Sombrero Beach Reviews

Lovely beach with easy access to the beach from the free parking parking lot. Restrooms are also easily accessible. Calm surf and plenty of room to frolic. It was a wonderful place to relax after our long drive.

We were looking for a beach to hang out for a couple hours but didn’t want to pay to go back to a State Park in case it wasn’t what we wanted. Someone told us about this city park and what a nice park. Plenty of parking, nice restrooms, outdoor showers, picnic tables, playground and a nice clean beach with pretty water. We got there at 10:30 Am and there were not many people, but by noon it was pretty full.

Small beach very nice.
Go deeper, more authentic.
The day of our visit, there was sargass so the water was not great.

Beautiful large beach with palm trees
Shallow water clear parking next to shower, clean place and few people.

Sombrero Beach was a great experience. The beach was beautiful with very easy access. The facilities there were high quality... bathrooms were clean; picnic tables were well kept; and they even had play areas for kids. Exceeded our expectations. Given the fact that most of the resorts do not have good beach facilities, Sombrero Beach is a jewel.

The best beach in Marathon. Parking in front is paid, it is not very expensive, it has park in front of the beach for children, it has bathroom. The beach is of a beautiful green and clean, the staff does the cleaning soon (take the algae). Good for kids, it's not deep.

A beautiful place to go with family or solo . Nice play park for the kids . Good parking ! Restroom are immaculate ! The beach is groomed daily !

The beach looks great but the smell is awful. We stayed for a few hours and lots of locals arrived too. However, we stunk!! So left to go shower.

It was so lovely to sit under a palm tree and relax while having such beautiful views of the ocean. Definitely worth visiting!

The beach is nice. Great views. Feels like the Caribbean ( im from DR) However, it feels like a public beach for like locals. Nothing around. No restaurants, kiosk, they don't sell anything around so bring everything you need to spend time there.

Stopped in for a little beach break and sunset. Nice water and sand. Chilly wind in early March. Not busy at all, just a few folks here and there. Peaceful ending to a day of Keys pub crawling and sightseeing.

Outstanding access and amenities, wonderful view, love the reefs, love this beach! Had a great time flying a kite and catching sun!

Heaven is actually a place on earth, and it's just off the main drag through Marathon and the beach is called Sombrero. This is a must visit location - absolutely beautiful.

We had a great time at Sombrero Beach. With there being less beaches been in most part of Florida it was a nice fine. We also rented kayaks from Keys kayaks and kayaked through boot key.

Not a lot of beaches here. This is a public beach. There are sea turtle nests roped off. Wasn't too busy and the water was nice.

While I know the Florida Keys are not known for their beaches I also know there are little jewels of white sands and aqua beaches tucked away just waiting to be discovered and that is how it was with Sombrero Beach in Marathon Key.
It is in the middle of Marathon in a residential neighborhood with plenty of free parking.

There is no entrance fee. The bathrooms are clean and relatively new. The park like grounds are lovely with shading palm trees. Plenty of stations to rinse off sand and sea.

The water is beautiful and fairly shallow with no waves. It was fun to watch the pelicans dive in the distance as well as watch the dolphin cruise by. Your kids can walk practically from end to end without you losing sight of them. Not very crowded and social distance was no problem. We went during spring break during the week. Don’t know if it would be more or less crowded after the break or on weekends.

There was a nice balance of families and couples as well as families with teenagers.
There is a playground and volleyball court.

A definite must do for a leisurely day at the beach on a beautiful island. Bring your towel or chair, pack your lunch and get ready to relax!

Absolutely beautiful beach!! One of the nicest on the keys. Free parking and very nice facilities. Great for kids!

It was recommended that we go to Sombrero Beach so we did. The free parking was a pleasant surprise. They also have a nice play area for children as well as picnic tables and restroom facilities. The picnic tables were under cover so we could eat lunch in the shade, which was great. We did not use the restroom facilities, so I can’t speak to that. The beach is very narrow with lots of seaweed. There were warnings about Portuguese man of wars, so we only stuck our toes in the water and saw many little ones. It was such a warm day so we were disappointed that we didn’t feel comfortable going into the water to cool off.

Very clean and spacious beach. Very easy access but get there early in the day for free parking and entrance. Sandy bottom no rocks. Very beautiful.

Great beach! It’s soft sand, no rocks like the state park beach in Key West. It was busy but we found parking relatively quickly on a weekend.

Beautiful public beach. Clean large playground, great picnic tables, places with shade. Probably the best public beach in the area for swimming and relaxing.

You have to pay for parking so if you can walk to the beach you should.

This beach was a great location for swimming. Easy to get to and offers some shade if you’re lucky enough to find a vacant palm. Great place to picnic, swim, and sunbathe. Our favorite beach in the keys.

Beach was clean, well kept, baths clean, nice to swim paddleboard or kayak (no so good for snorkeling but you can see some fishes). Bring your own shade (unless you can stay at some areas in the grass where they have BBQs and tiki)

Great spot for a sunrise! Easy parking. Park opens 30 minutes before sunrise daily. Turn by Publix Grocery store and drive a few minutes down the road. You do pass a school so be aware of the speed limit change.
What a beautiful morning!

Nice daytime beach if you are staying in the Keys. Many pavilions, a large playground, and lots of area to set up. The beach had some trees to provide shade. There was several people there with dogs and some dogs swimming. Lots of music being played. Not many shells and sand somewhat course (compared to Tampa beaches).

We made a quick stop at Sombrero Beach just to check it out. Weather wasn't great but we really wanted to take a look. Nice beach with lovely views and it offers very good accommodations for children to play off the beach in a playground, walking bath, and multiple restrooms. Would definitely visit again when in the area.

Gave up, nowhere to park and I’m sure extremely crowded given the number of people & vehicles parked around...

Beautiful sunset, allows leashed dogs! Definitely wasn’t crowded when we were there which was great for social distancing.

We wanted to visit this beach during our Key West vacation - - we had visited it last year, and it was lovely. We travel in a small Class C camper, 24 ft. long. Last year it was difficult to find a suitable place to park, but we did find a corner that worked.

Today we went and found “No Parking RVs or Buses” signs posted every 20 feet, all along every side of the parking area. While there were quite a few open spots where we could have parked, but we are now prohibited from parking anywhere near or at the beach. The signs were everywhere.

We turned around and went back to the campground, 8 miles away. Not a reasonable Uber or taxi distance to try to visit with different transportation.

Our advice, if you are traveling in a RV, don’t waste your time with this beach. We campers are not welcome there.

Such a beautiful place. While the beach is not large and there is some sea grass, it provides a great place for all ages to hang out for the day! They have pavilions and grills as well as outdoor showers, a restroom and a playground for the kids! You do have to pay to park to be prepared, but it’s worth it!

Very best beach in the Florida Keys. Beautiful sand. Very quiet beach. Gorgeous water. What else do you need?

beautiful beach and water. Loved that there was shade available under some palm trees. There were two homeless people showering and the man took a very long time cleaning his unmentionables out in the open so if this is normal i would not take kids. Make sure and attend your parking!

Another keys beach, another disappointment - Where in the continental US can you get coconut palms and no sargassum / rotting seaweed…

Excellent clean beach with free parking, free showers and clean bathrooms . Nice, simply a great place to hang out and relax

Very small beach with little swimming area, along with Annes beach are totally dispensable, in your favor the picnic area that is outside.Florida has much better beaches than you are.

Gross. The beach stunk so bad of rotting seaweed. I thought the Keys would be cool. They are not. I thought there might be some nice beaches. There are not. I would not go back to the Florifa keys and I wouldn't, even as a joke, suggest someobe go to Sombrero Beach.

I Happened to get there on a beautiful calm morning warm water fine sand and peaceful .A really laid back beach seen alot of changes here through the years but keeps getting better

Never knew such a lovely beach existed during previous visits to the Keys and Husband spotted it on the map when we arrived in Marathon. It's wide, expansive with clear water for swimming and soft sand. Very clean, free parking, bbq areas and clean toilets. We'd cycle there and enjoy a few hours on the beach and of course, the sunsets were amazing.

