How to Spend a Weekend in Key West
Updated: May 15, 2022
Unique history, beautiful historic homes, incredible blue water, and amazing nightlife make Key West the perfect spot for a weekend trip.
Last month, my friend decided to get married at Little Palm Island right near Key West and invited us to come along to her small, beautiful ceremony. I’m so glad we did! It gave us the chance to explore a spot I’ve always wanted to visit and now I get to share with you how to spend a weekend in Key West!
Where to Stay
There are a lot of different spots you can stay at in Key West. There are some really cute AirBnBs as well as hotels along the water. My boyfriend had a bunch of Hilton points (we basically funded this whole trip on points), and so we decided to stay at the gorgeous Casa Marina: A Waldorf Astoria Resort.
The Waldorf Astoria and Curio Collection Hotel next door (both Hiltons) are the only two resorts with a private beach in Key West. This was a huge win for us because we wanted some relaxed beach time without fighting with lots of people, especially during the current situation. Safety is important! The rooms were spacious and we loved spending time laying out by the adult pool. Would definitely recommend it!
Friday Night
Depending on what time you get in, I’d start off with an awesome happy hour on the water. Waterfront Brewery has awesome views, fun games, and beer you’ll want to try. Start your weekend off here with some fun and great views!
Then, it’s time for some awesome food! One of the things Key West is known for is its awesome Cuban food, it’s the perfect way to start off your weekend in Key West!
El Siboney is a family-friendly, traditional Cuban restaurant near historic downtown. The portions are huge and the food is delicious. Would highly recommend if you want some authentic and delicious Cuban food. I’ve been to Cuba and I can tell you the food here is amazing!
Saturday
Snorkeling Trip
I was surprised to learn that the Florida Keys are home to the only live coral reef left in the continental United States. That makes visiting a gorgeous reef a must while here. We decided to go on a snorkel trip with Saltwater Seafari and are so glad we did!
We went to Looe Key Reef with Saltwater Seafari and it was incredible! We were the only ones there snorkeling and had the whole place to ourselves. Their trips are really affordable and they were so kind to accommodate us however possible while on our trip.
Visibility was 60 feet and the water was a crystal clear blue you don’t even need a filter on. I absolutely loved it! We saw sea turtles, dolphins, tons of fish, nurse sharks, lobsters, and more. Couldn’t ask for a better way to spend a Saturday!
I know coming to a new place then immediately leaving can be tricky, but I honestly found this to be the highlight of our whole trip and if you love the water, you’ll love this. If you can, do this on Sunday instead of Sunday and explore Key West on Saturday! Either way works, but I know I wouldn’t want to be salty the whole plane ride home…
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
On the southern edge of Key West, you’ll find Fort Zachary Taylor. Fort Taylor predates the Civil War and is a National Historic Monument housing the largest cache of Civil War armament in the world. Beyond its historical importance, the park is the southernmost state park in the continental United States and has a great public beach.
The fortress itself is huge and you’ll find lots of corridors and historical information to discover. In the afternoon it can get really got here, so come prepared with plenty of water!
It has a beautiful beach you can relax at, is the perfect spot for finding iguanas, and offers amazing views of the beautiful blue Key West waters. We spent about an hour here without visiting the beach. If you choose not to stay at Casa Marina or The Reach, you could spend the afternoon hanging out here at the beach.
Relaxing at your Resort
We choose to head back to our resort after this for some afternoon drinks, private beach, and pool time. The Casa Marina has a beautiful beach area that is closed to the public with large comfy day beds to lounge between the palm trees.
Casa Marina also had two pools. A family pool and an adult-only pool. We chose to relax at the adults-only pool which we had almost all to ourselves. It as a really relaxing afternoon!
Dinner, Drinks, and Key Lime Pie on Duval Street
You can’t come to Key West without enjoying some time on Duval Street in Key West! Duvall Street is famous for the 43 bars that fit on this two-mile street that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf. There’s a lot of history packed into this street too!
It’s worth spending an evening hopping from one live music spot to the next. Drag Queens are a regular sight here on the weekends (sometimes weekdays too depending on the season) and it can be fun to check out a show while there!
We opted for live music, drinks, and food at Viva Argentinian Steakhouse where we could enjoy a good rum cocktail with some chill live music. That’s something about Duvall I think everyone can appreciate it – there’s something for everyone!
While on Duval, make sure you stop for Key Lime Pie at one of the shops! You can’t come to Key West without trying the Key Limes.
Sunday
Key West Sites 4 hours
CLICK HERE FOR MY GOOGLE MAPS VERSION OF THE BELOW
On Sunday morning, take yourself on a walking tour of Key West! There’s a lot to see, especially when it comes to historical sites. We started off near Casa Marina, but you could start on the other side of Key West as well and walk across to see the sites too. Key West is only 2 miles wide so you can see a lot in a day.
Start off at Cuban Coffee Queen where you can grab an awesome coffee and pastry to fuel you for your morning. Once you’ve got your coffee, head off walking toward the water. The marina is beautiful and you’re sure to see fish swimming around under you as you walk.
Walk along the water until you reach Greene Street. Greene Street is home to some cute shops and cafes. We enjoyed walking through the little streets and checking out shops!
From there, walk on to Mallory Square. Mallory Square is home to street performers, shopping, museums, and great views. When COVID is not happening, there’s a nightly sunset celebration. Right now, there are no performers, etc to be found. Shops and restaurants are open and this is still a historic square worth a visit!
After Mallory Square, walk to the Truman Little White House. The Little White House was the winter White House for President Harry S Truman for 175 days during 11 visits.
Other presidents including Presidents William Taft, John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower,
Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton have used the house for important presidential business during their terms as president too. It’s now a museum and worth a stop on your walk through Key West.
$15 for tours.
Whitehead Street
From there, start to walk down Whitehead Street where you’ll reach the US 1, 0 Mile Marker at the corner of Whitehead and Fleming.
Another two blocks and you’ll hit the colorful Bahama Village neighborhood sign at the corner of Petronia Street and Duval. This is a cute spot in an even cuter neighborhood. Walking these streets and you will find some of the cutest houses in Key West!
Continue down Whitehead Street and you’ll be greeted with the Key West Lighthouse and Ernest Hemingway’s house. They are right across the street from each other and back in the day, were waterfront property! The Navy has built up the area and it’s no longer on the water.
Ernest Hemingway wrote 80% of his works while living in the house and his cat’s descendants still live on the grounds! This was our favorite site in Key West and a tour only takes 30 minutes. Definitely worth it.
$17 to visit Ernest Hemmingway’s House, $17 to visit the Lighthouse.
After the tour, head to the Southernmost Point. I personally found this a bit of a tourist trap, it’s not actually the Southernmost Point of the US, that is on the military base in Key West. To be fair it does make a nice photo and the view is great! Just prepare to wait in line if you want a picture.
Lobster Rolls on Duvall Street
Two blocks away from the Southernmost Point is a cute little lobster roll spot called The Lobster Shack. It’s only open during the day (closes at 2 pm) so make sure you make it in time to enjoy a lobster roll! Lobster is amazingly delicious and fresh lobster is easy to find in Key West, making it a must while there.
After all that walking, we were tired and ready to do some relaxing. We picked up our car and headed outside Key West to our friend’s wedding happening on Little Palm Island. If you’re looking for more to do, I’d recommend spending time at more museums, visiting the beach again, or stopping in at the distillery in town.
A weekend in Key West was such an incredible and unique experience. We felt at times like we were outside the US and the water was just incredible. I can’t recommend spending a weekend in Key West enough!
