TIPS & Things To DO FROM A KEY WEST LOCAL

I live in Key West and I am always getting asked advice about things to do here. I am a huge foodie, have three school age children and love the wonderful attractions/ my hometown has to offer. So here is a local's perspective of fun things to do while in town!

Fishing- I like a charter boat called The Relentless. They take families or small groups out fishing for the day. You can fish offshore like the pro's and catch Dolphin (mahi), Wahoo, King Mackrel, tuna or fish for yellow tail snapper. Just pick up a cab and have them take you to the "Bight" to pick up the boat. I hear they can even ship your fish home!!!!!!!!

Fury Water Sports- I like the Fury Ultimate Adventure trip. It s a day of fun where you can jet ski, kayak, play on a water trampoline, play on a water rock wall, get pulled on an inflatable banana by a boat, eat, drink and more.

Peppers- This is a hot sauce store. But not any hot store!!!! It has a bar. Feel free to ring a drink in and sit at the hot sauce bar. Kids are permitted! They will take you on a tasting tour of dozens of sauces, marinades and amazing flavors. But if you taste, it is appropriate to buy a couple sauces. The sauces range from 5-9 dollars each. My husband and teen age sons must have tried 40 sauces last weekend. We were in there for over an hour. It s a fun time! You can walk there from the ship. It is on green street.

Duval Street- There is nothing I love more than walking on Duval street in and out of all of the stores. It may not be the best for young children, but I believe that the stores on Duval are enough to entertain for several hours. Plus there are so many fun bars on the street.

Duval Crawl- Hop off the ship and head for Duval Street for your own Duval crawl. Have a drink at each of these fun and famous bars, and keep on walking:

1. Hogs Breath

2. The Worlds Smallest Bar

3. Captain Tony's

4. Sloppy Joes

5. Irish Kevins

6. Petes Dualing Pianos

7. The Bull (or garden Of Eden- Clothing optional)

8. Flying Monkey

9. Fat Tuesdays

10. Margaritaville

11. Jack Flats

12. 801 (at night they have drag shows! So much fun. On Sunday they have Drag queen BINGO & Drag Queen Karayoke- A MUST DO HARMLESS FUN KEY WEST ACTIVITY!!!!!!):D

Lazy Dog Kayak Charters- I took my kids (ages 12, 13, 14) on this eco-kayak trip and they loved it. The guide took us through the mangroves and they found touched a sea cucumber, starfish and other creatures. Then you can eat lunch at Hurricane Hole (right there on Stock Island)- just take a cab.

Ok....I will post my favorite places to eat later..

Key West is home to so many amazing places to eat! Here are my favorites:

Seafood- Alonzos (It is under A & B Lobster House) and I believe they have the BEST Seafood.

Local Eatery- Hogfish- This is on an island next to Key west Called Stock Island. It will probably cost about $15 for a cab to take you there. It is a LOCAL covered outdoor waterfront seafood restaurant. They were just featured on Man Vs Food for their amazing hogfish sandwich. It is YUMMY!!!!!! This is where the fisherman and locals eat.

Small Plates- Santiago's Bodega- YUM YUM YUM!!!!!!! That is all I can say. This is my all time favorite restaurant!! I love the humus trio, flaming cheese- saganaki,, seasned grouper, beef tenderloin, yellowfin ceviche, french onion soup, avacado and pear salad, They even make homemade sangria!!!! Reservations suggested.

Mexican- Salsa Loca (best cheese sauce ever)

Origami- SUSHI (dinner only)

Irish Pub- Finnegans wake (AMAZING FOOD!!!!!!!!! Huge veggie menu-)

Bistro- 7 Fish -very tiny open for dinner only. amazing food.......Reservations

Breakfast- Pepe's- They make their own breads and I love their corned beef hash. Sooooo good! Fresh fruits!! Sit outside and enjoy!

Brunch- Azur- Mediterranean food huge outstanding brunch!

Best Burgers- It is a tie Fogarties & Jack Flats both have the best burgers EVER

Cuban- El Sibonay (home cooked cuban food for an amazing prices) Best Cuban in town!!!!! you know Key west is only 90 miles to Cuba.

Best Dessert- Better than Sex (Evenings only- reservations suggested)

Best Bakery- Croissants de France- i love their curry chicken salad sandwich, quiches and spinach feta croissants!!!!!! Great coffee too! Love this place!

OOOpsssss........ Almost forgot!

I also have enjoyed the following sightseeing tours and sights:

1. Loyds bike tour- See Key West by bike. Loyds bike tour is fun for all ages!!

2. I like the Conch Train tour. My favorite driver is driver BOB.

3. The Key West Botanical Garden is also a beautiful place to visit. It is a lush garden full of native plants and fauna. Admission is only $5 per person and it is only a ten minute cab ride.

4. Hemmingway House, Shipwreck museum and the aquarium are also great places to visit!

Lots of people rent scooters. Thats fine, I use to rent them too when I came to visit, before I lived here. However, they are very dangerous and tourists have accidents daily. I have friends who work in the ER and they see injuries several times a day! DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE- It is not worth a DUI or an accident! cabs are cheap and you can walk from the post just about anywhere!

Two other things that my son reminded me of that we enjoy is:

1. Stand up paddle board tours (Lazy Dog Tours on Stock Island) I think it is $40. per person and the cab ride from the port is about $15.

2. We also enjoyed the jet ski tours around Key West. Lots of fun...but some areas are very shallow so it is important that you follow exactly the path of the leader. Fun but exhausting!!!!