Really nice clean beach. Used to be free now they charge a parking fee. It was $5 per hr when we visited during holiday week in December 2025 but we only stayed for about 2 hrs so $10 to enjoy a lovely beach on a nice warm day was worth it. Beach can get crowded in season and on holidays so try to go early or be very patient to wait behind traffic and hope somebody pulls out of a space right when you are there!

We went on a very windy day. The beach was crowded, parking was hard to find, and once we got there we couldn't really enjoy the swimming. Make sure to bring your own beach chair and umbrella (if weather allows).

This is a really nice beach. Their bathrooms were clean. They have nice volleyball courts as well. We played in the water and I tried to snorkel but the visibility was pretty bad. It was a nice afternoon.

It's not huge but nice facilities. We saw a manatee about 15' from shore which was cool. Only negative was dead fish/surfer odor.

Super, super, super nice! Wonderful beach! Nice facilities. Great place to swim. I would visit here again definitely.

Nice beach but very narrow, rocky and you have to pay to park $12 for 3 hours! A few people came w/dogs that were not on leashes - no shade so bring an umbrella.

Unfortunately, the beach is full of seaweed. At least that was the case in July. Otherwise well equipped. It has tables, toilet, shower, playground and barbecue facilities. No shade on the beach. Parking 5$ for 2h.

Nice scenic and clean beach, in a seemingly quiet neighbour off the highway. The only downside is having to pay for parking.

This is a beautiful family-friendly beach to visit! It’s a small beach, but as far as beaches go on the Keys, this was a pleasant surprise. We arrived early in the morning and saw that they manicured the sand on the beach by dragging it to make us smooth. The sand was soft and even. There was a play area for children, pavilions, bathrooms, grills, and free parking. I definitely recommend this gem!

We went here three times over our week in the keys. It’s busy for parking but we always managed to find a spot. Water and beach are nice and a decent amount of space. Bathrooms onsite and a playground.

Great beach. This beach is not that big but is still a great beach. My hubbie brought his fishing pole and fished from the beach while I basked in the sun.

Lovely place to get in some beach time and watch the sunset. It wasn’t crowded and has restroom facilities and beach showers on site. One downside that took a few minutes to get used to: there was a strong sulfur-like smell. I don’t know if that’s from the seaweed or not but there was a section that was covered in seaweed so no one had thrown down blankets and set up in that area. Even in the nice clear area, stepping into the water there’s quite a bit of seaweed. Nevertheless, we’d go back.

nice beach; set up and had the entire beach to ourselves for several hours. Not many people and allowed dog to run a little off leash. We took a snack, drinks and chairs to enjoy our time. Water was very nice

Excellent location!!! Good and safe environment. Bathroom, gazebo and seating benches were extremely clean. Overall trails, kids playground area and sandy beach areas were well kept. Water was warm and excellent for swimming. City of Marathon Parks and Recreation did a very good job!!!

Visiting the Keys on a regular basis we have come to realize it is a boater’s paradise, but not so much for beach lovers.
However, Sombrero Beach in Marathon Key is the exception.
It is a beautiful, white sand beach that goes a long way. Facilities such as showers and restrooms are available, along with ample parking and many access points to the beach. The water is a close walk from your parking. This is a family friendly beach, though no lifeguards. The water sparkles with colors of green and blue.
Pack a lunch, bring your chairs, umbrellas and sunscreen and have a great day.
Rosalie & Joel…Delray Beach, FL

My husband and I went to Sombrero Beach the two days that we were in Marathon. It was such a nice, clean, beautiful place to visit! So relaxing and gorgeous...clean bathrooms, showers to rinse off...playgrounds for kids, grills and tables under cover to eat. Volleyball nets, etc. Would highly recommend!

Pretty Beach, good access, and lots of space to spread out! One of the better beaches in the area! Nice for a stroll at sunset!

We loved this beach! It is clean and friendly! Great place to hang out! Our puppy was delighted with all the varieties of places to walk and enjoyed people & dogs of all ages!

Sombrero beach is a beautiful and clean beach with picture perfect views and not very busy for a Sunday at 1pm ..we will be back for sure

After reading other reviews I was a little skeptical about going but I am so glad we did. Great little park area right along where you park and super clean. The beach to the water is a little small but it is very wide. Brought my lab to swim and we both loved it. Water was very clean and warm. Shower was before you got back to parking and was perfect for rinsing off. So glad I did not listen to the naysayers!

Absolutely beautiful beach! Super clean with amazing views! You will find showers, toilets , picnic places. With grill children's playground!

Beautiful and amazing public beach with well-kept grounds and public restrooms. Unique with palm trees for shade. Shallow waters for the kids to snorkel

When we saw this spot it was exactly what we were looking for. Super nice beach area. Loved walking around and checking it out. Very nice lawn and palm trees. Came back and it was a perfect view for the sunset.

Wonderful beach. Volleyball nets, play structures, lovely beach and a great place to watch the sunset 💜 Easy access for all.

We were excited to stop by Sombrero Beach during our Christmas in the Keys vacation. It was so incredibly busy. We did find a dried up Portuguese Man O War, which was REALLY awesome!

Sombrero beach is clean, has nice sand, snorkeling, free parking, clean bathrooms, areas for grilling and water fountains.

Great sandy beach to catch rays and some time in the water. Beach is free to access. Come early as parking can be limited. Parking is paid at a meter kiosk. No food concessions nearby. Bring food and beverages or prepare to leave to get food. Pizza and subs are less than 2 miles away.

There are very few beaches in the Keys. We took our nieces to this one and it was a good time. They have outdoor showers to rinse off with. It would have been better if they had enclosed outdoor changing rooms, the bathrooms were so so. We'll def. be back.

This is a nice public beach. Good for families with kids.
Public showers & restrooms, grills & playground area.
It’s busy & crowded on holidays & weekends, parking can be hard/non-existent.
Best time to come is before noon during the week.

Very nice beach / family friendly. Clean and well kept. Nice picnic area and restrooms. Plenty of grill if you wish..

We love Sombrero Beach, visit everytime we are on vacation here. Went 2 days ago and the sea Weed all along the waters edge and in the water was bad. Very disappointed.

The beach was clean and not too crowded. The water was easy to get into, no lime stone like a lot of keys beaches. The only downside is the parking can be limited.

Disgusting. If you are expecting crystal clear water like you see driving or flying in, this is not it. It smelled awful, the water was beyond murky. We paid to park, walked up and immediately left. Don’t waste your time.

This little beach is tucked away off the beaten path and was amazing. We snorkeled, met some friendly locals and tourists and had a lovely evening. Stop by , you won't be disappointed!

Coming from NJ we were surprised and pleased to find we could go to the beach without buying an expensive badge and without paying to park. This beach is wide, plenty of places to sit and swim. Clean restrooms (also free-another first for us) and playground on the premises. Friendly people all around. Manatees off shore-had fun watching them. One of our best stops while in Marathon-

We were looking for a beach since our hotel didn’t have one. This was a pleasant surprise. Easy free parking. Awesome if you have kids. Calm water, playground, restrooms, picnic areas. Beautiful! Highly recommend!

We love Sombrero Beach. The views are beautiful. The faculties are clean, the location is easy to get to, and parking is very convenient. There is a nice playground and volleyball courts. Always a lovely visit.

Great area for picnicking, playground for kids, volleyball courts, and you can bring your dog!! Spent the day relaxing under a palm tree!

The water here was beautiful, but the beach was very crowded. There was A LOT of stinky seaweed at the water. I wouldn’t go back.

Beautiful clean beach …. Lots of parking … washrooms (could have been alittle cleaner) and showers available outside …

Went for sunset and dolphin watching end of April. The sun sets over the channel and the dolphins feed in the same channel. The beach has grass and sand and rock. The channel side of the beach is mostly rock. The beach has volleyball courts and public restrooms. There is plenty of parking when we went and the parking is free.

Clean! Busy with spring breakers but was overwhelming. Park and bathrooms were clean. Highly recommended!

