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Discover the best of Key West on your vacation! From action-packed adventures to shopping and dining, explore the attractions and activities that await you in this vibrant island paradise. Perfect for cruise visitors too!
Key Attractions
Key West (Cayo Hueso in Spanish) has attracted pirates, poets, purveyors and many more for centuries, and it’s easy to understand why when you visit here. This island at the tip of Florida and the end of US Route 1 literally has something for everyone packed into its seven square miles. Florida’s southernmost city is quirky, colorful, and downright fun!
The best time to visit Key West is December through April, when milder weather predominates; keep in mind this is also high season, so you may have bigger crowds and longer wait times.
What to do in Key West? We have a few ideas:
Ride the Old Town Trolley Car
This guided hop on/hop off trolley tour will take you on a loop around to 13 of the must-see places in the city, including the Bahama Village Market, Mallory Square, Truval Village, the Historic Seaport, and the West Martello Fort. It’s a great orientation to the city for newbies and a good way to get from one side of the island to the other quickly (bonus: unlike more structured tours, you can stay as long as you like at the places that YOU want to).
Explore the Famous Duval Street
Just as New Orleans has its Bourbon Street, and Memphis its Beale Street, Key West has its equivalent in Duval Street where it’s five o’clock somewhere from sunrise to the wee hours. Just over a mile in length, it is one of the few streets on the island where you can walk from the Gulf of Mexico on the north side of the island to the Atlantic Ocean on the south. In between the two coasts are numerous shops, jewelry stores, art galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and bed and breakfasts.
At night this street takes on a carnival-like atmosphere that goes on sometimes until dawn. Partiers like to join in on the infamous “Duval Pub Crawl”, enjoying a drink from bar to bar at many of the popular spots such as Irish Kevin’s Bar, Bourbon Street Club, Hog’s Breath Saloon, Sloppy Joe’s — and the oldest of them all, Captain Tony’s Saloon. And then there is The Bull and Whistle, with its pool tables and second floor Garden of Eden clothing-optional rooftop bar.
Catch a Comedy Act
Grab a seat and be entertained at Comedy Key West, just south of Duval on Whitehead Street. Don’t let this cozy, 75-seat venue fool you; many comedians from Comedy Central, Netflix, and even Comedy Festival Award Winners have graced the stage here. This is the only Key West comedy club and a must-do for great laughs!
Enjoy Local Music
Live music can be found pretty much anywhere at any time on the island for you to sing and dance the night away, especially at the bars. The ones with the most musical acts include Irish Kevin’s Bar, Hog’s Breath Saloon, Schooner Wharf Bar & Grill, and Sloppy Joe’s. The Sunset Pier offers music to entertain you while the sun goes down, and La Te Da follows the sunset with a sassy 9pm cabaret.
Visit Mallory Square
Tourists and locals alike flock to Mallory Square in the late afternoon to catch the island’s breathtaking sunsets as well as the Nightly Sunset Celebration. Part entertainment and part art festival, on any given night you’ll see tumblers, jugglers, magic acts, even a dog riding a unicycle! Musicians and food trucks round out the evening on the pier as you are treated to some of the best sunset views on the island.
Admire the arts and crafts at the pop up carts in-between the mesmerizing street performance acts along the dock, then hop on a hydro bike glow tour that will give you a unique perspective of some of the island’s hot spots from the water.
Tour the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
Legendary author Ernest Hemingway made his way to Key West in 1928 where he finished his novel A Farewell to Arms. After falling in love with the city he and his wife moved here a few years later. Today their 1851 Spanish Colonial style house has been lovingly restored and turned into what is possibly the most popular Key West museum on the island. Stroll the gardens and see the studio where he penned some of his most popular books (fun fact: many locals appeared as characters in his novel To Have or Have Not).
The Hemingway House and Museum also draws curious visitors who want to see the famous Hemingway Cats. Many of these cats have six toes on their front paws (most cats have five), an unusual characteristic of the original six-toed cat gifted to Hemingway from a visiting sea captain. There are roughly 60 cats all over the property — from the yard to bed to the patio garden out back — and they tend to have their own “territories”.
Outdoor Adventure Must Do’s in Key West
Being an island, it’s no surprise that many activities are outdoors or on the water! Check these fun excursions out:
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving
Florida Reef — snorkelers and scuba divers are drawn to this amazing reef to see the abundant sea life along the world’s third-largest barrier reef, and the only living reef in North America. Board a sailing catamaran at the Historic Seaport for an exhilarating ride out to the barrier and go below the waterline to observe countless marine plants and animals, from neon colored corals to dolphins, stingrays, and vibrant tropical fish.
