There is something very romantic about the sub-tropical island of Key West, Florida, with its brightly colored gingerbread cottages and conch houses. It’s a fascinating place that has attracted famous artists, writers, poets, and even a U.S. President. For an American, even a Floridian, it feels like the ends of the Earth. Key West is laid back, welcoming, and as close as one can get to the Caribbean without leaving the U.S. It’s the kind of town that after visiting, you might wonder, how can I set my life up so that I can live in Key West?
Key West, Florida’s charming and historic Old Town
Even jaded Floridians love Key West! It is where we go to get away from it all, when our boring local beaches and nightlife just aren’t cutting it anymore and when we’re too lazy or broke to leave the state. We go to Key West to snorkel and scuba dive and explore coral reefs, which most of Florida’s coastline doesn’t have. Another reason Key West feels so different than other Florida beach towns is that there are no high rises — no 20-story condominiums littering the shoreline. Key West is one of the few Florida towns that has maintained its charming, small-town feel.
My Dad, a somewhat reserved college professor who lived in Colorado most of his life, who was known to hate Florida, absolutely loved Key West. Go figure. But it just proves that Key West is the one destination that everyone can agree on. If you could only visit one town in Florida, I would probably suggest Key West. There is something for everybody, young, old, gay, straight, partiers, nature lovers, artists, history buffs, scuba divers, and even butterfly enthusiasts!
Sloppy Joe’s Bar, a favorite hang-out on Duval Street
A tropical paradise and America’s most southern town, Key West, Florida is famous for gorgeous sunsets, Key Lime Pie, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Conch Houses, sailing and water sports. It’s also famous for partying. Its most famous street, Duval Street is loaded with bars and cafes, most notably Sloppy Joe’s. The atmosphere is a little bit like a tropical island version of New Orlean’s French Quarter — a debauched Margaritaville come to life!
Key West is known for water sports, boating, and fishing
But before there were tourists, there were Native Americans (the Calusa and Tequesta), pirates and smugglers, Cubans, Bahamians (the original “Conchs”), sailors, soldiers, enslaved Blacks seeking freedom and refuge during the Civil War, as well as a large free Black population that already existed. Key West’s rich and fascinating history includes Civil War forts, naval stations, cigar factories, salt production, fishing, wrecking (diving for valuables from shipwrecks), and Henry M. Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway. Key West even made a half-hearted attempt at gaining independence in the 1980s when it famously declared itself the Conch Republic. There is a lot of history packed into this tiny island!
With its official philosophy and town motto of “One Human Family,” Key West is also widely known as a gay mecca and as an extremely open and accepting LGBTQ+ friendly destination. The town has two pride festivals, Key West Pride in June and Womenfest in September. All are welcome on this diverse, festive, and friendly little island.
Things to Do in Key West
For an overview of Key West and to get your bearings, I recommend doing one of the popular sightseeing tours on your first day. We did the Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour, which I thought was well worth the price. You will see a lot of sights on this tour, get a little bit of history, and it will help you get oriented. Plus, on a really hot day, you won’t want to do a lot of walking. The island is quite small, but heat can be an issue in the summer months. You can also do the Conch Tour Train (not a real train, but a tram ride) or a guided bicycle tour with Key Lime Bike tours. This town loves tourists, wants to show them a good time, and offers all kinds of tours, so take advantage!
Trolly tours, tram tours and bike tours are a relaxing way to explore Key West
There is so much to do on this little island, it’s hard to know where to begin, which is why I recommend starting with a tour. Aside from drinking at famous pubs, dining on seafood, and seeing a few of the famous homes and landmarks, Key West is the perfect place to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. After a day or two exploring Duval Street, Mallory Square and all the super touristy locales, you’ll probably want to experience Key West from the perspective of a sailboat or catamaran. If you’ve never snorkeled, jet skied, kayaked, or para-sailed, why not try it here, in this gorgeous tropical setting!
Boat Tours, Kayaking, and Water Sports
Fury Water Adventures Key West offers a all types of boat tours, snorkeling, eco-tours, sunset cruises as well as charters
Water sports rule in Key West. Therefore, to really get the most out of your Key West trip, spend some time on a boat. Don’t settle for watching all the fun from shore. Book a little cruise and do some sightseeing out on the water! Life in Key West truly revolves around water sports: boating, sailing, fishing, jet skiing, kayaking, snorkeling and scuba diving. Take advantage of all the sunset cruises, dolphin cruises, kayak tours, and snorkeling expeditions. Key West is not so much a beach town as it is a sailing, boating, fishing, and diving town. For more information on all the various companies that provide boat tours, watersports, scuba diving, snorkeling, boat rentals and charters, you may want to check out Fla-Keys.com.