We Went to the End of October (2025)
The beach was beautiful, no seaweed, clean sea, beautiful colors.
It's small but not crowded.
Behind the beach there is a small park with a couple of canopies and barbecues available to tourists.
There is also a parking lot that costs $5 per hour for the first two hours and then $2 per hour, which you can add as time goes by, you don't have to pay everything right away because the machine remembers the license plate of the car.
We also stayed at Bahia Honda (in Bahia Honda State Park) and Fort Zachary Taylor Beach in Key West, both beautiful, but Sombrero Beach the best for us.

Very nice public beach with two changing houses with rest rooms. Very clean. Beach sometimes has the sea grass wash up, but easy to access the water which has a shallow entry.

Nice playground for children and canopies for picnics. There is a nearby launch for kayaks too.

Parking is decent, just be patient, spots open up frequently.

Visited twice on a three-day trip. Worth it!

Awesome public beach with walkways, showers, restrooms and activities for the kids! 100% would recommend to anyone passing through!

Sombrero beach is an average beach located on Marathon Key, the day we visited the water was cloudy and the place was infested with flies. The flies where all over the place, we finally had to head back to the car to eat in peace. Jolly Chriss.

Florida Keys beaches are terrible. Brown water and sargassum ruin what could be beautiful turquoise water.

Nice sandy beach, great for family. Looks like a carabian beach, blue/green water. Here is a nice playground for small kids as well.

The beach is very nice, clean and well taken care of. The bathrooms were very well maintained and clean.

Must see beach. We drove down from NJ. We feel like we are in the islands. Beautiful! Public restrooms, picnic tables and was not overly crowded going again today

This beach is perfection! Paradise in Marathon.
We didn't stay but there is much to do at this beach - perfect for families. Nice, expansive play ground with loads of beach front to set up a towel or canopy for the day.
Not a bad picture could be had here. It is one of the most beautiful beaches around.

Perfect, for a hot sunny summer day.
Nice playground.
Bathrooms ok
Street parking but not free. Credit card accepted.

This beach has a nice long shoreline of soft sand and everything for a family looking to enjoy sun, safe swimming, and sand castles. Bring your umbrella, cooler, and stay the day. One of the best beaches in the Keys.

Beautiful sand and the water is gorgeous- plenty area to take a nice walk and it is family and dog friendly- highly recommend for a great day!!

Beautiful beach, place to shower, good parking. Suggest bringing a beach chair and umbrella. Some decent snorkeling in the area as well.

Good beach, restrooms, parking just what everyone needs. Best beach in the area, not too crowded for a wonderful day.

One of the few true beaches in the Keys. Beautiful and clean and when I went on a Monday afternoon, very quiet. They have a couple pavilions and a large playground. Also has bathrooms, plenty of parking, and there are many shady spots to sit in the sand.

Nice spot. Shade from the palms if you arrive early. Lovely outlooks. Some seaweed but this is an ocean. Water quite shallow so good foe younger kids. Free parking.

As expected with any beach on a day with nice weather, it is incredibly busy. The sand was soft and the water was a nice temperature. Had a great time!

We loved the beach. It was fairly crowded but plenty of space to lay out and enjoy the sun. The water was very blue. Sand volleyball courts were really nice. The beach cleared out by 3 and we had ample room to explore the area. There was some seaweed but who goes outdoors and doesn’t expect nature anyway? We parked at the very end of a row and didn’t see a parking meter so we never paid for parking. I didn’t see anyone paying so not sure what the reviews meant about an hourly charge. We stayed about 4 hours and had an enjoyable time.

By far the best beach in the upper Keys!! Water is clean and clear, sand beach area is maintained as it the very nice picnic areas. Plenty of space for large groups with restrooms and plenty of parking..

What a rare gem in the keys: a nice sandy beach and water that you can easily get into and want to get into! We went there two days, There is a nice grassy park, restrooms, picnic tables and then a beautiful beach. It is also a kayaking launch point - I rented a kayak and paddled from there to the mangrove tunnels.

Things are changing at Sombrero Beach. The once free beach will soon charge nonresidents and renters to park. It will be $5 for each of the first two hours and an additional $2 for each hour thereafter. You can not purchase a 28 day pass. On a 12 1/2 percent 28 day minimum house rental you will already be taxed $1000 - $2000 more or less. Now add another $400 or more if you go to the beach everyday for four or five hours during your 28 day stay. Many of our friends stay longer. There is something to be said for the beauty of Sombrero Beach and there are costs associated with keeping it that way. But not by taxing rentals or setting fees that will prohibit its use for many. We hope the chamber of commerce takes note and informs nonresidents in their literature. Not a good look!!

Small, but beautiful beach with soft sand and tidal pools. Gets crowded about lunch time-even in "off season". Great picnic shelters with grills, large modern playground, and restrooms. There are few true beaches in the keys--this is by far the best!

Beautiful beach. Parking can be a challenge on beautiful, sunny afternoons, so get there early. We loved the ability to play in the sand as well as explore the tide pools at low tide.

State Park with beautiful sand, clean rest room, free to everyone and free parking. Must bring in food, umbrellas and chairs. Don’t miss this gem.

We went to the beach with 2 teenage girls. The beach was busy due to spring break, but plenty of room to spread out. The water is beautiful. Bring your own cooler, no food or beverage stands nearby. Considering there are very few beaches in the Keys, this is a gem.

This was a calm beach that is good for little kids. There were some patches of shells where the sand wasn’t soft, but for the most part it was a nice beach to take a walk on. It also was not overcrowded at all. It was a nice find to enjoy the ocean on a very hot day.

Beach has no public access.
Beach parking lot is full between 9am and 6pm.
Parking is prohibited within a 2 mile radius around it.

Bathrooms were closed issues with construction, roof and plumber problems, water was very confortable and parking good place to spend with kids, recommend city to be up with beach facilities

This is a nice sandy beach! Very pretty with palm trees and nice water. Probably our favorite beach we visited while in the keys.

Wonderful beach, clean restrooms, was close to our condo and we frequented the beach daily. Picnic tables and great play area for kids. A real treasure for the area. Highly recommended

There was a lot of seaweed at the bottom and on the beach , the water was very cloudy. It was really not a nice beach. We brought our snorkel gear but had no reason to try it because the water was so murky and the bottom so slimy.

Beautiful beach.
Nice tree coverage
Bathroom close
Volleyball court
Outside shower near bathroom
Shallow water
Picnic area

Stopped on a whim and was a clean, beautiful and peaceful area! Not too crowded and even found some shells.

This park is well taken care of. Clean rest rooms. Good parking. Other beaches in the area are too shallow to swim, at this beach you could go out 50 yards into 6 feet of water.

a real sandy beach, calm water, beautiful sunset and a kayak launch into Boot Key Harbor. Playground, volleyball, picnic area. Perfect!

We decided to stop by the beach for a few hours while waiting on our Turtle Hospital tour. The beach was small, but beautiful. The playground area was nice for the kids and included a covered play area. The day we visited, it wasn't hot, but I imagine that shade comes in handy during the summer! Bathroom facilities were clean. I loved that they had buckets with pickups, if you felt the need to help keep the beach clean. Also had a beach volleyball court and a small walking trail.

We checked out the beach and area for 20 minutes. Looks like a nice place to spend the day with the family. Free beach and good parking. Looks well kept. We saw a dolphin in the water. Nice walking path, picnic areas and facilities.

One of the nicer beaches we have visited in the Keys. Convenient location, free parking, clean restrooms, and white sand.

Great clean beach. There are two buildings with restrooms and outdoor showers. There’s a park between the parking and beach that has picnic tables, a playground, and sand volleyball. Make sure to bring your own chairs or umbrellas no vendors are allowed. If you have a young one with sensitive feet bring swim shoes there are a lot of shells at the edge of the water.

This beach is a hidden gem, especially for dog lovers. It’s dog-friendly, making it the perfect spot for a day out with your furry friend. There’s also a designated area for snorkeling, adding a touch of adventure to your visit. My wife, our dog, and I spent the day here, and it was incredibly chill and relaxing. The water was calm and warm, ideal for both swimming and lounging. We stayed until sunset, which was absolutely stunning—an unforgettable way to wrap up Thanksgiving Day. The weather was perfect, enhancing the overall experience. I highly recommend this beach, especially if you’re looking for a dog-friendly destination to relax and unwind.

