What can non-fishing guests do in Islamorada?
Feed the tarpon at Robbie’s Marina ($2.50 admission and $5 a bucket, read October 2026), visit the History of Diving Museum at mile marker 83, or take a boat to Indian Key Historic State Park. On a private charter, a non-fishing guest can usually ride along: ask the operator, because the boat’s capacity counts everyone aboard.
Feeding the tarpon at Robbie’s
Robbie’s Marina, on the bay side at mile marker 77.5, sells admission to its dock for $2.50 a person and buckets of fish for $5, with the Tarpon Booth open 7 am to 9 pm, as its own site showed on 6 October 2026. The tarpon gather under the dock for the handouts. The Hungry Tarpon restaurant is on the same property, open from 6:30 am.
NOAA looked at shore-based fish feeding in its 2025 sanctuary rule and chose not to regulate venues like this one at this time; the new ban on feeding fish covers feeding from boats.
Museums and history
- History of Diving Museum, 82990 Overseas Highway (mile marker 83, bay side): open 10 am to 5 pm daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day; adults $15, seniors 62 and over $13 (its own site, read October 2026).
- Keys History & Discovery Center, mile marker 82.1 ocean side, on the grounds of the Islander Resort (Islamorada Chamber guide).
- The Florida Keys Memorial, for the 1935 Labor Day hurricane: built by the WPA in 1937, it holds the cremated remains of about 190 victims, including World War I veterans (Keys tourism council). The council places it at mile marker 81.5, the Chamber at 81.8.
Island parks you reach by boat
The Islamorada Chamber lists Indian Key Historic State Park, at mile marker 74.5 on the ocean side and reached by boat, and Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park. Many Islamorada boat operators also sell sandbar trips, but no official source read for this page sets rules or locations for the sandbars, so check with the operator.
Riding along on a charter
On a private charter you pay for the boat, not the seat, so a non-fishing guest is usually welcome. The limit is the boat’s passenger count, which includes everyone aboard. Ask the operator before booking, and say how many will fish. What to expect covers how the day runs.
Read for this page on 6 October 2026: Robbie’s of Islamorada ; History of Diving Museum: location and hours ; Keys tourism council: Hurricane Monument ; Federal Register: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary final rule, 17 Jan 2025 .
Check it at the source
- Islamorada, Village of Islands The municipality. It does not operate the marinas — those are private, and each sets its own access and parking. Link checked 6 September 2026
Non-fishing guests: questions
How much does it cost to feed the tarpon at Robbie’s?
Robbie’s own site showed $2.50 admission per person and $5 per bucket of fish on 6 October 2026, with the Tarpon Booth open 7 am to 9 pm. Robbie’s is on the bay side at mile marker 77.5.
Can someone come on a fishing charter without fishing?
On a private charter, usually yes: you book the boat, and its passenger limit counts everyone aboard, fishing or not. Ask the operator before booking so the boat has room.
What is there to do in Islamorada besides fishing?
Feeding tarpon at Robbie’s, the History of Diving Museum at mile marker 83, the Keys History & Discovery Center, the 1935 hurricane memorial, and boat trips to Indian Key and Lignumvitae Key state parks.
Next step
Looking for fishing trips in Islamorada?
Islamorada Charters Fishing is an independent guide — no boats, no bookings, nothing to sell. It exists so you can ask better questions before you hand an operator a deposit.
Islamorada Charters Fishing takes no bookings and earns nothing from a click. You book with the operator directly.