaurants are spread out across the property offering a diverse selection of food options from casual to upscale. There are six pools to choose from each offering a slightly different experience. The kids will especially love the pirate ship pool located at the Coral Cay Club, home to a kids' club for ages 5-17 that was voted one of the best hotel kids' programs by Travel + Leisure magazine readers. The Saltwater Lagoon is found exclusively at Hawks Cay Resort, featuring crystal clear ocean water, a sandy beach with plenty of lounge chairs, and non-motorized sports activities. The marina offers watersport excursions for fishing, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, kite boarding, jet skiing, parasailing, boating and more. Also on property you'll find a putting course, tennis courts offering a Cliff Drysdale program, a fitness center, the Calm Waters Spa, bicycle rentals and a full-sized sports field. Daily family and kids activities run from 9am to as late as 10pm with games, crafts, contests, movies, and more. Live, local musicians provide entertainment on weekends by the fire pit with the Tiki Bar just steps away.
A highlight at the resort is the Dolphin Connection program. Located in the ocean-fed saltwater lagoon on property, the facility is home to a pod of bottlenose dolphins offering guests an opportunity for free public viewing of the animals in their natural environment as well as a variety of educational and exciting programs for all ages. As the only hotel or resort on the US mainland that offers viewing of dolphins free to the public, Hawks Cay can turn an ordinary vacation into a one-of-a-kind experience of a lifetime.
I recently enjoyed an amazing girls getaway at Hawks Cay with a group of Macaroni Kid publishers. The resort is a tropical paradise! The property is beautiful and clean; the service exceptional. The rooms are spacious with beautiful views and provide all the comforts, though with all there is to do on site, not much time is spent in the room! Between the crystal clear turquoise waters of the ocean by day and the orange colored skies at sunset, I could not get enough of the tropical beauty of the Florida Keys. The Dockside Dolphins program at Dolphin Connection was definitely a treat and a highlight of the trip. I can't wait to return with my family!
Disclaimer: I was a recent guest of Hawks Cay Resort for three nights during which hotel accommodations and some meals and activities were complimentary. All opinions expressed within this article are 100% my own.
