Summer in Key West, Florida

Here are my top recommendations for food, fun and sun spots during a summer in Key West! Be sure to visit before hurricane season creeps up in late June!

FORT ZACHARY TAYLOR

This fort and beach is one of the more popular sandy spots in Key West, FL. You can rent snorkels, stop by Caya Hueso Cafe for a beach bite or souvenir and check out the famously colored mile markers to see how far you are from home.

Pro tip: Bring water shoes as the entrance to the water is very rocky. If you have one, bring your own snorkel so you do not have to rent one.

THE HEMINGWAY HOME AND MUSEUM

Do you like cats? Well, do you like six-toed cats? Explore the life, home, and six-toed feline friends of Ernest Miller Hemingway, legendary American author who influenced 20th century fiction with works such as The Sun Also Rises (1926), A Farewell to Arms (1929), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), and the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Old Man and the Sea (1952).

KEY WEST BUTTERFLY & NATURE CONSERVATORY

The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory is a truly magical experience filled with a variety of butterflies, birds, turtles, flamingos, and other wildlife. They have butterflies still in crysalis that you can view as well as friendly staff that can teach you more about the process. The experience will likely take you about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Stop by the gift shop upon exit or entrance for a variety of cool souvenirs!

MALLORY SQUARE

Mallory Square is the spot to catch the sunset in Key West. Hundreds of people gather every night to bask in the magical glow of the southernmost sun amongst a variety of friends, vendors, street performers, musicians and artists.