Best time to travel in Key West?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with 2015-2024 averages
Best time: November to May
Best avoided if possible: July to September (less pleasant weather or big crowds).
Temperatures and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Key West station, NOAA data (public domain).
Tropical maritime, the warmest in the contiguous United States: dry, sunny winters around 24°C, muggy summers around 32°C with late-day showers, and a hurricane season from June to November peaking in September. The best time to visit Key West is January, February, March, April, May, November and December, with temperatures reaching 31-32°C (July). By contrast, June, July, August, September and October are generally less favourable (less pleasant weather or big crowds, depending on the destination), though a trip is still possible with a bit of planning. In high season, book early: prices and visitor numbers climb fast.
Go against the flow. To avoid the crowds without sacrificing too much on the weather, aim for June and October: the crowds thin out, prices drop too, and the climate stays pleasant.
Do these months appeal to you? See what's best elsewhere too: where to go in November · where to go in December · where to go in January · where to go in February · where to go in March · where to go in April · where to go in May.
At a glance
Why go to Key West?
Key West has to be earned by road. The Overseas Highway, US 1, hops from island to island for 180 km (113 miles) from Key Largo, with 42 bridges laid over water that shifts from green to turquoise with the depth. It follows the route of the railway that Henry Flagler completed in 1912, destroyed by the hurricane of 1935 and turned into a road three years later. The four-hour drive from Miami, with its stops at beaches, bridges and fishermen's bars, is part of the trip.
At the end, the town is an island of about 6 km by 2 that has always lived apart: wreckers in the 19th century, Cuban cigar rollers, smugglers during Prohibition, writers in the 1930s, then a refuge for the gay community and for artists. In 1982 it even declared itself the Conch Republic in protest against a roadblock. What remains is an old town of wooden houses with verandas, free-roaming roosters and bars where the music starts at noon.
Finally, Key West is a gateway to the sea. The only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States runs along the Keys a few kilometres offshore, with diving and snorkelling trips every morning, and Dry Tortugas National Park, 113 km to the west, combines a 19th-century fort with reefs you can reach from the beach. As for the sunsets, they are watched every evening from the quay, in a crowd, like a show.
Tourist map of Key West: what's where?
The map below pinpoints the 6 places covered in this guide: a handy way to picture the distances between each stop and plan your route in Key West.
- Mallory Square
- Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
- Fort Zachary Taylor
- Fort Jefferson
- Bahia Honda State Park
- Seven Mile Bridge
How much does a trip to Key West cost in 2026? Budget calculator
Estimate your budget for Key West based on your travel style: accommodation, meals, activities and local transport included (flights excluded). Adjust the length and the number of travellers, and the totals update.
Totals for all travellers over the chosen length; the daily amount is per person. Flights extra, indicative amounts to adjust depending on the season.
Dollars are paid by card almost everywhere, but some ticket offices add card fees, such as Hemingway's house. Prices are shown before tax: sales tax is added to purchases and meals, and rooms also carry an accommodation tax and often resort fees. Tips of 18 to 22% are expected in restaurants, and a few dollars for the crews on boat trips.
Safety in Key West: should you be worried?
Key West is a safe town for visitors, and you can get around on foot or by bike by day and by night in the old town. Bike theft is common: use a sturdy lock, even for a few minutes. Duval Street sees heavy drinking in the evening, so stay alert on your bike and at pedestrian crossings. The tropical sun burns within minutes, even in winter: hat, reef-safe sunscreen and water at all times. At sea, respect the dive flags and swim with a companion; jellyfish and sargassum are common in some months. On the Keys road, two-lane traffic causes serious accidents, so overtake only in the designated zones. Hurricane season runs from June to November: when a warning is issued, visitors are evacuated first, and the only road can close. Follow Monroe County's instructions and take out insurance covering cancellation and medical care in the United States, both essential.
Things to see and do in Key West
Our first-hand favourites, and the great classics:
- Duval Street
- Mallory Square
- Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
- Fort Zachary Taylor
- Dry Tortugas
- Bahia Honda State Park
- Seven Mile Bridge
- National Key Deer Refuge
What to book before you go to Key West →
🧭 Discover the Key West itinerary, day by dayMap, timings, budget and where to stay: free to access, to fit your dates. Create my tailor-made itinerary →Old Town and Duval Street
The old town occupies the west of the island, around Duval Street, with the finest conch houses, the 19th-century wooden homes of captains and wreckers, with verandas and shutters, along Whitehead, Eaton, Caroline and William Street. Key West Cemetery, in the centre, lines up raised tombs and epitaphs full of local humour. Bahama Village, west of Duval, keeps the atmosphere of the original Bahamian quarter, with its roosters, its markets and its small Caribbean restaurants.
