Key West Locals Recommend — CCR Crew Picks

Beach · Southwest Tip

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

The best beach in Key West, and most tourists skip it on Day 1 because it requires a short drive. Real sand, real swimming, less crowded than Smathers. Get there before 9am in peak season and you'll have the place to yourself.

Crew note: "Drive straight to Fort Zach when you land. You can check in after. Trust us on this one."

Cart parks free at the state park entrance — no shuttle needed

Planning a full beach day? Book your cart in advance — peak season carts go fast.

Book Your Cart →

Breakfast · Bahama Village · Thomas St

Blue Heaven Restaurant

Breakfast in an open-air backyard surrounded by roosters and cats. One of the most Key West things you can do. The banana pancakes are the real reason to come. Line forms early on weekends — get there by 8am or plan for a wait.

Crew note: "Every tourist goes to Sloppy Joe's for the photo. Every local goes to Blue Heaven for the pancakes. Do both, but Blue Heaven first."

Park on Thomas St or Petronia — free side street parking

Sunset · Gulf Side · Northwest

Mallory Square Sunset Celebration

Every night, about 1 hour before sunset, Mallory Square fills up with street performers, vendors, and crowds facing west. It's free, it's genuine Key West, and the sunsets here are legitimately among the best you'll see anywhere. Arrive 45 minutes early for a good spot.

Crew note: "Park on Front St or Simonton. The celebration runs every single night — rain rarely cancels it."

Golf carts park free on adjacent side streets — walk 90 seconds to the square

Want to catch the sunset with your whole group? The 8-passenger cart fits everyone.

Book an 8-Passenger →

Beach · South Roosevelt Blvd · Atlantic

Smathers Beach

The longest public beach in Key West. South Roosevelt Blvd facing the Atlantic. Flat, wide, and easy to park your cart right along the road. Good for a morning ride or afternoon wind-down. Watersports rentals available on the beach.

Crew note: "Best morning ride in Key West — drive S Roosevelt as the sun comes up over the Atlantic. You'll have it mostly to yourself before 8am."

Cart parking along S Roosevelt Blvd — pull right up to the beach

Bar · 601 Whitehead St

The Green Parrot Bar

Oldest bar in Key West. No signs. No velvet ropes. No cover. Open since 1890. Live music most nights — blues, rock, reggae. The bar itself is a landmark and the vibe is as far from tourist-trap as it gets. Pool table, shuffleboard, real regulars.

Crew note: "If you want to know which bar the people who actually live here go to — this is it. Go on a Tuesday and you might be the only tourist."

Park on Whitehead St or Greene St — 2-minute walk

Neighborhood · West of Duval

Bahama Village

The most colorful and historically significant neighborhood in Key West. Conch-style cottages painted in every color, roosters around every corner, and a completely different vibe from tourist-facing Duval. The neighborhood that gives Key West its actual character.

Crew note: "Slow down through Bahama Village. It's the part of Key West that looks like the postcards. Drive it once in the morning, once at sunset."

No destination needed — just roll the streets. Petronia St is the heart of it

Landmark · Whitehead & South St

Southernmost Point Buoy

The southernmost point in the continental United States. 90 miles from Cuba. The line for the photo can get long by mid-morning — hit it at 8am and you'll wait 5 minutes. By 11am it's a 45-minute queue. Go early, get the photo, move on.

Crew note: "First stop on Day 1 or last stop on your way to Fort Zach. Don't skip it — it's genuinely a cool thing to stand at the southernmost point of the country."

Park on South St — free, right next to the buoy

Hit all 7 picks in one day — you need a cart to do it without killing half your morning on foot.

Book a Cart →

Happy Hour Route · Duval St

The Duval Happy Hour Route

Key West has more bars per square mile than almost any city in America. The happy hour route: start at The Porch (429 Caroline St) around 4pm, work south on Duval, hit Sloppy Joe's, Rick's, Fogarty's. Cart parks on any side street — free. You're walking between bars, cart stays put.

Crew note: "Most people walk the whole strip and end up 1.2 miles from their cart. Park midway — corner of Duval and Fleming. Everything is within a 5-minute walk from there."

Best cart parking: Fleming St just off Duval — 2-minute walk to everything

Some booking links on this page go to FareHarbor, our official booking partner. Conch Cart Rentals may earn a referral when other FareHarbor operators are booked through our affiliate link. All picks are genuine CCR crew recommendations — no spots are paid placements.

Key West Through Local Eyes