Key West, Florida, Travel Guide

With its quirky arts community, festivals, and museums, Key West is the cultural hub of the Florida Keys. The city also offers visitors a tropical island vibe and gin-clear waters that lap up against white-sand beaches—all without the need for a passport.

“Key West has hundreds of years of interesting and infamous history, which includes pirates, shipwrecking, treasure, rum running, military exploits, and billionaires’ ventures,” Analise Andrews, founder of Key West Food Tours, tells Travel + Leisure. “Its melting pot of culture and turquoise ocean surroundings has given way to a vibrant food scene, which includes the most delicious selection of local seafood and tropical fruits.”

Ready to plot out your Key West vacation? Read on to find the best places to stay, eat, and play for a getaway you’ll never forget. 

Best Hotels & Resorts 

Marquesa Hotel

With two prestigious Michelin Keys, The Marquesa Hotel is one of the best hotels in Key West and embodies the destination’s spirit through and through. The light-filled property is classically styled with dark wood flooring, easy breezy island furnishings, and a bright blue exterior that matches the nearby sea. Don’t miss the on-site Café Marquesa for an upscale meal. 

Ocean Key Resort & Spa

Ocean Key Resort & Spa has perhaps the most coveted address in all of Key West: Zero Duval Street. The hotel could not be more conveniently located and boasts spacious, brightly colored rooms and suites, each with an epic view of the ocean or lively Duval Street. Other hotel amenities include waterfront dining and a spa with globally influenced treatments.

Casa Marina Key West

Part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, Casa Marina Key West offers a slice of Old Florida on the island’s largest private beach. The historic 311-room hotel has beachfront suites, two pools, and two restaurants, including Flagler’s, located in the property’s original 1920 ballroom. Yoga classes are held three days per week, while water sports and excursions are offered from the resort’s beach.

H20 Suites

Located off Duval Street in Old Town, H20 Suites is a good option for an adults-only escape. With a minimum age limit of 25, the all-suite hotel offers features and amenities like a fitness center, Italian marble bathrooms, and private plunge pools for half of its accommodations. The resort fee includes perks such as daily happy hours by the rooftop pool, two complimentary drinks at the on-site Tipsy Rooster Bar, and beach services like chairs and umbrellas (South Beach is about a five-minute walk from the hotel).

Southernmost Beach Resort & Guesthouses

This waterfront property offers unparalleled access to South Beach. In addition to the best ocean views, three pools, and free beach chairs and umbrellas, Southernmost Beach Resort & Guesthouses allows for a quiet escape thanks to its end-of-Duval Street location. Just be aware that roosters are roaming the 261-room property.

Best Things to Do

“Though we are only a four-mile by two-mile island, we are chock-full of ‘must experience’ things to do,” Andrews says. Highlights include visiting the southernmost point of the continental U.S., taking a food tour, and meeting the island’s famous feline residents.

Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

Celebrate the life and work of literary great Ernest Hemingway with a visit to his former residence-turned-museum. The home is preserved just as he left it in the 1930s, showcasing personal items, antiques, and the very areas where he penned some of history’s greatest novels. You’ll also encounter a large colony of polydactyl (six-toed) cats—descendants of Hemingway’s own feline companions.

Southernmost Point

Go ahead and take an iconic Instagram photo at the Southernmost Point Buoy. As the name suggests, the massive buoy, built in 1983, marks the location of the southernmost point in the contiguous United States. It has also become a popular destination for visitors to mark their time in Key West with a selfie or two.

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park

Explore a bit of American history with a visit to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. Home to the largest archive of Civil War cannons in the U.S., the site also boasts one of the best beaches in Key West. The beach is open to the public for swimming, snorkeling, and outdoor dining, and makes a great spot to spend the day.

Key West Food Tours

Get a taste of the island with Key West Food Tours. Andrews offers a variety of tours, including a tasting and cultural tour showcasing the island’s Cuban and Caribbean flavors, along with a seafood experience, bar crawl, and a food tour dedicated to Hemingway. Some of the dishes to try include Florida lobster, key lime pie, and one of Hemingway’s signature cocktails.

Best Shopping

Bésame Mucho

For quality gifts and little indulgences, Bésame Mucho is one of the island’s best boutiques. The thoughtfully curated space sells everything from self-care goods and clothing to home decor and kitchenware. Browse local art, unique Key West keepsakes, and small-batch candles made with botanical waxes.

Mine Shaft Jewelry Designs

Mine Shaft Jewelry Designs is a locally owned shop with one-of-a-kind pieces. You’ll find certified historic coins—including some from famous shipwrecks—and you can even create your own custom mountings. Browse handmade gold chains and Key West-inspired pendants and earrings to remember your trip with wearable art.

Books & Books

To shop with an impact, visit Books & Books, an independent bookstore within The Studios of Key West, a nonprofit arts center. The shop was founded by author Judy Blume and her husband and stocks popular picks as well as novels by local writers. While you’re browsing, check out the Key West Literary Pantheon on the walls. You can also pick up a printed guide that provides information about the great authors who lived and worked on the island.

Tucker’s Provisions

For Key West memorabilia, head to Tucker’s Provisions, a gift shop selling design-forward souvenirs featuring the island’s iconic roosters. You’ll find them adorning mugs, hats, and apparel around the store.

Best Nightlife

The Green Parrot

Visitors can mingle with locals at The Green Parrot, one of the oldest bars in Key West. The bar is well known for hosting local music and serving stellar drinks—but don’t come hungry, as it only serves snacks. 

