KEY WEST TIPS | 12 Things To Know Before You Go To Key West, Florida

If you're planning your first trip to Key West then keep watching for handy tips and practical information like where to stay, how to get around, what to eat, where to drink, best places to watch those amazing sunsets and much more. If you want to be close to the action then the western half of Old Town is the best area for you. You'll be near most of the attractions and have so many bars and restaurants within walking distance. It's also really convenient if you like to pop back to your hotel during the day to relax. The whole area oozes that old Key West charm with historic homes, colourful buildings and gorgeous trees everywhere. We decided to stay in a B&B set in an old cigar factory. It was everything I imagined when I pictured staying in Key West. Rustic with private balconies and porches and relaxing pools surrounded by lush vegetation. Despite being steps away from Duval Street our room was also pretty quiet although we did request a room that faced away from the road. If you do want to stay in the Old Town but you are a bit concerned about noise then I'd just do what we did and check the hotel reviews, request a room that doesn't face the road and maybe steer clear of staying right by Duval Street. If you do plan to spend a lot of your trip bar hopping then the largest concentration of bars is at the north end of the island. To give you an idea of size walking the full length of Duval Street takes around 30 minutes so this end is the most convenient but also the loudest. Alternatively you could stay in the New Town. Here you'll find more resort options with spacious rooms which is great if you're travelling with a family. Accommodation can also be cheaper although you do have to factor in the cost of travelling depending on how you plan on getting to and from the Old Town attractions. Check if your resort offers shuttles as that could be a good option too. I wouldn't recommend getting around Key West by car. For starters the Old Town is very pedestrian friendly. You can easily reach attractions, restaurants, bars and shops on foot. Also parking can be expensive and hard to find and you need to avoid the resident spots. Plus if you drink alcohol and you're enjoying the bars then it would suck to be the designated driver. While we walked pretty much everywhere if you want to cover more ground cycling is a popular way to get around. Many places offer bike rentals including electric bikes. While we were researching bike hire I saw Eaton bikes recommended fairly frequently although we didn't use them ourselves. Some hotels also offer bike hire so do check what's available at your accommodation too. If you want to save your legs then take advantage of the Duval bus loop. This is a free bus service that runs through Old Town covering popular stops. For convenience there's of course taxis, uber and lyft. You could also use the hop on hop off Old Town trolley or the conch train which is a fun way to combine transport with a narrated tour. Yes it's touristy but it's a good way to learn more about Key West. But which one should you go for? The conch train or the Old Town trolley? The Old Town trolley and conch train both offer a hop-on hop-off tour of Key West with a narrated guide covering the city's cultural and historical highlights. It is a great way to get a feel for the city and find out about attractions that you might want to visit. The two aren't identical though. From what I've read visitors say the trolley offers a better view as you're seated higher up and it's supposedly smoother and more spacious than the conch train. The conch train focuses on Key West's Old Town with a 75 minute tour and four stops. On the other hand the trolley covers the entire island, lasts 90 minutes and has 13 stops. The trolley is also about $10 more expensive per person although prices can vary. I think the conch train is a good option if you're not really looking for a mode of transport and really you're just in it for the Old Town tour. Plus it's cheaper and if you're traveling with kids they might also prefer the novelty of the conch train. However the Old Town trolley could be better if you're looking to utilize the hop-on hop-off feature as it does cover a wider range of attractions. This could especially be useful if you're staying at one of the resorts outside of Old Town near one of the Old Town trolley stops. You might also prefer it if you think that the kind of bumpy ride on the conch train would be too uncomfortable for you. Key West is a popular cruise ship stop and with cruise ships come crowds. While navigating the popular attractions while a big cruise ship is in town certainly won't spoil your trip here are a few tips. If you're staying in Key West for a few days you could save the more popular activities for the days when the cruise ships aren't in. Or on cruise ship days you could go for activities with capped numbers like a small group excursion pre-booking to make sure you've got a spot. There are a ton of great options available particularly trips that involve getting you out on that beautiful sparkling water. A couple of excursions we really enjoyed were snorkeling and dolphin watching and a self-driving boat trip where we followed our group captain across open water through peaceful mangroves and finally had some free time to explore beautiful sandbars. If your time is limited and you don't have much wiggle room then you could book the most popular attractions in advance for peace of mind. Also check the arrival and departure times of the big ships as you could stop by photo ops or attractions before the ship's dock to beat the crowd. Remember that cruise ships dock at the northern end of the island near Mallory Square so this gives you bonus time to get to the popular attractions at the southern end like