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Key West Travel Guide

Inside ScoopFrom Key West Locals

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Key West OVERVIEW
Visit Key West just once and you’re smitten. It’s personality personified, especially if you’re into bawdy bars and body shots. Sure, there’s more to it than that—a lot more. But to trek here and disregard the local renegade spirit would be missing too much of Key West’s salty flavor. The city motto is “One Human Family,” dysfunctional or not. It’s a town borne of a pirate mentality that never died, founded on a 19th-century wrecking industry that got fat and happy off ships smashing onto uncharted reefs. The beauty of it all is that you can get down and dirty without giving up any conveniences. Givenchy sandals and Wal-Mart flip-flops stride side by side on eccentric Duval Street, and no one really cares if you end up sleeping in a $500 suite or passed out in an alley. The vibrant gay community spearheads events such as Fantasy Fest, a Halloween spectacle so undisciplined it makes the New Orleans Mardi Gras look like "The Muppet Show." Visitors crowd Mallory Square at sunset ...See More each night to witness quirky carnival acts by local beach barnacles and entertainers. From ribald T-shirt shops and lewd bars to elegant guesthouses and four-star hotels, you can shift from lascivious to luxurious any time the mood strikes. Throw in surprisingly fine cuisine and you discover why no one ever tires of visiting Key West. You probably think of the islands of the Keys as being oriented north to south, pointing from Florida to Cuba. However, just like its general attitude, Key West is a bit cockeyed, with the long, narrow island pointed northeast to southwest. The main “strip” is Duval Street, which runs across the bottom of the island from the Atlantic Ocean to Florida Bay, part of the Gulf of Mexico. See Less
BEST IN Key West TRAVEL
from our Editors
  • Crowne Plaza La Concha Resort
  • Pisces Chris Sullivan
  • Crowne Plaza La Concha ResortLa Concha represents the midway point on Duval Street in the heart of the Historic District and close to most of the...
  • PiscesFormerly the Cafe Des Artistes, this candlelit boutique restaurant mixes high art with haute cuisine. Located in a...
  • Custom House MuseumLong known simply as “the big red brick building,” the latest use of this towering former mansion is all about art and...
  • AOL Travel Editors test hundreds of travel experiences at all price points. See their recommendations and make the most of your trip...
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