Top 10 on Visit Key West

Hello ✋💗🙋

Enjoy my blog and see you in Key West soon!

#1: Best time of year to visit Key West    🌞🌅

#2: Key West hotels    🏩

#3: Top things to do in Key West <---Recommended  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#4: What to do in Key West when it rains   ☔

#5: Key West restaurants    🍲

#6: Gay Key West   🌈

#7: Best cocktails and martinis in Key West    🍸

#8: Key West guesthouses

#9: Planning a Key West vacation   💲💲

#10: Key West virtual tour       <---Super fun!! 💚💚😀💥👌

VIDEO:

• ALL MY OWN KEY WEST VIDEOS ON YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/KeyWestDavid/videos

7 unique things about a Key West visit

Here's 7 amazing things which makes a Key West visit unique.

1. Fly on a seaplane from Key West airport to Dry Totrugas/Fort Jefferson and snorkel in the ocean

2. Eat at Blue Heaven restaurant

3. Wander around Key West harbor and see the chaos of the tarpons and pelicans being fed - free, daily 4pm

4. Wander leisurely around Key West Old Town, away from Duval Street, and see the amazing homes

5. Sit in a bar, on Duval Street, in the open air of a balmy Key West evening and watch the world go by

6. Go watch a drag show - Inga's girls at Aqua are the best - it's funny and fun. Gay, straight or a bit of both, it don't matter at Aqua

7. Get active and visit attractions only found in Key West: the Key West lighthouse, the Audubon House, the Hemingway House

Key West vacation

Visit Key West and you'll get an small island which is hot, sunny, beautiful, fun but also at times expensive, humid and wet. 

So, is Key West for you? 

Why Key West is great

• Key West is expensive - the hotels and B&Bs, especially in peak season (i.e. the season you'll want to come here) charge a small fortune. There are only a few good cheap accommodation options

• Key West is small, really small

• Key West in off peak (August to November) is uncomfortably humid 
• There are only 2 beaches on the island and only 1 is good
• Key West is not that geared up for kids

If you prefer to see the glass half full, here are the best things about Key West. 


Not so great 

• Key West is easy to get around - you can walk everywhere which is relaxing
• The weather is usually great, especially December to April
• It's quite a friendly town
• Really set up for party/fun vacations - dozens of good bars and restaurants
• The flowers, trees and historic houses make Key West beautiful
• It's quaint, tropical, interesting
• Key West is crazy and eccentric

Different people like different vacations, so...

WHAT'S KEY WESY LIKE FOR....? 

click below to read more....

Key West virtual tour

Here's a virtual tour of the fun, beauty, energy of Key West. A tour of the best bits that you can enjoy from the comfort of your chair and at no cost!

If it's cold, dark, cloudy where you are, or just plain boring - take in the following pictures and get transported across the oceans to Key West.

Planning a Key West visit

This post will help if you're planning a Key West visit or vacation and have questions like when to visit Key West, how long to stay, when is the rainy season, what are the best budget hotels, and how to get to Key West. Here's the Key West truth from a fellow Key West visitor.

Planning a Key West visit. This picture is taken during the summer when crowds are much fewer

This post will answer these questions:

• When should I visit Key West?
• How many days should I stay? Is a weekend too short?
• How to get to Key West?
• How bad is the traffic?
• Where to stop off on the way down the Keys?
• How long to stay in Key West?
• Do you need a car / what to so with the car while in Key West?
• What to wear in Key West?  How formal is Key West?
• Where to stay and what to do?
• How good is Key West for children?

So click on the link below and let's get going....

11 must do Key West best bits

1.Definitely go to Blue Heaven, Key West’s most famous restaurant, and definitely go for breakfast. Have a cocktail at the bar (yes, at breakfast, you're on vacation!), eat in the open air under the tree canopy, wild chickens scratching, live music. Heaven indeed. What to order: their lobster benny, without a shadow of a doubt.

