Key West beaches are smaller, rockier, and don’t have a big surf like your average coastline. This makes them fantastic for snorkeling close to the shore, thanks to the island’s proximity to the vast Florida Reef, North America’s only living coral reef. You’ll find every activity you’d wish for on a beach here, from shaded picnic spots to beach volleyball, food trucks, and fishing piers.
At just four miles long, it’s easy to take a Key West cruise and visit more than one beach while you’re here. You can also combine your cruise and favorite beach with a visit to one of the famous sights in the area, from Ernest Hemingway’s house to the buoy marking the southernmost point of the continental U.S.
Just think about your beach style — sporty, water-loving, castaway, history buff — and take your pick with your favorite cruise shore excursions.
Key West Beaches From the Cruise Port
Visiting the top beaches in Key West by cruise makes the journey an extra special one.
Depending on the ship and cruise package, guests can arrive and depart from the Port of Key West, docking at one of these piers:
- Mallory Square.
- Pier B.
- Outer Mole.
If you dock at either Mallory Square or Pier B, which are right next to each other, you can walk or drive to Simonton Beach, which is the closest Key West beach and approximately 5-10 minutes away.
Getting to other popular tourist attractions on Duval Street and at the Southernmost Point is a 3-5 minute walk from Mallory Square and Pier B. If you’re heading to White Street (where Higgs Beach, Smathers Beach, and the famed Edward B. Knight Pier are located) from either location, it’s better to drive, take a taxi or trolley, or even bike it, which takes roughly 10 to 12 minutes.
Outer Mole is farther away than the other two piers and situated within a secure naval base, so you can’t walk to any Key West beaches from there. However, it takes 10 minutes to drive from Outer Mole to the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Alternatively, you can take a 10-minute shuttle from Outer Mole to Mallory Square, which is free, to visit the nearby beaches.
If you love exploring Key West by trolley, scooter, golf cart, or train, snorkeling and swimming with dolphins, biking across rugged terrain, or just spending a day beachside sipping on cocktails, there’s a cruise and land excursion package that’s right for you.
Top Key West Beaches
From popular local haunts like Smathers Beach to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park with its rich Civil War heritage, the best Key West beaches are easy to reach on foot, by car, or trolley.
Smathers Beach
Smathers Beach
- Beach Name: Smathers Beach.
- Location: South Roosevelt Boulevard.
- Entry Fee: None.
- Parking Availability: Free parking near the beach on $5 an hour on South Roosevelt Boulevard.
- Opening Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Accessibility: By car, bicycle, trolley, or on foot.
- Facilities: Restrooms, showers, wheelchair access, beach chairs, umbrellas, volleyball nets, food trucks, picnic tables, boat access ramp, and rental equipment for jet skiing, kayaking, parasailing, and windsurfing.
- Other Nearby Attractions: Duval Street entertainment district, Higgs Beach, and Fort East Martello Museum.
- Best For: Spring break crowd, families, newlyweds, and sunset lovers.
Smathers Beach is the longest Key West beach, with non-stop activity on half a mile of soft sand. The beach runs parallel to South Roosevelt Boulevard in front of the airport and features everything from sun chairs to rent, watersports rentals, and beach volleyball courts.
During spring break, the party crowd heads here, but you’ll also find newlyweds assembling for photoshoots. The sunsets at Smathers are famous as golden hour approaches in the late afternoon. The beach has plenty of facilities, including restrooms and showers, and accessibility for wheelchair users.
If you’re hungry, head for the Tropical Vibes Cones & Bowls food truck on the beach. This family-owned enterprise sells Brazilian acai bowls, Hawaiian shave ice, and homemade ice creams in tropical flavors, all with locally sourced ingredients.
Higgs Beach
Higgs Beach
- Beach Name: Higgs Beach.
- Location: Reynolds Street.
- Entry Fee: None.
- Parking Availability: Limited free parking by the beach or $7 an hour near Mallory Square.
- Opening Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Accessibility: By car, trolley, bicycle, or on foot.
- Facilities: Restrooms, showers, restaurant, picnic tables, children’s playground, bike path, tennis, pickleball and volleyball courts, dog park, and umbrella, beach chair, and water sports rentals.
- Other Nearby Attractions: Café Salute!, West Martello Tower, Key West Garden Club, African Refugee Memorial, Smathers Beach, White Street Pier, Rest Beach, Key West AIDS Memorial, Reynolds Street Pier, and Astro City playground.
