Best Things To Do in Key West

Key West is the great tourist attraction in the United States where you can enjoy excellent Cuban cigars, along with Caribbean rum in front of American-style museums just by crossing the Seven Mile Bridge, the bridge chosen by Tom Cruise for Mission Impossible, and the beaches, not to mention the beaches. Discover the essence of Key West through unique experiences.

Ride tourist streetcars and have paranormal encounters, see one of the best sunsets in the world according to Traveler, search for treasures in the museums, spot dolphins, reach the paradise of water sports or simply the key that honors Ernest Hemingway. This archipelago, like the adventurous Old Man of the Sea, has a little bit of everything for everyone. Any doubts? Let's take a look at everything you can see and do to make the most of your visit to Key West.

Key West is a natural habitat for dolphins, so it's no surprise that thousands of people book a dolphin watching tour every year. The activity takes place at the Key West Wildlife Refuge and ends with a chance to dive or snorkel. Which dolphins will you see? The playful Atlantic bottlenose dolphins or bottlenose dolphins.

Board a boat or catamaran in Key West harbor, and guided by marine biologists, explore the marine wildlife on this eco-friendly tour (this is the only way it is allowed by law, so you can take the tour at your leisure). The experience is a delightful one that connects you with nature.

In the late 1920s Ernest Hemingway, the legendary Nobel Prize winner for literature, moved to Key West with his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer. And following his spirit of exacerbated adventure, he left his mark on this Florida archipelago. His house has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area.

Visiting the Hemingway House-Museum you will learn about the life of the author of the multi-award winning book The Old Man and the Sea, and the legends that arose during his time in Key West. Plus, of course, you'll explore his peculiar relationship with the cats, who, by the way, still roam the museum. Are they **Hemingway'**s original cats? Of course not, but they are direct descendants of the six-toed cat or Garritas that he cared for during his lifetime.

Hemingway's sympathetic style is kept alive in this house from the entrance. It is the only museum in Key West that only accepts cash payments. The guided tour lasts about 30 minutes allowing visitors to take a look at the interior and gardens. You can get here with your ticket for the tourist streetcar, one block from the Key West Lighthouse.

Details of interest

• Address: 907 Whitehead St, Key West.
• Hours: Monday to Sunday from 09:00 - 17:00 hours.

In spite of the 11 kilometers that Key West occupies, its offer of art and entertainment includes a large list of museums and galleries. From the Hemingway House-undoubtedly the most popular of them all-to the Shipwreck Treasure Museum with its curious 29-kg silver bar, it's worth taking the time to tour Key West's best museums.

Begin your tour at the old customs building, right next to the U.S. Naval Base, as you enter the Key West Museum of Art and History to contrast the island's cultural past and present. Another important stop is the entrance to the Truman Little White House in the house where Harry S. Truman, the former U.S. president spent long periods of time living and working, which gave the nickname and renown to this former naval base.

If you want to learn more about the more than 300 birds or the nearly 60 types of butterflies that make life in Key West, you could also stroll through the colorful Butterfly and Wildlife Conservatory (you can easily identify it on Duval Street by the two flamingos that decorate its entrance). Finally, buy your tickets for the Sails to Rails Museum where ships and railroads from the 16th and 20th centuries are remembered.

When it comes to alcohol in Key West, rum is arguably the official drink. You've got at least a couple of iconic distilleries to sample, learn how it's made and enjoy various activities right in the heart of the island.

The Key West First Legal Rum Distillery has been in operation near Mallory Square since 2013 and offers free guided tours throughout the week from 12:00-5:00 pm (yes, there are free samples). Tours take place every 20 minutes and last another 15 minutes.

And if you feel like learning how to make mojitos, they also offer classes on Fridays and Saturdays. Want to keep the party going with this rum? Make a note among your things to do in Key West at night the experience of the pub tours in Key West, the Sloppy Joe's Bar is one of the fixed places in this kind of tours.

Another place to take into account is Papa's Pilar. Just to give you an idea, its philosophy is "to capture the adventurous spirit of Ernest Hemingway in every bottle of rum. It is located near Mallory Square on Simonton St. Key West. Here you can also participate in a guided tour, this time longer, lasting about 45 minutes, and their cocktail classes seem to be the rum show in vogue.

Visit the first Key West tourist attraction to open its doors in Key West: the aquarium. Opened in 1935, this facility boasts **Florida'**s only outdoor aquarium, which means that with your ticket to the Key West Aquarium you can immerse yourself in the marine world while enjoying the sun and the local atmosphere.

