Key West Florida United States of America. Key West, Florida Attractions

Key West Attractions - this is exactly what all vacationers should definitely pay attention to. Their diversity and uniqueness amazes every person. Also, due to the good climate, Key West sees an increase in the number of tourists every year.

Things to do in Key West

Always on the list of attractions you can see a unique street of its kind called Duval Street. It is distinguished by the fact that during the daytime you can arrange interesting shopping there, as well as taste incredible dishes from famous restaurants, while at night the entire territory turns into an unforgettable carnival party. The holiday here always lasts until dawn, as a result of which there is often simply not enough time for other attractions in Key West.

For those who love to soak up the sun and walk on soft-touch sand, Key West's longest beach, Smathers Beach, will appeal. The city authorities equipped it at the highest level. American Butler can organize any active type of recreation.

For all lovers of diving and snorkeling close to Key West There is an opportunity to dive to see the Great Barrier Reef. This unique natural site consists of a huge number of colorful corals, as well as many tropical fish that prefer to live in such conditions.

Fishing here brings unforgettable pleasure! The very realization that you can catch a fish in the same place where the famous Ernest Hemingway once did is simply incredible! These waters are home to some representatives of the mackerel family, golden perch and many other representatives of the underwater world.

Romantic Places and Culture in Key West

Key West Island in Florida it is considered a fairly old city, founded back in 1822. That is why many artifacts of the people living here have been preserved here.

• The most popular place in the evening is the central Mallory Square. Sunsets captured at this location have appeared in various films several times.
• The Museum of the famous Ernest Hemingway is considered no less stunning than all other places! In it you can see how this Nobel laureate, familiar to everyone with his unusual view of the world around him, lived in the old days and under what conditions he created his works. All the characteristic features of the interior in which he lived have remained untouched to this day.
• For those who love cultural recreation, city ​​of Key West offers a variety of art galleries, several theaters and a symphony hall. In addition, a successful literary seminar is held here every year. All this allows you to gain a lot of mixed pleasant emotions, as well as feel a feeling of some sublimity.

The city of Key West, as it is often incorrectly called by tourists, is currently considered the best place in old Florida, where you can relax and really have a good rest in the most comfortable world-class conditions.

American Butler invites you to visit this wonderful city by organizing a tour for you and your family and friends.

Travel to the southernmost city in the USA with us!

Key West is a tropical paradise, a popular beach resort and the most fun city in the Florida Keys. Here you can relax and get into the spirit of old Florida.

Key West is an island city in Florida, photo dorinser-2

The city of Key West is called a “tropical paradise”, a tourist Mecca in the USA. This is the southernmost point of continental America. It is located in the state of Florida - on the small island of Key West, part of the coral archipelago of the Florida Keys.

This piece of land is connected to the mainland by the Overseas Highway, 188 km long, laid across islands and overpasses. The length of the main bridge of the route is 11 km.

An airport has been built in the city. Cruise ships call at the port of Key West. Residents work mainly in the tourism sector. Fishermen, artists, bohemians live here.

The climate is tropical, there is never snow or frost.

Attractions

Ernest Hemingway's house

Small White House of Harry Truman

Shipwreck Museum

Sloppy Joe's Bar

Fort Zachary Taylor

Southernmost point of the USA, photo teekay72

The main city attraction is a three-colored cement buoy, a symbol of the city’s extreme southern position, installed in 1983. On the concrete structure is written: “Republic of Conque. 90 miles to Cuba. The southernmost point of the continental United States. Key West, Florida. Where the sunset is." This is a monument to an event in 1982: the mayor staged a political rally for a few minutes, declaring the Florida Keys an “independent Conch Republic.”

Old city

Old Town Key West, photo by teekay72

Key West has its own Old Town - a tourist part with historical houses. The oldest building has survived since 1829.

Key West Lighthouse

There is a preserved lighthouse in the Old Town (Key West lighthouse). It serves as an observation deck, and the structure was built in 1848. For a long time, its caretaker was a local resident, Barbara Mabrity.

