Spring in Key West doesn't arrive with melting snow and the first signs of green.
It's already green.
March, April and May bring warm tropical days, beautiful water, festivals, live music and some of the best opportunities of the year to spend your vacation outside. As winter crowds begin to change and the island moves toward summer, each spring month brings a different reason to visit.
You can explore Old Town, relax on the beach, snorkel, paddle, wander through tropical gardens or plan your trip around one of Key West's signature spring celebrations.
If you're traveling from Southwest Florida, Key West Express makes getting there part of the getaway. Relax on the ride across the Gulf and arrive near the Historic Seaport, ready to start exploring.
Why Visit Key West in the Spring?
Spring brings:
- Warm days and tropical evenings
- Excellent beach and water weather
- Great conditions for walking and biking
- Fishing, snorkeling and paddling
- Gardens in full tropical color
- Major festivals and live music
- Plenty of reasons to spend the day outside
And just like winter and fall, each month has its own personality.
March in Key West
March feels like the bridge between Key West's winter season and the warmer months ahead.
The weather is ideal for getting outside, Old Town is made for exploring and the island's literary, cultural and tropical sides all provide reasons to slow down and look around.
Explore Key West on Foot
March is an excellent month to leave the car behind.
Walk through Old Town and you'll pass historic homes, tropical gardens, museums, galleries, hidden lanes and plenty of places where stopping for lunch somehow turns into an afternoon.
Our Key West Walking Tour Guide can help you build a route through some of the island's best-known landmarks while still leaving plenty of room for spontaneous discoveries.
Discover Key West's Literary Side
Key West has attracted writers for generations, and spring is a fitting time to explore that legacy.
Tennessee Williams made Key West his home for decades, while Ernest Hemingway became forever connected with the island during the 1930s.
Literature, theater and Key West history come together during the annual Tennessee Williams celebration in March, but you don't need a festival to explore the island's literary history.
Visit the Hemingway Home, wander Whitehead Street or simply find a shady spot and consider why so many writers decided Key West wasn't a bad place to stay awhile.
Find a Tropical Garden Inside a Civil War Fort
The West Martello Tower & Key West Garden Club combines history, tropical gardens and waterfront views in one of Key West's more unusual free attractions.
The Civil War-era fortification is now filled with orchids, native plants, tropical flowers, pathways and quiet garden spaces maintained by the Key West Garden Club.
It's an easy spring stop to combine with nearby Higgs Beach.
Photo Credit: Averette via Wikimedia Commons
Get Out on the Water
By March, it's hard to look at all that blue water without eventually wanting to get into it.
Go snorkeling. Take a sailing trip. Rent a kayak or paddleboard. Go fishing. Or simply spend a few hours at the beach.
Our Key West snorkeling guide and best Key West beaches guide can help you decide where to start.
April in Key West
April has a personality all its own.
The days are warm, the water is inviting and Key West celebrates the independent streak that helped create one of its most famous nicknames.
Celebrate the Conch Republic
Every April, Key West celebrates the birth of the Conch Republic.
The story began in 1982, when Key West staged a tongue-in-cheek secession from the United States to protest a U.S. Border Patrol roadblock that was creating major traffic problems for the Florida Keys.
What began as a clever publicity protest became part of Key West culture.
Today's annual Conch Republic celebration brings together parades, parties, music, quirky competitions and the kind of island humor that makes considerably more sense once you've spent some time here.
It's Key West celebrating being Key West.
Spend the Day at the Beach
April is prime time to put a beach day into the itinerary.
Fort Zachary Taylor, Smathers Beach and Higgs Beach each offer a different experience, whether you want to snorkel, swim, walk the shoreline or simply find a place beneath a palm tree.
Use our Top 10 Best Key West Beaches guide to choose the right one for your day.
And remember: you don't have to choose between history and the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor. You can tour the historic fort and then head straight for the water.
Explore the Historic Seaport
Spring weather and a waterfront walk are a pretty good combination.
The Key West Historic Seaport & Key West Bight offers boats, restaurants, shops, historic buildings and plenty of opportunities to simply watch the harbor go by.
It's also especially convenient for Key West Express travelers.
When you arrive in Key West, you're already there.
Watch the Sunset
There is no wrong season for a Key West sunset, but warm spring evenings make it particularly easy to build the rest of your day around one.
Mallory Square hosts the famous nightly Sunset Celebration, but it isn't your only option.
Try Fort Zachary Taylor, Sunset Pier or another west-facing waterfront spot.
Then stay until the sun is actually gone.
That's the part people sometimes miss.
May in Key West
By May, Key West begins leaning toward summer.
Days are warmer, the water becomes an even bigger part of the experience and music fills venues across the island during one of Key West's signature spring festivals.
Experience the Key West Songwriters Festival
For five days each spring, songwriters and music fans take over Key West during the Key West Songwriters Festival.
