Key West (Spanish: Cayo Hueso) is an island and city in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent. The city lies at the southernmost end of U.S. Route 1, the longest north-south road in the United States. Key West is the southernmost city in the contiguous United States and the westernmost island connected by the highway in the Florida Keys. The island is about 4 miles (6.4 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide, with a total land mass of 4.2 square miles (11 km2).

Attractions

There are quite a few things to do and experience in Key West. Even getting to Key West is an attraction by itself since you drive on one of the most beautiful highways in the world … The Overseas Highway.

Another thing you have to experience there is exploring Duval Street (the city main street) and stay to see the sunset at the sunset pier. One of our favorite things there is watching the various entertainers at the pier and enjoying the last few hours of sunlight. Colors are amazing and close by there are tons of places to have fun and get something to eat.

There are tons of various shops, bars, museums, and places with so much history that you days there go quickly. Spending time on Mallory Square and exploring the Shipwreck Museum as well as riding on the Old Town Trolley are just a few of the things to experience.

Another very popular activity on these is bike riding as well as renting one of those small scooters. Diving as well as snorkeling is very popular as well. As a matter of fact, one of the most marketed attractions on the main streets is a trip to the Dry Tortugas & Fort Jefferson. We already covered this amazing place in one of our previous posts. Absolutely a place we recommend to visit and experience.

Food

We used to drive to Key West some weekends just so we can get our hands on the lobster rolls from DJ’s Clam Shack for lunch/dinner. The next day we would almost always go to the Blue Heaven for their amazing Eggs Benedict. Note that both places are quite popular and there always is a line/waitlist. There are many other great places to eat/drink there and to this day we miss some of them.

Lodging

Key West is also very popular with its bed and breakfast places. Lots of them are very historic buildings with amazing locations and services. We have stayed in a few of the hotels there and have never been disappointed.

Traveling with kids

It gets quite busy and loud on the main street and other nearby small streets. Key West is famous for its nightlife and bars so have that in mind when traveling with small children. Quite a good amount of people are under the influence of alcohol even during the day but after sunset, it can get crazy sometimes.

Parking

Parking is not always available and usually hard to find in the Keys. Especially during the main season there. One of the “tricks” we used to do was to always park in the Key West Fire Station parking lot. It usually has more than a few spots. From there it takes less than 10 minutes to get to Duval Street and be in the center of the city.

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The Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands, located in the Gulf of Mexico at the end of the Florida Keys, United States, about 67 miles (108 km) west of Key West, and 37 miles (60 km) west of the Marquesas Keys, the closest islands. Still further west is the Tortugas Bank, which is submerged.

The first Europeans to discover the islands were the Spanish in 1513, led by explorer Juan Ponce de León. They are an unincorporated area of Monroe County, Florida, and belong to the Lower Keys Census County Division. With their surrounding waters, they constitute the Dry Tortugas National Park.

Getting there

The ferry trip takes some time and if you are going for one day you end up really spending more time on the boat than on the island. Food on it is nothing special so pack from home if you are a picky eater. This should not discourage you, however… the island is beautiful and worth visiting. It has awesome views from the fort and a very relaxed feeling on the beach. You could also fly there which cuts about two hours from the three on the boat and gives you more time to enjoy the island. It is however significantly more expensive.

The Island / Fort

Once you arrive there are a bunch of tables and places to rest right in front of the park entrance. There is a small beach where the majority of the people are enjoying the crystal clear water and exploring the underwater world. There also is a camping ground for those brave souls who want to spend more than one day on the island.

Fort Jefferson itself is quite interesting and puzzling from a construction standpoint. The history is very interesting and the fact that is has survived in the middle of the ocean for so long is fascinating. You should take some time to explore and walk through the corridors. Make sure you get to the top and enjoy the views from there. When we were inside 1/3 was closed due to construction work so we did not explore the entire fort but we did get the idea.

Overall if you have a day to spare and you are staying in Key West the Dry Tortugas is an absolute must-see. You would not regret it.

Links

1. Dry Tortugas National Park Official Web Site
2. Dry Tortugas Transportation / Ferry etc

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Key West is a great spot for a getaway/vacation and the highway to it has always been a symbol of the travel to the Florida Keys. The Overseas Highway is an attraction which holds a special place in our hearts. It is one of the top things to experience in South Florida.

The Overseas Highway is a 113-mile (181.9 km) highway carrying U.S. Route 1 (US 1) through the Florida Keys. Large parts of it were built on the former right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially destroyed in the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. The Florida East Coast Railway was financially unable to rebuild the destroyed sections, so the roadbed and remaining bridges were sold to the state of Florida for $640,000.
Since the 1950s the Overseas Highway has been refurbished into a main coastal highway between the cities of Miami and Key West, offering travelers an exotic roadway through a tropical savanna environment and access to the largest area of coral reefs on the U.S. mainland. Many exotic animals such as the American Crocodile and Key Deer inhabit the tropical islands of the Florida Keys

It is rather difficult to grasp the size of it when driving in the car even if you stop multiple times. You kind of need to really see it from above to really appreciate the beauty of it. If you ever have a trip coming up to Key West make sure you take your time to enjoy the views and nature around it.

There are plenty of stops among the way (see from the photo below) to walk and enjoy the ocean views. In some sections of the highway, there are small parks on the side with picnic areas.

Overall this highway gets you in a very relaxed and vacation mood on your way to whatever island you are going from the Florida Keys. We highly recommend it.

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