One thing that’s really nice about the Key West cruise port is that it’s just a short walk to the heart of Key West. You’ll be close to Mallory Square (or depending where you dock, at Mallory Square), the historic district, and the ever-famous Duval Street.
But if that’s not what you’re looking for, you can get off the cruise ship right onto a boat that will take you parasailing, sandbar hopping, or jet skiing. Basically anything you could want to do is right at your fingertips.
Here are some of the best ways to spend your day in Key West if you’re coming on a cruise:
Visit a Museum
Key West has a ton of museums. The most popular by cruise ship passengers is usually the Ernest Hemingway Home. This is where Ernest Hemingway used to live and there are still descendants of his polydactyl (6 toed!) cat there to this day. Most of the cats at the Hemingway House have at least one paw that has 6 toes.
Here is a quick overview of some other amazing museums in Key West:
- Harry S. Truman Little White House – Where President Truman stayed so many times during his presidency that they dubbed it “The Little White House”
- The Audubon House – Like going back in time with antique furnishings and gorgeous tropical gardens. You’ll learn more about the family who built this house (it was built for John Audubon but he sadly never lived there) and lived there for several generations
- Key West Aquarium – A small but nice aquarium with a touch tank. You can see sharks, sea turtles, tropical fish, and more.
- Shipwreck Treasure Museum – Learn more about the shipwrecks in Key West and see some of the treasure that has been discovered. My favorite part of this museum is the lookout tower that gives you a 360 view of Key West!
- Mel Fisher Maritime Museum – learn about Mel Fisher, who was a wrecker. Basically, wreckers dove ship wrecks to salvage items. There used to be a lot of shipwrecks in the Florida Keys because of the shallow waters.
- Custom House – Used to be the island’s customs office, postal service, and district courts. Today it is an art and history museum.
- Key West Lighthouse – You can climb the lighthouse and learn more about its history (fun fact – it’s said to be haunted!)
Have a Beach Day
I am going to be really honest with you. If you are on a cruise, you can probably find better beaches at one of the other ports. Despite being an island, Key West actually isn’t known for having good beaches. This is because of the coral that makes the beaches “rocky”. But the water is crystal clear and turquoise blue so as long as you have realistic expectations, this can be a wonderful way to spend the day in Key West.
Another thing to consider is that most of the beaches are around two miles from the cruise port.
Simonton Beach (pictured above, taken from Lagerheads Bar and Grill) is definitely one of my favorites. It is also the closest to the cruise port. Most cruises dock within walking distance. It’s a small beach but you can rent comfortable beach chairs and there is a bar/grill (Lagerheads Bar and Grill) there where you can grab drinks or a meal.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park has the most beautiful beach! More on Fort Zachary Taylor State Park below because there’s more to do there than just the beach.
Higgs Beach and Smathers Beach are both very nice, but they’re around 3 miles away. Taxis and Ubers are easy to grab or you could rent a scooter, bike, or golf cart to make it a little more fun.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park has one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t even feel like you are in the US because the turquoise water is so vibrant.
You can snorkel right from the beach and there is a concession stand on site for food.
It’s a great place to have a beach day but there is also an old fort there that you can explore as well as some short trails.
The Butterfly and Nature Conservatory
This is one of my favorite activities in Key West with kids but it’s a great experience for all ages and we visited many times as a couple before we had kids. There are hundreds of butterflies all over, two flamingoes, tropical birds, and tons of tropical foliage. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
This activity doesn’t take too long, so you could pair this with another activity, too!
Key West Conch Train Tours
The Key West Conch Train Tour is a great way to see as much of Key West as possible in a short amount of time.
You’ll see these little train-like trolleys all over town. They give you a history of the area and attractions, so you’ll learn a lot about Key West. It’s also hop-on, hop-off so you can get off at any stop you’d like and jump back on the train at that stop when it swings by again.
Take Your Picture At The Southernmost Point In The Continental United States
There is always a long line of visitors waiting to take a picture at the Southernmost Point in Key West. There’s a large, colorful buoy marking the spot. It’s up to you whether you think the line will be worth it, but it’s always fun to see.
Fun fact: it’s actually not the southernmost spot in the US but the real southernmost spot is on a military base so it’s not accessible by the general public!
Rent Bikes
Renting bikes in Key West is so much fun! Key West is a very small island, but it’s fun to cruise down the side streets and see the conch houses. No two are the same, but they’re all so cute! I absolutely love them. A bike would also take you from Duval Street to the beaches pretty easily (around 3 miles or so, depending where you’re starting from and which beach).
Similarly, you could rent a golf cart or scooter depending on which feels most fun to you!
Try Good Food
Key West has some amazing food. If you are a foodie, you could food-hop to different restaurants (maybe pair this with drink hopping, too, if that’s your thing!)
Here are some highlights:
- Blue Heaven for good breakfast food (also famous for their key lime pie!)
- Moondog Cafe is great for breakfast or lunch
- El Siboney – the best Cuban food!
- B.O.’s Fish Wagon has amazing fish and shrimp tacos and “old Florida” slash dive bar type vibes
- Garbo’s Grill – a food truck at Hank’s Hair of the Dog Saloon. They serve Asian fusion food and have been on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives
- Definitely get at least one slice of key lime pie. My favorite is a chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick.
Wander the Historic Seaport
The historic seaport is a fun place to wander around. It’s right on the marina so you’ll see boats coming and going all day. There are tons of restaurants and shops here as well.
I love coming here in the morning the most. When you first get off the cruise ship, it will still be pretty quiet here. Cuban Coffee Queen has a spot here (pro tip – take your picture by the famous Welcome to Key West sign on the side of the building) and it’s some of the best coffee in Key West. I like grabbing a coffee while I walk around.
Bar Hop
If you like to day drink, Key West there really couldn’t be a more perfect place to do it than Key West. There are over 40 bars on Duval Street alone – and Duval Street is only 1.25 miles long!
I recommend starting somewhere then wandering wherever feels fun to you and your group. A lot of the bars have amazing live music, too! Here are some of our favorite bars in Key West:
- Sloppy Joes (honestly, not our favorite, but it’s a must!)
- Smokin’ Tuna
- Rick’s
- Green Parrot (not on Duval, but very close)
Pool Party
You could probably include this in your Key West bar crawl, but it’s worthy of its own category. If you enjoy a good pool party, you’ll definitely want to check out Dante’s.
It’s a pool bar and also serves food. They often have DJs, the swimming pool is very large and it even has a waterfall. The weekends tend to be busier and more lively with the weekdays (especially earlier in the day) being a bit quieter.
Get on the Water
If you prefer to get back on the water, there are tons of options!
Taking a Sandbar Tour is another fun option to get on the water. There is something so special about being in the middle of the water yet on a little beach.
Jet Skiing can be thrilling. You’ll have a guide that takes you all the way around the island. You’ll learn a little more about the island as well as have an opportunity to free-ride your jet ski.
Snorkeling in Key West is absolutely beautiful. Key West has the only coral reef in North America so you’ll see tons of tropical fish, the coral reefs, and maybe even a nurse shark or sea turtle!
Kayaking is also so much fun in Key West! There are tons of options to kayak in Key West – you can even kayak from the shore at some of the beaches. I recommend kayaking in the mangroves.
Parasailing in Key West is fun because you can basically see the entire island from the air! Plus, of course, the gorgeous turquoise water. This can be a pretty thrilling activity as well.
Key West just might become that destination you want to visit over and over again. This article provided some amazing Key West shore excursions for your day at port. There are tons of options for you to be able to experience and enjoy the beautiful island of Key West.