2.Fly by seaplane to the Dry Tortugas (tropical islands). You'll do all of the following in half a day: sea plane, amazing flight, tropical island, snorkelling....There are so many reasons why this is an amazing once-in-a-lifetime trip. You get to land on the water. During the flight the altitude is only 500 feet, so low you can see the sea life swimming below in the blue waters. When you get there you have the island to yourself (and the few other passengers of the sea plane) for an hour before the hordes arrive (the daily ferry) so you can snorkel in peace (this is the best snorkelling location in Key West). Take the half day trip and go in the morning. Book before you arrive in Key West as the trips sell out.

3.Drink the largest, strongest and best martini in Florida at Virgilio’s martini bar on Duval Street. All the martinis are great, the best is the raspberry chocolate bomb. A challenge: see if you can survive two of them! Other bonus: you get a great view of Duval Street madness from your barstool.

4.Wander the streets of Old town off Duval Street. Take your camera to capture the beautiful houses, flowers and trees.

5.Eat! - I’m going to put all my dinner recommendations in one, here they are: Michaels for the best steak and dessert (chocolate volcano). The tastiest fish in the world is Hog snapper and it’s the speciality of fish specialist restaurant Cafe Sole - the best single fish dish in Key West. Finally, for the best lobster and the best dinner table view on the island go to the A&B Lobster House (the restaurant on the first floor). If it’s not too humid, get a table outside on the deck - views of the harbor. All three restaurants will get super busy so book in advance.  

6.Go to see the hilarious drag show at Aqua on Duval. Nightly but pick a night Inga is performing.

7.Take a drink at legendary Sloppy Joe’s on Duval Street. In the 1930s it was Hemingway's regular bar. Take pictures of the iconic neon sign.

8.A fun way of seeing the whole island in comfort and all in just over 2 hours, with a very informative live commentary, take the bus tour or as they call it here in Key West the conch train tour.  

9.Walk up and down Duval Street. I know you are going to do this anyway.

10.Chill on the beach. The best beach in Key West is Fort Zac - it’s beautiful, but not sandy (rocky bits/limestone and coral pebbles). If you really really really want sand go to Higgs Beach but it’s not as pretty.

11.Walk the boardwalk on Key West’s historic harbor. There is always a hundred things going on, great people watching and of course views of the ocean. Really worth the diversion from Duval Street.

Key West breakfast

Here are the best places in Key West to eat breakfast or brunch. 
#1 - Blue Heaven on Thomas Street
#2 - Pepe's on Caroline Street
#3 - Harpoon Harry's on Caroline Street

Over the years of visiting I've been to these places countless times. It's the most important meal of the day and in Key West all the following restaurants are excellent. Don't stay in your hotel or guest house - get out to these!

A word of warning - all these places, and especially the first 2, get VERY busy. Even more so at the weekend. 

If you don't get in line at 11 o'clock (in season) or later you will be waiting an hour or more. At Blue Heaven this is not a problem as you can wait at the bar and have a drink or two; at Pepe's there is a small bar but most people stand on Caroline Street outside the restaurant (which is not much fun!). So go early!

Winner - #1

Blue Heaven

Thomas Street

This is an amazing place anyway and on my list of unique top things to do in Key West. So you have to eat here. My recommendation is to eat here for both dinner and also breakfast. If you can do only one then I would choose breakfast, and it's the best place to eat breakfast in Key West.

Famous, one of a kind, unique venue, in the open air all year round with chickens at your feet and live music. And what's more the food is GREAT. Best is breakfast but dinner is good too.
Key West institution
Sit at the bar for an early martini or their special - bloody mary.

Food great.

Live music, even for breakfast

No reservations, no parking - walking is best

Expect 45 mins to 1 hour or more wait every weekend in season

The best breakfast plate: BLT (bacon, lettuce, lobster) benedicts $24 - amazing! their number 1 seller!

"BLT" (lobster) benedict, the best breakfast dish on Key West, at Blue Heaven

Click below for more....

Best hikes in Key West and Lower Keys

Where to hike and get away from it all in Key West and the Lower Keys? They are beautiful but they are not known for hikes and walking. If you want to get away from it all and go for a peaceful hike, where do you go?

Hikes in Key West

Difficult one as Key West is small, busy and built up.