The place is very quiet and you can come and have a good day with friends. The beach is very clean, I recommend bringing a ball to play volleyball as there are areas to do so. There are also grills and tables to eat at. The beach is very clean.

We are at steak and lobster last night and our server bob gave us a fun list of stuff to do in marathon and this beach was on it. Free parking and no charge for admission. Thanks alot bob for making our vacation funner. We will request bob in our OpenTable reservation next time in marathon

This beach was beautiful. No wonder it was more crowded than I expected. It is one of the larger beaches with plenty of sand to spread out on.

First of all, the parking is NOT free. In fact it's $5.00 per hour for the first two hours, then $2.00 per hour. Our three hours there cost us $12.00 to park. It's a nice enough beach except for the large amounts of sargassum piled up on the sand and into the water. Make sure you bring whatever you want to eat and drink because there is no concession stand here.

Excellent family beach.
Not crowded
Excellent water beyond the vegetation
No white-water or boats to worry about

This beach was recommended to see the sunrise. Do not go if that's the experience you would like. Lots of obstructed views of the sunrise

Pretty beach before large parking lot (paying)
The beach is free and the few dollars for parking provide nice spaces; there are picnic places, showers, toilets.

The beach is clean, the water not too deep.
Consider taking a parasol

Parking at the beach. Get there early or wait it out. Gentle waves. Shallow for a good ways out. Some sea weed but not a deal breaker

This beach used to be nice but now they are charging to park there and it is not kept up like it used to be! The only nice thing they have is showers. I will NOT be returning. If you want a better beach and beautiful scenery drive a little south and go to Bahia Honda beach, so worth the extra few miles south of this beach!

PET FRIENDLY! I can bring our families dog to play in the water. It's great for snorkeling and swimming. It has bathrooms, showers(for you and you furry friends) playgrounds, pavilion to hide from the sun and bbq with the family we made a leg of lamb!

The park facilities at Sombrero Beach were very nice. We had not planned a beach day due to the wind and clouds but wanted to at least check out the beach. We took a few pictures but didn't stay long. There were more people than expected for a weekday, mainly a large group of mixed-age children. The beach itself is not very big and not what we were hoping for. You must pay to park so that is like an admission fee. Best for residents.

My son and I went here. He loved the swing and playground. There was s strong odor of sewer like an RV park. We got to the beach and it was calm and nice but that smell followed. Breathing through my throat made it burn.

While staying in Key West, we made a day trip up to go to the beach here. There’s a playground area and free parking. The beach was not very crowded. There were signs warning of jellyfish and we actually did see one, so just be aware of that!

Fantastic beach with nice shallow sandy swimming area. Also sea grass farther out provides opportunities for snorkeling. Bathrooms, showers and water fountains top it off! Took a hammock and hung it between the palms and enjoyed the view.

We were looking for a pretty place to view the sunset. This beach popped up. We decoded to give it a go. The park itself looks nice. The beach was anything but. It must have been high tide as there was only a small tiny beach area. Just didn’t look nice. So much sea weed it just looked dirty to us. This was the most disappointing sight on our trip to the keys. I would not recommend

Always a nice beach. I go there every year when I'm here. FYI as of April 1 2023 they will be charging to park. Not sure of the fees as the machine is still covered. Hopefully not over priced.

Relaxing free beach with parking , with some grass covering much of the shore close to water, but still plenty of sand for kids to play or layout. Snorkeling saw a few fish and lobsters. Outdoor shower to rinse and facilities (restroom) to change out of wet suit.

This is a decent little beach hidden in the back of a Marathon neighborhood. It’s definitely small and don’t expect it to look like most Florida beaches, because that’s just not how the Keys beaches are. Nonetheless, it’s very enjoyable and will help you get your sun/ beach fix that you are craving. The water is gorgeous and the views are still up to par. They have a rinse station but when we were there (December 2020) they did not work. There’s also bathrooms and a water fountain that does actually work. As well as a small playground for the kiddos just off the beach and some sitting/ picnic tables, so it really does have a lot of stuff to be able to spend the better part of a day. Free parking as well so can never complain about that.

We needed to kill some time before getting into our VRBO in Cudjoe Key- so we stopped here. This beach has bathrooms, allows pets, playground, dog walking park, no waves so great for families with small children or adults who can not swim, sand volleyball courts, and a place to rent kayaks. The beach was very crowded, but expected due to it being Christmas vacation. The weather was beautiful, water great to cool off in. Not much beach, so that is why it was very crowded. This place was perfect to walk the beach, get in the water and get a few hours of sun before we moved on. There is paid parking and we got there at 11:30 ish and was able to find a spot pretty easily. You could make a day of it here or a couple of hours if you are a beach goer- but again the Keys are not known for their beaches, so know that going ahead of time.

Best beach for walking around in marathon. But crowded. There are nice picnic tables
With grills and excellent restrooms

We found this place during our trolley tour with Island Trolley Tours. This a great place to spend the day with kids of all ages! There is something to do for everyone. We spent the day there. Beautiful beach, very clean and they do have picnic tables so pack a lunch we did!

We have had good experiences going to Sombrero Beach on our visits to Marathon for 10 years but in April 2023 we arrived to find there was an expensive charge for parking. For us cost per hour for parking is ridiculously high. You can now do better going to Bahia Honda State Park or Curry-Hammock State Park.

I can't believe this "beach" is in the list. I've lived here for decades and while it's pretty, it's not a "beach". All the sand is trucked in because the Keys are on rock coral and the reef offshore stops the sand from accumulating. Plus it's sea grass when you get in water. I can't tell you how many people expect Bahamian style beaches and are disappointed when they find out the truth. Our advertising board should be held accountable.

There are not many beaches in the keys . This one is real nice it has sand and clear water. We were staying at key largo where there are a couple of areas they call a beach which I would not call a beach. Marathon is an hour drive and it is worth driving to to find a real beach.

Is so beautiful and relaxing. We enjoy our afternoons there especially at sunset time or after a day boating the area.

Excellent experience! Clean beach, restrooms, and pavilion areas.. Parking was a breeze... Could use a board walk to the hard pack sand.

Lots of seaweed. Nice beach. Enjoyed sitting by the ocean for a few hours and listening to the waves. Watched a Portuguese Man O War wash up onto shore.

Best beach in the keys! Sombrero is great for families with young children. Shallow and calm water, clean sand, clean bathrooms

One of the best beaches I’ve been too. The water is beautiful and blue, parking is free, and the beach is nice and clean (all sand and no rocks). What more could you need!

Absolutely perfect spot! Not too busy, plenty of parking, nice amenities, beautiful clear water. On our first day we did see lots of jellyfish but after looking them up, we found out they are moon jellyfish and not as dangerous as the Man-o-War that they have signs warning about.

One of the cleanest beaches around!! Water was clear and refreshing!!! Will definitely go again when we visit next year!! Highly recommend!!!

This is a nice strip of beach. A good place to spend a day with the family. Get there early to get a good spot, as the beach does become crowded as the day progresses.

We scouted many beaches and State Parks and this was by far the best. Nice sandy beach with great facilities. Highly recommend.

Great beach. Beautiful sand. Palm trees were fantastic. We would definitely go back here. Well maintained

Man of war jellyfish, stuff swimming at my legs and crabs 🦀 on the beach was too scary for this chicken. Beach was pretty but very very sulfur smelly. Washrooms were clean and nice.

Beautiful beach with lots of space. If you go to the end past parking terminal 4 there is a dock and area that is blocked off by rocks which is a nice swimming area for kids

City beach with swimming, playgrounds and restrooms. Great place to catch sunset at end of beach. It does get rocky.

Nice sand beach! Unlike other beaches in the Keys this one is free with nice bathrooms and great sand. Nice area to swim in. Worth the trip to spend the day or just a couple hours.

Very nice local beach to catch the sunrise or sunset. The water isn’t the clearest but the area is easily accessible and free parking!

The best beach in the Keys. It is an awesome place to see a sunset, parking is free. They have volleyball courts and places for people to fish. Dock to bring in the boat. Just a great place.