We might be visiting Key West Saturday due to change in poet due to Irene, good choices!

great tips

Thanks for the info. We are heading to Key West for two nights in November. Will have all day thursday and friday to enjoy as much as possible.

Now if we could just snag a hotel a little cheaper thru priceline!!

Try Chelsea house..usually priced well and you can walk everywhere! We stayed there many times before we moved here. Free parking too!

We are in Key West sailing on the Destiny Friday Oct 28th .... We understand this is during Fantasy Fest,

what can you suggest we do or see while this event is in town,

We are in port from 7:30 am - 2 Pm, I realize Fantasy Fest events wont really be taking place, BUT will the streets will be lined with vendors from this event ?

Where would you suggest for Conch fritters?

The best conch fritters? Ummmmm let me think..... Although most places sell conch fritters my favorite is the little stand outside the side door of the Clinton Square Market. It is right next to the aquarium and the Shipwreck Museum. Some fritters are toooo doughy and dry...these have nice big chunks of conch and are moist and ful of flavor. It is just an outside stand...no seating. But they are the best I have ever had.

Yes, you will be in town on the day of the street fair. The street will be closed off and there will be over a mile of vendors, food and enterainment. Ther are also a few other daytime events going on that day. Go to the fantasy fest website for more info:

http://www.fantasyfest.net/schedule.cfm

FANTASY FEST STREET FAIR

Duval Street’s mile-long eater-tainment extravaganza features arts and crafts, food vendors, lively libations and costumed frivolity; Noon to 10:00 p.m.

HAIR OF THE HOG, LEATHER AND LACE PARTY

Wake up with the hogs at our Bloody Mary Blow Out Breakfast! Wear your laciest lace or your luckiest leather and win $$$! Grey Goose Bloody Mary bar, beer specials and continental breakfast buffet. Featuring the Hog’s Breath awesome breakfast burrito! For more information visit http://www.hogsbreath.com; 400 Front St.; (305) 296-4222; 9:00 a.m. to noon

801 BOURBON BAR TEA DANCE

Plenty of sugar and spice at this “tea in the street” party; Live D.J., cool drinks, dancers, drag queens and celebrities; (305) 294-4737; 801 Duval St.; 1:00 p.m.; FREE

:) Thank you ...

The best conch fritters? Ummmmm let me think..... Although most places sell conch fritters my favorite is the little stand outside the side door of the Clinton Square Market. It is right next to the aquarium and the Shipwreck Museum. Some fritters are toooo doughy and dry...these have nice big chunks of conch and are moist and ful of flavor. It is just an outside stand...no seating. But they are the best I have ever had.

Thanks :) I will be sure to have some! We will be in Key West on Halloween Day so we will miss Fantasy Fest~my DH was bummed but I told him not to worry most of the "festivities" were at night so we would have missed them anyway! But I do enjoy a street fair so I hate we are missing that!

Thanks for all the info. Daughter and I booked a snorkle and dophin encounter with Sabago while in Key West. Have you heard any good things about them?? We will be there on Halloween, will the fair still be going on?? Thanks again. Lynn

Thanks for the info. We are heading to Key West for two nights in November. Will have all day thursday and friday to enjoy as much as possible.

 

Now if we could just snag a hotel a little cheaper thru priceline!!

We were there for 2 nights in May, we really enjoyed the ghost tour which took you to the fort, something you cannot do when your ship leaves before dark. Also the sunset celebration is fun, which we had seen before when we sailed on Disney and the ship left at 10.

One thing I always recommend to visitors is the Butterfly Conservatory. It's at the end of Simonton St. and a wonderful, family stop.:) I agree with most of your recommendations.

September 23, 2011 - MILITARY - USS Spruance Arrives in Key West - The US Navy's newest destroyer arrives in Key West in preperation for the official commissioning the following week. Visit the Key West Truman Annex waterfront at the end of Southard Street to get a view of the ship docked at the Mole Pier.

You should be able to get a good view of this as you come into port.

Pjk

We will be there on Halloween, will the fair still be going on?? Thanks again. Lynn

No, Fantasy Fest ends on Sat night.

Has anyone ever done a tour with Sabago?? We are doing a cateraman ride to see the dolphins and snorkle. Just being on the water and the ride will be great, then time for some shopping!!

Where is the best place for wi-fi? I am going to school online and I have a big project due the week we are cruising. Figured I can do a little work while in ports.:(

Has anyone ever done a tour with Sabago?? We are doing a cateraman ride to see the dolphins and snorkle. Just being on the water and the ride will be great, then time for some shopping!!

I do Sebago's Island T'Ing once on every trip to Key West and occassionally also do an afternoon snorkel trip. They are a very good company to go with. Very safe and accomodating.

Pjk

Thanks Peter!!!

Does anyone have any info on Dante's bar with a pool. We will be in Key West off the Majesty and thought we might walk over there for a swim and snack/drink after some shopping. Wondering how to find it... Thanks, Cheryl

Sebago is a good time. My kids have gotten Sabago gift certificates and it is fun. They offer lots of free beverages all equipment and an entertaining staff. They take you to a reef not far off of Key West. It is a good time. Sabago pretty much corners the market in snorkling trips in KW. It is reasonably priced and you cant beat it. We always have blast! But the VERY VERY best snorkling off the coast in the US....hands down is........Looe key!!! Looe Key has the best snorkling in the area but it is about a 30 minute drive north of Key West. I looked on line and found that the Key West Dive Center takes people up there. It is worth the drive......I am sure other comanies tae people up there too! The reef is one of the most beautiful reefs I have ever seen in my life.

There is a Starbucks on Duval..other than that...I am not sure