Why you Should Book a Trip to Key West

Key West is one of my absolute favorite places to visit. The Florida Keys in general are gorgeous, but Key West specifically has a special place in my heart. My sisters and I have visited Key West once a year the past few years and we have fallen in love with it. There are so many great things about Key West and trust me, you need to visit. Key West just has such a fun and quirky vibe to it. It’s perfect for those who are looking for something laid-back, but also perfect for the adventurer. Here are the reasons why you should book a trip to Key West!

The Night Life

Key West is well known for its amazing night life. There are so many great bars to visit like Sloppy Joe’s, Fat Tuesday’s, The Green Parrot, Hog’s Breath Saloon, Captain Tony’s, and so many more! Key West is full of bars, clubs, and there are plenty of drag shows to see. I wouldn’t consider myself a partier but going to a bunch of different bars and trying frozen drinks is a lot of fun! Duval street itself is basically one big pub crawl. There is always something going on in Key West so keep your eyes open for fun activities. Key West just has a great vibe and atmosphere, everyone is so friendly! I love the two pictures below because they represent Key West perfectly: vibrant and fun! Expect everything to be open super late when visiting Key West.

Beautiful Beaches

Another huge reason to visit Key West is the most obvious one, the beautiful beaches! Key West has such gorgeous blue water, nothing like I’ve seen anywhere else in the United States. It also definitely helps that the water is super warm! Some of my favorite beaches in Key West include Fort Zachary Taylor, South Beach, Higgs Beach, and Smathers Beach. My favorite beach, Bahia Honda, is about a 45-minute drive from Key West and I thought I would include it too. If you have a car, I definitely recommend spending a half or full day here. You should definitely check these beaches out while you visit, they will not disappoint. Here are the addresses so you can visit too:

Fort Zachary Taylor – 601 Howard England Way, Key West, FL 33040

South Beach – 1405 Duval St, Key West, FL 33040

Higgs Beach – 1000 Atlantic Blvd, Key West, FL 33040

Smathers Beach – 2601 S. Roosevelt Blvd, Key West, FL 33040

Bahia Honda State Park – 36850 Overseas Hwy, Big Pine Key, FL 33043

The Food

Key West has so much to choose from when it comes to food! Obviously, you have to eat as much key lime pie as you can. I recommend Kermit’s chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick. We ate at this amazing Italian place called Onlywood, I couldn’t recommend this place enough. The pizza is to die for! If you’re looking for a place that has great brunch and dinner, check out Blue Heaven. This is actually one of Oprah’s favorite places to eat in Key West! Oprah is never wrong, definitely come and eat here.

A great place for seafood, specifically conch fritters, is Bo’s Fish Wagon. Although we didn’t eat here ourselves, we heard people raving about it. If you’re looking for a healthier option check out this vegetarian / vegan restaurant called The Café. Seriously I had one of the best cakes I’ve had in my life and it was VEGAN. Still don’t know how they made a cake not only vegan, but also delicious! Lastly, you NEED to get a naughty named treat at the Better Than Sex Dessert Bar. This place has such a fun vibe and definitely would be fun going out with the girls. I could go on and on about places to eat in Key West, but here’s a few to start with!

The Sunsets

Key West is known for its beautiful sunsets and it does not disappoint! There are so many awesome spots to watch the sunset, but my personal favorite is Mallory Square. This is a gorgeous area right by the water where you can watch the sunset while ships sail by. Usually there is someone playing the steel drums which really just adds to the whole vibe. There are a lot of vendors selling a plethora of things including drinks, food, souvenirs, and more! There are even some street performers. The people in Key West really love to entertain!

There is one guy who sells coconuts and/or pineapples filled with juice and it is so refreshing and delicious. He also includes a free refill! You need to get this drink while watching the sunset at Mallory Square. One night we actually went on a sunset catamaran cruise and watched the sun go down while enjoying complimentary drinks on a boat. I highly recommend doing this too! However, no matter where you decide to watch the sunset, it will be gorgeous!

Snorkeling

Key West has one of the largest barrier coral reefs in the world. You can’t go to Key West without checking out the snorkel scene! Even if you don’t want to snorkel, the boat ride itself is breath taking. Key West has such crystal-clear water that it’s hard to resist taking a dip! However, this is some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world, so I don’t think you should miss out. Honestly you could even choose to snorkel right off of the beach. If you decide to do that you need this snorkel mask.

Another option could be doing a day trip to the Dry Tortugas which also allows an opportunity to snorkel. The Dry Tortugas are insanely gorgeous, and I highly recommend visiting this island while you’re in Key West. If you don’t believe me check out how gorgeous the photos I have are!

Warm Weather

It is no secret that Key West has some gorgeous weather. When my sister’s and I visited right before Christmas it was still in the 70’s! Considering we were coming from Massachusetts, where it’s about 30 degrees, we were super happy! Key West is actually closer to Cuba than it is the mainland US.

December through March are the busy months because it isn’t too hot, and a lot of people are coming to warm up! The summer months, June through August, are the slower months meaning the cheapest months, but they are also the hottest months! The perfect time to visit would be from March through May, this is when the temperature is the best balanced and the rates are moderate. No matter what time you visit though, you can (usually) expect nice warm weather!

Key West has so much to offer, and I really do believe everyone should visit at least once! If you’re interested in visiting and want some more tips, please feel free to leave a comment below or direct message me on Instagram @smilesmilesaway .  Also check out my Amazon Storefront where I share all of my Amazon favorites: My Amazon Storefront . Also check out my other blog for what you should know before visiting Key West. If you’ve already visited Key West, please comment below one of your favorite memories. Can’t wait to read your comments!

Disclosure: Some of the links above may be affiliate links, meaning, at no extra cost to you, if you click one of them, I may receive a small commission which helps me create more content for you guys. Thanks for your support, it’s greatly appreciated!