Small White House of Harry Truman

Small White House (Harry S. Truman Little White House) is the former home of the commandant of the US naval base, and later the winter residence of President Truman and other American presidents. Today there is a museum there and weddings are held there.

Ernest Hemingway's house

Ernest Hemingway House, photo by Andreas Lamecker

The pride of the city is the Ernest Hemingway House, declared a historical monument. In 1931, the writer visited the island and took a liking to the abandoned building of the 19th century. Ernest bought the building and settled in it.

Today, tourists visit Hemingway’s house, filled with the writer’s personal belongings and books, and explore the studio, the “haunted balcony,” the “birdhouse” office, the tropical garden, and the swimming pool. The writer's passion was cats: there are about fifty of them at the museum. One day Ernest was given an unusual six-toed kitten. The cat Snowball lived a long time and left offspring. Since then, many cats with dewclaws have lived in the city.

Sloppy Joe's Bar

Sloppy Joe's Bar

The writer loved Sloppy Joe’s Bar. Today the walls of the establishment are covered with photographs of Ernest, many drinks and dishes are named after him. The main “exhibit” is a stuffed huge fish caught by Hemingway.

Aquarium, photo Joe Parks

The City Aquarium is not an ordinary oceanarium with fish behind thick glass, but a petting marine zoo. You can watch the inhabitants feeding and touch safe animals with your hands.

Art Gallery

The city has many museums and galleries of various subjects. The most famous is Key West Gallery. Here you will find works by famous artists and discover new names. You can buy your favorite paintings.

Customs House Museum

Custom House Museum, photo dorinser

The Custom House Museum is popular among tourists. The red Romanesque building was built in 1891 as a customs office. It is distinguished by round arches and a sloping roof. Today it is the Museum of Art & History, which gives you a real picture of life in Key West in the past. The Custom House Museum regularly hosts exhibitions of contemporary artists.

Shipwreck Museum

Key West Shipwreck Museum, photo by Jim Rhodes

The Key West Shipwreck Museum is Key West's most visited institution. The exhibition is dedicated to the heyday - a glorious time when ships were lost on the coastal reefs, and residents successfully made a living by looting. The museum interestingly combines artifacts, acting and films about real events.

A little history

Since ancient times, the island belonged to the Calusa tribe. In 1513, the conquistador adelantado Ponce de Leon first visited it, and then the Spaniards tried for centuries to establish their power. For a long time, the island was inhabited only by fishermen, sea robbers, and marauders. Only from 1822 did permanent settlements appear.

In 1896, Key West received city status. He grew, became rich; Cigar factories opened. The year 1912 was marked by a historical event: a maritime railway was built from the mainland to the island. It was destroyed by the “Storm of the Century,” a terrible hurricane in 1935.

At the Hemingway Festival, photo by Andy Newman

Holidays and competitions at the resort are held every month. The main city event is a festival dedicated to Hemingway (Hemingway Days Festival). It is held in July.

Fort Zachary Taylor

At the southern tip of Key West is Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, a national monument and 87-hectare historical park. It was built in 1845–66. and until 1968 served as a military facility, and then was given to tourists. There is a beach in the park, where you can go diving, fish from the dam, and stroll along the sea in a kayak. Historical reenactments of the American Civil War are held annually in the park. During Halloween, Zachary Taylor turns into a "ghost fort."

Dry Tortugas

120 km to the west, on an archipelago of 7 coral reefs and the shallows surrounding them, is another Florida national park - Dry Tortugas National Park with Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts in the United States.

Key West (Florida) is both a city and an island. The territory belongs. You can get to it via numerous bridges - straight from Homestead or Miami. The island is located at one of the southernmost points of the United States, on a large archipelago called the Florida Keys. Among travelers, this resort is known for its warm climate, gorgeous beaches and high-class hotels.