Not the best beach at all. We read several articles and reviews saying that this was one of the best, most picturesque beaches in the keys, it may be, but only because it’s one of the ONLY beaches in the keys. The keys are all mostly rocky, so sand beaches aren’t common and it’s hard to get past the rocks to get into the water unless you have some type of boat. The park itself is nice, with bathrooms, showers, playgrounds and picnic areas. We had no trouble parking in the afternoon, but if the parking lot is full, then I can’t imagine there would even be a spot to sit on the beach. The beach is very small and there was a lot of seaweed everywhere. The water didn’t look too appealing, very muddy and a bad smell. There was a dog swimming in the water as well. After walking around the corner, it went from bad to worse, the seaweed and smell made it unbearable. There is no way I’d get into the water here, only a few people actually where. We left and have no intentions of ever going back to that beach. If you’re used to the big beaches of Florida, don’t even bother with Sombrero Beach. If you want to swim in the keys, you need a pool or a boat.

Rented a large vacation rental for the month in Marathon. The vacation rental had information on somethings to do. One was for Island Trolley Tours. The grannies wanted do the tour. We booked it for that afternoon. The plans my wife and I had made for this vacation went right out the window after taking the daily trolley tour! Most of our plans involved going to Key West we had no idea there was so much to do in Marathon.

We rearranged our plans after taking the trolley. As the rest of the family trickled in we told them they needed to take the daily tour. They all came away the same way we did and planned their activities based on their experience on the trolley. I'm happy the grannies insisted we take the tour before the rest of the group came in. If you just arrived in Marathon take the daily tour - providing an overview of the activities and attractions available..

Was pleasantly surprised with this beach. Spent the afternoon and sand was nice to walk on as I was expecting more rocks. Wasn’t packed either. Some seaweed but looked like it was cleaned up regularly. Even took a dip in the ocean.

Great beach with a great view of the ocean. Nice grassy park. Nice restrooms. Paved parking. Upscale neighborhood, so few worries.

Sombrero Beach is the very best beach in the Keys. Well maintained, beautiful water, plenty of room.

I would agree with previous reviewers who said that this is a nice, clean city park beach. It was calm and pleasant when we visited. It is prone to the same seaweed that other nearby beaches are but it was still swimmable. Kids had a good time, calm water.

Our favorite beach in all of the Florida Keys! We love coming to Marathon and always get out to Sombrero Beach.

Clean and well maintained beach. Parking is close by and bathrooms were clean as well. Peaceful and the water is clear and blue. Lots of rock areas to wander around.

This is a pleasant beach, clean and free to enter. Plenty of parking plus showers and restrooms. Even a few benches on the beach itself. Water was nice but too murky for snorkelling.

I live in a beach community in NW FL. Our beaches get raked every day. Why won't Monroe county do the same. I've never been to the keys in the summer and was amazed at the washed up seaweed and bad smell. I was telling my partner how beautiful Sombrero Beach was. It was a big disappointment.

Sombrero Beach itself is a very pretty, white sand beach with gorgeous, tropical looking water. You do have to pay to park, and the beach is pretty crowded, but if you can find a spot, it’s a great beach to hang out for the day.

The water is very warm and shallow, but still refreshing. There are nice facilities right next to the beach, and everything in and around the beach is very well maintained. We plan on returning to Sombrero Beach to relax and do some swimming. Recommended.

-The PowerTrippers

We were so impressed with the improvements over the past year. The playground area looks fantastic. All of the walkways and grasses look great.

We love having our feet in the sand and in the water. The last time we were there we saw a manatee, but this time we did not. It is a beautiful location. They have a nice park area with facilities.

Good beaches in the keys are rare, but this is one of the better ones. Narrow yet sandy strip to lay your towel out on and beautiful water. It would have been great if they could remove some of the mats of seaweed, and there were quite a lot of ants, but that's nature, right? Clean bathrooms and outdoor showers to wash off the sand and a very relaxed vibe overall.

Lovely family friendly beach with a nice playground and public restrooms and good parking. We will definitely return.

Pictures on here don't do it justice. There is a large stretch of beach that is white sand all the way out. This is a great beach to swim at. It also has a wash off station.

Fabulous public beach in Marathon, FL. Shallow water for kids and also deeper as you swim out. Nice sandy beach - because it is public, need to bring your own chairs and umbrella as there are no concessions at this beach.

Such a beautiful beach. Peaceful and pristine. Loved the coral and how close it is to the parking area. Talked to snorkelers and not much to see. Looking forward to returning!

Finally found a beach in the Keys that we could spend the day at and has facilities and makes for a nice beach day. Lots of seaweed and kelp the day of our visit but the water was wonderful and the vibe was nice.

It is a decent beach with pets allowed. You do have to pay to park. Nice facilities, showers, and restrooms. Many families were there when we were. I don’t recommend going barefoot as there are many rocks and shells.

Sombrero Beach is located in the Middle Keys, more specifically in Marathon. It's about 50 miles from KW. We left Key West and combined this tour with Bahia Honda State Park.
To get there is very simple. Follow Overseas Hwy and turn right on Sombrero Beach Road to the end. You will pass by beautiful large houses until you arrive in front of the beach, where it is possible to park in the parking lot paying a fee in the ATMs (about $10 in our case).
The beach is beautiful, turquoise blue, of medium length and without stones. There's some dead algae, but nothing to bother. It is a more full beach (we went on a Saturday afternoon) and with more Latinos, than we had seen in KW and Big Pine Key.
Good water to get in, but we did not snorkel. It has plenty of bathroom structure, shower, beach volleyball squares and barbecues, with a cool lawn in the area of access to the beach. The beach and access are very clean too.
I recommend the visit! We went late in the afternoon and it was great!

Sombrero Beach is a little slice of beach heaven. Nice white sandy areas and beautiful clear water. There are bathrooms, picnic tables in grassy areas, a play ground and all free. Like others, we tried to go to Bahia Honda and it was full. We drove 15 mins., and found easy street parking. We could not believe there was no fee. A lovely place to catch some beach time.

One of the best beaches in the Florida Keys. There is plenty of parking, bathrooms, pavilions for a picnic, a playground for the kids and warm salty water!

Clean beach with lots of free parking. Has a restroom and playground. It doesn’t have any other amenities such as chair rental or concession stand. The FL keys aren’t known for beaches so this is about as good as it gets.

We found this while exploring Marathon, clean well managed and we will definitely be back. One of the nicest beaches we have found.

Well maintained, beautiful area, clean, super fun playground, plenty of outdoor water spouts to clean the sand off. Kayaking, nice picnic/grill areas and volleyball courts.

The beaches in the Keys are not what I am used to- narrow strip of sand. However, we had a beautiful day and the water was warm. Restrooms are available as well.

Parking was easy. Our younger kids found a spot around the corner of the beach to snorkel while our oldest fished off of the pier. There is also 2 sand volleyball courts. It was clean and not too crowded.

Narrow beach but nice white sand and nice restroom/changing areas.
Parking is $5 per hour pay by card.
A couple of palm trees for shade, so you better bring your own shade with you.

They groom the sand but leave the rotting sargasso weed to make the water extremely murky. If wind is against you you get that nice fermented rotten smell

Great potential but lack maintenance makes it a no go.

For a municipal beach, Sombrero is just fine. A reminder that beaches in the keys are not like Miami Beach or the Caribbean. They are narrow and many times more full of seaweed than what you’d expect. In efforts to slow erosion, we are ok with that. We love to swim and the water at Sombrero is beautiful. There are virtually no waves, however. We bought our own umbrella and snorkel gear. Unfortunately, it’s way too murky to snorkel. Only one shower worked which was also totally inadequate for a holiday weekend.

There is no fishing allowed in the swimming area just so you know.
No glass bottles,loud music.
Please fill in the hole your kids dig in the sand before you leave especially during turtle nesting season,as turtles fall in the holes and can die. Thank you.

