19 Hidden Gems in Key West You Can’t Miss

Key West is one of Southern Florida’s most popular tourist destinations and is renowned for its natural beauty and thriving nightlife. It’s the perfect place for a tropical getaway but it can get busy in high season. So, for those looking to escape the crowds, it’s useful to seek out sights that are off the beaten path.

A trip to Key West wouldn’t be complete without visiting the island’s biggest attractions, such as the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Truman Little White House, Key West Lighthouse, and Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. But once you’ve ticked these sights off your list, be sure to check out some of the hidden gems listed below to see a quieter side of this beautiful place.

1. Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center

• Address: 35 Quay Road, Key West, FL
• Website: floridakeys.noaa.gov/eco_discovery

Nature lovers will adore the Eco-Discovery Center which spans 6,000 square feet and serves as a marine sanctuary. It boasts a 2,500-gallon reef tank, numerous native flora and fauna, and a variety of exhibits to help visitors learn about marine ecology. Plus, there’s a full-scale model of Aquarius, the world’s only underwater ocean laboratory. This is a fascinating attraction for anyone interested in Southern Florida’s coral reefs and native marine life.

2. Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden

• Address: 518 Elizabeth St, Key West, FL
• Website: nancyforrester.com

Nancy Forrester is an environmental artist and activist renowned in Florida’s art scene. She has been rehoming exotic birds for forty years and in her serene secret garden, you have a chance to meet her family of parrots and macaws. At 10 am each day she gives her Parrot 101 lecture to provide insights into the behavior of these fascinating birds.

3. Sunset Pier

Address: Duval St, Key West, FL

Just off Duval Street, Sunset Pier extends just a little further up from Mallory Square where daily sunset celebrations take place. Watching the sun drop below the horizon over the Gulf of Mexico is an unforgettable experience, and the views are incredible.

The atmosphere on Sunset Pier on Duval Street is particularly special at sunset and not as well-known as the Mallory Square celebrations. So, head away from the crowds and grab a spot at Sunset Pier Bar to toast the end of a beautiful day in paradise.

4. Basilica of Saint Mary Star of the Sea

• Address: 1010 Windsor Ln, Key West, FL
• Website: stmarykeywest.com

This stunning Catholic church is a must-see for fans of beautiful buildings. The church was built in 1905 and it is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Florida. The American Victorian exterior has a strong maritime influence, and impressive stained glass windows give the bright, airy white interior an ethereal beauty.

A visit here is a great way to enjoy some peace and quiet, and don’t forget to make time for a stroll around the lush palm tree-lined grounds that surround the church.

5. The Vandenberg Wreck

Location: 24°27′ N, 81°44′ W

The Vandenberg is a US Navy vessel that was purposefully set to sink to encourage new coral reef growth in 2009. Shipwrecks serve as valuable habitats for marine life, and this artificial one has created a reef that is teeming with life. The Vandenberg wreck is one of the best places in Key West for diving because it was prepped to accommodate all levels of certification. If you’re not into scuba diving, the wreck is suitable for snorkeling too.

6. Tennessee Williams Museum

• Address: 513 Truman Avenue, Key West, FL
• Website: kwahs.org/museums/tennessee-williams

Key West is renowned as the former home of famed novelist Ernest Hemingway, but beloved playwright Tennesee Williams also lived here for more than three decades. Williams penned several classic plays including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire.

It is thought that he finished the final draft of the latter while residing at Key West’s La Concha Hotel in 1947. A few years later he bought a house on Duncan Street that was his home for 34 years. The Tennessee Williams Museum is dedicated to his life and literary accomplishments.

7. East and West Martello Civil War Forts

• Address: 3501 S. Roosevelt Blvd. Key West, FL
• Website: kwahs.org/museums/fort-east-martello

In the 1860s, the East and West Martello Towers were constructed by the US Army to provide protection against potential Confederate sea assault during the Civil War. The towers never saw any battles and were abandoned unfinished as the war drew to a close. They remain an important relic of the Civil War.

The East Tower is now the Fort East Martello Museum which tells the history of Key West and exhibits a variety of classic and modern artworks.

8. Robert the Doll

• Address: 3501 S Roosevelt Blvd, Key West, FL
• Website: kwahs.org/museums/fort-east-martello

Robert the Doll is a strange and fascinating local relic that currently resides in Fort East Martello Museum. The story goes that the doll, once owned by a young boy in the early 20th century, is haunted and capable of casting curses on visitors who take pictures with him. Try the Civil War Ghost Hunt and Robert the Doll Experience to experience being locked in with the doll for 25 creepy minutes.

9. Key West Cemetery

• Address: 701 Passover Ln, Key West, FL
• Website: cityofkeywest-fl.gov/819/Historic-Key-West-City-Cemetery

Key West Cemetary is home to a USS Maine memorial and a memorial for the fighters of the Cuban Revolution. It’s also known as somewhere where local citizens can express their dry sense of humor after their passing, and many tombstones are engraved with references and quotes from television shows and movies.

