Key West

I booked a last minute trip for one adult through Expedia in October 2015. I _​should_​have looked at the City’s events before booking but I ended up in what is called Fantasy Fest. Basically Carnival/​Junkanoo/​Mardi Gras on steroids. It was SUPER fun though!
I stayed at the Southernmost House. There are several places with «southernmost» in their title. I booked to stay at the pink/​blue Victorian on the Atlantic side and ended up in their annex across the street called the Lopez House. It’s cute, yellow siding with wrap around porches, a small courtyard and has either 4 or 5 rooms only. I stayed on the first floor. I will post a detailed review of the hotel on their Unilocal site.
The town is great. It’s about 2 miles from the Gulph to the Ocean if you use Duval Street (the main shopping drag) as a measure. Totally walkable if it’s not a billion percent humidity. There are other transportation options: you can rent a scooter, a bike or an electric-​golf cart deal. There are also Trolley Tours and pedi-​bike-​cabs.
My favorite places were the KW Botanical Gardens, The Green Parrot, Bad Boy Burrito, Higgs Beach, Dog Beach and The Butterfly Museum.

Key West was a cool place to visit. I enjoyed the shops, food, water views, tourist attractions and atmosphere. The key lime dishes are delicious!

I love Key West and have been visiting and enjoying it my entire life.
I appreciate the wide array of things you can do:
* Fishing
* Diving
* Sightseeing
* Ghost Tours
* Rich History
* Military
* Tourists
* Old Florida Charm
* Dining
* Drinking
* Fitness
* Fun
* Sponging
Whether walking, biking, riding a scooter (don’t HONK!), or riding the Conch Train or a cab, it is easy to get all around and about the island easily.
Cabeza OUT!

Visiting Key West is a must-​do for Floridians, even if it’s just to get it off your «list of places to experience» and if you live in South Florida, you have no excuse! While a day trip is definitely possible, you will get more out of your stay if you stay overnight. However, the hotel pricing in the winter and spring is outrageous, so a day trip is in order, unless you feel you can tolerate the high humidity and heat of the summer and spend an entire weekend there (and believe me, the humidity there is worse than in Miami!).
Key West is a very laidback «anything goes» kind of town, especially during Halloween and its Fantasy Fest. During the rest of the year, you can walk around in a beach coverup and flip flops and no one will blink an eye. I remember going to dinner in one of these, and surprisingly, I was not turned away from the upscale restaurant. There is a large gay community, people of all ages, and even different nationalities. I was surprised to see so many Cubans here. By the way, people from Key West are either called «conchs» or «parrotheads,» in case you hear that term thrown around and wonder what it means.
There is something for everyone in Key West, whether you like outdoor activities, partying, or taking in some history. Here is a list of popular attractions that you may decide to enjoy:
–Mallory Square, and its popular sunset celebration
–Duval Street bar and restaurant district
–The Audubon House and Tropical Gardens, which is a museum dedicated to John James Audubon
–The Tennessee Williams Theatre
–The Key West Botanical Forest and Garden
–Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden
–The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory
–The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum
–The Key West Lighthouse
–The Ernest Hemingway House, with its world-​famous cats
–The Harry S. Truman Little White House
–Mel Fisher’s Maritime Museum
–Dry Tortugas National Park
–Fort Zachary Taylor beach
–U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham Maritime Museum
–Walking the streets and observing all the historical buildings, the Key West cemetery, and the bed and breakfasts all over the city
–Renting a jetski or riding on a glass-​bottom boat
–The Oldest House in South Florida
–The Southernmost Point
–Smathers Beach
–Fort East Martello Museum (don’t forget to see Robert the doll!)
–The Curry Mansion
–Scuba diving/​snorkeling the many wrecks found here
–Getting some authentic key lime pie
–Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville
–Visiting the many natural preserves and parks along the way as you drive into the keys
–Camping at Bahia Honda
Here is a list of popular events, which you may decide to participate in:
–Florida Keys Seafood Festival — January
–Key West Half Marathon & 5K Run — January
–Key West Race Week — international sailing event — January
–Key West Literary Seminar — January
–Key West Food & Wine Festival — January-​February
–Kelly McGillis Classic — Flag Football Tournament — February
–Key West Fishing Tarpon Season– April-​June
–Conch Republic Independence Celebration — April 23
–Taste of Key West — April
–Red Ribbon Bed Race — April
–Key West Songwriters Festival — April /​May
–Survivors Party — May
–Queen Mother Pageant — May
–PrideFest — June
–Cuban-​American Heritage Festival — June
–Hemingway Days Festival — July
–Key West Lobsterfest — August
–WomenFest — September
–Bike Week — September
–Fantasy Fest — October
–Goombay Celebration — October
–Robert the Enchanted Doll Day — October 24
–Parrot Heads in Paradise Convention (aka Meeting of the Minds) — Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 (2013)
–Boat and Holiday Parade — December
Would I consider Key West my favorite city in Florida? No, but I do enjoy the beautiful drive on the seven mile bridge, the water, and the colonial revival buildings, while still feeling like I escaped Miami.