The Dry Tortugas Lighthouse on Loggerhead Key | Photo by Bryan Goff, Unsplash
Nature lovers will definitely want to spend a day visiting the Dry Tortugas National Park. Ponce de Leon discovered the Dry Tortugas in 1513, and amazed by all the sea turtles he saw, named the islands Las Tortugas (Spanish for The Turtles). The word “Dry” as added later to warn mariners that there was no fresh water on the islands. The park cannot be reached by car, only by plane or boat. Visitors can take a sea plane or the ferry (a two-hour boat ride each way) to Dry Tortugas for something really special.
Nature, Wildlife and Eco Tours
Birders and nature lovers will especially enjoy kayaking through Key West’s Mangrove forests. Kayaking is the best way to view wildlife, explore the natural coastline up close, and fully immerse yourself in this sub-tropical ecosystem. There are several companies that offer guided kayak tours, which is a great way to learn about Key West’s National Wildlife Refuge and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Key West Eco Tours offers a variety of guided eco-tours. In addition, Lazy Dog Adventures also offers kayak eco tours, as well as boat tours, paddle board rentals and kayak rentals.
The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, one of Key West’s top attractions
One of the most surprising and delightful experiences I had in Key West was visiting The Key West Nature and Butterfly Conservatory. It’s hard to describe how special this place is. Entering the conservatory felt like stepping into a magical tropical forest filled with hundreds of tiny blue fairies fluttering all around me. When you enter the glass enclosed building, you are suddenly in a mini paradise, surrounded by over 50 different species of butterflies, as well as birds, waterfalls and even a few flamingoes. It’s not very big, but it’s so pretty that some couples chose it for their wedding venue. There is also an exceptionally nice gift shop and art gallery with unique butterfly inspired art, jewelry, and gifts.
Key West Attractions and Sightseeing
For History buffs: The Hemingway Home & Museum, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, the Harry S. Truman Little White House, the Key West Museum of Art & History at the Custom House and Fort Jefferson (Dry Tortugas National Park)
For Nature and Wildlife Enthusiasts: The Audubon House & Tropical Gardens, the Key West Aquarium, the Key West Nature and Butterly conservatory
Popular Annual Festivals: Fantasy Fest (an outrageous 10-day costumed festival for adults, with parties, costume balls, and parades, at the end of October), Key West Pride, Womenfest, and the annual Hemingway Contest (an Ernest Hemingway look-a-like contest held in July)
Some Important Key West Travel tips
Key West is extremely hot in the summer and most activities are outside. Best to visit in the late Fall, October or later, Winter or Spring. Winter is peak season though, with bigger crowds and hotels charging higher rates. Spring is an ideal time to visit.
Avoid getting scammed at the tourist traps. There are definitely some scammy tourist traps on Duval Street and nearby, with super aggressive sales people standing out front trying to lure gullible tourists inside. Avoid any shop with aggressive, pushy sales people. Also avoid the T-shirt shops, the $5.00 shops, shady art galleries with cheap mass-produced prints, the shady cosmetic shops with the super aggressive sales people who stand out front (you will be scammed), and “duty free” jewelry shops. Avoid any shop with aggressive sales people and products that don’t list prices.
You won’t need a car in Key West (it’s that small), so if you’re coming from Florida’s Gulf Coast near Fort Myers or Naples, consider arriving by boat, via The Key West Express. Parking in Key West is extremely limited and cars are discouraged. This company has been around a long time, and with a fleet of 3 large catamarans, they will get you there faster than driving.
Bring bikes if you’re on a road trip. The town of Key West is very small, only 1 mile wide and 4 miles long, and between the train, the trolley and a bike, you won’t need a car. Furthermore, parking is extremely hard to find. Cars are actually discouraged in Key West. Best to explore on a bike if you can.
You won’t find miles of white, sandy, beaches in Key West. There are tiny patches of beaches here and there. You won’t even have access to a lot of the coastline, as much of it belongs to resorts and their guests.
Many of the small boutique hotels and B&Bs in Old Town don’t have swimming pools. When we went, our place was adorable but there was no pool and there was no place to park our car. Key West is tiny, space is precious, and parking is hard to come by.
@ Rebecca Pavlik | TravlGusto, All Rights Reserved