Here are the my best hiking suggestions:

1. Fort Zachary Taylor and it's beach right by it

The beach gets really really busy but the Fort less so and there is a patch of ground between the fort and the ocean where it's a bit quieter. 

No formal trail so just wander around. 

The plus side is you get access to the ocean.

And there are view like this one - no this is not a postcard, I took this pic on Fort Zach beach today!...

For more information click here.

2.

Wander around old town Key West

Get off Duval and wander randomly or to a plan.

It's not deserted, but it's lovely.

Here some more ideas from me on this one - click here.

Best hikes within 1 hour drive of Key West

Best: Lower Sugarloaf Key

What: several miles long out and back dirt road (paved in parts). Closed to motor traffic so this is good.

Busy: Quiet

Where it is? 30 minutes drive from Key West. Come off Highway 1 at Sugarloaf Boulevard, drive a few miles down the road to a 90 degree right turn were the road becomes Old State Road 4a. You have reached the start of the walk. Park by the side of the road.

Trailhead: you'll see the barrier. Go through it and start walking.

Flat

Why is this good?

No card allowed. It's quiet so you can get away from the crowds, it's long (several miles), it's surrounded by water so you really get the mangrove experience. 

If you want a bonus after your hike: Keep driving along Start Road 4a - 2 miles until you get to Sammy Creek Landing. There is a picnic table.

Second choice

Horsehoe Beach, West Summerland Key, just before (nearer Key West) Bahia Honda Beach

What: paddle along a causeway into the ocean

Busy: medium - you won't be a lone!

Where? 1 hour drive from Key West.

Third choice:

Boca Chica Beach

What: 1 mile out and back with the ocean on the right and the air base on the right (not as bad as it sounds!)

Fourth choice:

more coming soon

The state parks parks along Middle Keys to Lower Keys

The parks are justifiably famous because of their amazing beauty. 

My first choice would be Bahia Honda State Park - good hiking along the beach trail. (Although the best walk is currently still closed because of Hurricane Irma in 2017)

Best - Bahia Honda state park and one of the most beautiful beaches in the USA – MM 37
2nd - Curry Hammock state park MM56.2. This is quieter and much smaller than Bahia and has, over the years, become my favorite stop.

For more information on both - click here.

Crazy idea - go to even smaller island than Key West to hike!

Go 70 miles on a boat to Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas.

Hiking around the island / fort is fun.

More here.

Beautiful Key West

Beautiful Key West

Key West is a really beautiful place to visit. It's a beautiful collision of nature, the ocean and the sun at full power. 

You'll need to get off Duval Street, relax a bit and wander. 

You have to come here in person and walk around the place. So all I can give you is an impression. Everything you see below is available in a few square miles in Key West Old Town. All these pictures are all mine and unadulterated by Photoshop or the like.

If you're visiting Key West, take some time to get off Duval Street and explore. 

If you're not, then sit back, look at the following pictures, and dream tropical!

Below please find, for your visual pleasure, Key West's beautiful:

• Ocean views
• Trees and flowers
• Buildings
• Animals
• Sunsets (and a sunrise too)

The ocean

Dolphin in Key West waters, very close to shore - this taken from the East Quay wall at the Truman Waterfront

>> MORE BEAUTY...click below for Beautiful Key West Trees and Flowers; Animals; Sunset - 43 amazing pictures….

Flying from London to Key West

London to Key West is an 17 hour trip door to bar

London to Key West is 4,554 miles and the flying time is 10 hours, via Miami airport. Door to door the travel time is about 17 hours with good connections. This means you can leave cold, miserable London in the morning and end up in hot Key West with a cocktail in hand at 9pm the same night.

Here's how I do it: I fly out of London Heathrow at 11am and walk through the door of my Key West guesthouse at 8pm the same evening. Once in my Key West room, I down a glass of wine, catch a quick shower, and am out by 8.45pm and by 9pm sitting in Virgilio's, potent martini in hand, looking out at the crazyness of Duval Street and preparing to eat at the bar from their wonderful Italian menu. And relax.