From the history

Until the 16th century, the Kaalus Indian tribes lived here. In 1521, the first person from Europe visited the place. The island was given a name meaning “covered with bones”, which was associated with Indian battles. The modern name appeared as a result of an error. The Spanish words were eventually replaced by similar-sounding English ones. And now the name of the city of Key West can be literally translated as “Western Key”. Over time, the island began to be populated by new residents arriving from other territories. They were engaged in fishing, and from time to time they had to save passengers from sinking ships from death. Salt production was also developed here. In the 19th century, the island became part of the United States. Over the years, the place has become popular among tourists and vacationers.

At the beginning of the last century, the famous railroad was built across the islands, which stretched straight from Miami. It was destroyed by a strong storm in the 1930s and replaced with a car one. Now just over 25 thousand people live here permanently.

Consequences of the disaster

Strong winds and tornadoes are not that uncommon in Florida. Hundreds of residents died after a hurricane occurred in 1935. But this was not the only such episode in the life of the island of Key West. Most recently, the city of Key West suffered severe damage in September 2017 following Hurricane Irma. Houses and buildings were destroyed, trees were uprooted. The wind speed almost exceeded 210 km/h. The violence of the elements led to severe flooding. As a result, many residents were left homeless, and the people themselves were previously evacuated. The city is gradually being restored, many objects are being rebuilt.

Beach holiday

Why is Key West, Florida so attractive to tourists? Firstly, the special climate. In these parts, the temperature does not drop below zero degrees. The weather is usually clear and sunny. From morning to evening you can spend time on the beach, acquiring pleasant shades of tan, swimming in the purest sea water.

The coastal area is strewn with sand. The most popular among tourists is the equipped Smathers Beach, where there are parking spaces, retail outlets and cafes, a recreation area with the ability to rent tables and chairs. Many come here for diving or fishing. You can buy a catamaran or a boat for a while. There are also wild beaches on the island. For example, one of these is located on the territory of Fort Zachary Taylor Park. A quieter and more peaceful place, visited by significantly fewer tourists.

Entertainment

The already mentioned park is one of the places that are definitely worth visiting in Key West (Florida). Until the 40s of the last century, there was an active fort here. At the moment, it is a historical park where you can take a walk (on foot or by bike), rent a kayak or sit in a cafe. Park visiting hours should be confirmed in advance.

Duval Street is considered the main street of the city. On both sides you can see numerous cafes and restaurants. For example, Sloppy Joe's is a bar that Hemingway himself once visited! Fans of the writer's work are sure to come here to take photos of the interiors and have a couple of cocktails. This place often hosts concerts with live music. Other establishments offer karaoke, and If you come in the evening or at night, you can get into a colorful show and become a participant in the carnival.

Key West Attractions

You can move around the city not only on your feet. It also offers excursions, which are carried out on a special tourist bus. Or you can rent a scooter or bicycle to explore the surrounding area on your own. There are many palm trees around. Coconuts from them are sold in retail shops. A tube is inserted inside to make drinking coconut milk more convenient.

In the southernmost point of Key West, Florida there is a local landmark - a large painted buoy. Sometimes a long line of tourists forms to take pictures next to him. The buoy symbolizes the southern point of the United States (although in fact this is not entirely true). It also bears the marker “90 miles to Cuba.”

The city sells original souvenirs: it is wise to buy something to remember your visit to Key West (Florida). These could be magnets, small crafts, or sold in some stores. They are made on the island, according to local sellers. By the way, real Cuban cigars are prohibited from being sold in the United States.

Museums

Key West is home to many interesting museums. First of all, it is worth mentioning the Hemingway Museum, located in the house where the writer lived. The building has a long history, and it was built back in 1851. In the museum you can see antique furniture and things of the famous author. Hemingway brought some trophies with him from expeditions to distant lands. The museum is home to amazing animals - six-toed cats. These are the descendants of the writer's pet cat.