Clairement, Key West, pour moi, c’est juste le Paradis (ouais, avec un grand P). C’est un des endroits ou je suis allée et ou j’ai ressenti le plus de calme, de bien être, tout en étant dans un endroit spectaculaire. C’est juste mythique.
Ici, l’eau est chaude et elle est couleur lagon. Ici, les palmiers sont présents par centaines et ils sont magnifiques. Ici, il fait chaud, mais vous pourrez vous désaltérer dans l’un des nombreux bars du coin. Ou même prendre le bateau en utilisant une des nombreuses compagnies de catamaran pour aller vous baigner.
C’est un des endroits où en arrivant, votre bouche forme un O d’admiration que vous mettez du temps à masquer: c’est juste trop trop trop beau.
On a privilégié la voiture pour y aller que le bateau, certes on met un peu de temps (bien compter 3h30 sans circulation), mais cette route… Une fois arrivés dans les Keys, la US Road 1 est sur l’eau, c’est juste génial.
Si vous aller en Floride, la route jusqu’à Key West est obligatoire!

Cidade muito boa para se descansar, ver finais de dia e amanhecer maravilhosos na mesma rua, como a Duval que tem 3 quilômetros de comprimento e atravessa a ilha.
Não é uma cidade para se andar de carro na parte histórica e nem para se visitar por um dia. Recomendo tomar uns 3 dias e algum hotel antigo na Duval St. ou em volta, deixar o carro num lugar que possa parar por estes dias sem pagar e andar bastante a pé ou de bicicleta alugada.
Fica a mais ou menos 3 a 4 horas de Miami de carro pela A1A e possui atrações para públicos gay, idosos, aventureiros, casais em lua de mel, mergulhadores, pubs e bares, a até Starbucks para os esfomeados por WiFi!
Lembre-​se que não há praias de fácil acesso na parte histórica para ir a pé, então, alugue uma bike ou carrinho elétrico ou use o ônibus Hop On Hop Off de turismo. Consulte no seu hotel opções de passeio e como fazer.

Taking a trip to Key West has to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I was in desperate need of a mental break and that’s exactly what I found!
I should note that I stayed with friends during my 10-​day stay, so I cannot vouch for any hotels and realize that this gave me a greatly unfair monetary advantage over most tourists in my tax bracket. Not a whole lot here is cheap, but you won’t experience too much sticker shock if you prepare well in advance and budget accordingly. And if you’re at all airplane and internet savvy, you can snag some great flight prices. I flew ORD to ATL to EYW and back (returning to MDW) for under $ 300!
This city is not particularly large. You can walk most places and bus, bike, drive or cab it to other areas easily.
I was pleasantly surprised to find I had bookmarked a ton of sites to see here on Unilocal as somewhat of a tourist wishlist and was able to cross the majority of them off (Hemingway Home, Green Parrot, Southernmost Point, 2¢, Strand Theatre, Fort Zachary Beach), even after adding a significant number more after arriving (Blue Heaven, Six-​Toed Cat, Public Transportation, Leather Master, Butterfly Conservatory, Stay Fit Studio). I think if I’d put my mind to it I could have knocked them all out, but I decided to relax and save some for next time. And I fully intend for there to be a next time.
I managed to find the perfect balance between relaxing and roaming around in Key West. The atmosphere and weather in the spring is quite conducive to being both leisurely and active. There seemed to always be some intriguing sight or sound that caught my attention, and the food was fantastic! If it weren’t for the fact that I had a fiancé waiting for me back in the Midwest and that I have no desire to be in hurricane territory, I may never have left!
What made this trip the most memorable for me was not only that I got to spend time with some of the truly greatest and most gracious hosts you could hope to have, but also that this vacation provided a bit of everything that I needed. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many European countries and I’ve driven across a large part of the US, but I never had the opportunity to have a real vacation. This is exactly what this was: vacation, a total checkout from reality. I wasn’t tied to a schedule, I pretty much came and went as I pleased, I ate and drank damn near ALL the foods and booze, I didn’t have to clear customs, and just about everyone I met spoke fluent English. All these things came together to make this a mind-​numbing experience in the absolute best sense of the term.

I have a «bucket list» of things I want to do and see in my lifetime. Key West is one of them.
There is so much to do, restaurants, museums, historic buildings all in a city that is 2 miles wide by 4 miles long. From the touristy attractions such as The Southern Most Point to Mallory Square I don’t think you can actually see it all in one trip. (I know I didn’t).
It is definitely not easy to get to but it is so worth the effort. Take any trolley you want, hop on/​hop off is the best way to see this tropical paradise. Yes, it is pricey, but memories that will last a lifetime (you guessed it, are priceless). I can’t wait to go back, will have to try to make my stay longer than 3 days. You should all put Key West on your bucket list. You won’t be disappointed.

