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Florida Gulf + Keys · Lower Keys / Bahia Honda · Monroe County · Marathon, Florida

Bahia Honda State Park

also known as Bahia Honda Key / State Park, Bahia Honda

beginner-friendlymedium crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Nearby Veterans Memorial Park (Vets Beach) 4 km · Coco Plum Beach 28 km · Curry Hammock 30 km · Grassy Flats Resort 33 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy15-20 ktmixed LaunchMedium sandy beach, but usable kite space depends on swimmers, beach users, marked swim zones and tide.access rules on record, below Watermixed31°C in summer · 14 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools7named at this spot From the airportno transfer time publishedKey West International (EYW)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Bahia Honda is a state park first and a kite spot second. The water off the ocean-side beach is shallow and clean over a soft sandy bottom with a sandbar, and there is enough movement to call it wave, which is rare in the Keys, though it stays very small.

ENE to E is the working wind, roughly September through April, and summer goes light and stormy. North and northeast blow offshore here, so treat those days as a no. The launch is specific: park at the north end, walk east and north along the beach past the yellow buoys that mark the swim area, and rig where you are not on top of families.

Winter and spring bring the wind and the visitors at the same time, so get there early if you want a space. Shorts most of the year, a shorty behind a cold front. No official park page sets out kite-specific rules, so ask on site before you rig.

The wind

locals call it Florida Keys easterlies and winter cold-front winds

Direction

offshoreENE to Ewind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Kite sizes

891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

Typical strength

15-20 kt, carried over from an early derived record. The season and the direction hold up, but no spot-specific wind-speed table has been published.

Fall to spring easterlies are the reliable part and summer is very light. N and NE are offshore at this launch, so treat them as unsafe without local support.

The spot months are January to April and September to December. The wider Keys dry and windy season runs November to April; summer is hotter and wetter, the wind is lighter, and thunderstorms build.

Thermal or synoptic

frontal and trade

Also on record

Annual average wind at Florida Keys Marathon International Airport is E at 8 kt with gusts to 20 kt over 2005-2026. That is a nearby climatological station, not a Bahia Honda kite-session average.

The quiver, in words

No Bahia Honda size record exists. Across the Keys the fleet runs big: a 75-85 kg rider covers most days on 12, 14 and 15 m, with a 17 m for the light end, while lighter riders are mostly on 10 and 12 m. Regional figures for the Keys, not measured at this beach.

Direction to shore

ENE and E are the documented good directions. N and NE blow offshore. The exact angle depends on which park beach you use.

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month92
Feb, riders' month87
Mar, riders' month91
Apr, riders' month89
May67
Jun66
Jul70
Aug73
Sep, riders' month57
Oct, riders' month85
Nov, riders' month87
Dec, riders' month89

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.

17Jan25°
16Feb25°
17Mar26°
16Apr27°
13May29°
13Jun30°
13Jul32°
14Aug32°
13Sep31°
16Oct29°
17Nov27°
17Dec25°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	92%	16.6 kt	ESE	22.3°C	24.5°C
Feb	87%	16.1 kt	E	22.7°C	24.5°C
Mar	91%	16.5 kt	SE	24.3°C	26°C
Apr	89%	16.4 kt	E	25°C	26.5°C
May	67%	13.2 kt	ESE	26.7°C	29.3°C
Jun	66%	13.1 kt	E	27.8°C	30.3°C
Jul	70%	12.8 kt	ESE	29.2°C	31.5°C
Aug	73%	13.5 kt	E	29.2°C	31.5°C
Sep	57%	13.2 kt	E	28.8°C	31.2°C
Oct	85%	15.8 kt	ENE	26.7°C	28.9°C
Nov	87%	16.5 kt	E	25.6°C	27.3°C
Dec	89%	17.3 kt	NE	22.8°C	25.2°C

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

Shallow water, a sand bar, and shallow soft bottom are described; exact standing-depth extent unconfirmed.

Tides

Tide affected, and badly documented for kiting. Keys ranges are small: a mean range around 1.08 ft in the Ohio-Bahia Honda Channel and a diurnal range around 1.38 ft at East Bahia Honda Key. Plan the session around the tide anyway.Keys practice, not a Bahia Honda measurement: the flats go shallow enough that the wrong stage of tide leaves you grounded whatever the wind is doing.

Temperature

31°C summer · 22°C winter

Wetsuit

Shorts in summer, shorts or shorty in spring/fall, and a shorty for winter cold fronts are reported. Water-temperature references put nearby winter water in the low 70s F and summer in the upper 80s F.

Currents

No kite-specific current warning is published for the beach launch; channels around Bahia Honda can have tidal flow, so this remains an open local-safety question.

