Boca Chita Key

Get on a boat and come to enjoy clear waters, a pretty cute lighthouse, some BBQ grills to cook your catch and have a nice cold beer at hand, during this summer time. Its good to snorkel here, there’s plenty of fish and a few dolphins depending on the time. Come with friends or just rent a boat like I did. Come with a bunch of loved ones as you stroll through the waves if you are a boater or just let the winds take you if you are a sailor, enjoy our natural environment.
PS: Bring lots of lavender, mosquito respect it A LOT, you ll be thank full you did.

Maybe I’m too much of a sailor and outdoors (wo)man.
Be aware: this is a park, not a marina. You can stay overnight, but there are no anemities other than toilets and charcoal grills. It isn’t as good as other state parks. Camp, snorkel, beach… you can do that anywhere in Florida. Just like with motorcamp sites, you have to put up with neighbors. But RVers don’t get as trashed or play their music as loud as weekend warrior boaters. We are one of two sailboats here, and I now understand the difference between sailors and boaters.
The mosquito infestation here is epic. At this point, I’m holed up in the boat watching a black cloud of them brazenly defying three citronella candles on deck. I’m tring to keep myself from researching the diseases mosquitoes can potentially carry, ’cause then I may never leave my quarters.
But the lighthouse is pretty… if only I could get a closer look at it.

Boca Chita is my favorite of the Biscayne Keys. It is also the most visited as well as the most accessible of the Biscayne Keys, consisting of some 32 acres.
Boca Chita was created as a private resort for Mark Honeywell who was an electronic industrialist from the early 1900s that founded Honeywell, Incorporated and was its CEO. He was raised in Indiana and spent his summers in Florida in what is now part of Biscayne National Park and owned Boca Chita Key from 1937 – 45. He bought it from Miami Beach pioneer and automotive giant Carl Fisher.
Honeywell has been an integral part of the island’s recent history and subsequently, is a part of the history of Biscayne National Park.
When visiting the island, one can drop anchor and stay on the boat if desired. Or visitors can swim or even dock to go ashore to the south side of the harbor to use the barbeque grills and picnic tables.
The lighthouse is open when park rangers or staff are present. There is an observation deck, which gives a view of the Miami skyline and trails for hiking.

This island offers a whole new perspective on Miami. Literally and figuratively. The island sits off the coast of Miami, south of Key Biscayne. It’s part of Biscayne National Park. From the western side of the island you can see Downtown Miami and Miami Beach off in the distance. That’s a perspective that I’ve never seen before.
The island is small, so it’s best to get there early in order to find a place to rope off the boat. It’s only accessible by boat, or by the tours run by the Park Service. Lots of people camp on the island and I can see why. After a day spent swimming, cooking, and lounging around, why not just stay the night on this peaceful retreat in the middle of the bay?
I visited this past weekend with a group of friends. I’m not lucky enough to have a boat, so I was really just lucky to have been invited. We loaded the boat with coolers full of food, cooking utensils, lanterns, and a portable gas stove. I’m new to all of this, so I was super impressed by the portable stove and my friend’s ability to cook up omelets and café con leche in the morning and rice and beans in the evening.
We spent the day lounging around, talking, swimming, looking at the amazing shells on the shore, and observing the natural rhythms of the day. What a treat to spend the whole day outside! I couldn’t believe how fast it all went by. I would definitely like to return with a tent so we could stay the night.
One word of caution — it can get very buggy! We went through a couple cans of super strength off. I usually stick to more natural repellents like citronella oil, but I would have been eaten alive if I only used that. I came away with just a handful of bites, but I would reconsider spending anytime on the island in the summer (maybe even as early as May).
Final word? Find some friends with a boat, maybe even rent a boat, and head out to experience some of our spectacular natural environment.

This Is utter nostalgia for me! this little island is where I spent alot of my youth! From fishing, to camping you can do it on this key. this island used to be privately owned by a couple until they passed away and Boca Chita became a park. The island is relatively small but lots of fun! It has the best camp sight on the west end of island. There is running water and showers. I could hang out here all day fish make a fire cook my catch and have a few cold ones with good company. this is a great place for a family outing. If you want to camp here I recommend in the winter moths if not the skeeters will get you!