- Best For: Snorkeling, couples, weddings, families, and history lovers.
Higgs Beach, named after Clarence S. Higgs, lies on the south coast of Key West in Old Town, a few blocks to the west of Smathers Beach.
It’s easily recognizable by its two piers: the long, wooden Edward B. Knight Pier (also known as “White Street Pier” due to its proximity to White Street) and the shorter Higgs Pier. Stroll along the longer pier and sit at the end, taking in the dreamy ocean views.
The waters off the beach are protected as a marine park, making it one of the best places to snorkel in Key West. Bring your mask and snorkel for a day here and spot angelfish, as well as butterfly fish and the pink and turquoise parrotfish feeding on the coral.
You can see sea stars dotted across the ocean floor amid the seagrass, and with an eagle eye, you could even spot stingrays gliding across the sand flats.
Read: Best Things for Couples To Do in Key West
Higgs Beach
Rest Beach
Rest Beach
- Beach Name: C.B. Harvey Rest Beach.
- Location: Atlantic Boulevard.
- Entry Fee: None.
- Parking Availability: Limited free parking on Atlantic Boulevard and near White Street Pier.
- Opening Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Accessibility: By car, bus, bicycle, moped, or on foot.
- Facilities: Restrooms, picnic tables, tennis courts, yoga deck, and wheelchair accessibility.
- Other Nearby Attractions: Higgs Beach, White Street Pier, Key West AIDS Memorial, Sonny McCoy Indigenous Park, Wildlife Rescue Center, Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, and West Martello Tower.
- Best For: Lovers of relaxing walks and beautiful sunsets.
Rest Beach, also known as C.B. Harvey Park, is a small park area located on Atlantic Boulevard on the other side of the Edward B. Knight Pier from Higgs Beach.
You’ll find soft sand and pretty seashells as you wade in the warm, shallow water. There’s shade under the palm trees for relaxing, picnic tables, and tennis courts at one end of the beach.
During your time at Rest Beach, pay a visit to the Key West AIDS Memorial, a mirror-like granite stone embedded in the walkway at the entrance to Edward B. Knight Pier.
The memorial pays tribute to the 1,240 people who were connected to the small community of Key West, a highly LGBTQ+-friendly place, and lost their lives to complications from the disease. It’s a moving monument, with places to sit and contemplate. Poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Kahlil Gibran, and Rachel Hadas are engraved on pieces of stone.
Behind the beach, you can stroll into the Sonny McCoy Indigenous Park, a shaded park where native trees grow. Bring your bocce balls for a game on one of the six courts here, and drop into the Wildlife Rescue Center, where injured birds and animals are cared for.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
- Beach Name: Fort Zachary Taylor State Park.
- Location: Howard England Way.
- Entry Fee: $6 for vehicles with max. 8 people; $4.50 for single-occupant vehicles or motorcycles; $2.50 for pedestrians, bicyclists, or Annual Individual Entrance Pass holders.
- Parking Availability: Parking is available on site.
- Opening Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset.
- Accessibility: By car, bicycle, or on foot.
- Facilities: Restrooms, showers, snack bar, charcoal grills, shaded picnic areas, nature trails, and rental equipment shops.
- Other Nearby Attractions: The fort, Cayo Hueso Cafe, Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, and the USCGC Ingham Maritime Museum.
- Best For: History, nature, and snorkeling lovers.
Located on the western tip of the island, Fort Zachary Taylor predates the Civil War, having been constructed in 1845, and houses the world’s largest cache of Civil War armaments.
The structure was used during the Civil War to defend the island from Confederate ships, and also in the Spanish-American War.
You can join a free guided tour of the fort to see the cannons and gun ports, and get a feeling for the life of the soldiers who defended this tropical island. Come on the third weekend of the month and watch locals reenact scenes from history, bringing this impressive setting to life.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
The 87 acres around the old fort, which is a National Historic Landmark, stretch down through shaded woodland to a coral sand and pebble beach. It’s regarded by many as the best of all Key West beaches thanks to its wonderful snorkeling and endless horizons.
Feathery Norfolk pines provide shade from the sun here, while white coral sand leads down to crystal-clear water that takes on a shade of deep turquoise as the seabed slopes away.