It is unlikely that any other city has a Shipwreck Museum. Here is an interesting exhibition of things that came to the residents of Key West from sinking ships. In addition to household items, you can see real gold bars, as well as watch introductory videos about rescue operations. Another museum complex where you can get acquainted with maritime treasures and treasures is the Fisher Maritime Museum. And you can see the inhabitants of the ocean by visiting the Key West Aquarium. Entry there, like museums, is paid, but tickets can be booked in advance.

How to get there?

You can get to the island on a large cruise ship. This is how tourists from China and other distant countries arrive in the Florida Keys. Another option is to fly by plane. Key West has a small international airport. But it is worth considering that the weight of luggage is very limited. Most often, travelers prefer to get to the island by car. The bridge offers stunning views of the sea, coral reefs and ships passing by. Along the way you can also see what remains of the destroyed railway.

There are practically no buildings in the city higher than two floors. And some ancient buildings, according to legend, are haunted by ghosts. An example is the Victorian-style mansion Marrero's Guest Mansion, near which the silhouette of a deceased girl, the beloved of the former owner of the house, has been seen more than once. And the walls of some other buildings still remember the times of pirate bloodshed.

You can stay in Key West (Florida) in a good hotel or in a private home. Some residents rent out rooms or entire villas to visitors.

Key West is a popular beach resort and the capital of the Florida Keys archipelago, located on the island of the same name. A real tropical paradise, where even the harsh police cars say that they are guarding its gates - “protecting paradise”.

Cruise ships with tourists come here almost 24 hours a day. But most of it, of course, comes by land. Whom you will meet in this city! And poor students, and sedate pensioners, and the Princess of Monaco, and even Madonna herself, who loves to visit this island city.

A little history

Once upon a time, Key West was an incredibly wealthy city: locals lived by collecting supplies washed ashore from sunken ships after shipwrecks. This was in 1889, and in 1930 Key West was declared bankrupt. But those days are long gone, and now city residents live only on the money that tourists leave here. The latter, it must be said, do not skimp, and shell out round sums for a vacation in a paradise.

Popular hotels in Key West

Weather in Key West

Entertainment and attractions in Key West

The city has an incredible number of art galleries. The rather prosaically named Key West Gallery is considered the most famous and visited. Here you can find the works of many famous authors, as well as those who are just starting their creative path.

The city has an incredible number of art galleries.

Chickens are also held in special esteem in the city. There are also quite a few of them here, and they all walk freely around the city. Chickens know very well where they are supposed to cross the road, and they do it very carefully. Well, drivers simply stop their cars and wait until all the interested birds have finished crossing the street.

But still, the most famous landmark of the city is a model of a buoy, which is built of cement. On this buoy is written in large letters the following: “Republic of Conch/ 90 miles to Cuba/ Southernmost point of continental United States/ Key West, Florida/ Where the sunset is.” Before the buoy, there was a sign here, but it was very often stolen by tourists, so the city authorities decided to write these words that are significant for the city on a cement buoy, which certainly no one can move.

Key West Museums

The most popular museum in the city has a much more romantic name than the gallery - the Museum of Shipwrecks. At first glance, the original wooden building can only be called a museum with a big stretch.

The most popular museum in the city has a much more romantic name than the gallery - the Museum of Shipwrecks.

Here, local theater actors, dressed in 19th-century costumes, perform real naval battles for the audience. And on the very roof of the museum there is an observation deck, onto which at one time every day the residents of the city took turns climbing and looking at the ocean, waiting for a shipwreck. When it finally happened, the person on the landing shouted at the top of his lungs that the ship was sinking and that it was time to go rob it. Raspberries, not life!

Fort Zachary Taylor

Another great place in the city is Fort Zachary Taylor National Historical Park. Here you can see real ghosts of pirates who, like all pirates, are arguing over who owns the chest of gold.

Hemingway House

It is impossible to visit Key West without visiting the famous writer Ernest Hemingway, the most famous resident of the city, and indeed the entire archipelago. He came here out of curiosity, but stayed and bought a small house with a garden.

