Published: 3/28/24

What To Do in Key West For A Day

Sometimes you only have a day to spend in Key West, Florida. When time is short, you want to make sure your day is filled with only the best things to do. I assembled this one-day itinerary for Key West to provide the perfect introduction to the small, 8-square-mile island based on my week in Key West in December 2023.

While I recommend at least two days to really soak in the island’s unique culture, there are so many reasons why you might only have a day on Key West.

Maybe you’re staying elsewhere on the Florida Keys and are day tripping down from the likes of Marathon or Islamorada. Or, perhaps you’re wrapping up a Florida Keys road trip that took you from Miami all the way down the Overseas Highway (US Highway 1) to the United States’ southernmost point.

Whatever your reason for limited time, get ready for a perfect Key West day filled with Cuban coffee, beaches, historic homes, kayaking through mangroves, sunsets, seafood, and, of course, key lime pie. 

You really can see so much of Key West in one single day.  Read on to let me show you how!

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One Day Key West Itinerary

Breakfast: Key West Cuban Coffee

No, you can’t see Cuba from Key West. But you can definitely taste the proximity to Cuba!

Cuba sits just 94 miles off the coast of Key West. As a result, a fair amount of Key West residents have Cuban heritage. That means Key West is the perfect spot to sample Cuban cuisine. Nothing gets you going for the day quite like a cup of Cuban coffee.

Our vacation rental house was just up the block from Key West Cuban Coffee. As a result, we ended up at this corner sandwich and breakfast shop several times. We loved the neighborhood vibe and I truly thought the coffee and food was better than that of Key West’s more famous Cuban food proprietor: Cuban Coffee Queen.

Cuban coffee is known for its intense flavor. Since it’s usually brewed with sugar mixed in the grounds, it’s thick and sweet. (Don’t worry – they’ll ask if you want sugar.) A traditional Cuban breakfast is a café con leche with Cuban toast. You’re meant to dunk the toast, which is Cuban bread that’s been pressed and buttered, in your sweet coffee. It’s truly delicious.

If you need more sustenance than bread and coffee, their breakfast burrito or bowl will do the trick.

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

Now that you’re nourished and caffeinated, head to far west end of the island to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. As the park name implies, you’ll find one of the island’s three brick forts here. However, the main draw to the state park is what’s generally considered the best beach in Key West.

In the mid-1800s, the United States constructed a series of brick forts that were antiquated almost before they were completed. Fort Zachary Taylor is one such stately, but obsolete relic. Finished in 1866, the fort did see action during the Spanish-American War in 1898. Take a quick self-guided tour of the fort, or stick around for the daily guided tour at 11 a.m.

After that, head to the beach to do a little snorkeling or sunbathing. The park offers equipment rentals and a café. There are also some nature paths, but at just 54 acres, you can only cover so much ground in the park. Key West packing tip: if you plan to go in the water, bring water shoes to avoid hurting yourself on the beach’s coral.

There’s an admission fee of $2.50 per pedestrian or $6 for a vehicle with 2-8 passengers. Single occupant vehicles cost $4.50.

Hemingway Home

Hemingway Home is the number one tourist attraction in Key West. Call me a naïve English major, but I assumed most people visit because Ernest Hemingway lived here for 8 years starting in 1931.

However, considering how many people on our tour were shocked to learn that Hemingway committed suicide (possibly the best-known fact about him?), I think it’s fair to say that many Hemingway Home visitors have no connection the Great American author. (I guess we can’t all stalk Hemingway halfway around the globe to the Italian Lake District.)

You’ll need about an hour to take in this beautiful historic home which dates back to 1851. Located on a surprisingly large plot (more than an acre) for Key West, the property features another Key West rarity: an in-ground pool. It’s best to wait for a guided tour through the house filled with Hemingway family artifacts and exhibits about Ernest’s work.

Along with viewing Hemingway’s writing studio over the carriage house, the real highlight of visiting Hemingway Home is its colony of cats. The colony’s original patriarch was the Hemingway family cat, a fluffy male polydactyl cat named Snow White. When we visited there were 61 cats on the property, many of which have six toes like their grandpa Snowy.

If you’re allergic to cats, pop a Benadryl before visiting so you can enjoy the property without sneezing.

