- Take a Trip to Dry Tortugas National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park is a national park in the United States about 70 miles (113 km) west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. Fort Jefferson and the seven Dry Tortugas islands are the westernmost and most isolated of the Florida Keys. The archipelago’s coral reefs are the least disturbed of the Florida Keys reefs. Fort Jefferson is on Garden Key, the fort takes up most of the island and is where the ferry docks.
There are a few ways to get to Dry Tortugas National Park, you can take the Yankee Freedom Ferry, a seaplane, or a charter boat/private boat rental from Key West, Florida to get to this unique National Park. The most affordable way is to take the Ferry Boat. You can purchase tickets here: Dry Tortugas National Park | Dry Tortugas Ferry | Yankee Freedom, we are not affiliated with the ferry service, the link is provided for your convenience. You will be limited to the Garden Key and Fort Jefferson if you take the ferry, where if you rent a private boat you are free to visit the other islands once you check-in at Garden Key. The ferry ride is approximately a 2 1/2 hour boat trip each way. You check-in at 7:00 AM (6:00 AM for campers), arrive at Fort Jefferson – Dry Tortugas around 10:30 AM, and Depart the Island at 3:00 PM. This gives you about 4 hours to explore the fort and snorkel if that is also on your itinerary. You can also camp at Fort Jefferson, take note it is primitive camping, meaning you must bring everything you need including water. There are no services on the island.
First, tour Fort Jefferson and make sure to make your way to the top and walk along the path and take in the scenery from a great high viewpoint. Also, check out Dr. Mudd’s prison cell inside the fort. Dr. Mudd splinted the broken leg of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. The cell is located at the Second tier of Fort Jefferson above the sallyport.
Second, Snorkel from the South Swim Beach, if snorkeling is one of the activities on your itinerary. The North Swim Beach may be too rough depending on the weather. It was a very windy day the day we went and the water was choppy on that side. Tip: Snorkeling from the South Swim Beach follow the Moat Wall until it makes a turn and then continue along the moat wall. There are very few fish before you get to this point, but once you round the bend you will start to see more fish. Keep in mind the water will most likely be a little more choppy once you get around this bend, but it is worth it for the variety of fish you will see. I even encountered a Barracuda, which was a bit unnerving, but Barracudas rarely attack humans. The two times I have encountered Barracudas they appeared to be quite docile, but they do have very sharp teeth, so be cautious. Another thing I want to mention is that you see a lot about crystal clear water on the internet. That is not always the case, the water was a bit cloudy at the South Swim Beach and that may have been because of the waves kicked up by the wind which disturbs the sandy bottom.
2. Southernmost Point of the Contiguous United States
The Southernmost Point Buoy is an anchored concrete buoy in Key West and is touted as the southernmost point of the continental United States. A more southern part of Key West Island exists and is publicly accessible: the beach area of Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is approximately 500 feet (150 m) farther south than the marker. Then even further south, land on the Truman Annex property, just west-southwest of the buoy is the true southernmost point on the island (approximately 900 feet (270 m) farther south. It has no marker since it is U.S. Navy property and cannot be entered by civilian tourists. The Buoy is one of the most visited and photographed attractions in the United States, so get there early or expect to wait in line to get an up-close photo.
3. Visit Hemingway’s Home
The Hemingway Home and Museum was the residence of American writer Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s. The house is located at 907 Whitehead Street, across from the Key West Lighthouse and just up the street from the Southernmost Point Buoy. You can visit all three very easily as they are all just a short walk away from each other. The home was inhabited by Ernest and his wife Pauline from 1931 to 1939. Hemingway wrote some of his best novels while living here. There is an interesting story of Pauline installing an inground pool while Ernest was away on assignment in 1937, the pool cost $20,000 dollars at the time and was more expensive than the house itself. When Ernest returned he was very angry to learn of the addition to the property and stated “You might as well take my last cent,” despite the fact that Pauline had paid for it herself. She kept the penny and later had it embedded in the concrete, which you can still see to this day. It is located at the end of the pool closest to the house.
The home is also well known for the approximately 58 six-toed (polydactyl) cats that live here. Ernest Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by a ship’s captain and some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat.
