Key West was a very cool place to visit at any age. It's not necessarily a hot spot on the young people's travel list anymore (since it is so expensive to get to and the drinking age remains 21), but this keeps the teenage riffraff at bay. There also is (surprisingly) no real beach scene, with only two beaches that are by no means extraordinary by Caribbean standards. Though these might be drawbacks depending on your interests, I found Key West to have tons of other sites and scenes to offer.
Key West is full of great sights that might seem ordinary, but are unlike anywhere else in the world. The sunsets at Mallory Square were unbelievable, with the street performers complimenting the natural beau
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Key West is full of great sights that might seem ordinary, but are unlike anywhere else in the world. The sunsets at Mallory Square were unbelievable, with the street performers complimenting the natural beauty of the best sunset you've ever seen going down over the ocean.
Key West is considered the "southernmost" point in the continental US, and it is fun to visit Mile Marker 0 on Route 1. The Southernmost Point is well marked, painted, and quite the tourist draw. There are several themed locations as well in the area: the Southernmost Restaurant, the Southernmost Hotel… you get the idea. It is fun to poke around this area for cute Southernmost souvenirs and other tourist paraphernalia.
Historical sights like the Hemingway House are unexpected and have very pleasant tours. I loved how there were over 70 cats there—most were descendants of Hemingway's cats from long ago. The house itself is one of the oldest in Key West (since many do not withstand all the hurricanes), and it has been preserved with all its historic artifacts intact. It is quite intriguing to visit the place where Hemingway penned some of his most famous novels.
The shopping along the main stretch into Mallory Square has a great selection of upscale goods, but do not expect to find any bargains. Here you can find upscale retailers like Coach, Marc Jacobs, and several places that sell David Yurman Jewelry.
There is plenty to do in the water as well, from jet skiing to snorkeling in the US's only coral reef! Many places have rentals and instructors to help novices get acquainted. There are also fun sunset boat tours that depart from several locations and give tourists the best view of the sunset.
Quick Tips:
It is very expensive to get a flight to Key West from the Northeast in the peak months (,200), so I decided to save my company some money and fly into Miami (only ) and make the 3-hour scenic drive down Route 1. This actually took the same amount of time as flights would have with stopovers and connections, but was much nicer with the scenic drive down the Keys.
Coupons could be found for many tourist attractions like snorkeling, Gulf cruises, and moped rentals at the concierge stations of most hotels. Key Attractions like Ernest Hemingway’s home are only to for admission and are well worth the inexpensive visit.
Best Way To Get Around:
There is a trolley that makes stops at all points of interest around town that picks up and drops off at most hotels in the area. Moped/bike rentals are also very popular here. If you're in good enough health, Key West is only about 3 miles in length, and you could see most of the island on foot without missing any points of interest. There are very nice walk/bike ways, too. Read Less