Although modest in size, the aquarium tour is among the favorite things to do in Key West with kids for activities such as feeding sharks, getting up close with rescued sea turtles and of course, its touch tank. In this last area, kids can interact with starfish, tropical fish, conch shells and many other critters, all while an aquarium expert guides the visit.

One of the keys to understanding the small paradise of Key West is to know its roots, from its culture to its name. The Key West archipelago welcomed the conquistadors with bones (or so the story goes), so the stories of apparitions, ghosts and legends soon followed.

Get ready to explore the dark side of Key West with a ghost tour by streetcar. Accompanied by a guide dressed as a 17th-century gravedigger, you'll discover the buried secrets of the Marrero House and Porter Mansion-including the paranormal story of Robert the Devil Doll-asyou stroll through the old town.

The tour also takes you inside the Shipwreck Treasure Museum to learn about the haunting history of the silver bar and Spanish galleons. For an hour of nighttime exploration, the moonlit streets will take you through the island's ghostly legends with a touch of humor included.

One of Florida' s 9 must-sees is the crossing of the Seven Mile Bridge. An aerial view allows to observe in detail the Overseas Highway, the engineering marvel of the visionary Henry Morrison Flagler that connects 44 islands through 42 bridges, being the Seven Mile Bridge the most famous since its inauguration in 1912.

At that time Key West boasted of being the largest city in Florida. Today, although others surpass it, the popularity of this bridge is more than ever emblematic and crucial for getting around Key West.

Duval Street is the main street of Key West, where most of the bars, restaurants, stores and art galleries are concentrated. It's the perfect place to enjoy a Key West food tour, stroll, shop, drink and enjoy live music. What more could you ask for?

Don't miss the beers and rum at Sloppy Joe's, where Hemingway used to go; or Hog's Breath Saloon, where you can dance to country, rock and often honor Jimmy Buffet, one of the island's famed residents. Duval Street is the heart of the Key West party scene, so get ready to party.

One of Key West 's traditions is to gather at Mallory Square to watch the spectacle of the sun setting over the sea, and this spot stands out on the map of the world's best sunsets according to Traveler.

When you sign up for a sunset boat tour, you embark on a cruise from the Key West pier that will take you around the island's landmarks such as the historic Key West lighthouse. Complimentary appetizers, such as cheese and shrimp cocktails, are often included in this type of tour as you cruise the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys. Watch for marine wildlife, from playful dolphins to graceful sea turtles.

And the adventure doesn't end on the boat. On your return to Mallory Square you'll often find street performers, musicians, jugglers and acrobats to liven up the evening and prepare you for the island's nightlife, especially during the high season, which is why this activity is on the list of things to do in Key West at Christmas.

The Southernmost Point, or the southernmost point in the United States, is a very popular attraction on the island that is part of the main city-tours in town, including the streetcar, bike tours and the Key West tourist train route, and it is certainly worth a visit.

The truth is that to the title of this title should be added the tagline "the southernmost point accessible by civilians", because the real one is a naval base; the truth is that a visit to Key West without this photo generates doubts about the real passage through the island. I recommend you to get there early to take your picture at the least crowded time.

Embark on exciting water adventures in Key West. Join other travelers on a state-of-the-art catamaran for waterskiing, parasailing and snorkeling in crystal-clear waters. Relax on the deck sunbathing, hop aboard the banana boat or book a jet ski tour.

Immerse yourself in a water park with trampolines and slides. To explore the mangroves, opt for a kayak ride, discovering their importance in the local ecosystem. If you're looking for adrenaline, try parasailing or water skiing. Literally, when it comes to entertainment on the water, in Key West you can buy an adventure and water sports pass, so get ready for a day full of fun and action in the waters of Key West!

Dry Tortugas National Park is a sanctuary of nature and historical legacy in Florida. Located 113 km west of Key West, it surprises its visitors with a coral re ef where numerous shipwrecks are located, reason that has earned the place fame.

Also, some 300 species of birds live in the area and the popular Fort Jefferson, exposes the traces of the wars waged by the United States around the 1800s. Another must-see point on the tour is the Garden Key lighthouse, with the best views of this park made up of 7 islands.

The visit to this park tops the list of the best tours in Key West for the variety of activities available and exclusivity, being far from downtown. You can hike, dive, swim, snorkel and lie on the sand, but pack everything you need because there are no beach bars, restaurants or other facilities (except at Jefferson's Fort).