Duval Street

Many people love to hate on Key West’s Duval Street. Other than its ubiquitous slow-moving pedestrians, I felt pretty ambivalent to the island’s main tourist throughway. It’s where you’ll find the highest concentration of shops, galleries, restaurants, and bars, particularly on the north end near the marina and Mallory Square.

While it has a reputation for getting noisy after dark, Duval Street is quite chill midday. Take a stroll past the Oldest House, San Carlos Institute, Key West Women’s Club, and various shops and galleries on your way to lunch. You’ll also pass one of Key West’s favorite photo spots: the rainbow crosswalks at the intersection of Duval and Petronia Streets.

Lunch: Garbo’s Grill

Located in the courtyard of Hank’s Hair of the Dog Saloon, Garbo’s Grill is a favorite Key West food truck. They serve up fresh, fast food; think seafood, tacos, and poke bowls. It’s a great place to pause for lunch before heading out on your next adventure. If you fancy a midday drink, you can grab one from Hank’s or head to First Flight Brewery across the street.

Kayaking in the Mangroves

It’d be a shame to go to the Florida Keys and not get out on the water. I’d hoped to check out Key West’s charter fishing scene, but the weather was too rough during our visit. Happily, we still managed to kayak in the protected mangroves between rain squalls.

Even if you only have one day in Key West, I still think you should head over to Lazy Dog Adventures for one of their two-hour mangrove kayak tours.

This activity is located on Stock Island, Key West’s neighboring key. It’s just a little too far to reach on foot, so either grab a rideshare, bike, or take the bus. Even if you’re renting a car, a rideshare is recommended because parking is so limited at Hurricane Hole Marina.

Appropriate for all skill levels, this tour weaves through the waterways between Key West and Stock Island. You’ll travel through mangrove tunnels, learn about the ecology of the Florida Keys, and see a bunch of marine life. We were lucky enough to see a manatee family along with sharks, jelly fish, starfish, birds, and more.

Stroll the marina

The Key West marina is a bustling place filled with restaurants, hotels, shops, and, obviously, lots and lots of boats. Since so much of Key West life revolves around the water, this feels like the heart and soul of the island. You don’t want to miss strolling down the historic harbor walk.

My favorite thing to do at the marina was watching people heading out on sails or returning from a day of fishing.

Another popular Key West marina activity is feeding the tarpon fish. There was a sign saying they feed the tarpon at 4 p.m. but we happened to be passing by right at 4 and didn’t see any indication that the feeding was about to happen. Regardless of when you visit, there’s always a chance you might spy a manatee, so keep your eyes peeled!

Swing into Kermit’s for your obligatory slice of Key West key lime pie. While it’s not my very favorite slice of pie in Key West, it’s a solid option. If you want something easy to eat while strolling the waterfront, grab a slice of chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick. 

This is also a great spot to do some souvenir shopping. You’ll find many stalls selling conch (pronounced “conk”) shells. Just know that these shells and any conch served in Key West restaurants comes from the Bahamas. Just how any walleye served in Minnesota comes from Canada, any conch served in Florida is imported. 

Don’t miss posing by the iconic Key West mural on the backside of the Cuban Coffee Queen shop.

Happy Hour: Sloppy Joe’s or The Roost

After a full day of adventures, unwind with a drink at one of Key West’s ubiquitous water holes. (The island has the most bartenders per capita of anywhere in the United States, so you won’t have to look far!) If you want to a drink with a view, any of the marina bars and restaurants will do nicely, otherwise, head inland.

Sloppy Joe’s on Duval Street is the most iconic spot in Key West to grab a drink. This noisy, often crowded saloon, was said to be Hemingway’s favorite bar in town. It’s where Hemingway famously tore a urinal off the bathroom wall and turned it into a water fountain in his Key West backyard because he’d “pissed away enough money at Joe’s.”

We opt for the Roost, a small, hole in the wall cocktail lounge a little inland on Fleming Street.

Dinner: Blue Heaven

You have a ton of great restaurants to choose from in Key West. But if you can only enjoy one dinner in Key West, I’d head to Blue Heaven.

Located in a grove of kapok trees, Blue Heaven is al fresco dining at its finest. Don’t worry, if the weather turns chilly, they actually have a huge stack of blankets they share with diners. The tame Key West roosters wander through the dining courtyard and more often than not, they have live music.