The Bull and Whistle Bar

Enjoy the balmy Key West weather over a cocktail or cold beer at this airy garage-door bar right on Duval Street. The Bull offers table seating facing its small stage for local acts and a large bar to belly up to. Located on the second floor, the Whistle Bar has plenty of pool tables. If you head to the rooftop, known as the Garden of Eden, note that it’s a clothing-optional lounge, so no phone use is allowed.

Aquaplex

Key West has a vibrant drag scene, and there’s no better place to experience it than at Aquaplex. The nightclub puts on shows several times per week—check the calendar on the website before you head out—so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to catch a local or nationally known act. 

Capt. Tony’s Saloon

Named for former Mayor Anthony Tarracino, Capt. Tony’s Saloon is brimming with history, going back to 1851. The tree growing in the middle of the bar was once used for hangings, and the venue’s ice house was Key West’s first morgue. Over the years, it’s been frequented by everyone from Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams to Jimmy Buffett. Assorted memorabilia and bras hanging from the ceiling contribute to the offbeat vibe of this popular Fantasy Fest stop.

McKee’s Tiki Bar

For a breezy setting with one of the island’s best sunset views, head to McKee’s Tiki Bar at The Capitana. Set just a few steps from the resort’s beach, the bar has an astroturf lawn filled with oversized games for guests to play. You’ll find plenty of seating under ceiling fans and shade to help you beat the heat.

Best Restaurants 

According to Andrews, the best part about dining in Key West is that no matter where you go, you’ll likely end up with a great view. “The local grocery stores and even the fast food chain restaurants have ocean views,” she says. But perhaps more importantly, she adds, “The food is so fresh and local—you’ll likely eat delicious sustainable fish and shrimp here that you won’t see anywhere else in the country.” 

Blue Heaven

Start your day off with a visit to Blue Heaven. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but is best known for its outrageously good morning menu. The popular pancakes are made from scratch and available in plain, banana, pineapple, pecan, or blueberry. Meanwhile, the shrimp and grits come with a side of the famous Betty’s Banana Bread. 

Garbo’s Grill

Dig into delightful seafood dishes at Garbo’s Grill. The diner specializes in quick and easy bites like its Cayo Fish: catch of the day with red cabbage, mango, jalapeño, cilantro, and onion, topped with a house-made Caribbean sauce. Also notable is the beloved lobster roll, crafted with Maine lobster meat and mayo on a buttered and grilled roll.

Azur Restaurant

For an upscale evening in Key West, head to Azur Restaurant. The Mediterranean eatery sits a few blocks off Duval Street, providing a quiet atmosphere to enjoy an elevated meal. The menu includes the likes of Key West pink shrimp in a lemon butter and garlic sauce, and steamed mussels in a rosemary and tomato broth. 

Kermit’s Key Lime Shop

No visit to Key West would be complete without a slice or two of key lime pie—or the whole pie, even. Find the sweetest of the bunch at Kermit’s, a one-time roadside stand turned popular bakery with two locations in the city. The shop sells other sweet treats, but none can top its key lime pies and pie bars. Apart from traditional key lime, you’ll also find strawberry and coconut varieties. And if you really fall in love with them, you can always have Kermit’s pies shipped anywhere in the continental U.S.

Little Pearl

A light and airy fish house and wine bar, Little Pearl offers a four-course menu six nights per week. There are only three seatings each night, with an early bird special at 5 p.m. The chef’s tasting menu features elegant dishes from lobster vichyssoise to American Kobe sirloin and the daily catch. Reservations are recommended at this intimate spot.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Key West is from January to May, when the temperatures around the rest of the nation tend to dip, but remain relatively constant in the Keys. While average highs inch close to 90 degrees during the hottest months of the year, you can expect temperatures to hover around the mid-70s throughout winter and spring.

“Winter tends to be a guest favorite,” Andrews says. “There [are] not too many U.S. destinations that are still running snorkel and dive trips in January, and are booking out their outside dining faster than their inside tables. When it’s snow and icicles everywhere else, we are our company motto: ‘Sun, Rum, and Key Lime Pie.’”

Key West is also home to several stellar annual festivals throughout the year that are worth planning a trip around. Those include The Key Lime Festival, typically in late June or early July, and Hemingway Days, celebrating the literary giant at the end of July. There’s also Fantasy Fest, a massive, 10-day extravaganza held in late October, which includes parades, drag performances, costume contests, and a pageant to crown the King and Queen of Fantasy Fest.  

How to Get There

There are three ways to get to Key West: by air, car, or ferry. You can catch direct flights to Key West International Airport (EYW) from all over the U.S., including hubs like Philadelphia, Dallas, Newark, Charlotte, and Atlanta. It’s also possible to take the Key West Express ferry from Fort Myers or Marco Island if you’re planning a larger South Florida adventure.

Though it will take longer than a direct flight, driving to Key West from Miami is an experience all on its own. Rent a car in Miami and hop on U.S. Highway 1, known as the Overseas Highway, which takes you across 113 glorious miles and over 42 bridges, with epic views from start to finish. 

How to Get Around

“Walking and bicycling are the transportation of choice,” Andrews says. There are, however, a few other modes of transport you can try.

Rideshares: Uber and Lyft are operational in Key West and are available to get you to and from Key West International Airport. 

Taxi: If you prefer to call a local taxi service, try D.B. Taxi, which runs around the clock, or make a reservation with Key West Cab. 

Pedicab: Want more of a scenic ride? Hop on any of the pedicabs traversing Key West. The rides are much more expensive than traditional cabs, but are quite fun. You can also book pedicabs in advance for tours around town.