Great beach with actual free parking, although limited. Nice sand, calm water, decent snorkeling around the rocks on calm days. Restrooms available, as well as a playground and areas to get out of the sun

The best beach we found in all the keys. Even though it was crowded, the beach was big enough for everyone to have their little piece of paradise. Our golden retriever loved playing in the water and lounging under the palms. There is a $5/ hour parking fee but so worth it! Bathrooms are clean and plenty of showers to rinse off.

Perfect place to spend a beach day! Park for the kids and clean restrooms. Lots of space and the water is clean and clear!

We were in Marathon for a week and spent about three days at Sombrero beach. It’s very small. If you’re looking for a wide beach like Hilton Head or Marco Island, you’ll be disappointed, but we really enjoyed our time there. It’s quiet and very family friendly: there were always young and old people there. The water was very warm. I gave it a 4 out of 5 because there was seaweed everywhere (although there were people working on it while we were there.)

Sombrero Beach was located just down the street from the house we rented in Marathon. Parking was plentiful and the facilities — volleyball courts, playground, bathrooms — were clean and well maintained. The beach itself is relatively long and wide and the water was gorgeous. There were a fair number of people here, but you could also take a chair and find a spot to socially distance. No lifeguards on duty.

So pretty and lots of amenities for families. The parking lot may make you feel like there’s a million people there but the beach is large with plenty of room. Highly recommend

This beach was not that great despite the high rankings on various sites. The beautiful crystal clear water of the keys was absent. The sign said Portuguese man o’ war are present there. We stayed for 15 minutes and repacked our car and drove to Bahia Honda.

We had a great experience at this beach. We visited several during our stay and I felt this was the cleanest, most sand, and least amount of dying sea grass which helped with less smell. Clean playground and lots of fish and mantee if snorkling.

If you're looking for a sandy beach in the Keys, this is it! Very well cared for sandy beach. It is good sized and the swimming area is substantial. Lots of places to picnic and play volley ball away from the sandy beach.

Always love a good day of laying on the beach! Our pup enjoyed the sounds of the ocean and bird watching too! Tons of washed up sea grass on the shore but plenty of space to socially distance.

This beach was a very pretty public beach! The only thing if you’re vacationing they don’t provide chairs you have to bring your own or a towel

Very let down as we bieved the reviews and the only reason I think it got good reviews as it has bathrooms, change rooms parking for urban reviewers who want anemities. We found the beach water with a black sootyness to it and the smell of sulfur in the air which wad constant. It is right in the heart of the city of marathon so it's a city neach. No sea life or shells of any significance.

Very pretty beach that is well kept and clean. Has something for everyone. I went mainly to take sunrise and sunset photos. Plenty of photo opportunities but would be better for sunrise photos in the winter months. Nice swimming area and a fishing dock.

The beach was ok, imho, I think it was a very average beach as far as beaches go! The parking for the beach is an absolute nightmare and very limited. We went in December 24/Jan 25 period and it was almost impossible to find a space - I can't imagine what is would be like in the height of summer. The facilities (toilets etc) are clean and plentiful and there is plenty for the little kids to do. There is no food/drink option available - so remember to take your own supplies. Get there early to get a parking spot!

We went to Sombrero Beach on our vacation in March of 2021. We have been to many beaches before, and my wife and I were not impressed. There was a lot of sea weed at the beach, along with some garbage visible. But, it is a beach, which isn't all bad!!!

Really beautiful water and beaches! Loved it! Do not know what more to say except make a point to get there. Bahia Honda beach also very nice!

This is a small beach compared to Destin type beaches. Marathon doesn't have much in the way of beaches, this is the nicest one around. Free, good facilities and a lot of shallow for the smaller kids to play in.

Nice beach, pity about the seaweed(issue all along The Keys). Despite it looking cloaer on a map, its a bit of a drive from the Overseas Highway. Parking is confusing - I ended up paying $10 for 2 hours when kd only intemded staying maybe an hour. Get there early to get shaded under the trees.

This beach was a short drive from our condo. We enjoyed the beach itself, and we loved the available amenities. The bathrooms and outdoor showers are very nice. There are several covered areas with picnic tables. Paying the parking fee was easy.

Nice little beach! Clean restrooms, shower for rinsing off. There was a playground and grassy picnic area by the restrooms. Lots of families. Lovely afternoon!

Great beach with nice sand for walking. Shallow water for kids. There is a lot of seaweed. Handy restrooms. Dog friendly beach.

The beach was very nice. The Keys are not generally know for their beaches. This would compare to a Cocoa Beach. Not near the quality of the panhandle of Florida or Miami area. The kids enjoyed there time. Parking is kinda ridiculous but we managed. We hit up almost all the beaches we could find and this was by far the nicest. It was a little over an hour away.

This beach (and many other beaches in the keys) are unfortunately inundated with seaweed this summer. The keys aren’t known for long, beautiful stretches of beaches anyways ... and Sombrero is a couple hundred yards of sand with loads of seaweed and tons of people. If you’re coming to Florida for beaches, go elsewhere. Instead, go snorkeling, take a sunset cruise, or kayak to a sandbar. Pass on this beach this summer.

Great, calm, and relaxing beach. Didn’t feel guilty when my nieces were running around, talking loudly and having a great time. Wear shoes all the time as there are rocks, stones and sticks on the beach. There is a big lip drop off right off the beach as you’re in the water. We love to walk over and play on the beach but also playground as well. Downside, you have to pay for parking per hour.

Visited with husband and arrived at the beach around 9:30. Good timing since by 10:00 it was packed. White sandy beach with some coral areas for exploring and snorkeling. Locals and visitors. On-site playground , bathrooms and shaded areas. Tons of parking but it does get filled early. Great time.

Easy parking, beautiful white sands and lovely area. We brought snorkels and enjoyed the afternoon. Foot wash stations are so great!

Very clean; nice place. Sometimes crowded but even there is worth to spend time there! The sand is almost white! The water is very clean and blue. You can find also place to eat in shadow; place for kids to play; restrooms. I recommend bery much!

Beaches are not the main attraction in the Keys but we are a beachy family so we found this one. We like to sit in the sun and have cold drinks, pack a light lunch, and swim when we get hot. The beach wasn't too wide but had plenty of space to set up chairs and claim a space. If you were lucky and wanted shade, there are palm trees to offer some cover. The water was clean and warm and there were plenty of seaweed free sections to just wade and enjoy. Nice and shallow if you have kids. We saw no evidence of homeless people as some suggested but I could see it happening as it's a public park and it's right in town. Public restrooms were clean and safe. We loved it.

A beautiful beach with bath facilities, playground, volleyball courts, and the perfect place to watch the sunset!

This is a nice beach to go and relax, Beautiful park with a playground. The water was nice and calm.

We visited Sombrero Beach twice while in the area since it was convenient and had a sandy beach. While not a spectacular beach, it was ok, and it had a nice Park in front of the beach as well as free parking with easy access.

Great place to hang out. Saw several fishermen early in the morning. Several pavilions to picnic in.

Beautiful Keys beach. Lots of white sand. Strange street parking, arrive early. Nice bathrooms and showers. You can’t compare the Keys to panhandle beaches. This is a great Keys beach.

Found this beach after I realized I was seeing a lighthouse off in the distance from the area while driving. This is a beautiful beach in the section we walked in and took photos of the Sombrero Key LIghthouse - which sits 5.5 miles from the coast.

Lots of space, park is clean and well maintained. Bathrooms were clean. Good place to relax, paddleboard, or kayak. I biked there from our AirBnb. The bike trail is great. Would recommend.

Beach was large, clean and plenty of areas to enjoy the sand, water or just sit in the shade. Rest rooms were very clean.
Free beach, pay for parking by the hour

This is a lovely free beach in the Keys. There was a lot of free parking and many families enjoying the white sand beach. We especially liked that there was also a large grassy area with playground equipment, ramadas with grills and public bathroom facilities. Everything was well maintained.

Beautiful beach in Marathon. There is paid parking ($5 per hour for the first two hours, then $2 per hour). There are toilets.

This beach had it all. I wish our NC beaches were this welcoming.

There are picnic shelters with grills, volley ball, bathrooms, white sand, protected water with a view of the lighthouse and shade under palm trees. You should arrive early if you want a spot that will give you shade in the afternoon. I recommend you setup at the far right edge for calm water and max shade.