Mallory Square and the harbour
The north-west of the island faces the Gulf: Mallory Square and its sunset celebration, the Shipwreck Museum devoted to the wreckers, the Key West Aquarium of 1934, then the Key West Bight, the old harbour of the shrimp and sponge fishermen, converted into a waterfront of bars, restaurants and schooners. The Little White House, where President Truman spent his winter holidays, can be visited close by, in the former naval base. Diving and fishing trips and sunset cruises leave from these quays.
The south of the island
At the end of Duval, on the Atlantic side, the striped concrete buoy of the Southernmost Point marks the southernmost point of the continental United States, 145 km (90 miles) from Cuba, with a queue for the photo at all hours. Around it are Hemingway's house, the Key West lighthouse of 1848 and its 88 steps, and the Fort Zachary Taylor park, with the best beach on the island. Further east, Higgs Beach and Smathers Beach, on the Atlantic, are free public beaches, narrow but calm, with the White Street pier for sunset.
Dry Tortugas
The most remote national park on the continent, 2 hours 15 minutes by ferry to the west, brings together seven islets, Fort Jefferson and some of the best-preserved reefs in Florida. The day trip by ferry leaves more than four hours on Garden Key, enough for the guided tour of the fort, a walk around the ramparts and a long swim with mask and snorkel along the moat walls. The island's small campground, to be booked very early, lets you stay the night under a sky free of light. There is no water, food or shop on site.
The Lower Keys
Between Key West and the Seven Mile Bridge, the Lower Keys are wilder and quieter: Big Pine Key and its Key deer, the Blue Hole, then Looe Key, a reef in the Keys marine sanctuary 8 km offshore, one of the best diving and snorkelling sites in the region, served by the dive shops of Big Pine and Ramrod Key. Bahia Honda, further north, has the most beautiful beaches. Accommodation costs less than in Key West, 40 minutes' drive away.
Marathon and the Middle Keys
Halfway along the road, Marathon is a town of fishermen and marinas where the Seven Mile Bridge begins. You can walk the old Flagler bridge to Pigeon Key, visit the Turtle Hospital, a hospital for injured sea turtles, by reservation, and eat the catch of the day in the harbour restaurants. Further north, Islamorada, the capital of sport fishing, and Key Largo, with John Pennekamp's underwater park, open the road from Miami.
How many days, and which itinerary in Key West?
Three nights are enough for Key West, with a day at the Dry Tortugas. Five or six let you drive the Keys road there and back with stops in Islamorada or Marathon, Bahia Honda, Big Pine Key and a trip out to sea. A week combines Miami, the Keys and Everglades National Park.
🗺️ Day-by-day Key West itinerary · 📓 Printable Key West travel guide (PDF) · 🌍 Discover all of the American West
Key West (3 days)
Day 1: arrival, the old town on foot via Whitehead and Caroline Street, Hemingway's house, the Southernmost Point, sunset at Mallory Square and Duval Street in the evening. Day 2: ferry to the Dry Tortugas at 8am, a visit to Fort Jefferson, snorkelling, return in the late afternoon and dinner at the Key West Bight. Day 3: beach and snorkelling at Fort Zachary Taylor in the morning, Truman's Little White House, a bike ride to Higgs Beach and sunset on a schooner.
The Keys road (5 days)
Day 1: from Miami, down to Key Largo and John Pennekamp park for a snorkelling trip on the reef, night in Islamorada. Day 2: Marathon, the Turtle Hospital, a walk on the old Seven Mile Bridge, Bahia Honda beach in the afternoon, night in Big Pine Key or Key West. Days 3 to 5: Key West, the Dry Tortugas and a return to Miami in one go, four hours' drive, or by plane from Key West.
Miami, the Keys and the Everglades (1 week)
Two nights in Miami for Miami Beach, the Art Deco district and Little Havana, a day in Everglades National Park via Shark Valley or Flamingo, then the Keys road with a night in Islamorada or Marathon and three nights in Key West, including a day at the Dry Tortugas. Note that the Everglades are one of the eleven parks where non-resident visitors pay a $100 surcharge per person aged 16 and over.
How to get to Key West and get around?
From Europe, the simplest option is a direct flight to Miami, about 10 hours, then the Keys road by hire car: 260 km (160 miles) and 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes depending on traffic, often heavy on Fridays and Sundays. Key West airport, 5 km from the old town, can also be reached with a connection in Miami, Atlanta or Charlotte.
In Key West, a car is a burden: parking is scarce and expensive in the old town, and many hotels charge for it. The bike, hired by the day or the week, is the island's means of transport, as it is flat and small. The free Duval Loop bus circles the old town all day and until midnight.
