Key West

There are no private country clubs on the island of Key West. The closest thing one will find to a country club is the tiny island community of Shark Key just a stone’s throw off Key West’s western shoreline.

Shark Key

• Shark Key is a master planned community of exquisite waterfront mansions with community tennis courts, private swimming lagoon and beach, and clubhouse.

Key West Yacht Club

• The Key West Yacht Club is a gathering place for those looking for great friendships, food, drinks, and water activities. The Yacht Club has 67 permanent slips for vessels up to 58 feet in length. A clubhouse at the foot of the marina hosts various social gatherings as well as food and beverage services.

Due to Key West’s location as an Island in the middle of the ocean, it’s cuisine is largely dominated by seafood. Some of the most popular dishes in Key West include Conch, Stone Crab, Florida Lobster, and various kinds of fish. Of course, there are non-seafood restaurants in the area, like the many Cuban restaurants on the Island. Additionally, much of the local flavor stems from the large bar scene on the island. Regardless of your favorite kinds of food, you’re sure to find something you absolutely love in Key West.

Key West doesn’t have traditional shopping malls like you’re used to in other major cities around the United States. Instead, they have a number of outdoor and open-air shopping centers, with different stores throughout. There are boutique-style shops within these shopping centers, that offer everything from fine art to flip-flops. Key West isn’t exactly a shoppers paradise, but you can definitely scratch that shopping itch on the island.

Since it’s a tourist town, Key West has an abundance of things to do. From tours and museums to aquariums and beaches, you’re sure to find a piece of Key West that you love. Additionally, Key West has a large number of bars and organized pub crawls for those that like to get their drink on from time to time.

Around 70 miles west of Key West is Dry Tortugas National Park. The park consists of 100 square miles of open ocean and 7 small islands accessible only by boat or seaplane. The park is home to the world renowned Fort Jefferson which sits on Garden Key. Fort Jefferson is a large, 19th century fort built by the United States to protect one of the most strategic deep-water anchorages in North America. The Fort is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas and is comprised of over 16 million individual bricks.

Everything Key West is famous for comes together at Mallory Square each evening as the sun sets. Sunset Celebration is a nightly arts festival that takes place in Mallory Square. Participants include Key West’s famous street performers, arts and crafts exhibitors, and food carts. The party starts two hours before sunset and continues until the sun sinks below the horizon on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.

Duval Street is world famous for its party atmosphere, Bahamian and Spanish influenced Victorian Mansions, art galleries, boutiques, bars, and restaurants that line the sidewalks.

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park is home to a Civil War-era fort. This National Historic Monument houses the largest cache of Civil War armament in the world. Visitors can observe local reenactments and learn how soldiers lived as they kept watch over the nation’s southernmost shores.

A common misconception for Key West and the Florida Keys in general is that like the rest of the state of Florida they have great beaches. The truth is that while there are a select few natural beaches in the Florida Keys, most of the island chain is comprised of rocky shoreline with very little sand. On the islands southern face you will find the city’s beaches of Smathers Beach, Higgs Beach, and Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Beach. Waters off these beaches are very clear, calm, and shallow with gradual slopes. The waters off the island are typically a beautiful Caribbean blue and stay warm year round.

There may be no better area in the entire United States to enjoy the boating lifestyle. Key West offers boaters 360 degrees of open water to explore with amazing sandbars, out-islands, watersports opportunities, snorkeling and dive sites. With the Gulf of Mexico on one side of the island, and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, you can’t beat the variety of places to explore that Key West offers.

Along with being one of the best boating areas in the nation, Key West is perhaps the greatest fishery in the State of Florida. Key West has it all when it comes to fishing. Inshore anglers exploring the backcountry will find bonefish, tarpon, permit, redfish, and snook. Nearshore coral reefs provide ample opportunity to catch favorites like grouper, snapper, kingfish, amberjack, cobia, and many more. Offshore you will find captains trolling for tuna, mahi mahi, wahoo, sailfish, and the occasional marlin. Enough can’t be said about the areas sheer diversity of fishing options with its easy access to both Gulf of Mexico hot spots and Atlantic Ocean waters.

Due To Key West’s fairly small population, there aren’t many schools on the Island. The schools that are on the island are all highly rated. The schools are controlled by the Monroe County School District. Niche.com gives the school district a B rating and has it as the 21st best school district in the state. Monroe County School District has 8,571 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. According to state test scores, 62% of students are at least proficient in math and 59% in reading. Several notable private schools include The Basilica School of St. Mary (Roman Catholic), Montessori Children’s School of Key West, and Grace Lutheran (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod).

As Key West’s space is limited, many of the locals play on Golf Courses that aren’t located on the island. While there is one major golf course on the Island, playing the same course again and again can grow tiring. That’s why the residents of Key West often travel to the middle Keys or even the upper Keys to improve their golf game.