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Key West travel guide: Old Town walkability, Fort Zachary Taylor and sunset piers

At the western tip of the Florida Keys, Key West is best experienced entirely on foot or by bicycle inside the historic 19th-century grid of Old Town, linking the brick ramparts and coral beach of Fort Zachary Taylor with the Key West Lighthouse, Duval Street, and sunset views at Mallory Square.

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  1. Key West (Approximate city location)

Location coordinates: Key West.

Arrival and getting around in Key West

Key West International Airport (EYW) sits just three miles east of Old Town along South Roosevelt Boulevard, a 10-minute taxi or rideshare to most historic inns. Driving from Miami International Airport (MIA) along the Overseas Highway (US-1) across 42 bridges takes about three and a half to four hours in light traffic.

  • Skip renting a car if you are flying straight into EYW and staying in Old Town: residential street parking is tightly restricted and paid lots fill quickly; use the Duval Loop bus or rent a single-speed cruiser bicycle instead.
  • The seasonal high-speed Key West Express passenger ferry docks right at the Historic Seaport Bight from Fort Myers Beach and Marco Island.
  • Note for Southernmost Point visitors: while shoreline seawall and plaza reconstruction proceeds at South and Whitehead streets, the City of Key West displays the official temporary Southernmost Point Buoy plaza at 1499 Duval Street (Duval Pocket Park).

Sources: City of Key West: Mallory Square, City of Key West: Temporary Southernmost Buoy

Where to stay in Key West

Where you stay on this four-by-two-mile island defines your entire trip: Old Town puts every historic landmark within walking distance, while New Town requires cycling or shuttles along busy boulevards.

  • Old Town Historic District and Bahama Village: shaded lanes of conch cottages, wraparound porches, and easy walking to the Key West Lighthouse, Custom House Museum, and Fort Zachary Taylor.
  • Historic Seaport and Truman Annex: ideal for couples who want harbour boardwalks, quiet gated palm lanes in the Annex, and immediate proximity to Mallory Square without sleeping directly on noisy lower Duval Street.
  • Avoid booking bedrooms facing the 100 to 500 blocks of Duval Street if you value quiet nights, as live music bars stay loud past midnight.

Sources: City of Key West: Temporary Southernmost Buoy, City of Key West: Southernmost Point roadworks

Two-day route for Key West

Organise two days around morning coastal breezes and early museum entries before afternoon humidity builds across the island.

  • Day 1: Arrive early at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park to explore the Civil War brick casemates and swim or snorkel at pine-shaded Fort Zachary Taylor Beach (water shoes help on the coral pebbles), then walk up to the Key West Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters for island-wide canopy views and stop by the temporary Southernmost Point Buoy at 1499 Duval Street.
  • Day 2: Tour the red-brick Richardsonian Romanesque galleries of the Custom House Museum at Front and Whitehead streets in the morning, wander the historic schooner docks of the Key West Bight, and claim a harbour-edge spot at Mallory Square an hour before sunset.
  • Half-day historic extension: take a short taxi ride toward the airport to visit Fort East Martello Tower and Gardens, home to the Key West Art & Historical Society exhibits and Robert the Doll.

Sources: City of Key West: Mallory Square, City of Key West: Temporary Southernmost Buoy, City of Key West: Southernmost Point roadworks, Florida State Parks: Fort Zachary Taylor

Seasonal timing and practical rhythm

Key West has a frost-free tropical savanna climate tempered by Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico breezes, with a dry winter high season (December to April) and a hot, humid wet season (June to October) that overlaps with the Atlantic hurricane window.

  • March to May and November offer warm swimming water, steady trade winds, and noticeably calmer queues along Duval Street and at Mallory Square than peak mid-winter weekends.
  • From June through September, climb the Key West Lighthouse and tour Fort Zachary Taylor's brick fort right at opening time, carry reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes for Fort Zachary Taylor Beach, and take a shaded midday break indoors.

Sources