Anne’s Beach

Anne’s Beach is a small, shallow Atlantic beach park at mile marker 73.5 on the oceanside of the Overseas Highway in Islamorada. Come for a shady pause, an easy boardwalk stroll and a calm wade. The shoreline is narrow, so this is a better stop for mangroves and a picnic than for a long swim on soft sand.

A raised boardwalk follows the mangroves and buttonwood between the beach’s access areas, with openings down to the water. Six covered picnic pavilions give you a place to sit out of the sun, and the public restroom is by the north parking area. The two small lots can fill; if you see a space, take it. The park is open from sunrise to sunset, and dogs are allowed on leash.

The beach honors Anne Eaton, a Keys teacher and environmentalist who worked to protect this stretch from overdevelopment. After her death in 1992, the beach was named for her. It’s a fitting name for a little public shoreline whose appeal depends on keeping the mangroves and water’s edge intact.

Slow down on the boardwalk and look for crabs in the shallows and wading birds along the mangrove edge. For a photo, use the branches as a foreground frame and catch the water beyond them; the best shoreline angles come after you leave the parking area. The water is usually calm, but the small sandy openings can be muddy or rocky, so expect more wading than swimming.