Key West Travel Guide

Along the 113 miles that make up Key West, you will see small signs every mile marking the distance. Called Mile Markers, many hotels and restaurants along the way bear no other address than MM 99 or MM 88.5. Businesses may also identify themselves with the letters OS for ocean side, or BS, for bay side. Florida's Keys are also often grouped into three divisions—the Upper Keys, Middle Keys and Lower Keys, and there are plenty to see in each one.

Key Largo Largo means long in Spanish and Key Largo lives up to that name as the longest of the keys, stretching from MM 106 to MM 91. Here you'll find the Indian Key State Historic Site, which holds many local treasures. The island is also home to the Dolphin Cove Research & Education Center Dolphin Encounter, which offers you an opportunity to swim with dolphins and watch them play. Grab a bite at Alabama Jack's. The best attraction of Key Largo is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the nation's first underwater park. Also stop into the Theater of the Sea. Smathers Beach The Seven-Mile Bridge connects the Middle and Lower Keys. Nearby Smathers Beach is Key West's longest, while the Curry Hammock State Park is a small wonder that attracts many visitors. For some interesting exhibits, check out the Museum of Natural History of the Florida Keys. Stop into the Barracuda Grill for dinner.

Key West Lighthouse Museum The views from the Key West Lighthouse Museum are stunning. Take a boat to Dry Tortugas National Park and do some diving, swimming or fishing. Dine at Louie's Backyard. The nearby Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden is worth a stroll, then discover the shops, restaurants and other attractions at Historic Seaport at Key West Bight.

Wrecker's Museum Take a tour of the Wrecker's Museum, a unique home built in 1829 that has some interesting features. Have lunch at Antonia's Restaurant, then stroll through Bahia Honda State Park or check out the creations at the Artists in Paradise Gallery. Tour the historical Curry Mansion, with its elegant period furniture and antiques.

Key West Aquarium City Zoo - The Gallery preserves some of the most important remnants of Haitian culture. The Audubon House & Tropical Gardens is named for the artist John James Audubon. The home and surrounding gardens are open to visitors. The Key West Aquarium is also a must-see. Dine at the Caribe Soul restaurant, then go to the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum to take in some nautical exhibits.

This is nature's wonderland. You'll find a national wildlife refuge devoted to tiny Key deer, an endangered species, and a national marine sanctuary, Looe Key, rated one of the best diving reefs in the world. You can see this Keys' version of Big Bird—great white herons, North America's largest wading bird—in a 375-square-mile refuge. Kayaks and shallow-draft boats are a favored way to tour, since the Keys are surrounded by water.

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