The dreamy Key West is a town located on the last island of the Florida Keys. It is very touristy and famous for its great seafood, pub-crawls and of course, water activities like snorkeling and fishing. Here are 3 Unique Things to do in Key West!
Key West is considered to be the southernmost city in the United States and is located only 90 miles away from Cuba. Rumor has it that you can even see Cuba from the top of the town’s lighthouse on a sunny day!
With its palm trees, friendly locals, and great beaches, it is one of those places that truly make you feel like you just have arrived in paradise.
- This post was written and submitted by our friends at Travel Cami
3 Unique Things To Do in Key West, Florida
In this post, you will find some of the most unique things to do in Key West. To get to Key West, the best way is by driving down the world-famous Seven Mile Bridge from Miami. It will be one of the most scenic and unforgettable road trips you will ever take, I promise! You can make stops at the islands of Islamorada and Key Largo for an even more awesome experience.
Before you get there, I highly recommend skipping the hotel scene and booking an Airbnb – and there are some amazing Airbnbs in Key West! Ideally, try to stay close to Duval Street to save some money (Key West can get very expensive) and this will help you make the most out of your trip.
Here are 3 amazingly unique things to do on a Key West trip:
Take the seaplane to Dry Tortugas National Park
Dry Tortugas is one of the most remote national parks in the United States and – in my opinion – one of the most beautiful as well.
To get to Dry Tortugas, there are two main options: taking a seaplane or the ferry. If you can, take the seaplane! The aerial views of the Florida Keys are absolutely breathtaking and the plane will get you to the island in only 40 minutes – against two hours and a half on the ferry.
Dry Tortugas is home to Fort Jefferson, a massive but unfinished coastal fortress that covers 16 acres and was one of the most strategic US harbors during the Civil War.
To fully enjoy Dry Tortugas, stay for at least 4 hours. Some of the best things to do there include touring Fort Jefferson, snorkeling, and enjoying a tropical picnic by the beautiful beach.
You can read more about visiting Dry Tortugas here.
Visit the Shipwreck Treasure Museum
A lot of people don’t know this, but because of its location (right between the USA and Cuba), a lot of Key West locals used to make their living from shipwrecks.
That’s right! Key West was even considered to be the wealthiest town in the United States for a while because of that.
To see some artifacts of those shipwrecks with your own eyes, you can visit the Shipwreck Treasure Museum. Located right above the Historic Port of Charlestown, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the museum has more than 8000 artifacts and treasures from over 150 shipwrecks from all around the world.
This is a great afternoon visit for those interested in history and shipwrecks. You can even visit the Key West Aquarium right after.
Go on a ghost tour in Key West
As creepy as it is, Key West has a reputation of being one of the most haunted cities in the United States. It is even the home of Robert the Doll, the actual doll that inspired the movie “Child’s Play.” If you wish, you can visit Robert at Fort East Martello.
And if you are into this kind of thing, a very interesting and unique thing to do in Key West is going on a ghost tour. The 90-minute haunted walking tour will take you to step off the beaten path and discover a whole new side to the tropical island. You will hear stories about all the famous characters in Key West from a very experienced tour guide and have a very good time.
Final thoughts on planning a trip to Key West
Key West is one of those places that you will want to revisit again and again after the first time. It not only has a super-rich history but also a ton of amazing things to do for every kind of traveler!
When you go, make sure to stay for at least 3 days and make the most out of all the beauty the Florida Keys have to offer. I hope you love it as much as I did!
Be sure to check out all the great destinations in our “Unique Things to Do” Series and take a step out of the ordinary on your next trip.
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- Unique Things to do in Youngstown, OH
- 15 Things to do in Salem Oregon
This was a guest post from our friends at Travel Cami! Camila Neves is a 21 years old blogger from Brazil. Her favorite things include books, yoga and of course, travel.
2 comments
For the more adventurous (adventuresome?) there’s the Garden of Eden bar … a clothing optional rooftop bar above the Bull & Whistle. You don’t know anybody. They are VERY strict about cameras/phones. It WOULD be something unique to do (don’t just be a lookie-loo… have a drink and take SOMETHING off even if you don’t go full monty)!
I like the Audobon house. It’s a shame that Chalk’s airline isn’t around anymore. They used to fly Grumman Mallards to Fort Jefferson and riding in one of those is awesome since the water level comes up to a little short of the window, which is a memorable experience.