However you wind up in Key West – by plane, scenic car journey or, perhaps, private yacht – it can certainly run the cost gamut. Regardless of the dough you dish on your trip to the island paradise, just know there are several totally free options that await.
Between the bumping nightlife, international fare and seemingly endless array of outdoor activities, listed here are 10 free choices to sprinkle to your Key West itinerary.
1. Smathers or Higgs Beach
Completely surrounded by turquoise waters, the idea with Key West may easily be it has free beaches galore. That is not the situation. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park is essential West's most popular and history-loaded beach destination, but the spot does have an entry fee. For any free dose of white sand goodness, Smathers Beach and Higgs Beach are the most useful bets.
2. Mile 0 Marker
US Route 1 runs through 14 states and the District of Columbia, stretching nearly 2400 miles. It is the longest north-to-south road in the usa. In terms of its starting place? Mile 0 is within Key West. Mile 0 markers are not common whatsoever, which means this creates quite the initial photo opportunity. You'll find it at the corner of Whitehead and Fleming Streets.
3. Fort West Martello Tower
During the American Civil War, Florida seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. Fun fact: Key West stayed up with the Union since it had a Union naval base on it. Among the island's three remaining structures in the Civil War era is Fort West Martello Tower. Situated on Higgs Beach and built-in 1862, it's worth a trip to take a look at its brick magnificence as well as the Key West Garden Club that now occupies its grounds.
4. Overseas Highway
If you missed out on the drive from South Florida through the Keys, a ride across the Overseas Highway is essential. Starting in Key West and running 113 miles northeast, 42 total bridges comprise the Overseas Highway. Oftentimes leaving drivers with miles upon miles water below, it may be just as eerie because it is beautiful. If you don't have an automobile to tackle servings of it free of charge, Key West Transit offers treks to as far as Marathon for just $4 each way.
5. Southernmost Point Buoy
Perhaps the most Instagrammed spot on the area? That distinction would go to the Southernmost Point Buoy. And it is not really technically the southernmost point. But, alas, no trip to Key West is complete with no picture here. Found at the corner of Whitehead and South Streets, you might want to wait a few minutes in line to snag a pic, but it is worthwhile.
6. Key West Cemetery
A cemetery, really? What makes Key West Cemetery a top free thing to do is spotting the wildly quirky things on the gravestones there. One of the classics are B.P. “Pearl” Roberts tombstone that reads, “I told you I had been sick” and Edwina Lariz' that reads “Devoted Fan of Singer Julio Iglesias.” For history buffs, there is a large monument honoring the 260 US soldiers that were killed aboard the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898.
7. Key West First Legal Rum Distillery
Key West isn't Vegas. Sorry, there aren't free drinks everywhere. However, Key West First Legal Rum has free samples all day long and tours daily from noon to five pm. Throughout the tour, you'll find out about the distillery's background and process, which involves Florida sugar cane with, depending on the variety, infusions of all things from coconut to key lime.
8. Mallory Square
A sunset in Key West is really a visual spectacle in itself. At Mallory Square – Key West's epicenter that's loaded with restaurants, museums and shopping options – there is a nightly “Sunset Celebration.” The celebration begins 2 hours before sunset and it is never exactly the same two nights consecutively. Clowns, psychics, jugglers, musicians, acrobats and seemingly everyone and everything in between are recognized to make a look and feel. While certainly unusual, there is no denying the good vibes that originate from it.
9. Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden
From Ernest Hemingway to all of us President Harry Truman to Florida railroad builder Henry Flagler, so many folks have created a lasting mark on Key West. These are part of the 36 men and women honored at the Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden. The garden is tucked between Mallory Square and a string of retailers. It's small , shaded and provided a quiet reprieve from the nearby hubbub.
10. Wyland Gallery from the Florida Keys
Key West is an artsy haven. And, fortunately for visitors and locals alike, a lot of that art is on full display. Among numerous free galleries, the Wyland Gallery of the Florida Keys has an incredible pulse around the Key West scene and hosts regular shows. Revel in its selection of local and handcrafted pieces – often spanning sunsets and marine life. With a visit, you might easily end up buying and collect just a little bit of Key West with you.