But this isn't a festival where everything happens on one giant stage.
Performances unfold in theaters, bars, resorts, waterfront locations and other venues around the island. Some are ticketed. Many are free.
Photo Credit: Piqsels
And sometimes the person sitting onstage with a guitar turns out to be the person who wrote a song you've heard hundreds of times.
We've put together a complete Key West Songwriters Festival guide covering what makes the event different and how to experience it without planning every minute of your vacation around a schedule.
Paddle Around the Island
May's warm weather and water make it an excellent time to see Key West from a different perspective.
Kayaks and paddleboards let you explore closer to the water, while guided eco-tours can take you through mangroves and areas where wildlife—not Duval Street—is the main attraction.
For paddlers, spring also traditionally brings the Key West Paddle Classic, which sends participants on a route around the island.
You don't have to race around Key West to appreciate the idea.
Sometimes paddling slowly works just fine.
Go Snorkeling or Diving
Key West's biggest attraction isn't technically on the island.
It's underwater.
Spring is a great time to explore the reefs and marine environment surrounding the Florida Keys. Snorkeling trips make the experience accessible to beginners, while certified divers can head deeper.
Our Destination Dive and Snorkeling in Key West guides can help you decide which experience fits your trip.
Make Time for Nothing
This one doesn't require a ticket.
Find a waterfront restaurant. Walk through the Historic Seaport. Rent a bicycle. Sit at the beach. Wander through Old Town.
May is a good reminder that not every memorable Key West experience needs to appear on an itinerary.
Sometimes you're allowed to just be in Key West.
Spring Experiences Worth Making Time For
Festivals can give you a reason to choose a particular weekend, but they aren't the only reason spring works so well in Key West.
Explore Old Town
Spring mornings are perfect for wandering through Old Town before the afternoon gets warmer.
Walk Duval Street, Whitehead Street and the quieter residential blocks between them. You'll encounter historic architecture, tropical landscaping, museums, galleries and plenty of places worth an unplanned stop.
Our Complete Guide to Duval Street and Key West Walking Tour Guide can help you build a starting point.
Spend Time at the Beach
Key West's beaches become increasingly tempting as spring moves toward summer.
Fort Zachary Taylor is a favorite for snorkeling and sunsets. Smathers offers a longer stretch of shoreline and watersports. Higgs combines beach time with nearby gardens and historical sites.
Our Top 10 Best Key West Beaches guide compares even more options.
Get on—or Under—the Water
Spring is made for water adventures.
Go sailing, fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling or diving. Even if you don't want an organized excursion, spending part of the day beside the water is practically unavoidable.
Wander the Historic Seaport
The Historic Seaport and Key West Bight are worth exploring even if you aren't getting on a boat.
Walk the Harbor Walk, browse the shops, stop for seafood or a drink and watch charter boats and working vessels come and go.
For Key West Express passengers, it's also one of the first parts of Key West you'll experience after arriving.
Spring Weather in Key West
| Month | Typical High | What It's Great For |
|---|---|---|
| March | Upper 70s to low 80s°F | Walking, biking, gardens, sightseeing |
| April | Low-to-mid 80s°F | Beaches, festivals, snorkeling, sunsets |
| May | Mid-to-upper 80s°F | Water activities, music, paddling, diving |
Spring becomes progressively warmer and more humid as May approaches, so sunscreen, water, lightweight clothing and a hat are smart additions to your day bag.
An occasional shower is always possible in the tropics, but spring still gives you plenty of opportunities to build the trip around outdoor activities.
A Quick Spring Planning Tip
Spring changes as you move through it.
March can still feel like part of Key West's busy winter season. April combines beautiful weather with major celebrations. By May, temperatures are climbing and the island begins moving toward its summer rhythm.
If your trip revolves around a particular festival or special event, check the current schedule before booking. Event dates, venues and activities can change from year to year.
And if there's one spring rule worth following, it's this:
Don't fill every hour.
Leave enough room for Key West to change your plans.
Getting to Key West This Spring
If you're starting in Southwest Florida, your spring getaway doesn't have to begin with hours behind the wheel.
Key West Express offers high-speed passenger ferry service between Fort Myers Beach and Key West, letting you relax on the Gulf while someone else handles the trip south.
You'll arrive near the Historic Seaport with Old Town, Duval Street, restaurants, museums, beaches and Key West attractions nearby.
Check current Key West Express fares and travel information, then book your spring trip when you're ready for warm water, live music and a little island time.
Spring Looks Good From Key West
Some destinations wait for spring to come alive.
Key West doesn't really have that problem.
Instead, spring simply gives you another way to experience the island: comfortable March days, the independent spirit of April, warm May water, live music, beaches, gardens and plenty of excuses to spend your vacation outside.
Travel aboard Key West Express from Fort Myers Beach, arrive near the Historic Seaport and decide what kind of spring day you want to have.
Key West will take it from there.
