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.