Every January, Key West trades a little of its tropical calm for guitars, songwriters and the unmistakable sound of Red Dirt and Americana music. Mile 0 Fest turns the island into a five-day music vacation, with major evening performances at the waterfront amphitheater and smaller shows unfolding at beaches, resorts, theaters, bars and other venues around Old Town.
Key West mornings are part of the island experience—warm breezes, colorful streets waking up slowly, and the smell of coffee and fresh-cooked breakfast drifting from open-air cafés. Whether you’re staying on the island or arriving early for a full day of exploring, breakfast in Key West is more than a meal—it’s a local tradition.
Below is a guide to some of the best breakfast restaurants in Key West, featuring a mix of historic cafés, waterfront dining, Cuban coffee stops, and local favorites.
Hello, fellow sun-seekers! If you're living in or visiting the beautiful Tampa Bay area—whether it’s the bustling streets of Tampa, the artistic vibe of St. Pete, or the cultural shores of Sarasota—you know that we live in paradise. But sometimes, even paradise dwellers need a vacation.
Key West does not ease you into its personality. It introduces itself all at once.
A rooster may strut across the street as if it owns the block. A six-toed cat may be lounging at a literary landmark. A man in pirate boots may pedal past a pastel conch house while a sunset crowd gathers to applaud the sky. Before long, none of this feels unusual. It simply feels like Key West.
That is the island's magic. Its eccentricity is not a carefully staged attraction—it comes from generations of sailors, artists, writers, rebels, dreamers and fiercely individual locals who decided that life could be more colorful at the end of the road.
Arrive aboard Key West Express from Fort Myers Beach, step into the Historic Seaport and start walking. The island's wonderfully unconventional spirit is waiting around nearly every corner.
Choosing a restaurant is easy—until one person wants tacos, another wants barbecue and someone else has already decided that dinner should involve sushi.
That is where a food truck park saves the day.
Southwest Florida has turned the humble food truck stop into a full evening out. These colorful gathering places combine several kitchens with outdoor seating, cold drinks, live music, games and plenty of room to settle in. Everyone can order something different, yet the whole group still eats together. No menu negotiations required.
Ready to roll up hungry? Here are five food truck parks worth putting on your Southwest Florida dining list.
Florida makes it easy to plan a romantic getaway around the way you like to travel. You can watch the sunset from a quiet island beach, explore historic streets hand in hand, enjoy dinner by the water or turn the journey itself into part of the experience.
Whether you are celebrating an anniversary, planning a long weekend or simply making time for each other, these five Florida couples vacation spots offer memorable ways to reconnect.
There are so many fun, exciting, and historical things to do in Key West, that even despite challenging times, tourism has stable growth!
Turn a Familiar Florida Drive Into an Unforgettable Adventure
A Florida road trip does not have to be a race from one hotel to the next. The most memorable itineraries mix scenery, wildlife, waterfront stops and different ways of traveling. That is what makes a road-and-ferry trip so appealing: you can explore at your own pace, park the car in Fort Myers Beach and finish the journey to Key West across the Gulf.
This flexible route works for couples, families, friends and solo travelers. Begin wherever your Florida plans take you, add one or two natural stops on the way to Southwest Florida, and then let Key West Express turn the final leg into part of the vacation. Instead of spending another long stretch behind the wheel, you can move between climate-controlled seating and open-air decks while the island gets closer.
Healthful Key West
The Duval Crawl has its allure for visitors in need of a wild and crazy live on the edge experience. Bars and pubs and parties and music, adult silliness and shenanigans.
Every March, Key West trades a little of its tropical color for shamrock green. The island's original St. Patrick's Day Bar Stroll is not a newly invented pub crawl or a generic ticketed party dropped into Old Town. It is a homegrown Key West tradition with roots stretching back to 1979, a collectible shirt, a changing route and more than four decades of stories.
For visitors from Southwest Florida, Key West Express makes it possible to begin the celebration with a Gulf crossing instead of a long drive. Because the stroll continues into the afternoon and participating venues change from year to year, an overnight stay is the most relaxed way to enjoy it without watching the clock.
