Marathon is a town that is located a little more than half way down the Florida Keys island chain, It is the second largest town in the keys, behind Key West. Most of the town resides on Vaca Key. Vaca means cow in Spanish and the island was the site of a large cattle ranch many years ago.
Marathon is a working town more than a tourist town although there are ample opportunities for tourists which include fishing, diving and every kind of boating. Marathon does not have big name hotels but lots of small motels and some RV parks and campgrounds. There are lots of restaurants, some with spectacular views. Of particular note is the Sunset Grill and Raw Bar at mile marker 49 which overlooks the Seven Mile Bridge. Another restaurant which has been around a long time and is a must when in Marathon is the Seven Mile Grill.
Marathon also hosts the Florida Keys Seafood Festival. Besides seafood, there are many vendors that display artworks by artist from throughout the Florida Keys.
