For more than 100 years, the Florida Keys’ fascinating environment has been recognized and protected by forward-thinking conservation efforts. Connect with this natural world by learning about five vital preserves that protect endangered plants, animals and marine life — as well as the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef.
Key West's Hemingway Days celebrates the legacy of world-renowned author Ernest Hemingway, who called the island home for most of the 1930s. What he discovered there fed his exuberance for living, launched the most prolific period of his career and inspired him to use Depression-era Key West as the setting for “To Have and Have Not” — his only novel set in the United States.
Legendary shipwreck salvor Mel Fisher, who found the wreck of the 1622 Spanish galleon Atocha, was one of Key West's most colorful and inspirational characters. Adventure lovers can celebrate his legacy during Mel Fisher Days, set for July 12-14 in his longtime “home port.”
They’re everywhere: Key West history books, Conch cookbooks, descriptions of Cayo Hueso and life among its inhabitants. The island has been romanticized, glorified, insulted and libeled in print (sometimes all in the same piece of prose!). The author of the first book about Key West could never have known what a precedent he was setting.
Artists, authors, playwrights and poets have been lured to Key West and seized upon its one-of-a-kind environment of creativity, natural beauty and sometimes eccentric qualities — making it the muse for some of their most acclaimed career accomplishments.
From celebrations of resident artists’ and writers’ legacies to an art festival that recalls the Florida Keys' fascinating railroad history, "only-in-the-Keys" cultural events spotlight the island chain's heritage as a haven for creative spirits — and draw huge numbers of visitors every year.
Besides balmy year-round weather, endless blue water and a seriously laid-back vibe, in the Florida Keys you’ll find an enticing array of environmental, cultural and adventure activities that can’t be enjoyed anywhere EXCEPT in the island chain. Enliven your stay with some of the “only in the Keys” experiences outlined here.
A lighthearted sea battle featuring tall ships, a parade dubbed the world’s longest and a “drag” race for female impersonators are all part of the wonderfully wacky 36th annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration. Set for April 20-29, the offbeat event commemorates the Florida Keys’ symbolic secession from the United States.
"West Side Story" composer Leonard Bernstein also had a "Key West-side story" -- a connection with the island that most people never knew about. It will be revealed in “Remembering Lenny” and other offerings that explore the American musical legend’s work and the ways the island city influenced it. And it's all part of a national celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of Bernstein’s 1918 birth.
The Seven Mile Bridge, the focal point of the famed Florida Keys Overseas Highway, is a fascinating engineering marvel that quite simply stuns the senses. Rising in an arc toward its center, the 35-year-old Middle Keys bridge offers sweeping panoramic views of a picturesque horizon where turquoise-colored seas meet an almost impossibly blue sky.