Then because of the martini(s) consumed, the jet lag is hours from kicking in, so a detour via Bourbon Street pub is inevitable. Hit the pillow after midnight. All in one day.

As I write (November 2015), I've done the London to Key West trip 19 times - 19 flights out, and 19 flights back. Yes it's a long way but it's worth it. Key West is great for Brits! And about 30,000 Brits and 40,000 Germans visit Key West every year for vacation.

Most beautiful Key West houses and homes

There are some very expensive and beautiful homes in Key West. They are all in Old Town Key West and so very walkable in an hour if you are in a rush or a few hours if you just randomly wander down a few streets in Key West.

Here are a just a few highlights to make you want to come to Key West and also to make you jealous of these beautiful and historic homes.

I think this is my favorite Key West home, 1029 Fleming Street. Immaculate white and all the elements of the house work together in perfect harmony. Very Key West Old Town it also helps that this house is very imposing and also huge. The second image below shows the side view, showing how long the house is. It's not so uniform from the side, for example the 4 sided feature, which I think  makes it even more interesting.

One of the most beautiful homes in Key West - 1029 Fleming Street

Seaplane to Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson

The Dry Tortugas are a group of small islands 70 miles west from Key West and visiting them by seaplane is the best thing I've ever done from Key West and one of my highlights of the year. The flight is only at 500 feet so the ocean views are stunning but that's only a warm up for the island itself which is dominated by the huge Fort Jefferson, the largest brick made structure in the Americas. Then there's the beach and snorkeling. I visited Key West for years without visiting the Tortugas and that was a mistake - make sure you include the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson in your itinerary.

View of Fort Jefferson and the snorkeling area in front from the seaplane at the Dry Tortugas

Here are 11 things that are cool about a seaplane trip to the Dry Tortugas:

• You get to fly in a small, 12 seat seaplane! That's cool!
• You get amazing aerial views of Key West on take off and landing
• For most of the flight you're at only 500 feet so you see loads of turtles, dolphins and other marine life in the water
• You get to see all the lonely keys and sandbars between Key West and the islands - along with informative commentary from pilot
• You're immersed in the Caribbean colors of the ocean - beautiful blues and greens
• When you land on water at the Dry Tortugas experience how soft a water landing is
• If you go on the morning trip you arrive 90 minutes before the ferry so you have the fort and island to yourself, which is awesome and makes a real difference
• Fort Jefferson, with its 16 million red bricks, is very photogenic
• As is the vista out to open ocean which includes the Dry Tortugas lighthouse, 157 feet high, a few miles away on Loggerhead Key
• The snorkelling, very close (like 10 metres) off the island, is easy to do and good. Much better than any snorkelling in Key West
• The colors, clarity and contrasts are stunning and you end up with some amazing photographs. The photos you see below are the set I'm most proud of across all my tens of thousands of photos of the Florida Keys - see below

FAQs - visiting the Dry Tortugas

What to do in Key West when it rains

If you're reading this then it's probably raining in Key West and you're looking for ideas about what to do. First I'm sorry it's raining and I hope it stops soon. Anyway, what to do? The traditional answer in Key West when it rains is: Drink! You have a multitude of choices and you'll find the bars packed today if it's raining. But there are alternatives, read on...

What to do in Key West when it rains. Here on Duval Street someone has a different option than a rain poncho.  

Fantasy Fest 2016 live blog

Fantasy Fest 2016 is over and all that remains are a few hangovers, memories, a fancy dress outfit that needs to be locked away for another year, lots of pictures and blogs like this one. Enjoy!

Here are 3 pics but you can see loads more further down this blog post, which was a live blog during Fantasy Fest itself.

Here are some links to my other posts on this site which are Fantasy Fest related:

Click here for first timers curious about what Fantasy Fest is all about

Click here for info on Masquerade March / People's march - the best event of Fantasy Fest by far

Click here for live blog of 2014 Fantasy Fest

Now just browse below for my posts and pictures from the 2016 Fantasy Fest....

How long to stay in Key West?

