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Activities

Diving & Snorkeling

Key West's largest and most pristine reefs are located several miles off shore and are best visited with the help of professional dive and snorkel charter services. However, fascinating snorkeling is also available from shore along the south side of the island in the Key West Marine Park The park is operated by the non-profit group Reef Relief and the City of Key West.

* Sand Key - One of the many popular reef destinations off Key West. This islet, marked by a large iron lighthouse delights both snorkelers and scuba divers with an abundance and variety of coral and marine life. With over ten miles of coral reefs of varying depths. Sand Key offers visitors endless opportunities to enjoy some of the best diving in the Caribbean!

* Joe's Tug - This classic tugboat sits totally upright in just 65 feet of water, an idyllic setting for close encounters with Goliath Grouper, spotted morays, barracuda, and horse eye jacks.

* Ten-Fathom Ledge - Here, unusual coral caves and dramatic overhangs provide refuge for both lobster and grouper, while pelagic life frequently parades in the blue water to seaward.

* The Cayman Salvor -This 180-foot. steel hulled buoy tender, also known as the Cayman Salvager, was intentionally sunk as an artificial reef in 1985. She now sits upright with cavernous open holds providing refuge for baitfish and grunts, as well as a resident jewfish and green moray eel.

* Nine Foot Stake - This patch reef in 10 to 25 feet, is perfect for either scuba or snorkel exploration and is noted for beautiful concentrations of soft corals and juvenile marine life.

* Kedge Ledge - One of the highlights of this lovely reef is the remains of a pair of coral encrusted anchors lost from 18th century sailing vessels.

* The Atocha - While not a local dive site, the Atocha was discovered by treasure hu nter Mel Fisher in the waters off Key West. With so rich a wreck nearby, its hard to dive these waters without wondering what bit of history or bounty might be concealed beneath the convoluted corals and vast reef structures.

Fishing

Nobel Laureate Ernest Hemingway knew what he was doing when he called Key West home for much of the 1930s. When he was done working, he could go fishing and end the day with good friends at his favorite watering hole.

Today, thousands of anglers come here for much the same reason. Key West has incredible fishing and so much more, from top-notch dining and sightseeing to snorkeling, diving and cultural events. Non-anglers never complain about being dragged to Key West.

For that reason as much as any, we are the quintessential fishing town. Highly-skilled offshore captains are eager to show you the Florida Straits, a 90-mile-wide trough of deep water beyond our reef that Hemingway dubbed "the Great Blue River." Other captains specialize in catching snappers and groupers that inhabit our shipwrecks, reefs and backcountry channels.

We're justifiably famous for the shallow flats and the uninhabited mangrove islands of our backcountry. Thomas McGuane's novel and movie, "92 in the Shade," was set out back among the bonefish, tarpon and permit.

We also have a fleet of fast, light-tackle "open-fisherman" style boats. These captains fish inshore channels, and the blue waters outside the reef, sometimes on the same day.

We invite you to contact our captains through the above categories to find out for yourself what drew Hemingway and McGuane to our island.

Boating

Key West Boating is a favorite thing to do when vacationing. Watching the beautiful sunset from your own Key West Boat Rental is very romantic. You can rent your boat from any Key West Marina. It is difficult to think that someone could watch the sun set on the beautiful, serene waters surrounding Key West without wanting to get closer. Whether for a ride to the tropical reefs offshore, a sports fishing charter into the Straits of Florida or the Gulf of Mexico, a daytime or sunset cruise aboard a catamaran or tall ship, a nature tour of the backcountry flats, or an excursion to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas, this is the place to be. You can privately charter your craft, join a small group, or sign on with a large group ... whatever you choose.

If you go it alone, make sure you know the waters, and take a chart with marked channels and depths. To a newcomer, navigation through the backcountry can be very difficult. Tidal channels are not well marked and depths are difficult to determine for the inexperienced visitor. Because this is such a wide-open area in many places, there is a tendency to run at high speeds. This could be disastrous as it is very easy to be mistaken about depths and run aground. The entire area of the Florida Keys is a National Marine Sanctuary and there can be fines levied if you are caught in this predicament. To avoid doing harm to this delicate and beautiful environment, try to keep your boat in the deep tidal channels, avoid taking shortcuts, and proceed at a cautious speed. It is much easier to back off a flat you have glided onto than it is after you have run hard aground.

There is a chant that locals use that can be helpful when trying to determine whether or not it is safe to wander into a specific area: "Brown, brown, run aground; yellow, yellow will ground a fellow; green, green, go between; blue, blue, come on through!" It may sound simplistic, but it works.

The waters around Key West are beautiful. The romance and adventure of the seas are here for the taking and sunsets are free for the viewing.

Weddings

From Keys beach weddings, tropical weddings to sunset weddings, Florida Keys and Key West Weddings is your official guide to finding not only your destination wedding, you can also find wedding gifts, justices of the peace, wedding shopping, florists, photographers, hotel and banquet packages, jewelry and much more. Florida Keys and Key West Wedding guides will assist you with making your tropical wedding paradise the event of a lifetime.

Attractions

Attractions and Activities in and around Key West

A visitor to this island paradise doesn’t need to feel that they are leaving the world behind, unless they really want to. There is plenty to see and experience in Key West and, because the island is small, nothing is very far away from where you are staying.

Of course, there are beaches, most of them on the south side of the island. From the very busy Smathers Beach with its volleyball games and watersport concessions to the much quieter beach at Fort Zachary Taylor, you’ll want to sample them all. There are also several parks on the island and, again, your choice will depend on what you want to do. From the 19th century Fort Zachary Taylor park to the gardens at West Martello Towers, to the ball fields and tennis courts at Bayview Park, and all the others in between, you are sure to find something to suit your chosen activity.

Key West has lots of history and many museums to show for it. A good place to start would be a ride on one of the tour trains or trolleys; the conductor will relate stories with local color and you will get an idea of places you will want to revisit to learn more.

A cruise out to the reef from Key West Harbor will show you the island’s beauty from a different perspective and will introduce you to the beauty hidden beneath the waves. Key West’s waters also provide great diving and snorkeling experiences for the more adventurous. The less adventurous may want to hitch a ride on one of the glass bottom boats that can show you the reef without your getting wet. Kayaking and ecotours are becoming very popular for the nature lover, and some even feature dolphin encounters.

The Florida Keys is a fishing Mecca and there are several private and party boats that can give you a great deep sea fishing experience. Flats Fishing is extremely popular and backcountry guides abound.

For the visitor that enjoys the cultural experience, there are movie theaters as well as theaters that feature live performances. Key West has always attracted artists and its many art galleries display local talent as well as national and international artists.

And, for the golf enthusiast, Key West has a public 18-hole, 200-acre golf course that wends its way through beautiful tropical scenery. Facilities include a driving range, clubhouse and restaurant, and a pro shop.

Events & Festivals

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