25–32°C water

Ocean-side state park beach with clean shallow water, a soft sandy bottom and a small sandbar. This is one of the few places in the Keys with any wave at all, and even here it is tiny.

The park is a swimming and snorkeling beach with a campground and kayaks on the water, so the non-rider traffic is what you plan around.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

Shallow sandy water makes this easy to learn on and every ability is listed for it. A beginner still needs instruction or a competent local: the beach is public, the swim zone is off limits, and an offshore N or NE will take you out to sea.

The scene

What riders come here for

small wavesshallow waterfreeridewarm-water winter sessionscamp-and-kite trips

A busy state-park beach and campground: tourists, people swimming and snorkeling, and the occasional Keys kiter. Not a kite beach.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

7 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: Medium sandy beach, but usable kite space depends on swimmers, beach users, marked swim zones and tide.

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Veterans Memorial Park (Vets Beach), 4 km

Veterans Memorial Park (Vets Beach)Coco Plum Beach Curry Hammock

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

No kite rescue found. The park has a marina and concession operation, but do not assume either will come and get you.

Launch

Enter the park at mile marker 37 and use the north-end parking area, then walk east and north along the beach to stay outside the marked yellow-buoy swimming area.

Space

Medium sandy beach, but usable kite space depends on swimmers, beach users, marked swim zones and tide.

Hazards riders report 14

swimmers
bystanders
low-tide shallows
sandbars
offshore north/NE wind
Marked swimming areas and swimmers
Beach users and bystanders
North or NE wind is offshore
Low-tide shallows and sandbars
Very small waves and shallow bottom can still create impact risk
Strong sun and warm shallow water
Possible marine life on Keys flats, including rays; booties and shuffle-step caution are commonly recommended in regional guidance
Thunderstorms, squalls and tropical-season weather in the Florida Keys
Sea grass and loose shells on the bottom across the Keys flats, which is why booties are standard here

Rules & access

2026: the park is open 8 a.m. to sundown, 365 days a year, and admission is $8 a vehicle in 2026 for two to eight people.
2026: no official kite-specific rule page exists for Bahia Honda. Riders are told to stay out of the yellow-buoy swim area and at least 100 yards offshore, which is community practice and not a confirmed park rule.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Ask park staff or a local rider before you rig, and never set up inside or beside the marked swim area.
Target ENE to E days. N and NE are offshore here, so leave them unless a local has a plan you trust.
Come early from December to April, when the parking and the beach fill with park visitors rather than kiters.
Bring booties and sun cover: the flats have shells and weed in them, and rays sit on the sand.
Have your own self-rescue plan, because no kite rescue was found for this beach.
Entry is $8 a vehicle in 2026 for two to eight people; gates open 8 a.m. and close at sundown.
Map the session to the tide, not only to the forecast. Wind without water is a walk.

Getting there

Airport

Key West International (EYW) is the nearest scheduled-service airport for the Lower Keys and Miami International (MIA) is the long-haul gateway. Florida Keys Marathon International (MTH) is closer but mostly general aviation.

Route

Drive US-1/Overseas Highway to Bahia Honda Key around mile marker 37; Florida Keys tourism directs visitors from Miami/Fort Lauderdale via the Turnpike to Florida City and then US-1 through the Keys.

Cost level

high

Staying

Bahia Honda State Park has camping/cabins subject to state-park reservations, while nearby stays are in Big Pine Key, Marathon, Lower Keys resorts, hotels, marinas and vacation rentals.

No-wind days

State-park beaches, snorkeling trips to Looe Key, kayaking, fishing, walking the old Bahia Honda bridge trail, camping, Big Pine Key/Key deer viewing, Marathon attractions and Key West day trips.

Photos

Beach View - panoramio (3) — YourWorldExplorer, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Bahia Honda State Park?

Best months are January-April and September-December, with consistent ENE to E wind; summer is typically very light.

Is Bahia Honda beginner-friendly?

The shallow, sandy water helps learning, but beginners still need instruction because the beach is public, a marked swim area must be avoided, and north or northeast wind is offshore.

Where do I launch at Bahia Honda State Park?

Enter the park at mile marker 37, use the north-end parking area, then walk east/north along the beach to stay outside the marked yellow-buoy swimming zone.

What is the water like at Bahia Honda?

The ocean-side beach has clean, shallow water with a soft sandy bottom, a small sandbar, and small waves, unusual for the Florida Keys.

What are the park hours and fees at Bahia Honda?

The park is open 8 a.m. to sundown year-round, with an $8 per-vehicle admission fee for two to eight people as of 2026.

Last updated: August 2026