How long to stay in Key West for your vacation is a key question. I think one week is the right length for a Key West vacation. Maybe you are thinking that visiting for only a long weekend is ok but Key West is a little off the beaten track (after all basically it's 127 miles down a dead end road) and as a result you'll spend too much of your vacation actually getting here so a little longer is better.

A week is not perfect of course. The perfect amount time to stay in Key West is...as long as you can! For most visits Key West will be hotter, sunnier, livelier and way more fun than what you have waiting back home - so there is good reason to stay as long as you can. 

Plus there are hundreds of bars and restaurants and lots to do as well as great weather so you can chill by the pool and relax.

Here's some itineraries for how your stay might look over different time periods:

Masquerade March at Fantasy Fest

The Masquerade March or Peoples' Parade or Peoples' March is by far the best event at Fantasy Fest, Key West's annual mad and crazy two week long party. The best thing about Masquerade March is that it features you.... visitor or local alike you are the march, you are the event - all 5000 (or more) of us. Don't be a boring spectator - get dressed up and be part of the fun.

p.s. it's not really a March - it could equally be called the Masquerade walk, stumble or dance.

The 2016 Masquerade March in Key West was on Friday 28 October. I did a live blog of the event with around 50 pictures of all the costumes and fun - click here to read it.

Masquerade Marching in the sunshine welcomes everyone

The walking route is through Old Town from one guest house to the next (i.e. from one free drink to the next - yep, happy days), and ends up on Duval Street. It goes at a very slow pace and lasts about 1hr 30 to 2 hours depending on how fast you go. There's no rush.

When you get to the end, on Duval, the street is blocked off and you can continue to party.

But here's the thing: it's a masquerade: a false show, or pretence, being someone you are not. Or, in simpler words, fancy dress!

Get your fancy dress thinking caps on. Almost everyone dresses up, in a thousand different outfits.

It's excellent!

Come as you are or go crazy on your costume. Use your creativity at Key West Masquerade March

My award for outfit of the year at 2016 Masquerade March goes to these monsters

Party on Duval at the end

Duval Street at the end of Masquerade march is busy and fun

Here are some links to my other posts on this site which are Fantasy Fest related:

Click here for first timers curious about what Fantasy Fest is all about

Click here for live blog of 2014 Fantasy Fest, including lots of pics of Masquerade March 2014

Key West itinerary

We're back in Key West for 10 days of fun and I thought it would be good to show you our itinerary as it happens. So here's what we got up to here in Key West.

Day 1 - Travel day - Wednesday 27 October 2016

10.40 plane from Heathrow. Picked up the rental in MIA and hit the road at just before 5pm. Heavy traffic through Miami but ok once we got onto Highway 1 at about 6pm. Good traffic through the 128 mile drive through the Keys, sunset at 6.30 and arrive at guest house at 8.45 - so good run of almost 4 hours. Took 10 mis to a find a non resident parking space.

In Virgilio's, with Chocolate Raspberry Bomb in hand, at 8.35.

Dinner at Virgilio's, our server was Catherine, a fellow brit. Most of the old guys still at Viriglios which is great, except Erin has moved on.


Day 2 - Thursday

Overcast and light rain on getting up. Drove car to Publix to get booze for tomorrow then dropped it off at rental office and walked back into Old Town. Lunch inside at Hard Rock which was a great decision as within 10 mins of sitting down, torrential tropical rain for 15 minutes.

Then walked to Fairvilla (local large fancy dress store) to get final pieces for Masquerade March costume tomorrow. While in store, starts to rain really, really hard again.

Wait for it to stop and then walk to 801 bar for some drinks. When it's raining in Key West - drink, as I advise in this post. Weather was very dramatic today with wind and hard rain which I like (as long as it stops in the next few days and we have some blue skies!). But I think we made the most of it!

Evening. Tried to get into Virgilio's for quick martini but the place was busier than I have ever seen it. Said brief hi to a very busy Tiffany but then left.  Went to a deserted Mangoes. More cocktails on the list than previous visits and a nice refurb - fab to people watch on Duval. Still would never eat here though!

