Key West Things to Do - Key West attractions, fishing, diving, kayaking

Key West and Things To Do

There are many charters available for sightseeing in Key West. From a variety of go fast type boats that can take you for a ride around Key West and it's neighboring islands to a slow and comfortable sailing adventure out of Key West Harbor to the reef and back, there are many options available.

Key West Fishing - Key West offers world class fishing on the flats, in the backcountry and offshore. The pristine waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico meet along the Florida Keys offering great fishing opportunities on reefs and wrecks, in the shallow flats around mangrove islands and in the deep drop offs where the Gulf Stream flows offshore between the Florida Keys and the coast of Cuba.

Key West Snorkeling & Diving - Snorkeling and diving on North America's only living reef is very visually rewarding. Trips from Key West to snorkel and dive run in the morning, afternoon, sunset, and there are night dives available. The reef is teeming with sea life. There are plenty of diving and snorkel areas so the reef is not overcrowded. There are a few great wrecks off Key West worth diving too!

Key West Kayaking - Seeing the Key West backcountry from a kayak is really a great experience. There are many channels that wander through mangrove islands. Some of these channels host many species of fish and there are often birds nesting in the mangrove trees. Great white herons, blue herons, osprey, and cormorants are just some of the birds seen in our wildlife sanctuary.

Dry Tortugas National Park - The Dry Tortugas is nearly 70 miles from Key West harbor and is host to plenty of wildlife and marine life. Fort Jefferson is located on the largest island, Garden Key, and has a moat wall surrounding the fort with brilliant coral and tropical fish. For the Key West traveller, the Dry Tortugas is a fabulous day trip that should not be missed. Two charter boats and a seaplane charter visit the fort daily.

Other Key West Attractions worth a visit...
Audubon House & Tropical Gardens
305/294-2116
205 Whitehead St

A perfect setting in Key West for a wedding or gathering. This house was the first restoration project in Key West and is still considered a gem in the island's restoration movement. Audubon visited Key West and the Dry Tortugas in 1832. The tropical gardens span more than an acre in downtown Key West making for the perfect setting for birdwatching or a gathering.

Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
907 Whitehead St
305/294-1136

Ernest Hemingway spend several years in Key West and has left an imprint on the island in his beautiful home on Whitehead Street. Offering guided tours daily of the grounds and home. Learn the history behind the house and the transformation of his estate to what it is today. View his writing loft and meet some of the famous Hemingway cats. These six-toed felines roam the grounds of the Ernest Hemingway home.

Key West Aquarium
1 Whitehead St
305/296-2051

The Key West Aquarium is a must see attraction on the waterfront in Key West. View some of the sea life that dwells in the shallows and the deep waters of the Florida Keys. Pet nurse sharks as they swim by. View spiny lobsters and goliath grouper in a natural setting.

The Conch Tour Train
501 Front St.
(305) 294-5161

Old Town Trolley Tours
(305) 296-6688
Mallory Square

Both tour operations offer guided and informative expeditions throughout Key West, departing every half hour.

The Key West Aquarium
1 Whitehead St.
(305) 296-2051

Showcasing the diverse marine life that inhabit the waters of Key West, the aquarium offers guided tours, a touch tank and daily fish feedings.

Ghosts Tours in Key West
(305) 294-WALK

Take a walking tour through Old Town's historic haunted lanes. Featured on the History Channel, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, Learning Channel and BBC, the Original Ghost Tours of Key West depart nightly. Reserve your tour and purchase tickets online.

Audubon House & Tropical Gardens
205 Whitehead St.
(305) 294-2116

This restored historic home contains original Audubon engravings from 1832, when the artist and ornithologist visited Key West and sketched 18 new species for his "Birds of America" folio.

Curry Mansion
511 Caroline St.
(305) 294-5349

An elaborate Victorian structure built on the site of the homestead of Florida's first millionaire. Curry Mansion now serves as a historic house museum showcasing an era of elegance. An inn is situated on the property; the structure is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Butterfly & Nature Conservatory
1316 Duval Street
(305) 296-2988
1 (800) 839-4647

Impressive collection of butterflies, flowering plants, colorful birds, and cascading waterfalls.

The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
907 Whitehead St.
(305) 294-1136

The late author's home and second-story writing studio. While living there, Hemingway wrote some of his most notable works - including "To Have and Have Not," which is set in Key West.

Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park

This Civil War-era fort is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. Its most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd, incarcerated for providing medical assistance to President Abraham Lincoln's assassin. Fort Jefferson is accessible via the Dry Tortugas National Park ferry and by seaplane.

Fort Zachary Taylor State Historic Site

Enter through Truman Annex on Southard Street, (305) 292-6713. Constructed between 1845 and 1866, this fort remained in Union hands throughout the Civil War and was later used during the Spanish-American War. The fort's collection of Civil War cannons is the largest in America.

Harry S Truman Little White House
111 Front St.
(305) 294-9911

The late United States president's former tropical retreat, with family quarters, poker porch, living and dining rooms open to the public. Prior to the Bay of Pigs invasion, President John F. Kennedy held a summit meeting here; photographs of Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower also are displayed.

The Key West Cemetery
Look for creative headstones that read, "I Told You I Was Sick" and "Devoted Fan of Julio Iglesias." The cemetery also contains the resting place of Hemingway's friend and fishing captain, "Sloppy Joe" Russell, and sparring partner Kermit "Shine" Forbes. Another plot pays homage to the sailors killed in the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine.

Key West Golf Club, mile marker (MM)
5 Bayside, Stock Island
(305) 294-5232

The Florida Keys' only public 18-hole golf course, Key West Golf Club maintains a clubhouse and a pro shop that offers lessons.

The Key West Lighthouse Museum
938 Whitehead St.
(305) 294-0012

Erected in 1847, the lighthouse guided mariners until it was decommissioned in 1969. Both the keeper's quarters and the lighthouse itself have been restored. Visitors may walk 88 steps to the top for a wonderful view of the city.

The Key West Museum of Art & History
281 Front St. Near Mallory Square
(305) 295-6616

Operated by the Key West Art & Historical Society, the museum showcases regional, national and international fine art and historical collections and is a vital repository of artifacts related to the history and culture of the Florida Keys. The museum is located in Key West's restored Custom House building.

Mallory Square, Mallory Pier
Street performers take center stage here each evening as visitors flock to Key West's internationally renowned sunset celebration.

Mel Fisher Maritime Museum
200 Greene St.
(305) 294-2633

This museum showcases the richest single collection of 17th-century maritime and shipwreck antiquities in the Western Hemisphere - including the treasure of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha.

The Southernmost Point
Whitehead and South streets

A larger-than-life buoy marks the southernmost spot in the continental United States - only 90 miles from Cuba. It's the setting for a Kodak moment for virtually every visitor to Key West.

The Oldest House / Wrecker's Museum
322 Duval St.
(305) 294-9502

Said to be the oldest structure in Key West, this 1829 home - formerly inhabited by Captain Francis Watlington and his nine daughters - is furnished with artifacts and antiques recalling Key West's rich wrecking heritage. Included among them are the official rules of the wrecking industry and a wreckers' black list.