Really fun place, especially when it is still cold throughout the rest of the US.
The night life and casual get away from the uptight main land aspects are probably my favorite. Just a fun and very casual place to visit.

I have to come back to Key West. I asked an old beau to take me somewhere where the water was blue. So he rented a car and here I was… Blue water. The southern most part… Dipping my feet. Admiring the beach.

Key West remains a small drinking town with a fishing problem. I have been coming here for about 30 years and it still remains one of my favorite places. The anything goes attitude still remains, but it is being threatened a bit as the town has moved towards being an upscale resort. The Key West of years ago was a place where folks were escaping from the real world. Now the real world is encroaching on the town as more national chains move in and the development has touched every square foot of land. There are now more things to do here, but it is much harder to find a parking space. If it is 5 stars for me now, it was 6 or more stars some years ago.

Sorry, but I can’t help compare the Key West of 2013 to the Key West I knew back in the 60’s and 70’s which was a time when Key West really was a Conch Republic and stood for individualism, a live and let live laid back life with outrageously fun parties and good times. Today, that Key West is gone, having pretty much given in to attempts of upgrading gentrification and unabashed commercialism.
My first introduction to Key West was Halloween with Key West’s best known party, Fantasy Feast. It had a parade which was lead off by 9 topless nuns on roller skates twilling dildoes and vibrators. I thought it was hilarious but some idiots who foolishly brought their children to what was well known to be a strictly adult event didn’t. They were offended, began to complain, not only about that but the pot smoking tattooed jugglers on Mallory Square and lack of what they considered «family» fun. Unfortunately, but mostly because there wasn’t an big money in the cheap block party type of fun that was once Key West to line the pockets of bigger business, the powers to be took over, dredged the canal for incoming cruise ships with their hordes of «family» or middle class conservative tourists, completely remade Mallory Square into an expensive upscale attraction, gave away Sunset Key in sewage line swap for the Little White House and basically transformed Key West into what it is today; a rather boring exorbitantly high priced upper middle class tourist attraction by day along with a pathetic array of amateur drunken bar hoppers parading around by night.
Hence, at least to my mind, what was once one of the most fun places on earth is no more; basically destroyed by commercial greed along with its resultant gentrification. However, though I must look a lot harder to find it, there are still a few surviving places as well a number of real Key West people that will continue keep me being a fan..

After living in Florida for over 25 years I finally decided to visit Key West and I was pleasantly surprised! I had heard all the stories about how wild it is, how raunchy the places can be and oh let’s not forget all the talk about the Duval crawl.
I suppose all these things could be accurate if you planned it that way. Me,. I planned it otherwise. I stayed on the east side since I live by the Gulf I didnt care to see the same view I get at home, I wanted ocean view. Yes, I did venture over to Duval for a little night life, but I had my best times away from the crowds.
Everyone I met was very friendly, very accomodating, and always willing to talk. It was a great place to see the touristy sights, spend some down time at the beach and pool bar (I stayed at Casa Marina-​see other review for it) and indulge in some delicious food.
If you choose to drink at all the crappy tourist places and eat bar food for your entire stay then you’ll be missing out on some quality places and some wonderful times

My Wife and I were here 35 years ago. My things have changed but not so much. The electricity stays on now. What a great spot. Tropical, warm, and fun. This is a tourist spot but you can find your own Key West. Island life is addictive. You can hit the hot spots or chill out in a tropical cove with no one around. Key West, Lots of different influences here. If you are open minded, you will enjoy the life at this pace.
Slow trip down from Miami, My average speed was 38. But who is in a hurry anyway.

Okay, so the summer vacation with my gf and her kids… flew into Ft. Lauderdale, picked up the rental and drove to outside of Miami, where we had an awesome airboat tour of the everglades. This was fun!
When finished, we asked how long to drive to Key West… keep in mind we had just flown a five hour red-​eye and done a 2 hour boat tour. Everyone says, «it’s 140 miles»…everyone. We think, not bad, maybe 2 hours more in the car.
Surprise! While it is about 140 miles, no one tells you the speed limit is 45 mph the whole way. State patrol cars line the road, too. The drive from hell ended up taking 4.5 hours. Seriously. A 6 yr old and 10 yr old are not the companions you want for a trip like this.
Once we arrived, I did have some fun times, but it is definitely not a destination for young kids. There were so many bars and drag clubs that I would have loved to go to, but no kids… plus, everything is very expensive. I understand it’s a vacation town and that’s how they make their money, but damn…$ 4 for a small scoop of ice cream?