4. Climb to the top of the Key West Lighthouse
The Key West Lighthouse is located just across the street from the Hemingway home at 938 Whitehead St. You can walk up the 88 steps to the top of the lighthouse for a fee which includes the museum in the Keeper’s Quarters, Note the QR code on a placard outside the gift shop, save $2.00 per ticket by scanning the code and purchasing your tickets online. You can purchase it here as well: Key West Lighthouse (ticketspice.com), we are not affiliated with the lighthouse, the link is provided for your convenience. The lighthouse opened in 1848 with a woman as its Keeper this was nearly unheard of during the 19th century. In 1969, the U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned the Key West Lighthouse since there was no longer a need for a full-time Keeper due to technological advancements.
5. Visit Mile Marker 0 U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 Mile Marker 0 is located in Key West, Florida, at the corner of Fleming and Whitehead Street. The Highway runs 2,369 miles, from Key West to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border. There are two signs, one for the end of Route 1 and on the other side of the road, the Route 1 begin sign. Directions: From the tour bus stop in Mallory Square, walk south on Whitehead Street for 3 blocks to the junction of Fleming Street.
6. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park & Beach
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park has both a historic fort and a great beach within its 54 Acres. Swim and snorkel what is touted as Key West’s best beach. It is a coral beach, so beach shoes are recommended, as it can be a little rough on the feet, but we did fine without them. There are two rock outcroppings (jettys) seen from the beach, swim out to these two points with snorkel gear to see a variety of tropical fish. Make sure to circumnavigate each jetty to see all the variety of fish and marine life. Tip: When looking from the beach, the jetty to the right had more fish than the jetty on the left.
The fort construction began in 1845, shortly after Florida became a state. In 1850, the fortress was named after U.S. President Zachary Taylor, who died in office earlier that year. The three-story fort was finally finished in 1866, 21 years after it was begun, According to Park & Fort | Fort Zachary Taylor Park: “Prior to the start of the Civil War, Capt. John Brannan occupied the fortress, placing it in Union hands. The main role of Fort Taylor during the Civil War was to serve as headquarters for the U.S. Navy’s East Gulf Coast blockade squadron. This squadron deterred numerous supply ships from reaching and leaving Confederate ports in the Gulf of Mexico. While Fort Taylor never saw any hostile action, many historians have argued that because of Fort Taylor and its mission, the War of Rebellion was not allowed to continue any longer than it did.”…”In the years that followed. Fort Taylor was again used during the Spanish-American War. In 1889, in an effort to modernize the fortress, the top levels were cut down to install newer weapons.”
7. Mallory Square Sunset
Mallory Square is located on the waterfront in Key West’s historic Old Town, adjacent to the cruise ship port. It is located just west of the northern end of Duval Street, facing the Gulf of Mexico. It runs the entire length of Wall Street. It is a very popular tourist area for watching the sunset, the “Sunset Celebration”. The celebration includes arts and crafts exhibitors, street performers, and food carts. It begins two hours before sunset, every day of the year. Tip: Get there well before sunset to get a clear shot of a beautiful sunset, otherwise, you be standing behind a large number of people and not be able to see much.
8. U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham Maritime Museum & National Historic Landmark
We just happened to run into this ship when walking around town. It may be one of the least known tourist attractions in Key West. When doing my research on Key West before our trip I had not come across this site. We walked up not knowing if it was open to the general public but were pleasantly surprised to find out it was. The entrance fee we felt was a little high, but afterward, we felt like we made an important contribution to help maintain this important piece of history. The USCGC Ingham is the only Coast Guard Cutter afloat today to receive two Presidential Unit Citations for extraordinary heroism. in action against an armed enemy.
The ship was launched on 3 June 1936 and had a long history of being active through three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam finally being decommissioned on May 27th, 1988 after 52 years of service.
The self-guided tour through the 327-foot ship gives you a glimpse of what life may have been like for the captain and crew. See the dining halls, captains and crews quarters, and much more. There are many placards along the way explaining the history of the ship. This is a must-see if you are interested in history, especially WWII and wartime history.
See more information here: CGC INGHAM Museum || Key West, Florida (uscgcingham.org)
9. Have Dinner along the Key West Historic Seaport and Harborwalk.
The Key West Historic Seaport and Harborwalk is a great place to walk along the boardwalks and take in the marina views. There are a multitude of restaurants along the way, many being open-air. Combine this with Mallory Square with a sunset viewing and walk to dinner at the harbor afterward.
10. Stroll Down Duval Street
Finally, walk along the famous Duval Street to have a drink, get some pub food, or check out the many shops. Duval street is well-known for its many bars and nightlife.