The city is home to an incredibly large number of cats. There are about four animals for every Key West resident. By the way, there is another interesting story about these tailed creatures. Once upon a time, Hemingway was given an amazing six-toed kitten, which, since 1935, has led the family tree of the famous six-toed cats. Six or even seven toes on two or all four paws is not a breed or a disease, but a gene mutation. The descendants of Snowball, given to Hemingway, are the main owners of the writer’s house-museum. Today, more than 40 cats live here: they lie on the beds and accompany curious tourists. And behind the house there is a real six-toed cat cemetery.

Key West is also a center for sexual minorities. Here you can very often meet homosexual couples, and no one pays any attention to them. Everyone treats it as something that is also part of the city.

What do the residents do here? Practically nothing. They spend their days wandering around the city, messing around and having fun. This is why it seems that time in Key West has stood still and is just standing still. And the people living here are incredibly slow. Therefore, you should not be surprised that a tourist will have to wait not 5 minutes, but half an hour, and sometimes even more, for his order in a cafe or restaurant.

The Spaniards, who were the first to see these places, exclaimed: “Oh, Florida!” (Oh, the blooming one!) Legend has it that this is how the state got its name.

When you find yourself in Florida, you often want to exclaim after the pioneers: Oh, what beaches! Oh, what parks! Oh, what museums!

There are so many interesting places here that it is simply impossible to talk about everything in one article. Therefore, we will only talk about Key West, one of the islands of the Florida Keys archipelago, located in the south of Florida.

The Florida Keys are connected to the Florida Peninsula by the unique Overseas Highway. It is 113 miles (approximately 180 kilometers) long and is one of the longest highways in the world, connecting the islands to the mainland.

It is built on the site of an old railroad built in 1912 by millionaire Henry Morrison Flagler. Its length was 160 kilometers - a figure unthinkable at that time, especially considering that most of the road was built over water.

The railway took 7 years to build; it killed 700 people and cost $50 million. But it operated for only 23 years - a terrible hurricane on Labor Day in 1935 practically destroyed it...

Then, instead of a railway, a highway with 42 bridges was built, one of which is a local landmark. Its length is 7 miles (about 11 kilometers), it is called the “Seven Mile Bridge”, and its photograph can be seen in almost any tourist brochure.

Our route lies to the island of Key West. This is the final, southernmost point of the United States, mile zero of the Overseas Highway. There is even a special red, black and yellow buoy installed here, which says: “The southernmost point of the continental United States. 90 miles to Cuba.”

The island of Key West is very small - only 3.2 by 6.4 kilometers, but it fully confirms the Russian proverb: small is the spool, but expensive.

This island has a rich history. Many famous people of America lived and worked here, Presidents Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy came here to relax (by the way, the presidential residence here is called the “Little White House”), the island even has its own airport. They also say that the weather here is always good, the sunset is the most beautiful and that this place is the dream of every tourist... But first things first.

Island of Bones

These islands were discovered by the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon. This happened on May 13, 1513. He called the island that is now Key West "Cayo Hueso" - "Island of Bones". The fact is that the Calusa Indian tribe lived here, and the whole island was strewn with bones (though the Spaniards did not specify whose bones it was...).

Subsequently, in the 18th century, the name of the island turned into Key West, and it has nothing to do with the English word “West”. And the word “key” in the name of these islands comes from the Spanish word “cayo” “small island”, and not from the English word “key” - “key”, as it might seem.

For almost 300 years, only fishermen, pirates, turtle hunters, and marauders - treasure seekers on lost ships - lived here. Shipwrecks occurred here quite often, and looting was a very profitable business. After the War of Independence, the islands went to Spain, and in 1815 they were given (!) for unknown services to the soldier Juan Pablo Salas, who in 1822 sold the island of Key West to a certain John Simonton in one of the bars in Havana for just $2,000!

This Simonton quickly realized that he could get rich by dividing the island into plots and selling them. This is how the first permanent settlement appeared on the island.

