snorkeling and beaches in Key West

We are planning a cruise on Carnival to Key West and the Bahamas. We don't really want to take a snorkeling excursion. So I have 2 questions. 1) Can you recommend a beach where you can go and pay a small fee, and just enjoy the beach. and 2) is there a place either on the ship or at the beach to rent snorkels or can/should you bring your own?

Thanks for any help!

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park has a small daily fee. Some really like this area. I am one of those. Others do not like the beach there and few say the snorkeling is really great there. The beach is not your ideal sugar sand, but small, grainy pebbles instead. The view is lovely. It is a popular beach, but as I have said, this is not what many tourists have in mind.

Another beach with a fee, a very lovely beach, is the privately owned one at Sunset Key. The short boat ride over there is free, but the fee to reserve the beach is quite high and only a few guests can reserve it because it is mostly for guests at the posh Sunset Key resort. I'm thinking the fee is about forty dollars per person, but if you are interested check with the Key West Hilton. You have to reserve through them anyway.

The closest beach is at the lower end of Simonton which you could walk to from the docks. There's some information about it was well as the restaurant there here ---> http://lagerheadsbeachbar.com/ There is no fee for the beach but I don't know if anyone rents snorkeling equipment there.

There's also Higgs and Smathers Beach, each of which are free and each has a small place where you can rent equipment, but these are on the other side of the island. It would take about 30 - 35 minutes to walk to Higgs and another 20 minutes from there to Smathers, but you could rent bikes to get there or hop a cab.

Pjk

We are planning a cruise on Carnival to Key West and the Bahamas. We don't really want to take a snorkeling excursion. So I have 2 questions. 1) Can you recommend a beach where you can go and pay a small fee, and just enjoy the beach. and 2) is there a place either on the ship or at the beach to rent snorkels or can/should you bring your own?

 

Thanks for any help!

I recommend Ft Zachary Taylor State Park. It's really the nicest beach in town and there is a snack shop there. You can also tour the old fort. It's a huge property.

Forget snorkeling. In Key West, you need to go offshore for decent snorkeling. It's no good close to shore.

Forget snorkeling. In Key West, you need to go offshore for decent snorkeling. It's no good close to shore.

This is very true.

To be honest, the beaches here are not very good. That includes Fort Zachary. While Fort Zachary is in a lovely setting, the beach is more gravel than sand and unless conditions are great, the water can be cloudy and choppy. If conditions are great (no wind or recent heavy rain) the water can be calm and clear and you can see some fish around the rock jetties. However, cruises that come here typically stop in places that have much better beaches and snorkeling. Obviously some people like that beach, but it is certainly not the highlight of Key West.

Key West is really known for our downtown historic district and the appeal of walking around our historic homes and gardens, great seafood restaurants, tons of bars, historic homes and museums. I would explore Old Town on foot, especially if you have never been here, and save the beach for another port.

I also have a different opinion on "the best" beach here. I think that is Higg's Beach, which has more sand, more interesting snorkeling along the ruins of the old pier, a beautiful garden you can visit at the Martello Tower, a waterfront playground for kids and an excellent restaurant for lunch.

Whatever you decide, enjoy your visit!