Their menu features great seafood and other Caribbean dishes as well as imaginative cocktails. It’s truly a dining experience you can only have in Key West. I recommend the snapper!

Sunset celebration in Mallory Square

It was quite rainy in Key West during our entire week-long visit so we actually never got a great sunset. However, if you have better weather and don’t mind crowds, the sunset celebration in Mallory Square is the perfect way to cap a day in Key West.

This daily event starts up about two hours before sunset and involves food vendors, street performers, and craft stalls. Whether you want a henna tattoo, a tarot card reading, or just a snack as you watch the sun drop into the Gulf of Mexico, Mallory Square is the place to go.

Information For First-Time Key West Visitors

Key West photos spots

Just because you only have a day in Key West doesn’t mean you have to miss out on getting great photos. It’s easy to incorporate Key West’s favorite photo spots into this itinerary.

Southernmost point of the continental United States

It’s almost a requirement that anyone who visited Key West must pose in front of the large concrete “Southernmost point” buoy on the south end of Duval Street.

This is an extremely popular spot in Key West, so expect to wait in line for a posed photo. The best time to stop at the photogenic buoy is when you’re going from Key West Cuban Coffee to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park in the morning.

Rainbow crosswalk on Duval Street

All four crosswalks at the intersection of Duval and Petronia are painted in cheerful rainbow stripes, a nod to Key West’s city motto: “One Human Family.” Since this was the intersection I accessed Duval from, I’m sorry to say the colorful crosswalks blended into my Key West landscape and I failed to take a photo.

Key West mural on Cuban Coffee Queen

Another iconic photo op is the classic “Greetings from Key West” postcard mural on the back of the Cuban Coffee Queen shop near the marina.

0 mile marker post

At the intersection of Fleming and Whitehead Streets you’ll find Key West’s infamous “0” mile marker. The marker indicates the start of the 2000+ mile long U.S. Highway 1 which runs through the Florida Keys and ends at the Canadian border in Maine. I’m not sure why this is such a popular photo spot, but joke’s on me because I definitely posed in front of it.

When To Visit Key West

Key West is a huge tourist destination. Each year, about 3 million tourists visit Key West. Average that over an entire year and that means each day about 9000 non-residents wander around Key West. No wonder the streets are always crowded!

That’s said, I’m not sure the island really has a low-season, although visitors definitely taper off during hurricane season, which is at its heights from late August into October. Tourists really start to pick up around the Christmas holidays and reach their peak in March and April over spring break.

But not even the hot summer temps – when it’s rare for the mercury to drop below 80 – keep visitors at bay. Since Key West attracts visitors of all ages and walks of life, it’s a pretty popular summer break destination. If you can, I recommend booking your lodging and any “must see” tours, like a ferry to the Dry Tortugas, as soon as possible, no matter when you plan to visit.

Where To Stay In Key West

Our lodging plays a big role in Andy and my vacations, so I spent a lot of time analyzing all of Key West’s hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals. There’s a dizzying number of accommodations and it took some time to sift through it and find the right spot for us.

In the end, we stayed in a VRBO, Sailor House, on Center Street, in between Truman Avenue and Duval Street. This ended up absolutely being the right choice for us. We loved having a full kitchen and tons of living space as well as four different patios and verandas. The Old Town location was also great for roaming the city on foot.

Ultimately, I chose Sailer House over a small conch style cottage. Key West Hideaways offers three little conch cottage rentals, located south of Truman Avenue in Old Town. I’m glad I opted for more space and a more central location, but I think the conch cottages would have been a great, more budget friendly option.

Other places I considered included the Southernmost Beach Resort on the far south end of Duval Street. Winslow’s Bungalows with its tempting free parking was another serious contender. I looked into several B&Bs like Duval House, but ultimately decided I wanted the ability to cook some of our meals ourselves.

Conclusion: How to Spend One Day in Key West

One day really isn’t enough time to fully experience Key West. However, if that’s all the time you have, the itinerary I’ve laid out here will take you on a perfect whirlwind tour of the island. In a single day, you can get a taste of Key West beaches, historic homes, outdoor activities, lively bar scene, and delicious seafood.

Whether you’re doing a day trip to Key West or just staying for a quick overnight, I hope you have a perfect day at the southernmost point of the United States!