Key West in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

Key West is an island in the Florida archipelago, with a surface area that seems small, but inside it holds a vast natural wealth. Moreover, due to its location and beauty, it has also become a place steeped in history and culture. Not in vain was it chosen by various historical figures as a place to stay.

Your 3-day visit may seem more than enough, but believe me, you'll want to multiply the time to take advantage of the best things to do in Key West. I suggest an itinerary where you'll first head into the central area to learn about its cultural and historical value. Next, you'll choose a marine experience of water sports or dolphin watching and travel to the Dry Tortugas National Park. Read more about this guide for your trip.

On your first day in the city, it's best to head into town to see its most iconic sites. I'm referring to the Southernmost Point of the Continental United States, the Ernest Hemingway House, the Key West Lighthouse, the Truman Little White House and the city's Aquarium.

Southernmost Point in the Continental United States

At 1400 Whitehead St, you'll find the southernmost point of the Continental United States, a very important monument for its geographic value, so taking a picture at this latitude is almost mandatory. When you arrive, you will see several tourists doing the same and you will also have an exceptional view of the Atlantic Ocean.

From this place, which is just 90 miles from the island of Cuba, you can continue your journey to the next destination. As it is an open space and accessible 24 hours a day, you can visit it at any other time of the day, if you wish. It's not for nothing that it's always one of the stops for those on Key West cycling tours.

Key West Lighthouse

A 7-minute walk down Whitehead Street will take you to the Key West Lighthouse, a structure established around 1825 that offers a great 360-degree view from a height of about 19 metres, from where you can see other tourist and historical sites in the city.

This place is not only a vantage point for viewing the beauty of the city, but it also has some history to explore. For example, you can enter the lighthouse keeper's house, which is now a museum. It exhibits old documents such as some nautical charts, as well as copies of newspapers from decades ago. This way, you can learn a little about the city a century ago.

Ernest Hemingway's House

Continuing on the same street as the previous destination, you will only need to walk for about 9 minutes to get to Ernest Hemingway's House. This cosy structure has become a place of worship for lovers of the writer. It has a Spanish colonial style, which is quite common on the island and dates back to 1851.

The house was the writer's home since 1931 and today we can consider it a museum. Here you will see an infinite variety of period decorations, such as the wooden furniture, the fishing tackle Ernest Hemingway used for recreation and the antique ceiling fans.

• Price: around €17 per person.
• Opening hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Truman's Little White House

If you walk for 15 minutes down the same street, towards Southard Street and then Emma Street and Front Street, you will come to Truman's Little White House. This is another place of great historical and cultural value, as it was the home of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States.

This place, which can also be classified as a kind of museum, will allow you to learn about the life of former President Truman and, in a way, to travel back in time. When you buy tickets to Truman's Little White House in Key West, you will have access to a space full of antiques from the 1950s. You will see various objects such as furniture and the former president's personal diary. This is one of the must-see stops in the city, so you should add it to your itinerary even if your visit is less than 2 days in Key West.

• Price: admission starts at approximately €26 per person.
• Opening hours: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Key West Aquarium

Now you must walk in the direction of Whitehead Street for about 4 minutes to reach the Key West Aquarium. This wonderful place is home to many marine species that will seduce everyone. This is ideal if you are travelling to Key West with children. It is an unforgettable playful experience to live with family or friends.

If you buy tickets for the Key West Aquarium you will be able to see exotic species such as sea turtles, hermit crabs, flathead sharks, angelsharks, etc. There is also a touch tank in the aquarium that allows you to interact with animals such as snakes, snails, sea urchins, starfish and crabs.

• Price: the cost usually starts at €21 per person.
• Opening hours: daily from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

See the sunset from Mallory Square

To end your first day's itinerary, I suggest watching the sunset from Mallory Square, one of the city's best-known spots for beautiful sunsets. Once you leave the actuary behind, you'll have to walk in the direction of Wall Street for 4 minutes and you'll arrive at this viewing point.

Keep in mind that, depending on the time of year you visit the city, the sun will set a little earlier or later, respectively. In case you still want to explore further, you can head towards Duval Street, a street full of shops and restaurants where you can dine and do some shopping.

On your second day in Key West, I suggest two options. The first is to head out into the ocean for water activities and a ghost and tombstone tour by tram at night. The second option is to join a dolphin watching experience and go to the Sails to Rails Museum and take a sunset cruise.

Option 1: Water Activities and Ghost Tour

For this experience, you'll need to get an adventure and water sports pass in Key West. You'll head to the harbour to board the state-of-the-art catamaran that will take you on this experience.

You will start the day with a continental style breakfast as you sail and enjoy the first rays of the morning sun. The first water activity will be snorkelling, so the boat will head towards a wonderful coral reef, so you can swim with the fish and get to know the marine life that lives in the area. Of course, you will receive the necessary guidance and accompaniment from a professional instructor.