Meal tonight is in best veggie in town: The Cafe on Southard Street. Good meal as always. I was going to choose butternut squash but other half said this was too healthy so chose more calorific shrimp stir fry (yes they don't do meat but they do seafood). Was nice but wish I had chosen butternut squash. This is one of the few Key West restaurants we visit twice per vacation, so will try this one next time.

Still jet lagged to home early. Big day tomorrow.

Key West changes 2016

When you have not been somewhere for two years you you really notice the differences. And wow Key West has changed a lot in the two years I've been away.

This quote from the Key West Aids memorial summarises what made Key West so great - i.e. because it was different:

Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Robert Frost

I'm afraid, Key West heads even more rapidly and inextricably towards being the same as every other town.

A perfect example was when I went into one of the shops mid-Duval and asked the sales lady a question. She was Latvian, which is fine, but her unfriendly, aggressive attitude was horrible. I left the store immediately. Wow!

Of course, another example of this downward trend, one which is close to my heart, is the continued widespread permanent vandalism by the Tree Commission in allowing the chopping down of historic trees in Key West. You know, I just don't get why this happens - beauty is Key West's number 1 selling point - or how locals stand by and allow it to happen.

It's been a continual trend in the Citizen's Voice:

"This weekend we took our visiting guests to legendary spots. Our guests pointed out the beautiful trees surrounding these properties, including many trees growing straight through the roofs and canopies. I laughed because the current Tree Commission would allow those trees to be cut down like the beautiful trees on the corner of Southard and William, which now looks like an open parking lot.” 

and again...

"The Florida Keys are the best place to live in the USA and maybe the world! Yeah for us who live here. Sadly, since we realized our dream and moved here, the crazy, fun, shopping, eating, drinking, galleries of Duval Street are changing, and not for the better. More funky shops and restaurants have closed. So, leaders find out what’s going on and stop it. Losing Fast Buck Freddie’s was a devastating blow and each month more closures. Pretty soon Duval will look like every- where USA. Not a big deal, but charm does not equal for-rent signs!”

citizens voice 7 july

2014 changes in Key West

Key West 2014

What in Key West changed for the better and what changed for the worse in 2014? Here is my annual review of Key West changes - a personal selection. If you want a comprehensive list then read the Citizen! I do this every year and you can see links to previous years' reviews at the end of this post.

The two anncouncements offering the most impact were not new or surprising and had been brewing for years:

US to normalise relations with Cuba - 90 miles from Key West
Cuba came whole lot closer to Key West in December when President Obama announced more normal relations with Cuba, including relaxing travel barriers for vacations to Cuba. Subsequently, Cuba was named the #2 top destination in the New York Times's 2015 list.

This has potential for profound impact on the closest US real estate to Cuba (e.g. Key West) and could well mean a lucrative tourist route starting between the two. Day trip to Havana, anyone?

The alternative prediction for Key West is a reduction in cruise ship traffic because they choose to stop off / divert to new, interesting, different Cuba rather than good ol' Key West (which regrettably is looking more indistinguishable from all Caribbean / sunny destinations with each passing year).

2015 changes Key West

It was all change in Key West in 2015. The biggest story of 2015 (officially, according to a Florida wide poll) was Florida gay weddings - the very first of which were conducted right here in Key West. Just after midnight on January 7 2015 (as soon as it had become legal in Florida) on the steps of the county courthouse in Key West. Watched by a good sized crowd who wanted to be part of history being made.

Keeping with gay, later in the year on 29 May 2015 a "gay" (i.e. rainbow) crosswalk was installed (painted on the road) in the gay block (Petronia Street) of Duval Street. I think this is a most excellent idea and as I believe they are permanent, I look forward to seeing them when I visit later in the year. They gained lots of international media coverage.

Now to the major themes running throughout the whole of 2015 in Key West. According to my radar, in order of strength of signal, I would say they were:

1. Key West is going to the dogs. Typified by talk like: "Woe is me, Key West is getting busier, very noticeably this year, especially with all the tour buses arriving for the day. Key West isn't what it was, the homeless have taken over..." etc etc
2.  Tree commission is out of control and literally killing Key West's natural heritage
3. More new building development hits Key West. In particular inappropriate construction approved in Old Town.