10. The Cats and Chickens of Key West

Cats and chickens roam the island of Key West freely, with much of the local cat population sporting six toes on each paw like Ernest Hemingway’s famed white cat. Roosters initially appeared in the 1800s when Cubans and Bahamians introduced them for cockfighting. When cockfighting was banned in the 1900s, the roosters multiplied and they’re now the island’s unofficial mascot.

Simply walking the streets of Key West, particularly the quieter residential areas, is an enjoyable way to take in the local communities of cats and chickens. Check out Blue Heaven Restaurant and Bar which has a rooster cemetery in its courtyard.

11. Pan Am’s First Office

• Address: 301 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida
• Website: firstflightkw.com

Pan American World Airways, which served as the biggest airline in the US until its closure in 1991, had its humble beginnings in Key West. Its first flight was from Key West to Havana, Cuba, in 1927. The airline’s original office was situated on Whitehead Street, and today it’s a microbrewery and restaurant called First Flight.

12. African Refugee Cemetery

• Address: 1074-1094 Atlantic Blvd, Key West, FL
• Website: africanburialgroundathiggsbeach.org

In 1860 three slave ships en route to Cuba were intercepted by the US Navy and the 1,342 slaves on board were transferred to Key West to be cared for. Sadly, 295 did not survive. The site on which they were buried is now memorialized. This quiet cemetery is a little off the beaten path and serves as an important reminder of the role Key West played in the transatlantic slave trade.

13. Bahama Village

Bahama Village is a charming residential neighborhood that offers a welcome respite from the busy streets of Old Town. The area is packed with bright, colorful buildings and has a laid-back atmosphere with reggae and calypso music floating through the streets. You’ll find fantastic Caribbean-inspired food at Blue Heaven Restaurant and Spanish-style tapas in Santiago’s Bodega.

14. Tropic Cinema

• Address: 416 Eaton St, Key West, FL
• Website: tropiccinema.com

The cool Art Deco Tropic Cinema in Key West’s Old Town is an important hub for culture and arts within the city. You can catch lectures, live music and entertainment, and other cultural events here. It’s also simply a beautiful and iconic venue to watch an indie film.

15. Pigeon Key & Seven Mile Bridge

• Address: Around Mile Marker 47
• Website: pigeonkey.net

Pigeon Key is a small island in the middle of the old Seven Mile Railway Bridge which was destroyed in a hurricane in 1925. The island, which is an hour-long road trip from Key West, served as an environmental field station for University of Miami researchers between 1968 and 1988.

Since 1993 it has been carefully preserved, and a day trip lets you explore this unique patch of land and its history at the on-island museum. You can reach the island by driving over the Seven Mile Bridge which has been beautifully restored.

16. Kayak Tours

One of the best ways to see Key West’s natural beauty is to take a kayak tour through the island’s mangroves. There are several tour providers to choose from, or you can simply lead your own tour with a kayak rental.

However, going out onto the water with local nature guides can give you the best chance of catching sight of wildlife. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Key West Wildlife Refuge are two particularly popular areas for kayaking.

You can go further afield when you take a catamaran sailing tour from Historic Seaport into the Gulf of Mexico which incorporates kayaking along the way.

17. Islamorada

Islamorada is a series of small islands that sit just below Everglades National Park, around a two-hour drive from Key West. It’s known as the sportfishing capital of the world and provides the opportunity to catch the likes of sailfish, bonefish, redfish, permit, tarpon, and snook, all within a single day.

The area is also home to the History of Diving Museum, the marine mammal park Theater of the Seas, and several state parks with tropical nature trails. Islamorada Sandbar is one of the most popular sandbars in the area for partying.

18. Southernmost Point Buoy

Address: 1400 Whitehead St, Key West, FL

Southernmost Point Buoy marks the southernmost point of the continental United States. It’s an excellent photo opportunity with the Atlantic Ocean serving as a backdrop. Cuba is just 90 miles away from Southernmost Point. In fact, Key West is closer to Cuba than it is to mainland Florida, which is 150 miles away.

19. Hidden Snorkelling Gems

The waters surrounding Key West lend themselves perfectly to snorkeling. There are lots of opportunities to witness beautiful tropical fish, coral reefs, shipwrecks, and the likes of stingrays, dolphins, and sharks. Some of the best places to snorkel include:

• Cottrell Key
• Fort Zachary Taylor
• Higgs Beach
• Smathers Beach
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Little Africa Reef at Loggerhead Key
• Avanti Dutch Shipwreck
• Sambo Reef
• Rock Key

Get Ready to Venture Off the Beaten Path in Key West

Now you’ve learned about the best hidden gems in Key West, you can get started planning your adventure in this lively tropical island city.