Key West Travel Guide: Things to Do, Where to Stay & the Overseas Highway

A By Anna · Updated 21 October 2026 · 2 min read

Airports

Key West International (EYW), 10 minutes from the old town; Miami (MIA), about 3.5-4 hours by road

Best time to go

December-May

Type

Town

Key West sits at the far end of the Florida Keys, closer to Cuba than to Miami. It is a small, colourful island town of wooden conch houses, bougainvillea, bars and a deliberately easy-going attitude. Ernest Hemingway lived here, and his six-toed cats' descendants still roam his old house.

Getting there along the Overseas Highway, hopping across 40-odd bridges over turquoise water, is half the fun. For the wider picture, see our Florida guide, and for the start of the drive, our Miami guide.

Things to do in Key West

1. Sunset at Mallory Square – a nightly gathering with street performers as the sun sinks into the Gulf.
2. Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum – the writer's Spanish Colonial house, gardens and many cats.
3. Duval Street – the main strip of bars, galleries and shops, busiest at night.
4. Southernmost Point – the marker buoy everyone queues to photograph.
5. Snorkelling and diving – boat trips to the reef, the only living coral barrier reef in the continental US.
6. Dry Tortugas National Park – a long ferry or seaplane trip to Fort Jefferson and clear waters; book well ahead.
7. Fort Zachary Taylor – a Civil War-era fort with Key West's best beach for swimming.
8. Key lime pie – try it in its home town, and at the many bakeries that claim the best recipe.

Where to stay

• Old Town – guesthouses, B&Bs and boutique hotels within walking distance of everything.
• Near Duval Street – lively and central, though it can be noisy at night.
• New Town – larger chain hotels with parking, often better value.
• Elsewhere in the Keys – Islamorada and Marathon make good stops for a night on the drive down.

Getting there

Fly direct from Heathrow to Miami, then drive the Overseas Highway, about 3.5 to 4 hours without stops (longer with traffic and photo breaks). Small flights also connect Key West with Miami and other US hubs. You need an approved ESTA. Once on the island, park your car and get around by bike, on foot or by small electric car; parking in Old Town is limited.

Best time to visit

December to May is high season, with warm, dry weather and higher prices. Summer is hot, humid and quieter, with afternoon storms. Hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking in late summer and early autumn. Festivals such as Fantasy Fest in late October draw big crowds.

Top attractions in Key West

Nature

Central Park

Manhattan's 843-acre green heart, with lakes, meadows, bridges and woodland stretching for 51 blocks between Midtown…

Landmark

Statue of Liberty

The copper colossus in New York Harbor, a gift from France in 1886, visited by ferry with Ellis Island on the same trip.

Key West on the map

We research every guide carefully, but prices, opening times and timetables change. Check them shortly before you travel. Links to our booking partners are affiliate links.