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Marathon, Florida Keys

Photo
Beach at Curry Hammock State Park, Marathon FLPhoto: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

MapUSAMarathon, Florida KeysUSA

Marathon, Florida Keys

flat waterbeginner-friendlyquietcar neededmid-range

3 spots

When to comeNov to AprWindiest modelled monthDecember · 17.5 kt · Curry HammockThe short answers

The feel of the place

Marathon is the practical, family-friendly middle of the Keys - less party than Key West, more developed than the lower Keys, with good flatwater at Coco Plum and Curry Hammock plus a strong marine-attraction scene (Turtle Hospital, Dolphin Research Center). It suits kiters who want real infrastructure (car rental, groceries, restaurants) without Key West's crowds and prices.

The short answers

The essentials before the detail

When to come

Nov to Apr

Every spot here is in season then

  1. January, 3 spots in season.
  2. February, 3 spots in season.
  3. March, 3 spots in season.
  4. April, 3 spots in season.
  5. May, 2 spots in season.
  6. June, 0 spots in season.
  7. July, 0 spots in season.
  8. August, 0 spots in season.
  9. September, 0 spots in season.
  10. October, 1 spot in season.
  11. November, 3 spots in season.
  12. December, 3 spots in season.

Number = how many of the 3 spots are in season that month.

Windiest modelled month

December · 17.5 kt · Curry Hammock

The month the wind model rates highest; the season above is when riders and schools go.

modelled

the month's average wind in December at Curry Hammock, the strongest month any spot here models

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. What it holds here is the month's average wind, month by month; it does not count how many days carry a three-hour window at 12 kt.

What it costs

mid-range

Snorkel charter ~$30 adults

Schools

none in the directory

Getting there

2 airports

car effectively required

Getting there & around

Permits & rules

3 spots

with rules of their own for permits, zoning or the bathing season, on the spot cards

The rule at each spot

Where to ride

3 spots

mixed water, flat

Levels across the spots

beginnerintermediateadvanced

The spot cards

Good to know before you go 2

  • The narrow island chain offers little storm protection - track hurricane season weather closely if traveling June-November
  • Marathon's own airport has minimal commercial service - most fly into Miami and drive

The spots

Coco Plum BeachCurry HammockGrassy Flats Resort

  1. Coco Plum Beach

    mixed water · cross-shore

    Coco Plum Beach is the public ocean-side beach in Marathon, off US-1 down Coco Plum Drive, and one of the few Middle Keys launches you can simply park at.

    beginnerintermediateadvancedRoom to rig: ok

    Everything on Coco Plum Beach

  2. Curry Hammock

    flat

    Curry Hammock is a launch inside Curry Hammock State Park near Marathon, in the Middle Keys, and one of the easier Keys spots to reach with a car.

    beginnerintermediateadvancedRoom to rig: good

    Everything on Curry Hammock

  3. Grassy Flats Resort

    flat

    Grassy Flats sits on Grassy Key, east of Marathon, and it is a resort with a kite school attached rather than a public Keys beach.

    beginnerintermediateadvanced

    Everything on Grassy Flats Resort

Getting there & around

Nearest airports

  • Florida Keys Marathon International (MTH) · general aviation, limited/no commercial service
  • Miami International (MIA) is the realistic commercial gateway, ~2hr drive down US-1

Car

Car neededYes - rent a car for flexibility between spots and attractions

Transfers

Greyhound/Flixbus serves the Marathon airport area; Keys Shuttle offers door-to-door service from Miami/Fort Lauderdale; boats can dock at marinas on both the Atlantic and Gulf sides
Road quirksSits along US-1 with the Seven Mile Bridge at its southwestern end; hurricane season means little storm protection given the narrow island chain

Kite bag rules for your airline

Type the carrier you are flying: what it charges for a kite bag, and the year of the policy that says so.

Checked so far for USA:Southwest AirlinesDelta / American / United

Every carrier, with limits and what riders report at the counter →

Practical

LanguageEnglish
VisaStandard US entry requirements apply for international visitors
Costsmid-rangeSnorkel charter ~$30 adultsDolphin Research Center ~$25Crane Point Museum ~$12.50
Seasons beyond windHurricane season June-November requires monitoring given the islands' narrow, low-lying geography; winter is the busier, more settled season.

Cash & cards

MoneyUS Dollar

Internet & working

SIM & internetStandard US carrier coverage

What riders say

6 recurring claims

The trade-offTips from ridersCommunities

The tag says how far the riders who mention it agree; the figure is how many mention it.

