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Key West

Florida

The funky end of the road, closer to Havana than Miami, with Hemingway's house and its six-toed cats, and the nightly sunset party at Mallory Square.

Photo: Radomianin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Key West has conch-style houses, tropical gardens and bars on Duval Street. It's the southernmost point of the continental US, with Dry Tortugas National Park out at sea.

Best Time
December to May
Time Needed
2–3 days
Cost Level
$$$$
Open
Year-round
Getting There
About 3.5 hours by car from Miami, with its own airport.

What to See

2 of 4 are free
1 hour

Hemingway Home

Where he wrote, with descendants of his polydactyl cats.

Free1.5 hours

Mallory Square sunset

Fire jugglers and crowds nightly.

A day

Dry Tortugas

A boat or seaplane to a remote island fort.

Free20 minutes

Southernmost Point

A big painted buoy, with a queue for photos.

Know Before You Go

  • Rooms are expensive in winter.
  • Book the Dry Tortugas ferry weeks ahead.

Where to Stay

Stay in Old Town.

Where to Eat

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A road that island-hops 113 miles across the sea, from mainland Florida to Key West, over 42 bridges.

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Last checked 2026-11-01. Part of the Florida list.