Imagine an island just four miles long and one mile wide. A place where palm trees are more bountiful than people and houses are painted in the prettiest pastel shades, each one surrounded by the perfect picket fence. Incredible restaurants are abundant, the temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees, stories of shipwrecks and pirates circulate town, and five-toed cats laze languidly in the garden of Ernest Hemingway’s old home. Welcome to Key West, the last in the line of inhabited islands on Florida’s most famous archipelago. There’s something in the air in this tiny town that draws in creative types, writers, and adventurers from across the globe. As well as Hemingway and his feline friends, Key West was also home to author Judy Blume and playwright Tennessee Williams, who penned the final draft of his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, A Streetcar Named Desire, in the La Concha Hotel back in 1947.
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Shipwreck seen from a seaplane off the coast of Key West |
Treasure hunters have been drawn to this part of the world for centuries, too. Shallow waters and hidden reefs often meant that ships would often run aground. One of the most famous shipwrecks is the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha, which sank in 1622 just off the coast of Key West. The ship went down in a hurricane, taking with it a vast haul of gold, silver, and precious South American gems. Over 300 years later, Indiana-born Mel Fisher dedicated his life—earning both triumphs and tragedies, including the loss of his own son—to finding the lost treasure of the Atocha. Eventually, he struck gold—literally—in 1985, recovering 40 tons of gold along with an impressive assortment of silver, Spanish coins, and Colombian emeralds.
But if treasure isn’t your thing, don’t worry—there are plenty of unique things to do in Key West. The laid-back vibe of the place (it's closer to Cuba than to mainland America, after all), along with delightful food (don't miss
Florida Keys' incredible seafood restaurants) and plenty of friendly faces, make this humble islet a must-visit destination.
6 unique things to do in Key West
1. Visit the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum
View some of the stunning treasures Mel Fisher recovered from the 1622 shipwreck of Nuestra Senora de Atocha, including silver ingots, gold coins, and plenty of Colombian emeralds at the fascinating Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. Open daily from 10am, tickets can be bought at the door or on
the website. The museum also organizes monthly lectures that are well worth heading along to if you're in town.
2. Take a tour on two wheels
Key Lime Bike Tours has brilliant, extremely knowledgeable tour guides who’ll fill you in on all there is to know about Key West, past and present. Tours last around three hours and are the perfect way to get to know the town, plus you get a piece of Key Lime Pie at the end.
3. Visit Papa's place
Literature lovers should head to the home of Ernest Hemingway—open every day from 9am to 5pm—to see where he lived and wrote for over ten years. His office, at the back of the house, remains frozen in time, with his typewriter still sitting on the wooden tabletop.
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Inside the Hemingway Home and Museum |
4. Spot turtles and shipwrecks from the air
Fly to Dry Tortugas National Park on a seaplane with Seaplane Charters who’ll fly you over to America’s southernmost national park by seaplane. The plane flies no higher than 500 feet and every passenger is guaranteed a window seat. From the air you can spot sharks, turtles, dolphins, and shipwrecks in the shallow waters, along with coral islands—it's a magically beautiful sight to behold. Once in the national park, you can opt to spend the day exploring, snorkeling alongside tropical fish, or sunbathing on glorious white sand beaches.
5. Try kayaking in the dark
Night kayaking is the all-new way to fall in love with kayaking. Once the sun has gone down, hop into a clear-bottomed kayak at Ibis Bay to spot lobsters, crabs, and maybe a turtle, if you’re lucky.
6. Get back to nature
A beautiful glass conservatory on Duval Street houses around 60 different species of butterflies and some bright birds, including flamingos. Open daily it’s a calm space to relax for a few hours and one of the most unique things to do in Key West.
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