Day 3 started well, another warm and bright day with a bit of a breeze.

For a change of scenery, we decided to walk north on Ocean Drive to see what breakfast eateries we could find. It wasn’t long before we found Hotel Victor on the corner of 12th Street. It had a balconied restaurant area with modern jazz music playing from the speakers, giving a chilled out vibe. We were served by Juan, a lovely guy who called us “my family”. He said that we’d made an excellent choice by ordering huevos rancheros with English tea.

https://hotelvictorsouthbeach.com

Back at the hotel, we checked out and got an Uber to the Sixt car rental on 5th Street. After a bit of a queue and a forgotten credit card PIN, we were given a free upgrade from a mid SUV to a beast of a BMW X7. Guess who is driving? Yes, me. Once I’d found out where all the basics were in the car, we set off.

Once out of Miami, the journey to our next destination, Reefhouse Resort and Marina, was easy to get to. The Florida Keys are accessible on one road only, the Overseas Highway US 1. This resort is just outside Key Largo and is a self contained complex with plenty to do. Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived (this was us getting there early, not them being late), but we were allowed to use the facilities. It turned out a chill afternoon, complimentary cocktails on arrival, sun-bed usage with towels and a nice swim in the pool.

https://www.opalcollection.com/reefhouse/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Listing&utm_campaign=Reefhouse%20Resort

We eventually checked in earlier than the advertised time and found we had a lovely spacious room with a view over Blackwater Sound. This is a bay about 6 miles from Key Largo. It’s also a natural habitat for bonnet head and blacktop sharks.

We saw other wildlife whilst soaking up the sun rays, including small lizards, pelicans, turkey vultures and the American white ibis.

After watching the sun go down over the horizon, we headed back to get changed. We then headed out to Gus’ Grille, a restaurant on the complex which we had pre-booked.

https://www.opalcollection.com/reefhouse/restaurants/gus-grille/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Listing&utm_campaign=Gus+Grille+Reefhouse

We were served by a lovely lady from Jamaica, called Peaches. I tried mahi-mahi, a fish I’ve never eaten before. It was blackened with Cajun spices and tasted great. Another great day had ended well.