You can also fish safely (without worry of someone stepping on your hook).

Plain and simple. Beaches in the Keys are not good beaches. This one is ok. The water is cloudy, it is rather shallow and they have to import sand. There was a lot sea grass and very little shade. It is a very nice park and compared to anything else, this is the place. It is ok since it is really the only beach from Miami to Key West.

Enjoyed our visit here as well
As the playground for the kids . Pretty beach, not crowded, and water was fairly clear there. Watch out for possibly jellyfish

Great facilities for cleaning up after swimming, including an outdoor shower and restroom to take sponge bath. And it's all free. You don't even have to pay to park.

The most beautiful beach.... This is a joke!
It's tiny and crowded...
Seaweed everywhere, in piles and giving off a pestilent smell...
Water does not make you want to put a toe in it...
What a disappointment!

Sombrero Beach was exactly what we were looking for! We were a large group with toddlers all the way to my dad who's almost 90. Sombrero Beach is clean, has a park for the kids, walkways to walk around, showers, volleyball courts, bbq pits, in general it's amazing! The beach itself was nice and clean, but don't expect the clear waters from the Florida Emerald Coast. We came two or three times during our stay and always found parking and always had a great time!

Beautiful beach the only one I believe in Marathon. Water is pretty clear until more people start kicking up sand. Get there early otherwise you won’t get a spot. It becomes very crowded but everyone kind of goes with it. Beware you have to PAY for parking which sucked otherwise this review would be 5 stars.

This beach offers something for people of all ages, including a playground, volleyball, and picnic shelters that can be reserved online. There are 2 buildings with restrooms and outdoor rinsing showers. Though the sandy strip is more narrow than many may be used to, it is clean and there is little change in the tide. Dogs on leashes are welcome. I believe I saw kayak rentals and some visitors were fishing off of a point and some were snorkeling. To add to the experience, dolphins playfully swam by. Parking can fill up, so it is best to arrive mid morning for more choices.

This beach is the best in the Keys! There are plenty of facilities, easy parking, not busy at all and fabulous for families. Go to the very end of the street and park at the end by the roundabout. The beach by the small pier is the best part; it’s completely peaceful, not busy and partly shaded thanks to the palm trees. You can sit for ages in the water there and just chill; it’s got a wonderful tropical vibe. We always went there on during “off hours” (mid-week before noontime and/or late afternoon), so everything was relatively quiet and empty.

If you are looking for a free beach in the keys, this is the one. There is plenty of space on the white sand beaches and the water is clear and not rough. There are excellent facilities, including pavilions and playground equipment. When we were there in the morning, a tractor was collecting all of the sea grass that had washed up, keeping the beach area clean. Also, there is plenty of free parking on both sides of the street. I would highly recommend this beach if you want an easy and relaxing day.

This is a nice, public beach right on Marathon. It is a perfect place to spend the day- restrooms, grills, picnic tables, and a playground. The water is somewhat pooled to create a shallow and calm area which is perfect for kids. People were snorkeling and paddleboarding. There is nothing for rent around here though so bring your own toys, chair, umbrella, etc.

Not much parking but this seems to keep the beach crowd manageable. This is a well maintained park with bathrooms, shelters picnic tables, volleyball nets and swimming. The water color is nice and there are not many waves.

I have visited many, many beaches over my lifetime in various states and countries. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from this beach. I would have to say I was very much underwhelmed.

One good thing about this beach is that it’s free and there is no parking fee as you might see at other public beaches. There appears to be plenty of parking.

The beach itself It is clean and groomed, what there is of it. It is very narrow and not very long. You can’t walk for miles or even a mile on this beach one-way. This was a disappointment for us, since we are beach walkers.

The water is not as shallow as some beaches I have been to. You don’t walk out very far before you have the water come to your waist. The water is gentle with no big waves. It reminds me more of a lake in its appearance. The water is not very clear. It’s rather murky and not good for snorkeling. There was a sign warning of man-o-war as we were entering the beach area, but we didn’t see any of them. It might be a good idea to look for them before you enter the water.

On the one end of the beach is a wooden pier. We walked out on the pier and looked down at the needle nosed fish swimming by.

It seems to be a popular place for families. It wasn’t crowded this morning when we were there. There is a little playground and volleyball court. There are picnic tables. It’s a calm and natural beach without the commercial beach vibe. There are no pizza and hamburger joints there. It seems to be a welcoming place for the family dog as well. There was a sign where we entered warning us about man-o-war, but we didn’t see any. Still, it would probably be a good idea to look for them before getting into the water.

The kids seemed to be having fun there, so this might be a good place to take the kids.

Nice facilities and playround for the kiddos.
Lots of trash cans to encourage visitors to not leave their trash. Good amount of parking too.

Happy to find Sombrero Beach close to our rental. Very nice and clean beach with new playground area and restrooms.

This beach is very clean, quiet, with clean water and great view. It is free parking that is a big plus

We went in January and stayed from 11am-2pm. Perfect times for us as the sun was shining and the beach was not as crowded. Its a great beach with multiple restrooms, volleyball courts and a small park. The Keys are not really beach towns, but this place was worth the visit when you want to relax on the beach.

Full-time County employee writing $90 parking tickets. Don't be late getting back to your car or you'll have to pay Big Time. Guess the County has to cover the cost of maintaining the beach/park/rest rooms for the homeless people hanging out there. I did not feel safe. Music blaring and people wandering too close as if looking for their next mark. Other Marathon beaches were worse. At least the County rakes this beach of trash on a regular basis. I paid for six hours and left after four hours.

There is a beach, but it ain't Siesta Beach. Considering there are few in The Keys, this is a reasonable choice. Other reviews commented on free parking. NOT FREE. First two hours are $5.00 per hour, then it drops after that. This added a big chunk of change to our expenses over our week in Marathon. Water was murky the week we visited. Couldn't see my hand at the end of my arm with a snorkel mask on. And depending on the tides and wind, lots of seaweed on shore. They don't rake seaweed in municipal and state beaches here.

Nice spot but sand is narrow, a lot of seaweed and way too many people. Parking is hard to get. We left after 10 mins

You now have to pay for parking unless you live in Monroe County. But well worth it Playground, Bathroom, Outdoor showers to rinse off,Park like setting with pavilions.

Got there at 11am with plenty of parking. Skinny beach. Great facilities, playgrounds, and picnic areas. Although people didn't see the sign, we were very concerned about fecal/flesh eating bacteria warning so we left. Parking was full when e left at noon.

After hitting a few state parks in the area, we discovered sombrero beach. This beach was superb and well maintained. There are also showers to rinse off.

We stopped here for a couple of hours for swimming while visiting the Marathon area. It was one of the nicer beaches in the Keys. It was hot that day, but if you go to the end of parking lot there are some palm trees on the beach that provide shade. A little seaweed, but nothing crazy. Metered parking.

Tons of sea grass coming in this time of year so if you’re going to swim, you better like swimming in slime. Beyond that the beach is nice and the view is pretty good.

Yes clean and had all the facilities u need but limited parking after a certain time, no local options to hire chairs or umbrellas

Easier to wear water shoes for entering the water

Free parking and plentiful clean restrooms. East walk to beach from parking lot. It’s a nice beach to the Florida Keys. Spent about an hour at the beach and would definitely return.

If I had driven down to Marathon, I would have brought a beach chair and radio and spent all days on this beach. Beautiful park,playground, pavillion (with charcoal grill), facilities,beach, and best of all, view.
Heard it gets busy. Don’t know firsthand. So come early and get a south facing spot so you can get some morning and afternoon sun.
Oh, ya, vollyball, and, not sure, but looked like kayaks possibly!

Parking is $5 for up
To 2 hrs. Has a playground, bathrooms and showers to remove sand from your feet. It’s dog friendly has Beach Volleyball. The keys isn’t known for their beaches (go to the gulf coast for that) and at sombrero there’s warning signs for Portuguese man-o-war. In summer, lots of seaweed washes ashore and it smells really bad. I’ve been here a few times looking for shells but very disappointed.

