Made up of seven small islands, Dry Tortugas is one of the world’s most awe-inspiring eco-attractions. This national park is located on the Dry Tortugas islands, southwestern Florida, U.S. The place is renowned for its array of activities like camping, boating, swimming, snorkelling, and diving. Indeed, this island is a soothing place for those who want to spend their vacations in scorching summer. But how to reach Dry Tortugas National Park, is the main question here.
In this article, we will talk about how you can reach Dry Tortugas National Park. Before that, let’s talk about this national park in detail. Without much ado, let’s start.
A Rich History Of Dry Tortugas National Park At A Glance
In 1513, the Spanish Explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the islands in the Gulf of Mexico and named them for the tortoise due to the abundance of their presence. The park is so beautiful that people easily get amazed to see its beauty. Here visitors can see nesting seabirds, nurse sharks, five species of turtles, and crocodiles. The beauty, weather, atmosphere, and fun activities make this place extraordinary. There are many interesting activities you can do, which include:
- Snorkelling
- Diving
- Birding
- Camping
- Boating & swimming
And a lot more activities you can do once you visit this national park. But, how to reach Dry Tortugas National Park is still not clear. Let’s now dive in below to talk about it.
Different ways to get to Dry Tortugas National park
There are many ways to reach Dry Tortugas National Park, which we’re going to talk about below. Whatever method you choose to get to the national park, you will surely enjoy the journey by capturing beautiful views and making them a memorable part of your life. So, let’s talk about these routeways below.
Seaplane Route
The first way you can take to reach Dry Tortugas National Park is a seaplane route. Taking the seaplane not only ensures you quickly reach the place, but also ensures to capture incredibly beautiful pictures. Key West Seaplane Adventure is the only company that runs the seaplane route for this national park. They offer flights throughout the day so you can choose between a half-day visit and a full-day visit. Through this route, you will fly over the Florida Keys and the Marquesas Islands. Here you get the chance to see both Key West and Dry Tortugas national park from the beautiful sky. Since the plane flies low, you can easily see nurse sharks and sea turtles in the water, sand dunes, underwater, shipwrecks, reefs, and the keys. Forget not to book your ticket in advance.
Ticket price: $361 per adult and $288.80 for children under 12
Read also: The five things to do in Corbett National park in 2022
Ferry Route
Another way on ‘how to reach Dry Tortugas National Park’ is by ferry. The Yankee Freedom is the ferry, which connects Key west to the Dry Tortugas National Park. If you choose to go by ferry, your entire day will be spent onboard the ferry. The ferry takes 175 people at a time. The check-in time is at 7 AM and the departure time of the ferry is 8:00 am and takes 2.5 hours to get to the national park. Your breakfast, lunch, along with the snorkelling equipment will be included with the fee. Moreover, you can purchase alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, snacks, and ice-creams at the gallery.
Ticket price: $190 per adult, $135 for children aged between 4 and 16, and $180 for students, seniors and active military.
Private Charter or Your Own Boat
Do you have your own boat or a private charter? If yes, you can take any of these to the national park without having to worry about time. But you need a permit before getting to the national park. You can also hire a private charter but the prices will be extremely high, almost about $3000 a day. No wonder, the price would be at its peak, but the experience will be different altogether.
Thus, these were the top 3 ways you can just read on how to reach Dry Tortugas National Park. Choose the way based on your budget, preference, and comfort. We hope that you found this article informative and helpful to you.