Water Sports
Explore around the island on a jet ski as you travel by remote islands, past Mallory Square, and onto the famous Southernmost Point with its iconic striped land buoy. Along the way you’ll have a chance to see some of the island’s wildlife including dolphins, manta rays, sea turtles, and a variety of magnificent birds.
Other popular water pastimes include paddle boarding and kayaking. Can’t decide between the various water options? Then this all-in-one tour is for you: sail out to snorkel at the reef, followed by time at a secluded water park where you can swim, jet ski, and paddle to your heart’s content. You will also be treated to a delicious lunch buffet and complimentary drinks while under sail.
Explore Key West’s Serene Beaches
What’s an island without the beaches? Here are our favorites:
Smathers Beach — this half mile-long stretch of sand and sun along the Atlantic is the island’s largest public beach and has beach volleyball, restrooms, and showering facilities, all under a background of salty waves and swaying palm trees.
Clarence S. Higgs Memorial Beach — this small but mighty Atlantic-side beach includes the Reynolds Street Pier as well as a beachside cafe, a children’s playground, a Civil War era fort (Fort West Martello), an underwater marine park, plus memorials to African refugees and AIDS victims. Beach activities include beach volleyball, pickleball, and tennis.
Explore Key West’s Shopping and Art Scene
Shopping in Key West? You’ll find shiny baubles, impressive art, kitschy souvenirs, comfy beachwear, and more in the boutiques and small shops along Duval Street and some of the side streets.
Mallory Square offers an eclectic mix of small shops and name brands throughout its many boutiques and stalls. Here you can pick up gourmet coffee, handmade candles, soaps and jewelry, sponges, sea shells, ceramics, and even cat-themed treasures.
Duval Street has an abundance of art galleries to satisfy the art lover in you, from local artisans (Effusion Art Gallery and Guild Hall Gallery) to international works (Key West Gallery and Zazoo Fine Art Gallery) and the famous Wyland Art Gallery of the Florida Keys. On nearby Whitehead Street is the funky Dog Tired Studio with its stunning pet portraits and Key West murals.
Sample Key West Cuisine
The dining scene in Key West is a foodie paradise, especially for seafood lovers. Many of the dishes are bursting with Cuban and Caribbean flavor, which is understandable given Key West’s proximity to these islands. Popular dishes include deep fried conch fritters, stone crabs, mahi mahi sandwiches, vaca frita (fried beef) and, of course, the island’s world renowned Key lime pie. For a taste of authentic Key West flavors, this culinary walking tour to several local area restaurants is a must! Learn about the history of Key West through its food as you sink your teeth into such dishes as fish tacos and juicy roast pork, then toast the island with a delicious rum runner.
If this food tour has you wanting more, then go where the locals go: El Meson de Pepe’s Restaurant and Bar serves up authentic Cuban food with a side of salsa music. The Conch Republic Seafood Restaurant is coveted for their “dock to dish” waterfront dining, while First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery (in the former Pan Am building) offers contemporary pub grub with an aviation theme. Fine dining aficionados will love Sarabeth’s Key West with its upscale American fare tucked inside a charming Victorian style building.
No trip to Key West would be complete without a stop at Blue Heaven! This quirky patio-area restaurant in the Bahamian Village has an unbelievable breakfast with live music — and there’s nothing more Key West than dining with live music while chickens and cats walk between the tables.
Visit the Must-do Key West Historic Seaport and Harborwalk
This historic seaport and 200 year-old global trading base is a cool place to hang out and watch the luxury, charter, and sail boats coming in and out of its naturally protected harbor. Lots of opportunities abound for photos as well as delicious food in the many restaurants and bars along the boardwalk. Pop into the shops and art galleries, then grab a drink at The Waterfront Brewery or sip on a Cafe con Leche at the Cuban Coffee Queen.
Key West for Kids
There are lots of things to do in Key West with kids, despite its reputation as a party city.
The beaches are always a good bet, as well as the Key West Butterfly and Nature Sanctuary. Many children enjoy walking up the Key West Lighthouse with its panoramic island views at the top. Kids of all ages get a kick out of the six-toed cats at the Hemingway House as well as a kick out of the performers in the Nightly Sunset Celebration. The kids can even experience the sights, sounds, and food along Duval Street during the day, before it morphs into the island’s main party street at night.
Older kids might enjoy the famous Key West ghost tours where they can learn about the island’s more savory characters and the infamous Robert the Doll. The Key West Shipwreck Museum is a fun way to learn stories of the area’s shipwreck history and bounty hunting through film, actors, and authentic artifacts.
Key West is truly a magical place, and a place like no other! Experience it like a local with one of our authentic Key West excursions.
