We recently went to Key West for a night when we were on a trip to Hollywood, Florida. The drive from Hollywood to Key West was about 4 hours, but it was totally worth it! Even though we didn't get to spend a ton of time in Key West we still made the most of the time we did have and that's why I decided to share my guide to spending less than 24 hours in Key West.
Where to Stay
We stayed at a recently renovated hotel called Ocean's Edge. It is a Resort and Marina and to be honest it was probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed at. Our room was huge and even had its own living room and had a beautiful view of the pools (yes, plural because they have 6 pools) and the marina. I'd say the only downside to this hotel is that it was a little far from the downtown area of Key West (about 10 min drive) but other than that I loved it!
Where to Eat
For dinner we ate at Half Shell Raw Bar. Their menu contains a good selection of seafood and even hamburgers and steak if you're not feeling sea creatures. I got the fried shrimp and really enjoyed it but there were also many other restaurant options located all around the downtown area.
After dinner we went to Kermit's Key West Key Lime Pie shop and loved it. It's a cute little store with so many key lime pie based foods ranging from key lime pie peanuts to key lime pie cookies and of course just plain old key lime pie. They have a lot of stuff you can sample (which Kayla took full advantage of) and even have an assortment of ice cream flavors (which is what I got because I'm picky). So check it out and enjoy your delicious sweets in the cool breeze outside on their deck.
For breakfast the next morning we went to Glazed Donuts and were not disappointed. The donuts were huge and they had so many flavors. They were homemade and not too expensive either. I highly recommend hitting this place up.
Where to Go
During our first 12 hours of our trip to Key West we visited the Ernest Hemingway House and the Key West Lighthouse. Both of those places did cost money but the prices aren't bad and in my opinion were worth it. The house was $14 but it included an informational tour of the house and grounds and we ended up spending a good hour to two hours there. Down the street is the lighthouse, which costs $10 to make the 88-step trek to the top. Luckily though, if you are a student and have an ID the cost is cut in half, and senior citizens receive a $3 discount. The views from the top are incredible, and it is totally worth the cardio workout to the top. :)
During the last 12 hours of our trip we visited the Southernmost point and then headed to Bahia Honda State Park for some beach and snorkel time. I recommend seeing the Southernmost point early in the morning before all the rest of the tourists get there. We only stopped by for about 10 minutes just to see it and snap some photos but it was nice having it all to ourselves.
Bahia Honda State Park is about an hour north of Key West so it's a great place to stop by on your way home if you're driving for your trip. It's got a couple beach access spots to the beautiful crystal clear water and you can even walk up to the bridge for a great view of the ocean. You can rent snorkels and masks in the gift shop or you can pay $30 and take a boat out to snorkel in the coral reef (we planned to do this but a storm was a brewin’ in the distance so they cancelled snorkeling trips for the day).
Even though our time in Key West was short I highly recommend you go at least once in your lifetime. It has a small-town feel and the ocean water is beautiful!
Written by
Rikki
