Hi there! We are super excited to start our blog and share our travel experiences with you all. In the last five years we have visited Key West in the Florida Keys over nine times! Call us crazy but it is our favorite place to visit each summer.

How to Get There

Key West is the southernmost city in the continental United States.  With its remote location, it can be quite intimidating travelling there.  There are a few options to get there both with their pros and cons and believe me when you get there, its worth the trip!

Option 1 – Fly direct into Key West

• There are many airlines that fly into Key West, most with a connection in Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando or Miami. This route is usually the quickest and the flight from Miami is only 25 minutes. The view from plane is incredible!

Option 2 – Fly into Ft. Lauderdale / Miami and drive down to Key West

• This option is the most affordable but will take you the longest to get to your destination.  The drive from Ft. Lauderdale roughly takes four hours to get to Key West since the speed limit is no more than 55 mph in the Keys.  Although this route does take the longest, the scenery of seeing the middle keys is a great experience. Once you hit Key Largo and see the water, you really get a sense of how beautiful the water is surrounding the keys.  There is also plenty of great shops and restaurants to stop in and check out during the trip.

Option 3 – Fly into Ft. Meyers or Marco Island and take the Key West Express.

• Key West Express is a ferry service that will take you to Key West by boat. The trip takes around three and half hours, check out their website for more information if you decide to go this route. Round trip tickets start at $125.

Getting Around

Now that you made it, you’ll need a way around to check everything out. Key west is 1 mile wide by roughly 4 miles long so most places aren’t to far to get to. With the island being so small, parking can get tight. Once you arrive, you’ll notice an abundant use of scooters and bicycles. Using a scooter is my preferred method as it allows you to get where you going quickly and there are many scooter only parking spots around the island. Using a bicycle is also a great way to get around. Walking is also a great option if your hotel or rental is closer to old town where many of the shops, restaurants, bars and attractions are located. There are many rental houses that offer scooters, bicycles and hybrid vehicles. You can rent these on an hourly, daily and weekly basis. If your going to be in town for a period of time, it’s usually cheaper to rent multiple days, so make sure you ask if some type of discount is available. You’ll often find places that will deliver bicycles for rental or often times, your hotel will offer bicycle rentals at their location.

Where to Stay 

Key West is a bustling island that stays busy year round.  There is a bountiful of vacation rentals from condos, small cottages to large houses and hotels to choose from but it’s recommended to book early to lock in a property or hotel room for your stay.   While we have stayed at both a hotel and vacation rental, our recommendation is to book a Key West Vacation Rental.  Renting a vacation property  allows you to really soak in the Key West vibe and there are plenty of options to fit any budget or party size.  Do keep in mind that when renting a vacation property it will usually require a deposit before you arrive onsite.

What to do 

Key West is known for its lively atmosphere and beautiful water surrounding the island. If you enjoy the ocean water, Key West offers plenty of excursions and trips to get you out on the water.  If your not crazy about the water, there is plenty to do on the island from tours, museums and a plethora of restaurants and bars to check out .

Fury Water Adventures has been our go to when it comes to booking water adventures. The snorkeling trips are the most popular and they offer morning and afternoon trips. My recommendation is to take a morning trip aboard one of the catermarans. The catermans take a little longer to get to the reef but the sail allows you to see the beautiful water that surrounds Key West, it’s my favorite part of the trip! The morning trip also favors good water conditions, its usually calmer and the visibility is better. Although I like the morning trip, some afternoon trips pair a sunset cruise after the snorkel so you really can’t go wrong either way! If the thought of swimming in the ocean startles you then another trip I highly recommend is the island adventure. This trip is centered around hanging out at some of the best spots the locals like to hang out including sand bars where you can relax with a beer in hand and toes in the sand. Don’t miss out on the amazing sunsets Key West has to offer!