City
Key West
Compare a Key West stay for Old Town walks, island time and sunset plans. Decide how the Overseas Highway journey fits the days you have.
- Guides
- 2
- Checked places
- 6
Image: Southernmost Point buoy, Key West | Photo by Radomianin on Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0
A practical plan for this area
Make Key West an overnight destination when the drive down the Keys is part of the trip. Compare The Marker for a Historic Seaport base and The Marquesa for an Old Town stay. Give the Hemingway Home and one nearby stop a day of their own rather than rushing them after a long arrival drive.
Getting there and back
Check the Overseas Highway route before departure and plan parking at the hotel. Leave the return driving day clear of a tightly timed attraction. If flying out, include rental-car return or the airport transfer separately from the island sightseeing.
Before you book
Confirm hotel parking, minimum-age conditions and the full room cost. Check each museum’s tickets and access; a lighthouse climb and the Butterfly Conservatory are different activities with different physical demands.
If plans change
For an outdoor plan disrupted by heat or rain, compare a confirmed conservatory or museum visit. For road disruption, follow official transport guidance and change the driving schedule rather than counting on an improvised shortcut.
- The Marker Key West Harbor Resort - official site
- The Marquesa Hotel - official site
- Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory - official site
Plan reviewed:
Guides
Florida planning guides
Region decisionFlorida by region: the Atlantic coast vs the Gulf coast vs the KeysFlorida is too spread out to see in one trip, so pick a region and base, not a statewide loop. The Atlantic coast is about surf, historic St. Augustine, and the Palm Beach–to–Fort Lauderdale strip; the Gulf coast is about calmer, warmer water and the beach towns of Sarasota, Naples, and Sanibel; the Keys are a separate long drive to Key West. Add the Everglades as a nature day from either the Miami side or the Gulf side. Choose by the water you want, the season, and how much driving you will tolerate.Keys route plannerDriving the Overseas Highway: Miami to Key West through the KeysThe Overseas Highway (US-1) runs about 160 miles from Miami to Key West on a single road, crossing the Seven Mile Bridge and a chain of islands to mile marker zero in Old Town. It is toll-free but slow — two-lane stretches, one road in and out, and one bad crash can stall the whole chain — so give it a full day and stay at least a night. In Key West, base in walkable Old Town for Hemingway's home and its six-toed cats, Fort Zachary Taylor's beach, the lighthouse, and the butterfly conservatory.
Region map
Key West in the Florida region roster
Use the statewide map to compare this region against the other islands, historic cities, the Everglades, and the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
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Florida regions
1MiamiBeach-area choices, Brickell and downtown, Little Havana, Wynwood, cruise and airport bases on Biscayne Bay.2Key WestThe end of the Overseas Highway: walkable Old Town, Hemingway's house, the lighthouse, and sunset at the island's edge.3St. AugustineThe oldest city: the coquina Castillo, St. George Street, and the Flagler-era Gilded Age buildings.4Ybor CityTampa's historic Latin cigar quarter on 7th Avenue - the Columbia Restaurant, Cuban bakeries, and social clubs.5NaplesOld Naples, the pier, the Fifth Avenue South shops and dining, gardens, and the Gulf-coast beaches.6St. ArmandsRingling's St. Armands Circle, Lido and Longboat beaches, the Ringling museum, and Selby Gardens.7Worth AvenuePalm Beach's luxury Worth Avenue promenade, the Flagler Museum, and the historic Breakers oceanfront resort.8Las OlasFort Lauderdale's Las Olas Boulevard, the Riverwalk museums, the Bonnet House, and the beach strip.9Amelia IslandThe northeast barrier island: Victorian Fernandina Beach downtown, Fort Clinch, and Atlantic resorts.10EvergladesThe river of grass: the Homestead, Shark Valley, and Gulf Coast gateways to Everglades National Park.11SanibelThe shelling islands: the Sanibel lighthouse, the Ding Darling wildlife refuge, and the Shell Museum.
Planning categories
Places by category
Checked visitor places
Checked places in this region
Where to stay
Compare places to stay in Key West and the Old Town
Once the plan above has settled which part of Key West and the Old Town you're basing in, this live map compares lodging prices there for your dates.
This is a partner hotel map from Stay22, not an official booking desk. It shows live third-party availability around Key West and the Old Town; if you book through it we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Confirm exact location, dates, and cancellation terms with the property before booking.
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