10 KEY THINGS TO DO IN KEY WEST!

Getting to Key West is a big adventure in itself because Key West is a tropical island city at the end of a chain of coral islands known as the Florida Keys and located at the very southernmost point of the continental United States.

This makes Key West closer to Cuba than it is to Miami!

The Keys are connected to Florida by an Overseas Highway also known as Highway One. Overseas Highway spans 113 miles or 182 km and consists of a series of bridges and causeways – including the iconic Seven Mile Bridge – from the mainland all the way to Key West.

For me, travelling on Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys and visiting Key West, was an adventure that turned out to be not only exciting and fun but fascinating and memorable.

Read more about how I travelled to Key West on a Greyhound Bus from Miami!

So, whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveller to the wonderful ‘Conche Republic’ as it’s known affectionately by its local ‘conches’ you’ll always find lots to do and something new to discover there.

Let me be your travel guide exploring my Top 10 Key Things to do once you reach Key West!

The Backpacking Housewife: Top 10 Key Things to do once you reach Key West — *My Top 10 Key Things to do once you reach Key West!*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXPLORE DUVAL STREET

Duval Street is the beating heart of Key West. This lively 1.2 miles or 2 km long street stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico and is home to an array of interesting shops, quirky art galleries, lively bars, and fabulous restaurants.

All of these experiences make Duval Street – named after William Pope Duval, the first territorial governor of Florida – the perfect place to soak up the local atmosphere. I recommend you visit in the daytime for sightseeing and then again during the evening when the street comes alive with live music and bustling crowds.

Duval Street is home to an array of interesting shops such as this one — *Duval Street is home to an array of interesting shops*

If you’re looking for a souvenir then why not get a permanent reminder of your trip with a tattoo (I did!) at the Southernmost Tattoo Shop on Duval Street!

If you want to check out the action Duval Street before you get there then watch the webcam that streams live 24 hours a day from the heart of Key West out in front of Sloppy Joe’s bar!

WHERE TO STAY IN KEY WEST

We’d arrived in Key West at the end of the month of May / start of June and we were celebrating our wedding anniversary. So we decided to book in a very nice room at the historic boutique Lighthouse Hotel just a ‘mango throw’ away from the Historic District and Duval Street.

Our accommodation was a small and beautifully appointed cottage with a patio out front and just across the street from The Hemingway House!

As there are so many places to stay in Key West and in the Florida Keys from big-name resort hotels, smaller motels and private guesthouses.

I would advise you to always book ahead – especially during the holidays – and I recommend the best way would be using an online booking site to immediately confirm your accommodation.

Our stay at The Lighthouse Hotel was wonderful.

Our accommodation at The Lighthouse Hotel was a small and beautifully appointed cottage — *Our accommodation at The Lighthouse Hotel was a small beautifully appointed cottage*

FIND YOUR PERFECT PLACE TO STAY IN KEY WEST USING THIS INTERACTIVE MAP

DINING AND DRINKS

FOOD: The food options in Key West are spectacular and delicious whether you opt for fine dining or bar food. I adore delicious seafood and there’s so much choice with dinner on the veranda at Nine One Five Restaurant and Bar.

We particularly enjoyed Pinchers Crab Shack. Try the hot cheese and crab dip!

The Backpacking Housewife Dining out in Key West — *Dining out on Duval Street*

For a quick conch fritter – a la street food – head to B.O.’s Fish Wagon. Cuban classics can be savoured at El Siboney Restaurant and Caribbean food is said to be seriously salacious at Blue Heaven on the corner of Petronia and Thomas Street.

DRINKS: While experiencing the conch culture you must also head downtown to try Cuban Coffee Queen for a strong authentic cup of Cuban coffee that can be described as ‘sweet, strong and dangerously bold’. Sounds good to me!

Later in the day, Iabsolutely recommend having a margarita (or two) at the original Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville on Duval Street.

I also loved the fun atmosphere and drinking at the famous and unmissable Hogs Breath Saloon on Front Street and for live music and a night cap – in the Hemingway tradition – you must certainly visit Sloppy Joe’s Bar.

The original Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville on Duval Street Key West — *The original Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville on Duval Street.*

Hogs Breath Saloon on Front Street Key West for fun, drinks and live music — *Hogs Breath Saloon on Front Street for fun, drinks and live music*

THE FRONT OF SLOPPY JOES BAR KEY WEST — *The famous Hemingway watering hole that is Sloppy Joe’s Bar*

THE HEMINGWAY HOME AND MUSEUM

As a writer, I have always been fascinated by the life and works of Ernest Hemingway, so exploring the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum was a must!

The legendary author lived here with his wife Pauline in the 1930s and his residence is now a museum dedicated to his life and work.

I found it fascinating to wander around the house. I was captivated by Hemingway’s writing studio and revelled in the iconic tales penned within its walls.

You can read more in the full post I’ve written about my visit to the Hemingway House.

Take the guided tour to learn fascinating anecdotes about Hemingway’s time in Key West and look out for the six-toed cats who are all descendants of Hemingway’s own six-toed cat called Snowball.