The city began to grow rapidly and by 1890 became the wealthiest in Florida with the highest per capita income in the country.

There were more than 160 cigar factories here, more than 90% of sea sponges were mined, and a huge turtle processing plant was built (by the way, turtle hunting was officially banned only in the 70s of the 20th century!).

In addition, at that time Key West already had trams, had its own opera house, and had several banks, some of which still exist today in the same places. And the city of Miami at that time was a tiny, poor fishing village.

City of artists and writers

Key West is often called heaven on earth, and, of course, such a place could not fail to attract many famous Americans. John James Audabon, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Frost, John Dos Passos, Tennessee Williams and many other famous and not so famous writers, poets and artists lived and worked here at different times.

There are a huge number of art galleries and small exhibition halls where you can buy both real works of art and inexpensive paintings by local artists.

The city is divided into two parts: Old Town and New Town, Old Town and New Town.

Of course, the Old Town is of greatest interest to tourists. It's easy to get around on foot in just a few hours. In general, I would advise walking everywhere here, since you can lose more than an hour looking for parking for your car. As a last resort, you can always catch a taxi - it won’t cost very much, and where else in the world can you ride in a pink taxi?!

There are a lot of museums here - literary, memorial, and historical... It’s simply dizzying. And we must not forget about the beaches and fishing. Time seems to slow down here, and you don’t want to rush anywhere. I must say that the locals are very leisurely, and don’t be surprised if they take a long time to serve you in a restaurant - it’s simply not customary to rush here.

So, if you are limited in time and do not want to run from one museum to another, then I would advise limiting yourself to just a few.

Of course, you can’t miss visiting the famous Aquarium. It was built in 1934 and is said to be the world's first open-air aquarium.

It may, of course, not be the largest in America, but it attracts thousands of tourists with its unusual show of feeding sharks and huge sea turtles. And here you can touch various underwater creatures with your hands, see barracudas, eels, sea bass - you can’t list them all.

Sharks and turtles are fed 4 times a day, feeding times are written on numerous signs, so it’s easy to figure out how to see the Aquarium and watch a shark or turtle lunch.

And after the Aquarium, you can go fishing, since the choice here is almost unlimited, and try to catch a swordfish or barracuda. Local fishermen claim that they even catch sharks, but this is very rare.

If you catch some unusual fish, they can make a stuffed fish for you for a fee, but it will be quite expensive, and it is unknown how such a souvenir will be treated at customs...

Next, our path lies to the Shipwreck Museum. Here, actors dressed in 19th-century costumes act out scenes from the sinking of the ship Isaac Allerton, which sank off the coast of Key West in 1856.

And then you can go up to the observation deck, where from a 20-meter height you can see a fantastic view of the ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. And who knows, maybe you will be lucky and you will see some sunken ship at the bottom of the sea?

Visiting Hemingway

It's impossible to come to Key West without visiting Hemingway. Perhaps he was and still remains the most famous resident of this island. He first came here on the advice of his friend John Dos Passos in 1920, and the place charmed him so much that in 1931 Hemingway bought a house here with a large garden.

“For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” and “A Farewell to Arms!” were written in this house. and much more.

It was interesting to know exactly how Hemingway wrote. The fact is that he was a rather idle person, he was very fond of fishing, after which he was not averse to spending several hours in a bar with friends, and did not really like sitting at a desk. To discipline himself, he set a certain standard - to write 600 words a day, after which he could do whatever his heart desired.

Hemingway also came up with the following idea: in the courtyard of the house he built an unusual structure - a kind of “birdhouse” in which he set up his office. You can only get there via a very narrow ladder...

This architectural solution can be explained simply: only a completely sober person could walk along it, but a drunk person simply could not climb here! Now, of course, this ladder no longer exists...

And in the house itself there are a lot of things that belonged to “Papa,” as everyone calls him here.