the southernmost point and the butterfly conservatory. Some ships also leave mid-afternoon so you could also save popular attractions for after the crowds have gone. First off, you won't need overly dressy clothes for the evenings. If you do want to get dressed up then absolutely go for it but just know you won't look out of place if you want to keep it casual. I'd also say pack for comfort. It's hot most of the year and there's plenty of exploring for you to do. Make sure you have comfortable shoes so you can take advantage of how walkable Key West is. While it is hot most of the year, after spending a long day in the sun you might find you want light layers for the evening especially if it's breezy. I'd also take a light waterproof for sudden downpours and take a hat with you. I didn't wear one at first and regretted it. Sunburn on your head is no joke. Take some bug repellent. Key West gets no-see-ums or sandflies which can cause itchy bites. We didn't have any issues with no-see-ums ourselves however mosquitoes were another story. You will definitely need sun cream but make sure you get the coral safe kind if you're going in the water. If you don't manage to get any at home then there are three CVS's and the coolest looking Walgreens in Old Town. While the easiest answer to the when to go to Key West is, well whenever you're able to, there are a couple of things to bear in mind. Key West hosts some really popular festivals like Fantasy Fest in October which is a 10-day blowout of costumes, body paint and music. While this could be a lot of fun, if you're travelling with kids know that it's not exactly going to be family-friendly. Bigger crowds and higher costs is of course another reason to avoid visiting during a festival if you're just not that bothered so check the exact dates in advance. Another important consideration is weather. Key West hurricane season runs from June to November with the most active time for hurricanes being mid August to mid October. While the chance of a hurricane hitting directly is low, it is something to bear in mind. On the other hand this does mean crowds should be lower and you could get a good deal on accommodation so it's up to you if you want to roll the dice. There's no denying that Key West can be a very expensive place to visit however there are a few ways you can try to save a bit of money. Some attractions offer a discount when you book online in advance. These discounts do tend to be pretty small though so it's a case of weighing up the flexibility of not planning ahead versus saving a bit of money. Take advantage of free activities in Key West. Explore the historic old town and marina. Watch tarpon feedings. Visit gardens in a fort. Joy one of the beaches. And join in on the sunset celebration at Mallory Square. We've covered these activities plus plenty of other things to see and do in another Key West video which I'll link in the description below. We found that some of the restaurant portion sizes were huge so while I'd never suggest you not eat enough to save a bit of money, just have a look around you at what other customers are eating and if it looks big enough to share then that will save on money and waste. Take advantage of happy hours at various bars and restaurants. We typically found happy hours fell between four and six although it did vary from venue to venue. I'll link a page we found that listed different happy hours in Key West. It was a pretty good guide although I don't think it covers every single happy hour so also keep your eyes peeled as you walk around. I'll share some happy hours that we really enjoyed next. There's so much delicious food for you to try in Key West and a load of restaurants to pick from. Here are some of the highlights from our trip. Conch fritters. When you come to Key West you should try conch fritters. Conch is a type of large sea snail and conch fritters are savoury deep fried balls made from a seasoned batter packed with vegetables, spices and conch meats. We enjoyed the conch fritters at Half Shell Raw Bar during their happy hour but you'll be able to find conch fritters everywhere. Another one that you should definitely have is key lime pie. You'll find different versions of key lime pie, some more tart and some with a sweeter edge. The main thing to know is that key lime pie is not green so if you see somewhere selling green key lime pie then just give it a miss. My favourite was this absolute beast from Blue Heaven and Aaron's favourite was from Kermit's Key Lime Shop which had a thicker base and a more intensely tart flavour. At happy hours we took advantage of discounted peel and as well as raw oysters or clams served on the half shell with cocktail sauce and horseradish. Pepe's cafe offers a great happy hour deal on oysters at half price which was the cheapest that we found. If you do want a waterfront location though and don't mind paying a bit more then Half Shell Raw Bar does seem to be a crowd pleaser. Our recommendation though would be Pepe's. Cuba has had a big influence on Key West including the food so it's easy to find Cuban dishes while you're on the island. We liked El Cibernet, it was really good value for money and we both loved the rice and beans. We tried a few different Cuban sandwiches while we were in Key West. A Cuban sandwich is typically made from ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard and served up on delicious crunchy Cuban bread. We had ours at Key West Cuban Coffee Shop, Five Brothers and the famous Cuban Coffee Queen. All were really good and we'd happily eat at any of those places again. Just a side note but if you're looking for this well-known photo op then you want to go to the Waterfront Cuban Coffee Queen. A restaurant I have to mention is a simple Caribbean place we visited called Moe's. We had the Creole shrimp pasta and the Creole