Head out and within just a minute you can be at the Mallory Square Market, an area with all the beach town attractions you could ever want. Souvenir stores, a museum of shipwrecks (different than the Mel Fisher museum mentioned earlier), food, and more are all available right here. Yes, it’s a bit touristy, but if you don’t want to go far, there is plenty to see.
Tips and Things to Know About Visiting Mahogany Bay (Roatan) on a Cruise
Popular bars, T-shirt and souvenir shops and art galleries line both sides of the street and can be found from the 200 block to the end near Mallory Square. Although there is an open-container law in Key West prohibiting alcohol on public streets, it isn't largely enforced on visitors along the 100 and 200 blocks of Duval. While on cruises to Key West, Florida, you’ll find no shortage of souvenir shacks, roadside t-shirt vendors, and Florida-related memorabilia celebrating and embracing Key West’s quirkiness. Head to Duval Street for the majority of shops, independently-owned boutiques, and galleries in the city. Or shop at Mallory Square for interesting goods like sandal and surf shops or markets for seashells and sea sponges.
Cruises to Key West
TAKE A STARGAZER CRUISE ABOARD SCHOONER AMERICA 2.0 - Florida Keys Weekly
TAKE A STARGAZER CRUISE ABOARD SCHOONER AMERICA 2.0.
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Float through the air as one of the 12-passenger parasailing boats glides you past sights that can only be seen from the air. As you parasail, take a look below to spot dolphins playing in the surf, or colorful tropical birds flying past. Located at the southernmost tip of the United States, this cool little island hideaway is closer to Havana, Cuba, than it is to Miami. Visit two of Key West's best attractions, the Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum and the Key West Aquarium.
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This private island is just three miles from Nassau, so it's easily reachable when you only have one day in port. Blue Lagoon has everything from Caribbean wildlife encounters to Segway tours and curated beach days. The first/principal (Fisherman Wharf) is within walking distance from downtown. The second (Outer Mole Pier) is a free trolley bus ride away from downtown.
And not just because a myriad of artists from Jimmy Buffet to Judy Blume will make art inspired by the island’s evening end. Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions. Art galleries, Cuban coffee, fine dining and overstuffed sandwiches all abound in Key West. Locals will serve you fresh coconut water by drilling a straw hole into one of the green fruits that come from the island's palm trees. Key West, the southernmost city in the continental U.S., is the last in a chain of tiny tropical islands -- the Florida Keys -- scattered off the mainland.
Key West cruise ship passengers, who number some 820,000 a year among the island's 3 million visitors, disembark at Mallory Square, a Navy pier near the Westin Resort. But the island city is a breeze to explore by walking, bike, scooter or even pedicab. Famous residents have included Pulitzer Prize-winner Ernest Hemingway, whose home on Simonton Street is now a museum where six-toed cats roam the grounds, pool and living quarters. Key West was also a home away from home for President Harry Truman, whose one-time respite from Washington, D.C., is the "Little White House," a museum by the waterfront.
Also in Nassau, check out the James Bond Wrecks, so named for its role in several Bond films. Bond fans will instantly recognize the impressive coral formations from the big screen. For a more mild, shark-free experience, go snorkeling at Elbow Cay or Fowl Cays National Park in the Abacos, islands known for their clear, lagoon-like water. Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square – If your cruise ship happens in be in Key West at sunset, you must take a moment to appreciate the sunset celebration at Mallory Square as the locals do each evening. Enjoy exciting festivities including street performers and a variety of live entertainment options each evening.
Ports near Key West
While federal agents were trying to stymie drug smugglers, Keys residents decried the roadblock as a tourism disaster as well as disrespectful to its people. But Key West's mayor and his supporters failed to sway a federal court in Miami to lift the roadblock. Soon after, he read a proclamation at Mallory Square declaring the Keys no longer a part of the U.S. and demanding $1 million in foreign aid.
If docked at the latter, a tourist trolley shuttles you off the base into town. Catch a Key West sunset from Mallory Square, a waterfront plaza facing the Gulf of Mexico. Mallory Square is the site of a long-running tradition to watch the sunset. Gather among locals and fellow tourists, musicians, and food vendors for a taste of Key West culture. Hold sea stars, hermit crabs, and conches in the palm of your hands in the “touch tank” of the Key West Aquarium, plus enjoy free guided tours and maybe even a shark feeding session.
If sharks are more enticing to you than pigs, go scuba diving at Runway Wall. Located right off the coast of Nassau, divers can explore shipwrecks, underwater walls and reefs, all while swimming alongside reef sharks. Some tour companies even offer a shark-feeding experience, where divers can get up close and personal with the animals.
President Truman has what was called “The Little White House” on the island and would visit on working vacations during his presidency. Beyond that, it was visited and used by other presidents including Eisenhower, Kennedy, Carter, and Clinton. If you want to see the real thing, the sign is on the corner of Whitehead Street and Fleming. Below, we’ve mapped out the island showing the location of the cruise port and our list of things to do. Below, we cover a ton of things that are all within a short distance of the port and available to do during the day while the ship is docked.
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The Caribbean island Key West was initially called "Bone Key" (Cayo Hueso) honoring the Indian skeletons found by the Spaniards on its shores when they landed here for the first time in the 16th-century. The USA bought Cayo Hueso from Spain in the early-19th-century, and eventually, the name was Americanized to Key West. Cruise ship tourists may easily explore the downtown on foot and see Duval Street, Mallory Square, visit the Aquarium, Mel Fisher Museum, Audubon House, Hemmingway's House. As soon as your cruise ship pulls into Mallory Square in the heart of Key West, you will know you are somewhere special!
But there are also a variety of other methods to see Key West, like the Old Town Trolley. You can also rent bikes or scooters to catch the Key West breeze while you explore. For a sightseeing tour you’ll never forget, take the Conch Tour Train, which has been showing tourists around town since 1958. Here, you'll find a laid-back vacation destination that feels oceans away from home. Closer to Havana than Miami, Key West, Florida, certainly moves on island time, with a stunning natural landscape, an abundance of exciting bars and restaurants, colorful buildings and the historic Old Town. From scuba diving and snorkeling to exploring the coral reefs of Dry Tortugas National Park, a Key West vacation has everything you could want in a tropical getaway.
Even in December, the forest and plants at this botanical garden in Key West retain their leaves and lush palms. The Garden describes themselves as “frost-free,” a benefit of the tropical climate. Bring the kids for an educational tour on the native plants, and don’t miss the butterfly garden. Damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017 affected the plant life, but passionate employees are working tirelessly to bring the garden back to peak fullness. At the corner of South Street and Whitehead Street in Key West is a concrete buoy marker of the southernmost point of the continental United States.
Beachin’ It – The closest beach to the cruise ship pier is located at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. In fact, Key West’s most popular beach is located at the southern end of the park. There are plenty of fun in the sun activities including swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and fishing. There is also a gift shop and restaurant with an ocean view if you’re looking for something to eat. Located closer to Havana than Miami, Key West cruise port is the ideal getaway, giving you a taste of paradise without even having to leave the USA.