  1. Marathon works best as a practical base with several nearby launches, not as one magic beach that solves every forecast.

    consensus4 riders

  2. Curry Hammock is the beach riders keep recommending first around Marathon, though it can fill up and is not a guaranteed easy launch every day.

    consensus4 riders

  3. For north or awkward wind, riders repeatedly point toward boat trips or other launches instead of expecting the public Marathon beaches to work cleanly.

    consensus3 riders

  4. Coco Plum is the backup people mention when Curry Hammock is full or the direction calls for a different beach; riders describe it as less crowded, not necessarily smoother.

    majority3 riders

  5. Curry Hammock and Coco Plum are the go-to Marathon-area alternatives when Anne's Beach (Islamorada) isn't working

    mixed1 rider

  6. In more northerly wind you likely need a boat to reach ridable flats rather than launching from Coco Plum/Curry Hammock directly

    mixed1 rider

The trade-off

Pros
  • Less party-oriented, more family-friendly middle-Keys base than Key West
  • Two named beach options (Coco Plum, Curry Hammock) for flatwater
ConsNorth wind reportedly requires a boat to reach good flats

Tips from riders

Otherside Boardsports (local shop) was named as the go-to resource for current local riding conditions

Communities

Florida Keys Kiteboarding

Florida Keys Kiteboarding

Facebook group

facebook.com

Scene & life

VibePractical, marina-town, family-friendly - not a nightlife destination
Must tryStone crab claws (seasonal) · Fresh seafood generally
Rider hangoutsHerbie's · Hideaway Cafe (upscale waterfront)
ActivitiesCrane Point Museum (~$12.50) · Dolphin Research Center (~$25) · Turtle Hospital tours · Pigeon Key (~$12) · Sombrero Beach for swimming/picnicking
Day trips
  • Spirit Snorkeling and Tilden's Scuba Center charters to nearby reefs (~$30 adults)
  • Little Duck Key / Bahia Honda (short drive)
  • Key West (further south)
Pairs withLittle Duck Key and Islamorada as neighboring stops on the same Keys road trip
Après-kiteHerbie's (casual burgers)

Itinerary idea

Base in Marathon town, split kite days between Coco Plum and Curry Hammock, and fill rest days with the Turtle Hospital, Dolphin Research Center, and a snorkel charter.

FAQ

When is the best time to visit?

Winter is the busier, more settled season; hurricane season runs June through November and needs monitoring given the islands' narrow, low-lying geography.

Which spots suit which riders?

Coco Plum Beach is an accessible public launch for kiting, wingfoiling and kite-foiling; Curry Hammock State Park has a grass rigging area and a dedicated launch/landing zone rather than a drift launch; Grassy Flats Resort on Grassy Key is a managed resort-school setup built around a wide, protected flat.

Are there kite schools?

Grassy Flats Resort on Grassy Key runs a managed resort-school watersports setup, unlike the public beach launches at Coco Plum and Curry Hammock.

Do you need a car?

Yes, a rental car is recommended for flexibility between the kite spots and other attractions along US-1.

Where should you base yourself?

Marathon town along the US-1 corridor is central to both Coco Plum Beach and Curry Hammock, with groceries, restaurants and marinas nearby.

How this place scores

Scores out of 10, compared with other places. The data figure under each label is how much of this record that score had to work from, so a high score on thin data is a thin score.

  1. Flat waterdata 100%10.0
  2. Off the waterdata 87%7.9
  3. Safetydata 96%7.0
  4. Beginner friendlydata 96%6.2
  5. Room on the waterdata 87%5.4
  6. Affordabilitydata 55%5.4
  7. Familydata 72%5.3
  8. Wind reliabilitydata 7%4.4
  9. Ease of accessdata 27%4.0
  10. Kite communitydata 100%3.1
  11. Wavesdata 100%1.4
  12. Long staydata 0%not scored

A paler bar was scored from less than half of the record.

Scores by trip type

  1. Learning to ridedata 80%6.8
  2. Freestyle and flat waterdata 100%6.7
  3. Family tripdata 100%6.3
  4. Kite and workdata 65%4.3
  5. Wavesdata 100%3.8

Nothing here carries a figure for a long stay and school quality, so every line above is built without them.

Still open

Things we could not verify. If you have ridden here, you can help.

Show the 3 open questions
  • No wind direction, season, hazard, or tide data found for Coco Plum or Curry Hammock specifically
  • No direct rider reviews of either named spot
  • Unclear how these two beaches compare to each other

When to go and nearby places

Best monthsJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilNovemberDecember
Also in season in NovemberCape Cod, MassachusettsCape Hatteras / Outer Banks, North CarolinaIslamorada, Florida KeysKey West, Florida KeysLittle Duck Key, Florida Keys

Last updated: 4 September 2026