shrimp rice. Both were spicy and the shrimp was so fresh. The pasta was more creamy than the rice but both were excellent, really good comfort food. You're going to get a lot of fish in Key West whether it's grilled or fried, blackened or in a sandwich. One place we loved for fish was a laid-back restaurant near Duval Street called Kaya Island Eats. They describe their food as a fusion of Caribbean, Polynesian and Asian flavours. They also have a selection of really tasty sounding vegetarian options which from what I've seen do get positive reviews. If you're there during happy hour then their tuna poke in nachos are a popular choice. On Stock Island there's a Waterfront restaurant called Hogfish famous for their hogfish sandwich. The light flavourful fish is combined with sautéed onions, mushrooms and melted cheese all served on Cuban bread. For taco lovers I'd recommend going to Garbo's Grill food truck. At happy hour you can get a trio of fish, prawn and Korean barbecue tacos for $11 so not only is it great value for Key West but they were also both of our favourite tacos of the trip especially the Korean barbecue flavour. Everywhere we visited we found we could just walk up without a reservation but if there is a specific restaurant that you're keen on it is a good idea to check if reservations are necessary. One place worth mentioning is Latitudes on Sunset Key. This is somewhere we considered because it's incredibly popular for its fine dining on the water in a beautiful setting. Reservations are a must here especially if you want to time your dinner with sunset. If you're looking for somewhere to grab a beer or cocktail perhaps with some live music then you won't be short of good options in Key West. Here are a few A lively spot known for its multiple bars, energy and lightly live music. We enjoyed the live music downstairs particularly this reggae band whose name I didn't catch. Their second floor balcony is also a great people watching spot. First flight. Enjoy house brewed beers in the birthplace of Pan American World Airways. In 1927 Pan Am's very first tickets were sold right here. They went on to be the leading international airline of the US for decades until it collapsed. General Horseplay. This is where you want to go if you're looking for really good quality cocktails plus they have a rather fun and unique happy hour. You roll the dice which dictates what you pay. First time we rolled a four or something so no good but then the second time I rolled a one so only paid one dollar for my drink. Green Parrots. We didn't manage to catch any music here but did enjoy the very laid-back atmosphere plus it's filled with quirky decor and memorabilia so it's fun to sit and look around. The last one that we really enjoyed was Waterfront Brewery where you can get house brewed craft beers and play arcade games. Sunsets in Key West are absolutely incredible. Just make sure you take the time to enjoy at least one sunset during your trip. Here are a few suggestions for where you could watch it. Mallory Square is famous for its daily sunset celebrations with street performers and a really lively atmosphere. Sunset Pier is a relaxed waterfront restaurant and bar. There's live music and you can grab food or just a drink. If you're like me and you don't really like sweet cocktails then I thought their grapefruit crush cocktail was really good. Alternatively you could try the small Lagerheads beach bar just a little further along the coast. Fort Zachary Taylor is a relaxed place for sunsets. It's a state park so there is a small admission fee. If you visit earlier in the day to explore the fort or go to the beach then keep hold of your receipt and you can return at no extra cost to enjoy the sunsets. Truman Waterfront Park is ideal if you're looking for quiet for sunsets and if you visit on a Thursday then you might catch the end of the farmer's market. White Street Fishing Pier is a relaxing spot by Higgs Beach that's perfect for both sunrise and sunset. There are three main beaches in Key West. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, Smathers Beach and Higgs Beach. However because the Keys are coral islands the sand tends to be quite coarse and not so pleasant to walk on and areas of these beaches can be pretty rocky. It could be a good idea to take water shoes especially for Fort Zachary Taylor as it is rocky close to the water. We learned that one the painful way. I think the sand at the other two is imported though so a bit softer than at Fort Zachary Taylor. While they do vary in size these beaches also aren't like the wide stretches you might picture when thinking of Florida. That being said while I wouldn't suggest visiting Key West for the beaches they are still nice for relaxing breaks between the sightseeing. Plus it's all subjective. Living in a UK city nowhere near a beach we still found these beaches to be very picturesque. While you're walking around don't just look up at the beautiful architecture remember to look down too. There are 17 short poems mostly written by Key West residents imprinted on various sidewalks around Key West. With so much to see and do it would be easy to schedule every hour of the day but part of the joy of Key West is just enjoying the atmosphere and seeing what you stumble upon. While it's great to do your research and have a list of must-dos on the island make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to just go with the flow. Remember the weather can be unpredictable especially if you're visiting during hurricane season so you might want to keep your plans flexible. Hopefully you remember that earlier I said we have a video of things to do in Key West that could help get you started on that must-do list so I'll link that video here. If you've made it this far then thanks so much for watching I hope this video was helpful.