What it's like
Key West National Wildlife Refuge is mostly mangrove islands with a few small beaches. Its waters are good for fishing, snorkeling and watching wildlife, and the islands sit about 30 miles west of Key West.
A visit means going out by boat. Snorkelers come for the waters around the mangroves, anglers fish the same waters, and birders look for pelicans, herons and ospreys in the trees.
Good to know
- There is no road or walking access, so a boat trip is the way to reach the islands.
Key West National Wildlife Refuge
Key West National Wildlife Refuge is a set of mangrove islands about 30 miles west of Key West, reached only by boat. Visitors go for snorkeling, fishing, and watching wildlife and birds in the mangroves.
Tours that go here
Prices are per person, booked with our partner, Shore Excursions Group.
Ernest Hemingway House
Hemingway's former home on Whitehead Street, now a historic house museum. Visitors tour the rooms and walk the grounds where the famous six-toed cats roam.
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is a Civil War-era fort on the western end of Key West, set beside a pretty beach. People come to swim, snorkel, dive, walk the nature trails and watch the sunset.
Smathers Beach
Smathers Beach is a 3,000-foot stretch of sand on Key West, one of the island's longest beaches. Visitors swim, snorkel and sunbathe here, with water sports rentals and volleyball nets along the shore.
Old Town and Duval area
The Old Town and Duval area is the walkable heart of Key West, where historic homes, courtyards and gardens sit beside a busy strip of shops, bars and cafes.
The same kind of day, elsewhere
Snorkeling
