John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

We kayaked through the mangroves and canals with our own kayaks. Easy in and out access. We even saw an osprey nest with a baby in it. They have maps of the area so you don't get lost. Well kept park with lots of amenities. Nice clean showers and bathrooms. Interesting visitor center. We plan on coming back to bring our grandkids for one of their snorkeling tours and to spend time on the beach with them.

I don’t know about you but I don’t have the extra money to spend on a snorkel tour. But I do have a paddleboard and a commitment to exploring the world. I went out about five miles out from the park to find the coral reefs - if you go out on a board or kayak I highly suggest making the days plan and heading out early with a big bottle of water and plenty of snacks, following a nautical or google maps to find the reefs you want to explore and be prepared for a full 8 hours of exercise. There is amazing wildlife to see up close if you’re on a board and I think it’s definitely worth the workout to experience it up close and personal and without all the extra boat pollution. However just visiting the aquarium at the visitor center and exploring the mangroves or ‘lake’ area is definitely worth visiting- many kid friendly snorkel areas there with lots of wildlife and a couple short trails to walk through.

We went to kayak the mangroves and had a really great time! It cost ($9) to enter by vehicle and another ($45) for the double kayak for 2 hours. We were able to kayak the whole map in that time. We did make a couple wrong turns, there could be some more signage but no big deal. Make sure to look in the water to discover all types of wildlife. We saw jellyfish, crabs, starfish, stingray as well as corral and fish of course! Staff was friendly and helpful. Highly recommend!

It was a beautiful place to visit. We went in to the beaches and visitor center. They have camping, snorkeling, glass bottom boat tours and kayak rental. They have all the gear you need to rent. Take your own towel and swim shoes the main beach is rock and crushed coral. The Far beach during our December visit was full of turtle grass but more sand than rock. The mangroves have trails and they have bike paths. Check the website for when they are open. The visitor center was in English and there were many multi language visitors. You can spend 20mn or more reading and learning about the local reef and shipwreck artifacts. They have a shower/changing house. They have separate rinsing showers too.

Had a wonderful time walking the nature trails and the aquarium exhibit was beautiful!! The two beaches, Cannon Beach and Far Beach, were nice but kinda crowded and not a lot of sand to relax on. Overall it was a pleasant experience and would recommend visiting if you are interested in the ocean life and plant life of the Florida Key's.