The guides will take you through all the rooms, show you many photographs of the writer himself, his wives, friends, relatives, be sure to take you to a figurine of a cat - a gift from the great Picasso, and tell you how, with the help of iron gates, the Hemingway couple made themselves a huge “multiple” bed (the gates were used instead backs!).

And then you will be taken to a local attraction - the swimming pool.
This is Key West's first outdoor pool. It was built by Hemingway's wife Paulina. They say that when the writer found out that this construction cost him 20 thousand dollars (huge money at that time!), he allegedly took a one-cent coin out of his pocket and threw it into the not yet hardened cement with the words: “On this pool I've spent every last cent of my money!" I don’t know if this is true or fiction, but there really is a coin there.

Another attraction of the museum is cats. Yes, yes, a lot of cats! Well, where else in the world will you find a museum in which cats are almost the main owners?

About 50 cats now live in Hemingway's house - descendants of those who lived here under "Papa."

Hemingway was a passionate fisherman and an equally passionate “cat person,” and at his home he kept an unusual breed of so-called six-toed cats, which he brought from Europe.

It was believed that these cats bring good luck to fishermen, and problems with “using” the catch disappear - to feed 80 cats, you will need more than one kilogram of fish!

These cats are unusual. They have six and sometimes seven toes on their front and hind paws! And they come in a variety of colors, from black to snow-white, from spotted to Siamese.

And they also have very interesting names - not some banal American Murka or Vaska, but, for example, Marilyn Monroe or Winston Churchill... This tradition was started by Hemingway, and now museum employees rack their brains every time, coming up with a name for newborn kitten...

Cats can be found everywhere here: in the house, in the garden, on all the benches and tables, near the drinking fountain that Hemingway made especially for them. In several places there are huge bowls of dry food, near which you will probably see some Greta Garbo who has just had lunch... And not far from the exit there is a cat cemetery, where cats have been buried since the 30s, and on each gravestone there is an engraved name and dates of life of the deceased...

After the museum, I advise you to go to the bar "Sloppy Joe"s. This is "Papa's" favorite bar, and this place is what I would call a "small branch" of the museum.

Here you can see a stuffed fish that Hemingway caught and his photographs. The menu includes various of the writer's favorite dishes and drinks, some of which are named like that: for example, “Hemingway's favorite double hamburger.”

Well, if you are lucky and you find yourself here in mid-July, during the so-called “Sloppy Joe’s Hemingway” - this is a look-alike competition that is very popular here, you will even be able to drink a glass of ice-cold beer in the company of an almost real “Hemingway”.

Festivals and holidays

In general, it must be said that people in Key West love and know how to have fun. Every month various competitions and festivals are held here, so the chance to get to some kind of celebration is very high - this is the Robert Frost Festival, and a theater festival, and all kinds of musical festivals... In a word, there would be a desire to celebrate, but you can always find a reason .

One such event is the Sunset Festival, which takes place in Mallory Square. Local residents, when talking about it, “accidentally” forget to mention that this festival is daily. And we were in a terrible hurry to the embankment, afraid of being late... And only then did we realize that sunset happens every day!

Every day hundreds of people come to the embankment to watch the sun set. Various street musicians, clowns, artists, souvenir sellers gather here, and you can try local exotic dishes and drinks. Well, after watching the sunset, go to some small restaurant or cafe, or just take a walk around the city.

By the way, don’t be surprised by the huge number of homosexual couples. The fact is that Key West is one of the centers of sexual minorities in America, so there are a lot of hotels, shops, clubs and bars over which the rainbow flag flies - the official flag of homosexuals and lesbians.

Our trip to Key West is coming to an end. But, having been here at least once, you want to come back again. The people in Key West are friendly and welcoming, the ocean is warm and gentle, the beaches are wonderful, the food is very tasty and varied... What else do you need to be happy? I just want to say: Key West is a heavenly delight!

Reprinting or publication of articles on websites, forums, blogs, contact groups and mailing lists is permitted only if there is active link to the website .