Coco Plum Beach
Marathon, FL
A small, calm water beach in the Middle Keys that locals in Marathon use more than visitors do, since the sand here is imported and the swimming is easier than the rocky natural shoreline typical of the Keys. It is the kind of place where you recognize half the people on the beach.
Imported sand and calm water make this an easier Keys beach for young kids, and it's used by locals more than visitors, which says something.
How we score beachesThe imported sand and calm water make this one of the easier Keys beaches for young kids.
Dogs are welcome on leash year-round, but this is a sea turtle nesting beach so owners must keep dogs off nesting areas and clean up after them.
Like the rest of the Keys, this one barely has an off season, with water holding in the high 70s to low 80s most of the year. Hurricane season, June through November, is the one real seasonal risk to plan around.
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