Read time: about 5 minutes
The Keys are made for sunrise and sunset. A 100-plus-mile string of islands with the Atlantic on one side and Florida Bay and the Gulf on the other means you can face east for the morning and west for the evening without driving far. Here's where I go, and when.
When to go: winter
Winter is the season. The weather is mild, the air is crisp, and the humidity drops, which means cleaner, sharper light and less haze on the horizon. Best of all, winter brings great cloud decks, and clouds are what turn a sunrise into a photograph.
Getting there
Fly into Miami and rent a car. Before you head south, it's worth an early start on Miami Beach. Then take the Overseas Highway (US-1) down through the Keys. It's one of the great drives in the country, with long bridges over open water and a new view around every bend. Plan on roughly 1.5 to 2 hours to Islamorada and 3.5 to 4 hours to Key West, more with stops (and you'll want stops).
Basecamp: Cheeca Lodge, Islamorada
Islamorada is my favorite of the Keys, and Cheeca Lodge is the basecamp I'd recommend. It sits in the middle section of the Keys, so Miami and Key West are both an easy drive away. It also puts you right on one of the best sunrise beaches in the island chain.
The spots
| Spot | Light | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Lummus Park | Sunrise | Miami Beach |
| Cheeca Lodge beach | Sunrise | Islamorada |
| The dock at Moorings Village | Sunrise | Islamorada |
| Upper Matecumbe Key | Sunset | Islamorada, bay side |
| Smathers Beach | Tropical scenes | Key West, south shore |
| Old Town Key West | Architecture | Key West |
Lummus Park, Miami Beach (sunrise). Start the trip facing the Atlantic. The wide beach, lifeguard towers and open eastern horizon make Lummus Park an easy, rewarding sunrise before you leave the city.
Cheeca Lodge beach, Islamorada (sunrise). If I had to pick one sunrise in the Keys, this is it. The beach is lined with great palms, the horizon is wide open to the east, and the sunrises are about as close to perfect as it gets. It's where I made one of the pieces in my Masterworks Limited Edition Collection, Islamorada Dawn. The beach is part of the resort, which is one more reason to stay there.
The dock at Moorings Village, Islamorada (sunrise). A long wooden dock reaching out into calm, shallow water gives you a natural leading line straight into the sunrise. Like Cheeca, Moorings Village is a private resort, so this one is for guests.
Upper Matecumbe Key (sunset). For evening light, cross to the bay side. Facing west over Florida Bay, the water goes glassy and the sky does the rest.
Smathers Beach, Key West (the ultimate tropical scene). Key West's largest public beach runs about half a mile along the south shore, facing the Atlantic. Palms, white sand and turquoise water: it's the tropical scene people picture when they think of the Keys.
Old Town Key West (architecture). Key West is about more than the water. Its streets are full of colorful conch houses, tin roofs, gingerbread trim and deep porches. Go early, before the crowds, when the light is soft and the streets are quiet.
A note on access
Some of the best views in the Keys are on private property, from resorts to homes to clubs. Please shoot from public beaches or places where you're a guest, and ask permission when you're not sure.
Before you go
Check the forecast for cloud cover, not just rain. A clear sky makes a flat sunrise. Read more in Reading the Light Before It Arrives.
Be in position early. Arrive 45 minutes before sunrise; the best color often comes before the sun clears the horizon.
Bring bug spray. Dawn and dusk on the water mean mosquitoes and no-see-ums, especially in calm weather.
From the Journal to the Wall
Every spot in this guide is a place I’ve stood before dawn, waiting for the light. A few of those mornings came home with me. The Coastal Collection gathers my favorite images from the Keys, from the palms at sunrise to the long, warm glow of a Keys sunset, each one part of the Masterworks Limited Edition Collection, printed as an HD acrylic, signed and numbered in a limited edition of 200.
If you can’t be on a Keys beach at sunrise every morning, this is the next best thing.
Driftwood Dreams: the photograph behind Four Mornings in Islamorada
Explore the Coastal Collection →