Key West, FL Summary

photo by leah

Key West (population 26,400) is the southernmost city in mainland United States, the oldest city in South Florida, and the last of the inhabited keys in the chain. It is connected to the mainland by the Overseas Highway.

Bahamians, Cubans, British, New Englanders, and Southerners followed the original visits by Calusa Indians and, later, Spaniards. In the 1800s, the city thrived as a commercial port and center for fishing, cigar manufacture, and sponge making. Cubans named the island “Stella Maris,” or “Star of the Sea,” and came here in droves to escape oppressive Spanish colonial rule.

The economy was lively and the island bustling until the early twentieth century when it went bankrupt. The opening of the Overseas Highway and a train route brought the city back to life.

Tourism, commercial fishing, a junior college, and US Navy and Coast Guard installations support the economy. The area also has a thriving artist’s colony.

Bird expert and artist John J. Audubon lived here in the frontier days and many of his original engravings are on display at the former home of sea captain John Geiger, now known as the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens. This well-preserved nineteenth-century house is furnished with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century furnishings, historical photos, and a lush garden.

The East Martello Museum and Gallery, housed in a fort built in 1861, offers a look into the history of the Keys. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is one of the most popular attractions. The prolific writer purchased this Spanish Colonial home in 1931 and wrote many of his best works here. The Key West Aquarium offers displays of dozens of varieties of fish and crustaceans, and a touch tank for children includes sea cucumbers, sea anemones, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, and conchs.

The Sunset Celebration on Mallory Pier occurs every evening from 2 hours before to 2 hours after sunset. Acrobats, magicians, jugglers, and sword-swallowers entertain the crowds. Fishing, diving, and sunbathing at Smathers, Higgs, or Fort Zachary Beach are popular recreational activities.

Lodging and dining options are plentiful. Nearby Dry Tortugas National Park is a popular day trip.

Just west is the Key West National Wildlife Refuge, encompassing 2,019 acres of mangroves in the Marquesas Keys.

Key West International Airport offers limited service. Bus service is available between Miami and Key Largo. Cars are useful for getting to and from Key West but once you are there you may prefer to hire a moped or bicycle to more easily get around the congested streets.