Biscayne National Park sits just south of Miami and is 95% water — 173,000 acres of mangrove shoreline, shallow turquoise bay, and the northernmost reaches of the Florida reef tract. Almost everything worth seeing requires a boat. The visitor center on Convoy Point is the only meaningful land-side experience; from there, the Biscayne National Park Institute runs the snorkel, paddle, and Boca Chita Key tours that most visitors actually come for. For a reunion, Biscayne pairs naturally with an Everglades or Florida-Keys-based trip. It works best for groups whose teens and adults are comfortable on the water and where the older relatives can enjoy the visitor center and boardwalk while the boat groups are out.
Where it is
Things to do (with the family)
Hand-curated. Every entry links to its official source so you can plan without guessing.
Dante Fascell Visitor Center
On Convoy Point — exhibits, ranger desk, gift shop, picnic area, and the only easy way to experience the park without a boat.
Official source ↗Snorkel tour with Biscayne National Park Institute
Half-day boat trip to a shallow reef or shipwreck site; the only sanctioned snorkel tour operator inside the park, gear included.
Official source ↗Boca Chita Key boat tour
Boat trip to the iconic 1930s Boca Chita Key lighthouse and harbor; great for the not-snorkeling subgroup.
Official source ↗Convoy Point Jetty Walk
Short paved jetty out into Biscayne Bay; manatee and tarpon spotting in calm conditions, fully accessible.
Official source ↗Family Fun Fest (winter Sundays)
Free monthly family event with crafts, ranger talks, and kayak demos at the visitor center — great for the youngest cousins.
Official source ↗Elliott Key paddle or boat trip
7-mile-long undeveloped key with primitive camping; reachable by private boat or some Institute trips. Wild and quiet.
Official source ↗Junior Ranger program
Free activity book at the Convoy Point visitor center; complete it for a Biscayne Junior Ranger badge — kids 5-13.
Official source ↗Sunset paddle in Biscayne Bay
Institute-led kayak and paddleboard tours from the visitor center jetty; calm bay water is friendly to first-time paddlers.
Official source ↗Everglades National Park add-on
The Royal Palm and Pa-hay-okee entrances of Everglades NP are 30-45 minutes west — many reunions do both parks in a single trip.
Official source ↗Find more things to do for your Biscayne National Park reunion
The picks above are general. Inside the Reunly app, Rosi tailors local activities, meals, and printables to your actual dates, group size, ages, and budget — and saves them straight to your reunion plan.
Good for
- Snorkel- and water-loving reunion groups
- Florida Keys / South Florida-based trips
- Half-day add-on to Everglades visits
- Multi-park Florida reunions (Biscayne + Everglades + Dry Tortugas)
- Reunions with strong-swimmer teens
Practical logistics
- Closest Airports
- Miami (MIA) ~45 min · Fort Lauderdale (FLL) ~1 hr
- Group Lodging
- No in-park lodging. Most reunions stay in Homestead or Florida City (Fairfield, Hampton, Holiday Inn) — 15 min from the visitor center and 30 min from Everglades' main entrance. Larger reunions stay in Miami and drive in.
- Cell Service
- Reliable on land, intermittent on the water.
- Parking
- Convoy Point has a free lot that fills on winter Sundays during Family Fun Fest; otherwise plenty of room.
- Park Fee
- No entrance fee. Boat tours and snorkel trips are separate (typically $50-$100/person).
- Accessibility
- The visitor center, jetty, and picnic areas are accessible. Most boat tours can accommodate guests with limited mobility — call the Institute ahead.
- Official Site
- https://www.nps.gov/bisc/index.htm
When to go
November through April. Winter and early spring have the calmest water, fewest mosquitoes, and best snorkel visibility. Summer is hot, hurricane season runs June-November, and afternoon thunderstorms cancel boat tours regularly.
Best for your group size
Small group · 10–25
Groups of 10–25 fit on a single Institute boat charter (their large vessels typically hold 24-30 passengers); book the whole boat for a private reunion outing.
Medium group · 25–60
Groups of 25–60 will need to split across two Institute trips (snorkel + Boca Chita Key) on the same morning; coordinate one Homestead-area hotel block with a shared meeting room for evenings.
Large group · 60+
Groups of 60+ are best handled by booking the Institute private charter capacity over 2 days plus a non-water on-shore option for the not-boating subgroup.
Sample 2-day Biscayne reunion
A starter agenda you can copy into Reunly's Schedule and customize for your group.
