Loggerhead Beach

Loggerhead Beach is one of three beaches at Bahia Honda State Park, a sandy shore on Bahia Honda Key facing the Atlantic. It’s the one to choose for shallow ocean swimming and a first snorkel; Calusa Beach, nearby, faces Florida Bay instead.

The nearshore water is shallow, and snorkeling in about four to six feet is beginner friendly. Wind can stir sand into the waves and cloud visibility, so clear water isn’t guaranteed. There are no lifeguards; check the beach warning flags before you swim.

The Loggerhead day-use area has a parking lot and restroom. Cold outdoor rinse showers serve the combined Calusa and Loggerhead day-use area. The beach ramp was rebuilt after Hurricane Irma, and the park has a free beach wheelchair available first come, first served. There’s little shade on the sand. Day-use areas can close when the park reaches capacity, especially on weekends and holidays, so arriving early protects more of your beach time.

The park concession sells sandwiches, snacks and ice, and rents snorkel gear, kayaks, umbrellas and beach chairs. It’s separate from the shoreline, so pick up what you need before settling in.

Loggerhead is one of Bahia Honda’s sea turtle nesting areas. Park staff survey the beaches during the March to October nesting season and mark nests; the exact nesting spots change from year to year, so leave marked areas alone.

Hurricane Irma severely damaged Loggerhead Beach and park infrastructure in 2017. The recovery work stabilized the shore with boulders to help protect the park road, planted more than 500 native plants, and rebuilt the day-use parking area, accessible ramp and storm resistant restroom.

Bahia Honda rests on Key Largo limestone, made from fossilized ancient coral reef. Under the park this limestone reaches as much as 145 feet thick, the old foundation beneath the island’s modern sand.

For a photo, stand back on the dry sand and angle along the waterline. Keeping sand in the foreground and the shallow Atlantic water beyond it shows the beach’s pale shore and nearshore color in one shot.