Celebrate the Sunset
On Key West holidays, sunset is a nightly ritual at the Mallory Square pier. As the sun sinks below the horizon in a purple and orange hue, the Square comes alive with jugglers, fire eaters, buskers and performers of all kinds. You can even catch some cat acrobatics which have to be seen to be believed!
Ernest Hemingway Home
From 1931 to 1942, the infamous author and hell-raiser lived on Key West in a stunning Spanish colonial style house. You can tour Hemingway’s house and see where he wrote classics like To Have and Have Not and take a walk through the lush gardens. Look out for the 40 plus cats that roam the property, they are descendants of Hemingway's own famous six-toed pet.
Dry Tortugas National Park
Take the boat or seaplane out to remote Dry Tortugas National Park to explore its seven islands and Fort Jefferson, a massive 19th-century coastal fortress that are marooned 70 miles off-shore. Wander along brick corridors, learn about its fascinating history and then slip into the glassy waters of the Gulf for superlative snorkelling over coral reefs. Watch out for the amazing birdlife, too.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Visit America's first undersea park is a vast natural wonder, with stunning coral reefs, exotic marine life, and a submerged bronze statue of Christ to explore. If you’d prefer not to dive or snorkel, you can glide across the reef in a glass-bottom boat; plus there's canoeing and kayaking and nature trails through the mangrove swamps.
First-Class Fishing
Plenty of boats head out from Key Largo each day, taking anglers to the reef and beyond in search of mahi-mahi, tuna, sailfish, grouper and marlin. In fact it's said that more saltwater fishing world records are broken in the Florida Keys than anywhere else around the globe. There's also excellent backwater fishing for elusive bonefish, and wreck fishing too.