Hemingway house key west — *Exploring The Hemingway Home*

The Hemingway House: As a writer I've always been fascinated by the life and works of Ernest Hemingway — *As a writer I’ve always been fascinated by the life and works of Ernest Hemingway*

OLD TOWN TOURS

I think one of the best and most convenient introductions to Key West is to take a 60/90 minute street tour by trolly bus or train. This is a great way to identify all the key locations and can make it easier to navigate the streets later if you’re exploring by foot.

You can even do a ‘hop on hop off’ and save yourself a lot of walking on a hot day. Packages can include admission to the Truman Little White House, the Key West Aquarium, and The Shipwreck Treasure Museum.

I thought it was a lot of fun to ride the streets on the open air trolly and have all the interesting places pointed out to you by a well informed guide.

SOUTHERNMOST POINT BUOY

A trip to Key West wouldn’t be complete without a photo at the Southernmost Point Buoy. This iconic landmark was placed here in 1983 to mark the end point of the continental US and the closest spot to Cuba just 90 miles away.

I suggest you go early to avoid the crowds – as it’s one of the most photographed landmarks – and combine your visit with a walk through the charming nearby neighbourhood.

KEY WEST LIGHTHOUSE

The Key West Lighthouse was established in 1848 and it was decommissioned in 1969. Today this ‘sentinel of the sea’ is a monument to Key West’s maritime history and heritage. Visitors are invited to climb the 88 steps to the observation deck and it is well worth the effort for the 360 degree panoramic view especially if you can time your visit to experience a world-famous sunset. For more sunset activities find out more about how to book a sunset buffet dinner cruise or a sunset sail by schooner.

KEY WEST SHIPWRECK MUSEUM

Dive in and uncover an adventure and the maritime history of Key West at the Shipwreck Museum. This interactive museum tells the story of the island’s shipwreck salvaging past and daring lives of 19th-century wreckers.

You’ll feel like you have travelled back in time to 1856 and to the era of the wreckers that will fascinate you with real treasures, authentic artefacts, and wreckers recoveries on display here.

Find out more about admission prices and tickets for the Key West Shipwreck Museum

Uncover an adventure and the maritime history of Key West at the Shipwreck Museum. — *Uncover an adventure at the Shipwreck Museum*

Back then, records show that at least one ship a week out of the hundred or so that would sail past the key, would find itself wrecked on the treacherous reef.

Notoriously, the waters off the Florida Keys were some of the most perilous waters in the world, due to bad weather, strong currents, and even hurricanes.

The wreckers of Key West were brave opportunists and would watch the reef from the observation tower. Once a wreck had been spotted and the word was out it was immediately salvaged and the spoils later sold at auction.

Wrecking on this industrious scale is what sustained the local islanders – making many very rich men – while supporting the island economy.

the wreckers tower key west — *The Wrecker’s Observation Tower Key West*

KEY WEST MUSEUM OF ART & HISTORY

Over two floors the museum exhibits paintings and sculptures and other works by local artists. There’s also lots of interesting local and maritime history and artifacts.

When I was in Key West there was an Ernest Hemingway exhibition on at The Key West Museum that I was delighted and excited to explore having already explored his home.

The museum is housed inside the grand and faithfully restored old Custom House that now stands as a key landmark on the harbour and dates back to 1891.

*Ernest Hemingway exhibition at The Key West Museum*

KEY WEST MOVIE THEATRE

The Tropic Cinema is a non-profit retro-style muti-screen movie theatre screening first-run indie, foreign, and documentary films as well as Hollywood blockbusters every day.

The Tropic also hosts music concerts and live performances and is just a few steps away from Duval Street on Eaton Street. You can’t miss its fabulous façade and the statue of Marylin Monroe posing on her famous grating outside. What a great (grate?) photo opportunity!

The Tropic Movie Theatre Key West — *What a great (grate?) photo opportunity outside the Tropic!*

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT KEY WEST

For the best combination of great weather, smaller crowds, and reasonable prices, the best time to visit is said to be from March to May, as during these months the weather is ideal with temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to the mid-80s Fahrenheit and the humidity is relatively low.

I visited right at the end of May (just after the Memorial Weekend holiday) and the weather was perfect.

Spring also brings exciting festivals, such as Conch Republic Days in April.

Summer, on the other hand, can be very hot and humid, with the added risk of hurricanes. Fall, particularly from September to November, is the peak of hurricane season, though it does come with lower hotel rates.

In the winter months of December through February, crowds start to thin out making it easier to enjoy the island without the peak-season rush and prices for hotels, and flights also tend to drop compared to the high season.

KEY WEST MAP - ATLANTIC HIGHWAY ONE — *What will your Key West adventure look like?*

Key West is such a charming and pretty destination that it’s almost ‘Disneyesque’ in its appearance and in its opportunities for escapism and fun. It certainly offers something for every visitor from history enthusiasts and nature lovers and those simply looking to relax and enjoy the wonderfully laid-back island lifestyle.

So, now you’ve heard all about my trip – what will your Key West adventure look like?

I do hope you find all my suggestions for ‘key’ things to do helpful and informative.

Whatever you choose to do while in Key West, you’re sure to have lots of fabulous and memorable experiences, so do please let me know about them. I’d love to hear from you so don’t be shy to leave a comment below!

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