The Keys road is two-lane for most of the way, with lower speed limits in the towns and frequent police checks. Accidents are common, so overtake only in the designated zones. The mile markers, numbered in miles from 0 in Key West to 113 in Key Largo, serve as addresses.
The fast ferries from Fort Myers and Marco Island, on Florida's west coast, reach Key West in about three and a half hours, an option for a loop without driving the road twice. The Dry Tortugas can be reached only by the Yankee Freedom ferry, seaplane or private boat.
Where to stay in Key West?
The guesthouses of the old town, in conch houses with verandas and a pool in the garden, cost €250-500 a night in winter, breakfast often included. Several are adults only, and Key West has many establishments run by and for the gay community.
The chain hotels and resorts on North Roosevelt Boulevard, at the entrance to the island, cost around €200-350 a night in season, with parking, 10 minutes by bike or bus from Duval Street. The waterfront resorts of the old town go above €500.
Stock Island, just before Key West, and the Lower Keys, from Big Pine to Sugarloaf Key, offer cheaper motels and fishing lodges, from €150 to €250, 10 to 40 minutes' drive away. Marathon is a good halfway base.
Prices are at their highest from December to April, during spring break and during the Fantasy Fest festival, in late October. September and October, at the height of hurricane season, are the cheapest months. Taxes and resort fees are often added to the advertised price.
Our picks stop by stop, in three price ranges →
What to eat in Key West?
The speciality is Key lime pie, a tart made with the small, very sour Key lime on a biscuit base, topped with whipped cream or meringue depending on the place, with rival addresses each claiming the original recipe. Conch fritters are eaten as an aperitif on the quays.
The sea provides most of the menu: hogfish, a fine-fleshed reef fish caught by spearfishing, snapper, grouper, Key West pink shrimp and, from October to May, stone crab claws, served cold with a mustard sauce. Allow $25-45 for a fish dish in a restaurant.
Cuban cooking is another of the island's roots: Cuban coffee served in small cups at café windows, Cuban sandwiches, roast pork and black beans, for $10-18. Bahama Village keeps a few Caribbean canteens.
The bars on Duval Street and at the Key West Bight serve beer and rum cocktails from noon, with live music. Prices are high, as the island imports almost everything. Add a tip of 18 to 22% at restaurants and a dollar or two per drink at the bar.
Which kind of traveller is it for?
Key West lends itself to a relaxing, festive and active trip. Whether you travel as a couple, with friends or even with family, everyone finds their own pace. For accommodation, you will mostly find classic hotels, boutique hotels and resorts.
Entry requirements & practical info
UK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
Rules change: before you leave, check your country's official travel advice.
Once there, to stay online without paying roaming charges, an Key West eSIM activates in a few minutes and works as soon as you land (plans from €3.99). Remember suitable travel insurance too.
Frequently asked questions about Key West
When is the best time to visit Key West?
From November to May, the dry season, with 24 to 28°C and a sea at 23-26°C. December to April is the high season, the most expensive. Summer is hot and humid, with showers late in the day and a sea at 30°C, and September is the peak of hurricane season, with the lowest prices.
How long does it take to drive from Miami to Key West?
Allow 260 km and 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes of non-stop driving on the Overseas Highway, longer on Fridays, Sundays and during holidays. With stops at the beaches and bridges, the drive takes a day, or can be split in two with a night in Islamorada or Marathon.
Do you need a car in Key West?
For the Keys road, yes. On the island, no: the old town can be done on foot, by bike and with the free Duval Loop bus, and parking is expensive and scarce. Choose a hotel with parking or leave the car for the duration of your stay.
How do you get to the Dry Tortugas?
On the Yankee Freedom ferry, leaving Key West at 8am and returning around 5.15pm, from $260 per adult, about €224, park entry included, or by seaplane, faster and much more expensive. Book several weeks ahead in winter, as places are limited. The park does not charge the $100 surcharge for non-residents.
Can you swim in Key West?
Yes, all year round, as the water never drops below 22°C. Key West's beaches are small, and the best is at Fort Zachary Taylor. For long sandy beaches, go to Bahia Honda, an hour's drive away. The reef, a few kilometres offshore, can be explored on a snorkelling or diving trip.
Can you see Cuba from Key West?
No, the Cuban coast is 145 km (90 miles) away and Havana about 170 km, well beyond the horizon, despite the Southernmost Point buoy that announces it. Nor is there any regular ferry between Key West and Cuba.
Is Key West affected by hurricanes?
Yes, from June to November, with the highest risk in September. Storms are forecast several days in advance, and visitors are evacuated first along the only road. Travel insurance covering cancellation is recommended for a stay during this period.
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