The Southernmost Point monument at the intersection of South and Whitehead Streets is an essential part of Key West's tourist kitsch that is a must see for anyone who has never visited the Conch Republic. Nearly all of Key West's gay bars and clubs are found within a few block of Duval Street in Old Town. The operators with their sculpted calves often provide good eye candy.
Pedicabs are increasingly popular on Duval Street and around Mallory Square.
The Conch Tour Train is another way to see town. Old Town Trolly Tours is a 90-minute hop-on, hop-off tour covering over 100 points of interest. Moped Hospital offers daily and weekly rentals.
Key West Transit operates buses across the island and the Lower Keys, but bicycles and mopeds are among the more popular ways to get around. Greyhound (80) also offers two daily trips between Miami and Key West - a trip of four and a half hours with an airport stop.Ī rental car is not necessary once you arrive in Key West. The Keys Shuttle (30) makes daily trips between the airports at Fort Lauderdale and Miami to destinations throughout the Keys. They pick up rental cars and drive south via the Overseas Highway. Many Key West visitors opt to fly into Miami International AIrport, which is roughly 150 miles to the north. Suspended for 12 days in September 2017 by Hurricane Irma, operations have now been restored. The Blue and Green Routes operated by Key West Transit (30) shuttle between the airport and locations around the city. A taxi from the airport to Duval Street should cost under $10. Located two miles east of downtown, Key West International Airport offers a variety of daily flights to Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and a handful of other southern cities, served by American, Delta and United, along with regional carrier Silver Airways. This island's residents go out of their way to ensure visitors experience their slower pace of life with an added touch of hedonistic-fueled fun. Key West is certainly not a destination for either the prudish or those seeking an action-packed vacation. It is not out of the realm of possibility to see men in thongs or g-strings and topless women on the main drag of Duval Street. Key West's tropical climate affords visitors the perfect opportunity to shed their clothes and sunbathe nude. This geographic isolation from mainland Florida and its anti-gay politics remains one of the island's best assets, and many of the city's elected officials are either gay or gay-friendly.Īlthough thousands of cruise ship passengers crowd the narrow cobblestone streets around Mallory Square on a daily basis, the island has maintained its anything-goes reputation. The island, known to locals as the Conch Republic, is roughly 90 miles north of Cuba and 160 miles south of Miami. Located literally at the end of the road, Key West has welcomed gay travelers for decades. See the Monroe County, Key West Chamber of Commerce, and Florida Health websites for local updates.
See the CDC website for details and updates. There are restrictions on the entry of some travelers into the United States in an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Emergency measures in the wake of Covid-19: