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Key West, Florida is at the very tip of the Florida Keys. 90 miles from Cuba, this tropical island paradise has many quirks that make visiting the small island a memory that is not soon forgotten. 160 miles from Miami, it is connected to the mainland by a two lane highway, called US 1 that […]

It all started when Robert Otto was 4 years old and living in a home in Key West that now serves as The Artist House Hotel. The year was 1904 and a young girl believed to be of Bahamian descent gives him a life-sized doll made of fabric stuffed with straw. The story goes that […]

A good mix of the modern world and natural beauty, Key West, Florida is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. If you have visited this place before you probably have some of the most unforgettable memories of your life, and if not, it has to be next on the list of […]

The Mallory Square Sunset Celebration is one of Key West’s most well-known attractions. Originally begun in the late 1960s as a stoned-out hippie ritual, the gathering of locals and visitors to enjoy the unobstructed sunset view from Mallory Pier is now an island institution that draws thousands every evening.

It’s a well-known stereotype that many literary authors are also raging boozers. Which, forgive us, doesn’t make us want to emulate them any less. In fact, at we can’t think of anything better than to sip a cool drink while typing away at our — er, laptops — out on the porch in the sweet […]

No matter which type of fishing you prefer, Cool Key West is sure to meet and exceed your expectations when it comes to the best fishing charters. Whether you prefer fishing with a small group or going solo we have the perfect package for you. Our goal at Cool Key West is to make your […]

See the entire island of Key West and the surrounding sapphire blue waters from the air as most visitors have never imagined. You’ll soar 300 ft. above the water (that’s 200 ft. higher than the tallest building in Key West). Panoramic vistas of Mallory Square, the marine sanctuary and Key West harbor are among the […]

Kayaking the shallow water flats around Key West’s backcountry is an exciting, and at the same time, a very relaxing adventure. It may be the perfect method of exploring the spectacular coastal scenery that is abundant in the waterways around Key West since much of it is only accessible by kayak. Kayaking is a uniquely […]

Are you up for a real adventure in Key West? Do you love the water and want to know more about the amazing coral reef environment unique to the Florida Keys? Have you ever dreamed of exploring the mysteries of a shipwreck? You can do it now with Cool Key West as your connection to […]

From Key West, to Maui, to Tahiti and beyond, the sunset cocktail cruise is a tropical vacation resort staple. Some may even claim that it has been overdone… maybe they want to brush the experience off as “too touristy” or “just for old folks” or “boring”. The way I see it, after years of living […]

Most everyone would agree that Key West is a scenic tropical paradise, with blue skies, turquoise water, exotic foliage, and an interesting urban and human landscape that catches the eye every way you turn. But what is often overlooked is the fact that, because Key West is a tiny island surrounded by a lot of […]

One of the great things about visiting Key West is the fact that it is a small island with a multitude of interesting things packed close together, making it easy to take in the sights. Most everyone knows about strolling along Duval Street, walking to the Southernmost Point, riding the Old Town Trolley and Conch […]

Let’s continue our look at great ways to see Key West with an introduction to some active and exciting tours that will let you catch the island from a different perspective. Key West snorkeling adventures, jet ski tours, and biplane flights combine scenic beauty with action and thrills to make for some of the most […]

There is a lot to do in Key West, enough to fill several vacations. This is especially true of the Key West water sports scene that is arguably the island’s top attraction. Snorkeling, sailing, diving, jet skiing, kayaking, and just plain playing in crystal blue waters only cover about half of the wet and wild […]

Key West has a reputation for being a quirky little town full of creative people, and the truth of this is borne out in the way people dress, the way they decorate the bikes, scooters, and cars they drive, and the way they approach the fun and festive side of island life. Creative Key West […]

The southern Florida Keys, Marquesas Islands, and Dry Tortugas were known historically as bird-rich places where Native Americans, seafarers, and explorers would harvest birds, eggs, and plumage for food and trade purposes. Naturalist John James Audubon was possibly the first to enjoy Key West birdwatching, and he noted the amazing abundance and diversity of both […]

Being a resort island that is renowned for its nightlife and multitude of bars, clubs, and other types of party venues, it will come as no surprise that Key West has a very rich live music scene. Many local artists, as well as world-class acts, can be found performing on any day of the year, […]

Seventy miles west of Key West lies Dry Tortugas National Park: the uninhabited Dry Tortugas islands and Fort Jefferson, a natural wonderland and important historical and cultural site. This group of small keys and semi-submerged sandbars currently includes seven islands and shoals: Garden, Loggerhead, Bush, Long, East, Hospital, and Middle Keys. In centuries past, the […]

The Gulf and Atlantic waters around Key West were already well-known for incredible sport fishing by the time writer Ernest Hemingway’s angling exploits thrust Key West fishing firmly into the national spotlight. Hemingway first arrived in Key West from Cuba in April of 1928, and it was not long before he struck up a friendship […]

Many visitors arrive in Key West with one question uppermost in their minds: Which way to the Key West beaches? Key West is a semi-tropical island surrounded by crystal blue waters and bathed in sunshine. Palm trees sway in the breeze and tropical flowers bloom exuberantly. First-time visitors and others who are unfamiliar with the […]

For the first stop in our series on Key West public beaches, we visit the southern tip of Key West. Here we find a large, relatively undeveloped, partially forested patch of land surrounding Fort Zachary Taylor, a historic, pre-Civil War brick-built fort that originally sat on an offshore island connected to the mainland by a […]