The amenities look very nice. Great location if staying in Marathon. But terrible disgusting yucky water. I only stayed like 10 mins. So disappointed!!!

Gorgeous beach with safe swimming and easy parking. There are Bathrooms and showers available with volleyball courts.

Nice beach. Plenty of space when we went to relax. Bathrooms, and rinse off showers outside definitely are great! Some rocks in the water, recommend swim shoes.

Easily one of the best beaches in the FL Keys… wide, white sand beach, plenty of facilities (bathrooms, showers), recreation areas like volleyball and BBQs. Fenced parking area provides easy access to beach. Lots of beautiful, green tropical space! Water is very nice, calm, and beautiful. Very worth a stop to enjoy when you’re passing through Marathon Key! Highly recommend!

Great time visiting this beach with family. Water was absolutely beautiful. It was warm and pretty there and do not forget to walk to your right and see the rest of beach.

Nice clean city park beach. Good facilities, restrooms, playground. Convenient parking. Not a huge beach but there aren't many beaches in the Keys like this with nice sand and not rocky.

Pretty public beach in Marathon. Easy to find. Take note of the 15mph speed limit and watch out for those speed humps. Beautiful beach to take a stroll or just chill. Too windy the day we were here, but check out the volley ball courts. Restrooms available.

Pack a cooler and towels and enjoy the sun! Beautiful beach. No Lifeguards. Showers to rinse off.
Enjoy the Beach!

Really nice beach with nice sand. Parking was $5/hr for first two hours and $2/hr after that. Nice way to spend the day.

Vacationing in Marathon the whole family went to Sombrero Beach. Could not figure out how to pay for parking, finally did. The beach has a ton of seaweed. Not used to that. It looks like it could use to be cleaned as well. The water was not crystal clear like all of the beaches I have been to. The sand could be raked and cleaned.

Solid beach on Marathon. Came here twice to relax and swim in the water. Stopped at the Publix on the way to the beach as it's right on the highway. Was hoping to find vendors near the beach to buy drinks, rent chairs from but they could not be found.

Great beach with lots of land activities like volleyball, a dock, benches and cabanas and a playground. Water was rated high in bacteria count and no one was swimming.

I guess I have a higher standard coming from California, but we planned to spend the day here and it was crowded, smelly, and depressing. We went back to the beach at the hotel instead.

Really clean beach. Bring an umbrella because there isn't much shade. There is a playground for kids and clean bathrooms. Lots of good places to grab a sandwich to take (Big Mouth Eatery).

Went to Bahia Honda state park first. Beach is rocky and almost non existent.
Came to Sombrero beach after that. Parking was full in the afternoon…had to wait for someone to leave to get a spot. But the beach is great! They have restrooms, picnic tables and a playground too.

It's a nice beach but not as nice as Bahia Honda, maybe 30 minutes south of here. There are a few interesting rocky outcrops that have little goby fish living in them. Water is reasonably clear and parking was abundant.

This was a beautiful beach; we went swimming during the day and back in the evening for the sunset. The seaweed had been removed, the water clarity was nice and if you go down to the end, around the corner there's a kayak launch and quieter area of the beach. We hope to go back and rent a house in this neighborhood - that's how much we loved the beach.

Great beach and highly recommend spending the day there. Super clean and water was beautiful. Probably best beach on the keys.

We spent the day at Sombrero beach. It was beautiful and the water clear and calm. My kids had a great time playing in the sand and in the water looking for shells.

Stopped here on the way to Key West. Not too busy, have nice facilities with bathrooms. Water isn't the best when I visited because of sea grasses but it was still nice.

Ok beach with lots of seaweed. Was not really a good place to snorkel off the beach though. Ample parking and clean rest rooms.

Fabulous public beach! Sandy bottom and a long stretch of beach. Nice big playground with covered picnic areas . Bathrooms and showers were clean and very nice. I can see how parking can fill up quickly.

A great place to spend the day. Dog friendly. Occasional ice cream truck. 👍Make sure to walk down to the far end. Boat watching is as much fun as people watching.

Pleasant but narrow beach.
Contrary to what may be written elsewhere, parking costs $5 per hour for the first two hours then $2 for the following.
Don't come too late if you want to have space. At 11:00 a.m. everyone is in place with shelters, parasols and coolers.

This is an excellent public beach, that is just the right size for a few hour stay. Make sure to bring your own...well, everything because it is public, but if you do you will enjoy every minute here.! Parking can be a challenge, but look for it on the side streets running perpendicular to the main parking along the beach.

We visited here many years ago and it has changed a lot, probably due to hurricane damage.
Quite a narrow beach; no shade or seats this time of year. Showers available and clean rest rooms. Shaded picnic areas off the beach. The beach was clean. Parking price was astronomical.

Park (free) at one of the first spots and enter through the first walkway-- turn left and you will be on an almost-private part of the beach as it dead-ends at a beach house on stilts.
Dogs are allowed.
Other than public restrooms, this part of the beach had no amenities, so bring water and snacks.

Great low key family beach. Clean city restrooms. Friendly locals. Small and low key. Not a tourist beach with and bars and umbrellas for rent. Bring what you need.

Unlike many other states…New Jersey.. this beach was free and everyone knows it.. many people bring coolers and drink beer or lady beers(seltzer’s) the water is nice and the bathroom are good too.. you have to bring your own beach gear. Can’t rent chairs here. Parking was free too.. can’t beat the place or the price. Even has a great playground.. I can imagine that it must get really hot here in the summer. April. It was perfect.

Gorgeous. Clean. Best in the morning before too crowded. Even spotted local wildlife. Went there on our last day, but would’ve gone every day if I go in sooner in the week.

The best beach we have found so far outside of Bahia Honda State Park.

The facilities are good, the water clear, and the beach (at least on a Thursday afternoon) mostly empty.

There really is a lot to like about Sombrero Beach. It's got a good location, shade trees, a kids' play area and a beach house with bathrooms and a shower.

Unfortunately, there was waaaaaaay too few parking spots and waaaaay too much seaweed in the water and because a lot of it washed up on the shore, there was a bad smell to the place. It was so strong, we only stayed for a short while before leaving to find a better beach.

I recommend driving across Seven Mile Bridge to the Bohia Honda State Park. There's a fee to get in, but the beach is exponentially better.

Absolutely spectacular! Sombrero Beach is truly one of the most beautiful spots in the Florida Keys — a perfect slice of paradise. The soft, white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water make it feel like you’ve stepped into a postcard. It’s clean, well-maintained, and has a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere that’s ideal for families, couples, or anyone just looking to unwind.

The beach is perfect for swimming, sunbathing, picnicking, or simply watching a stunning sunset. There’s plenty of space to spread out, and the gentle waves make it great for a refreshing dip. It’s also a wonderful place to spot wildlife and enjoy the natural beauty of the Keys.

If you’re visiting the area, don’t miss Sombrero Beach — it’s everything you dream a Florida beach would be and more. Pure bliss from start to finish!

This beach was gorgeous and had plenty of bathrooms and a large playground. We had a great time when we visited this beach and it was gorgeous.

We Always enjoy Sombrero Beach. Nice facility and kept clean. We like to paddle board as well as snorkel here.

It is a nice beach. My 10 year old enjoyed playing at the playground. The sand is a little rough and it would be nice if there was some type of food around, but its a nice beach overall.

A beautiful beach ! Very clean and the water was just perfect . We preferred it over Bahia it had more space we will go again .

dogs are allowed on leash but we took ours into the water without a leash because he listens to us; clean beach; bring floats to enjoy the water. Very nice place!

Sombrero Beach is a large public beach located in a residential neighborhood. There is plenty of free parking and no fee to enter. Lots of amenities include children’s play area, volleyball courts, picnic tables with grills and clean restrooms with showers. Family friendly. You are also able to see a lighthouse in the distance.

Beautiful beach, clean, soft sand, beautiful warm turquoise water. Easy parking, no fees. Clean bathrooms, playground.

Perfect weather and not overcrowded. We usually visit Clearwater beach and we really miss somewhere to buy lunch and cocktails. The water was nice and the sand was also really nice.