At the end of this experience it's time to head to Fury's Ultimate Adventure, a huge aquatic complex with various activities for individual and family fun, ideal if you are travelling to Key West in January or any other month of the year. After midday, you can have lunch to recharge your batteries and continue with the activities.

Next among the options is a paragliding experience over the ocean waters. You can also take a ride on a jet ski or go on a banana boat. You can also play on the climbing tower, take part in an obstacle course over the sea, go on slides and trampolines, etc.

When the adventure is over at this point, it's time to head back to Key West as you sunbathe from the boat and enjoy a refreshing drink of beer, wine or water.

Ghosts and Tombstones Trolley Tour

Upon arrival in the city, you can simply take a break at your hotel while you wait to join a ghost and tombstone tram tour. This spooky adventure is one of Key West 's favourite things to do at night.

You'll hear stories about the town's dark past as you explore its alleyways, old wooden houses and more. All this in the company of a professional guide. Plus, on this tour you'll enter the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, one of the city's quirky landmarks, which will take you on a journey back to the 17th century.

Option 2: Dolphin watching, Sails to Rails Museum & Sunset Cruise

If you choose the second option, you'll be treated to an amazing dolphin watching experience. You'll board a boat and head out into the waters surrounding the island. The idea is that you can observe these cetacean mammals in their natural habitat and experience a very special moment.

On the way to the observation point, you will be able to consume drinks to cool down the heat. To your surprise, on this getaway you can both watch these marine animals and dive into the sea to snorkel and observe the species of fish that live there.

You'll get down to work and put on your snorkelling gear, following the instructions of a professional guide. Then you just dive into the turquoise waters and start enjoying the view of the ocean.

If all goes well, you will interact with bottlenose dolphins and their future prey (many of the minnows that will come close). Once the snorkelling experience is over, you'll return to the boat to hydrate and enjoy an alcoholic beverage such as wine or beer, or a non-alcoholic beverage.

Visit the Sails to Rails Museum

Since you'll be back in time to continue exploring the city, I suggest you visit the Sails to Rails Museum in Key West. Here you'll see distinctive elements of the sailing era and how it evolved into the arrival of the railway. You will see antique objects and other items of historical value such as a silver bar from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which was wrecked in 1622.

• Price: admission is from €14 per person.
• Opening hours: from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Take part in a sunset cruise

To conclude the day's itinerary, I recommend you sign up for a sunset boat ride around Key West. On this tour, you'll be able to watch the sun set over the city with its orange and reddish hues, making it an excellent opportunity to take pictures and relax at the same time.

On the last day of your Key West itinerary, the invitation is to take a trip to the Tortugas Secas National Park. To get to this little paradise you will have to travel by ferry for approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. You will board the Yankee Freedom III, the exclusive transport that makes the transfers to the park, with a 2012 structure, which gives it a modern air and explains its speed and the safety it provides.

If you are in Key West in February or in any other month of the year, it will always be a good time to visit this small island. Its main attraction and nucleus is Fort Jefferson, which stretches almost the entire length of the island. Dating back to 1846, this enclosure was never completed, but it made the region important from a naval point of view and came to be used as a prison during the Civil War.

On the tour you will explore the entire site and see the heavy weapons used by the soldiers, the cells where those accused of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln were held, the pellet furnace and the casemates from which the cannons were mounted. You'll also see a boat used by Cuban migrants, called the Cuban chug, and hear stories of what life was like in the decades around 1860.

Dive and discover the marine world

After exploring the mainland area it's time to dive to discover the extensive marine life hidden beneath this imposing structure. You won't have to go far to observe the rich ecosystem of this park. If you dive the southern beach, you will see coral reefs and, if you are lucky, even some turtles.

If you dive the north beach, you may find a school of fish swimming alongside you along the way. You can also explore the wrecks of other shipwrecks in the vicinity. You will also see some shells, algae species and fish. All in all, you'll get a good sample of the marine habitat of the area.

Key West Pub Tour

You'll return to the city with plenty of time to explore the nightlife on a Key West pub c rawl. You can do this activity on your own or with a guide. In either case, be prepared for alcoholic beverages and dress comfortably, as it may be necessary to walk for several minutes. On your tour, you can go to:

• Sloppy Joe's, a bar that dates back to 1937 and was frequently visited by Ernest Hemingway himself.
• The Green Parrot, another of Key West's best-known and award-winning bars, where you can listen to live music.
• Captain Tony's Saloon, a decades-old saloon that was home to Cuban independence leader José Martí.
• The Rum Bar, a place made for rum lovers, with a variety of options to choose from and taste.

If you want to make the most of your time in Key West, one option you can opt for is the Key West Conch Train, a fun means of transport in which you can visit between 1 and 2 days most of the tourist attractions in the area.

Among the advantages of getting on this tourist train is the fact that you don't have to worry about how to get around Key West, because with it you can go to the attractions that are further away from the city centre without any problems. Sights to see include the Sails to Rails Museum, the Key West Aquarium, Harry Truman's White House, Mallory Square and much more.