Day 1 — Convoy Point + Welcome
- Fly into Miami (MIA); 45 min drive to Homestead
- 2 PM check-in at Homestead-area hotel block
- 4 PM visit Convoy Point visitor center + jetty walk
- 6 PM group dinner in Homestead (Cuban or Caribbean)
Day 2 — Snorkel + Boca Chita
- 7 AM breakfast and 8 AM Institute snorkel boat (book first thing)
- 12 PM picnic lunch back at Convoy Point
- 2 PM split: Boca Chita Key boat tour for the snorkel group · paddle or visitor center for the on-shore subgroup
- 6 PM group photo at the Convoy Point sunset jetty
- 7 PM reunion dinner
Optional Day 3-4 — Everglades add-on
- Royal Palm trails (Anhinga + Gumbo Limbo)
- Shark Valley tram tour
- Final group dinner in Homestead
Reunion organizer tips
Anchor in Homestead or Florida City. There is no in-park lodging at Biscayne, and Miami is too far for a daily drive. Homestead-area chain hotels are 15 minutes from Convoy Point and 30 from Everglades — perfect for a two-park reunion.
Book Institute tours early. The Biscayne National Park Institute is the only sanctioned snorkel/boat operator and trips fill 6-8 weeks ahead in winter, especially the half-day reef snorkel and the Boca Chita Key trip.
Plan around the weather window. Boat tours cancel for chop, lightning, and high wind. Build a non-water Plan B for every boat day — the Royal Palm Everglades trail or the Coral Castle museum nearby work well.
Pair Biscayne with Everglades. Almost every reunion that visits Biscayne also visits Everglades — they are 30 minutes apart and very different parks. Plan a 4-night Homestead base and split: 2 days Biscayne (1 boat, 1 visitor center + paddle), 2 days Everglades.
Designate a 'on-shore captain' for the snorkel days. Most reunions have grandparents who do not want to snorkel — give them the visitor center, the jetty, and a long unhurried picnic lunch while the boat group is out.
How Reunly helps you plan it
Reunly is the all-in-one app made for family reunion organizers. Free to start. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Smart guest list
Drop in any spreadsheet — Rosi (our AI) reads multi-sheet, color-coded family groups, even handwritten exports. RSVP, dietary, T-shirt, paid status all in one row.
Open in Reunly →Public RSVP link
Share one link with the whole family. They RSVP per event (Friday BBQ, Saturday dinner) without making an account. You see live counts.
Open in Reunly →Budget that adds up
Track estimated vs. actual, who paid, who still owes. Auto-creates per-guest fee rows from your registration cost.
Open in Reunly →Day-by-day schedule
Friday welcome BBQ, Saturday photo, Sunday brunch — with location, meal flag, and per-event RSVPs.
Open in Reunly →Name tags + printables
Avery 5160 sheets color-coded by family, programs, welcome packets, packing lists — auto-filled from your data.
Open in Reunly →Rosi the AI helper
Stuck on a reminder email? A budget? A timeline? Click Rosi anywhere in the app — she drafts it from your live data.
Open in Reunly →Plan your Biscayne National Park reunion with Reunly
Free to start. Build your guest list, share an RSVP link, track payments, and print name tags — no spreadsheets.
Frequently asked
Do I need a boat to enjoy Biscayne?
For most of the park, yes — 95% of Biscayne is water. The Convoy Point visitor center and jetty are the only meaningful land-side experience. Plan at least one Biscayne National Park Institute boat or snorkel trip if you want to see what the park is famous for.
What is the difference between Biscayne and Everglades?
Biscayne is the offshore reef-and-bay park; Everglades is the freshwater grassland-and-mangrove park. They are 30 minutes apart, completely different ecosystems, and most South Florida reunions do both.
Is the snorkeling kid-friendly?
Strong-swimmer kids 8+ generally do fine on Institute snorkel trips. Younger kids and uncertain swimmers should skip the reef tour and join the Boca Chita Key boat trip instead — same boat experience without the open-water swim.
Where should we stay?
Homestead or Florida City. Fairfield Inn, Hampton, and Holiday Inn Express all handle reunion-size blocks 15 minutes from Convoy Point. Miami is too far north for a daily commute.
When is the best season?
November through April. Winter and early spring have the calmest water, best snorkel visibility, and fewest mosquitoes. Summer brings heat, daily thunderstorms, and frequent boat-tour cancellations.
How much do boat tours cost?
Biscayne National Park Institute snorkel and Boca Chita Key tours typically run $50-$100 per person. Private charters scale by boat size. Book through the Institute (the only sanctioned in-park operator).
Other reunion-friendly spots nearby
Helpful planning guides
The complete family reunion checklist
12-month, 6-month, and day-of checklists organizers actually use.
Read the guide →Family reunion budget guide
How to estimate, track, and split costs without spreadsheets.
Read the guide →Family reunion on a $2,500 budget
A real budget breakdown for a destination reunion under $2.5K.
Read the guide →