 Location
Florida Keys, USA.
Time Zone
Eastern Standard Time.
Language
English.
Currency
US Dollars |
Transport
Scooters, electric cars, taxis
Itineraries that visit
7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Maps
Key West (pdf)
Key West Old Town (pdf)
Weather
Activities
Excursions |
The ship docks at the Hilton Marina in Key West, the southernmost point of the continental United States, and located closer to Cuba than Miami. Shop and stroll through hundred-year-old gingerbread Victorian cottages surrounded by swaying palm trees. Check out the beautiful lighthouse, the street performers and the vibrant nightlife along Duval Street. This southernmost point in the continental United States is part Bahamian village, part historical landmark.
It has been said that the idiosyncratic architecture and the laid-back atmosphere of this small, two-by-four-mile island probably have nurtured the talents of more writers per capita than any other city in the country. More than 100 published authors reside, full- or part-time, in Key West, and the island is noted for its artistic community with a number of galleries exhibiting artwork in varying styles and mediums.
At day’s end in Key West, visitors gather at Mallory Square to experience the daily "sunset celebration" - a tradition that Key Westers share with visitors. While musicians, jugglers, mimes and other performers provide entertainment, the sun sinks slowly below the horizon as sunset cruise boats sail by in Key West Harbor.
Dining opportunities in the island city are as enticing as the sunset. Cuisine choices are varied and unique, but most restaurants feature great area seafood such as shrimp, Florida lobster, conch chowder, local fish and stone crab claws. Key lime pie is a heavenly end to an exquisite meal.
Visitors seeking transportation around Key West's picturesque streets have a wide choice of vehicles ranging from comfortable old-style trolleys to Conch Cruiser bicycles.
Transportation combines with entertainment aboard the Old Town Trolley fleet, designed to convey visitors around the island while offering narrated tours of the city's points of interest.
The handsome motor-driven vehicles, styled after San Francisco cable cars, depart at 30-minute intervals from convenient Old Town and New Town boarding locations including Bahama Village, Mallory Square, the Key West Welcome Center and a variety of hotel and resort properties. The entire island tour takes 90 minutes, carrying passengers past more than 100 points of interest including the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West Aquarium and Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.
A single fare allows passengers to disembark at any or all stops and reboard later, giving them the opportunity to enjoy Key West's many attractions at their own pace. Trolleys run from 8:55 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 365 days a year.
The popular Conch Tour Train has been conducting tours and chugging about Key West since 1958. Its small, open, canvas-canopied cars are pulled by propane-powered simulated steam engines with smokestacks, whistles and bells to delight railroad buffs of all ages.
Passengers can board at Mallory Square or Flagler Station in the Historic Seaport district for 90-minute narrated tours that encompass Old Town, Duval Street, the Southernmost Point, Historic Seaport and other must-see sites. The Conch Tour Train operates from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 365 days a year.
The Bone Island Shuttle is a convenient transportation option for visitors who prefer not to drive around the island. A daily ticket allows people to travel between New Town locations and Mallory Square, Duval Street and the Historic Seaport.
The colorfully painted shuttle buses stop every 30 minutes at Clinton Square from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with stops at 14 Old Town and New Town hotels. Multiple-day passes are available.
Independent travelers can rent mopeds or Conch Cruiser bicycles with fat tires, locks and baskets at many hotel or resort properties and bike shops. Daily and weekly rates are available.
Colorful two- and four-seater electric cars also are available for Key West visitors and residents to rent. The smile-inducing vehicles can be driven at street speed up to 25 mph and are allowed on virtually all Key West roadways except North Roosevelt Boulevard.
Electric cars can be rented from Key West Cruisers at 500 Truman Ave. and at the corner of Caroline and Duval streets. Two-seater and four-seater cars are available for periods ranging from two hours to several days.
One of the most enjoyable and healthy ways to get around Key West is on foot. Since the entire island city is a mere four miles by two miles in size, walking is a wonderful way to sample its attractions and ambiance.
Taxis, city buses painted with island-themed designs by local artists, rental cars (even Hummer dune buggy rentals) and colorful Duval Street pedicabs are other readily available transportation options.
