Biscayne National Park

Biscayne Bay is a bit different compared to other National Parks you may have visited. It’s primarily all water and therefore you aren’t going to do too much hiking here. Instead, you will be catching a boat tour or two and heading out into the bay in search of sea life such as manatees and reefs. If you are into snorkeling or diving – this is the park for you! You can also make a stop on an island to get a great view of a lighthouse or take a short walk if you want a break from being in or on the water.

When to Go

There really isn’t a best time to go to this park in our opinion. Any time of year will work – but you are likely going to link this park visit up with a trip to the Everglades given how close the parks are to each other. So we would recommend the December to April time frame as that is the best time to visit the Everglades. It won’t be quite as hot on the bay during this time – so that is a benefit as well!

How to Get Here

Getting to the Biscayne Bay National Park is pretty simple – fly to Miami. Every major airline flies here and once you get your rental car – it is only a 40 minute drive south to get to the park. If you are also planning on spending time in the Everglades (which you absolutely should) – then we recommend setting up a base camp in Homestead, FL which is only a 20 minute drive from the park.

Trip Length

Biscayne Bay can easily be done in one full day. Like we mentioned above – you are mainly going to spend the day out on/in the water and there really are not enough different boat tours to keep you busy past a day. You should be combining this park with the Everglades which you can easily spend 2-3 days at – so you can spend a full day here or a couple partial days depending on your plans for the Everglades (or the Miami beaches).

Where to Stay

We would recommend staying in Homestead, Florida. There are plenty of budget hotels in Homestead and you are right in between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades which is a great spot to be. On our last trip to this area, we stayed a Super 8 in Homestead for less than $100 a night and depending on the time of year – hotels in this area can drop as low as $40 a night. If you want a more high end hotel and experience – Miami is always an option as well since it is less than an hour away!

What to Do

As mentioned above, you are going to spend most of your time on or in the water in this park. We will describe the boat tours we took below which will give you a full day’s worth of activities in Biscayne Bay.

Dante Fascell Visitor Center

If you are staying in Homestead like us, you will have a short 20 minute drive to the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. This isn’t going to be your typical visitor center though. There is no park film and very little in the way of exhibits. There is one very short interpretive trail along the waterfront which gives you a great view of the Miami skyline on a clear day. The main point of the visitor center is for you to either register or check in (if you made a reservation which is highly recommended) for your day of activities out on the water. All of your boat tours are going to take off from this location after a short orientation. The two daily boat tours are set up in a way that you are encouraged to take both of them in a single day (with a 15-30 minute break in between to grab a quick lunch at the visitor center). We recommend both tours and took them ourselves.

Snorkel Experience — 9:15am or 1:25pm daily – 3.5 hours – $64 per person

This is really what you come to Biscayne Bay to do – get in the water. You will start the tour by checking in at the visitor center and then the staff will get you fitted for snorkels, fins, and masks. One thing we didn’t really appreciate is this equipment is an extra charge of $8 on top of the tour itself which we believe should just be included. Once you are fitted out, you will wait for any other patrons to arrive and then will get an orientation from the captain. You may not realize it, but this is actually when you are going to find out where you are going to snorkel on this particular day. Everyone wants (and fully expects) to go snorkel out on the coral reef or out in the shipwrecks – but this is far from guaranteed. We thought this was a given, but during our orientation – we were told the water was too rough and also not clear enough to see anything due to a recent storm which had come through the area a few days before. Therefore, we ended up snorkeling near some mangroves with lots of seagrass on our trip. This was also a cool experience – but we certainly would have preferred the coral reef. We saw some bright colored fish and a few other small creatures – but no manatees or turtles. If you have the flexibility in your trip schedule – call ahead and figure out where the snorkel trip is going that particular day and modify your reservations as needed.

Boca Chita Island Experience — 10am or 1:30pm daily – 3 hours – $44 per person

If you want some time to walk around on land – this is your tour! You’ll board a boat and spend a half an hour or so crossing the bay with great views of Miami on a clear day. You will then arrive at Boca Chita Island which will offer your some beautiful scenery including a lighthouse which is very photogenic. You can even climb to the top if you want! There is also a short trail on this island which will take 20 to 30 minutes to walk. If you choose to do this – remember your bug spray as you will really regret not applying it on this walk as mosquitoes are absolutely everywhere! If you have time or are not interested in any of these activities – you can go swimming as there is a small beach area on the island as well! It is also fascinating to walk around the docks and look at all the super expensive boats people have brought over from Miami for the day! When it is time to go, your guide will gather you back up and you will head back over to the visitor center to complete the tour!

We would recommend doing the Snorkel tour in the morning as there is a better chance of the water being calm and then heading out to Boca Chita to relax in the afternoon sunshine! But it is really up to you and your schedule!