Bamboo Key is a nine-acre island set in the aquamarine Florida Bay within boating distance of Marathon. It’s home to numerous species of birds that populate the Florida Keys, as well as mosquitoes and no-see-ums.
Gordon and Molly Beyer bought the undeveloped island in 1970 when it was zoned for one home per acre. But they didn’t move to develop the retreat until 1997. By then, Monroe County had identified Bamboo Key as a bird rookery and prohibited the Beyers from doing anything on the island other than camping.
