Key West
At the end of a 180 km road laid across 42 bridges over the sea, Key West is the last island of the Keys, closer to Havana than to Miami. Wooden houses with verandas, free-roaming roosters, bars open to the street and a sunset applauded every evening on the quay: Hemingway's town lives to a Caribbean rhythm, with the reefs and the Dry Tortugas fort on the horizon.
By PierrickLocal Guide ★8 · 14M+ views on Google MapsBy PierrickLocal Guide ★8 · 14M+ Maps views
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Key West · Photo Dominik Gryzbon / Pexels
Things to do in Key West in 4 days
Day 1
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The 1851 limestone house where Hemingway lived from 1931 to 1939, with his writing studio, a tropical garden and some sixty cats, many of them six-toed.
💡 The 20- to 30-minute guided tour is included and leaves every 15 minutes; come at opening time, 9am, before the cruise ship excursions. Tickets are sold only at the entrance, with a 3% card fee. Price: $19 for an adult, about €16, $7 for ages 6 to 12.
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Key West's main street, crossing the island for 2 km from the Gulf to the Atlantic, past Victorian wooden houses, galleries and open-fronted bars such as Sloppy Joe's.
💡 Walk it by day for the houses and St. Paul's Episcopal Church, then come back in the evening for the live music. Take the parallel streets, Whitehead and Simonton, to see the conch houses, which are finer than those on Duval. The free Duval Loop bus serves it all day. Price: free.
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The quay where crowds have gathered every evening since the 1960s to applaud the sunset over the Gulf, among jugglers, fire-eaters, musicians and conch fritter stands.
💡 Arrive an hour before sunset for a spot at the edge of the quay. Bring small notes for the street performers, who live off what goes in the hat. For a quieter sunset, the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor or a schooner leaving from the harbour does the job. Price: free.
Day 2
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A brick fort held by the Union throughout the Civil War, with the country's largest collection of cannons of the period and the best beach in Key West.
💡 Bring water shoes, as the bottom is made of rock and broken coral. The beach is also one of the best viewpoints for the sunset, without the Mallory crowds. The park rents out masks and snorkels. Price: $6 per vehicle plus $0.50 per person, about €6 for two, $2.50 on foot or by bike.
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A refuge on Big Pine Key protecting the tiny Key deer, found only on these islands, with the Blue Hole, a freshwater quarry where alligators, turtles and herons gather.
💡 Drive slowly on Big Pine Key, where speed limits are lowered and enforced, as cars are the leading cause of death for the deer. Feeding them is forbidden and punishable by a fine. Price: free.
Day 3
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A state park at mile 37 whose white sand beaches and shallow turquoise water rank among the finest in the Keys, overlooked by a broken section of Flagler's old railway bridge.
💡 Come on a weekday or early in the morning, as the entrance closes when the car park is full. Brown seaweed, sargassum, washes up in some summers, and the most sheltered beach is then often the cleanest. Price: $8 per vehicle for two to eight people, plus $0.50 per person, about €9 for four.
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The Keys road's most famous bridge, 11 km over turquoise water, beside Flagler's old 1912 railway bridge, reopened in 2022 to walkers and cyclists as far as Pigeon Key.
💡 Park at the old bridge car park, at the western end of Marathon, and walk it early in the morning or in the late afternoon, as there is no shade at all. Tarpon often hunt beneath the piers. Price: free for the old bridge; the visit to Pigeon Key is paid.
Day 4
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A remote national park of seven islets 113 km west of Key West, reached by ferry or seaplane, with the vast brick Fort Jefferson and reefs to snorkel along its moat.
💡 The Yankee Freedom ferry leaves Key West at 8am and returns at around 5.15pm, after a 2-hour-15-minute crossing and more than four hours on site; book online several weeks ahead, as it is often full. The seaplane, faster, costs considerably more. The park is not subject to the $100 surcharge for non-residents. Price: from $260 per adult, about €224, including park entry, snorkelling gear and a guided tour of the fort.
"Book" (hotels) and "via GetYourGuide" (activities) are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide). Prices, times and distances are approximate.
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Good to know before you go
🍽️ Must-try food
Burgers and barbecue
brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl
the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
Mexican food
tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
Pancakes and weekend brunch
a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
Dishes to look for in the good places: Key West.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
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The little details that make all the difference once you're there.
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