Breakwaters of tumbled boulders just offshore create a natural habitat for marine life. Bring your mask and snorkel and look for parrotfish and striped sergeant majors flitting around the rocks, and lobsters lurking in the crevices.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
You can rent gear at the beach, as well as sun chairs and umbrellas. Do remember to bring water shoes — the shore is peppered with pieces of coral and stone, making it tricky to wade into the water.
If you haven’t brought a picnic, head to the Cayo Hueso beach shack, which serves wraps, burgers, and hot dogs, perfect when washed down with a cold beer or icy daiquiri.
Ernest Hemingway House
To make the most of your day in Key West, why not head inland to visit Ernest Hemingway’s former villa on Whitehead Street?
See where the famous author wrote, explore the lush gardens, and admire the six-toed cats. These felines are believed to be descendants of Hemingway’s original six-toed cat, Snow White, given to him by a ship’s captain.
Simonton Beach
- Beach Name: Simonton Beach.
- Location: Simonton Street.
- Entry Fee: None.
- Parking Availability: $6 an hour.
- Opening Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Accessibility: By car, bicycle, or on foot.
- Facilities: Restrooms, beach chairs and umbrella rentals, boat ramp access, and concession stands.
- Other Nearby Attractions: Lagerheads Beach Bar & Watersports, Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West Aquarium, and Mallory Square.
- Best For: Beach lovers looking to relax and recharge their batteries.
Simonton Street Beach, at the end of Simonton Street, really is tiny. But locals come here nonetheless, often to launch their sailing and fishing boats. You can rent chairs and umbrellas, and there are a couple of beach bars nearby.
Try Lagerheads Beach Bar & Watersports for toes-in-the-sand fish tacos, conch ceviche, and Cuban sandwiches; you’ll find a lot of influence from Cuba in Key West, as the island is only 90 miles away.
South Beach
South Beach
- Beach Name: South Beach.
- Location: Duval Street.
- Entry Fee: Free.
- Parking Availability: Limited street parking near the beach or $6 an hour on Duval Street.
- Opening Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Accessibility: By car, public transportation, or on foot.
- Facilities: Beach chairs and umbrellas.
- Other Nearby Attractions: Southernmost House, Southernmost Beach Café, Emma Carrero Cates Pier, and Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy.
- Best For: Families and lovers of nature and history.
You’ll find petite South Beach at the southern end of Duval Street. It’s the perfect place for a dip after you’ve visited the Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S. marker, a colorful concrete buoy that invites a shot for the family photo album.
Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy
You can also combine beach time with a visit to the nearby Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy. Explore this glass-domed rainforest habitat that hosts more than 50 species of colorful butterflies.
Emma Carrero Cates Pier
The beach is just a block away, and although there’s not much shade, you can rent loungers and umbrellas. Take a stroll out along the Emma Carrero Cates Pier to enjoy the view.
Drop into the Southernmost Beach Café for a Caribbean-inspired lunch; try conch chowder or conch fritters, quesadillas, or the fresh catch of the day.
Remember, too, that by visiting South Beach, you’re following in the sandy footsteps of playwright Tennessee Williams, who is said to have swum from the shore here every day when he lived in Key West.
Read: Best Time to Visit Key West
Southernmost Point
Dog Beach
- Beach Name: Dog Beach.
- Location: Vernon and Waddell Avenues.
- Entry Fee: None.
- Parking Availability: Limited free parking near the beach or $6 an hour on Simonton Street.
- Opening Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Accessibility: By car, bicycle, or on foot.
- Facilities: None.
- Other Nearby Attractions: Louie’s Backyard, Simonton Beach, and Higgs Beach.
- Best For: People with dogs.
With its stunning scenery, shaded patios, and pet-friendly atmosphere, Dog Beach is aptly named and the perfect spot for animal lovers. It’s one of the few beaches in Key West where dogs can roam leash-free across the pristine sands and splash about in the azure waters.
When you and your pup are done frolicking at this quaint spot, head over to Louie’s Backyard, located right on the beachfront, for a delicious meal or drinks. You can both hang out in the restaurant’s Afterdeck Bar till 5 p.m.
Don’t forget to bring some water along for your fluffy friend, as Dog Beach in the summer tends to get very hot.
Ready to find your own piece of paradise? Explore cruises to Key West and book your next and best vacation with Celebrity.
Key West Beaches FAQs
What is the most popular beach in Key West?
Smathers Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Key West, visited by nearly 150,000 patrons every year. Located close to South Roosevelt Boulevard, which is a popular tourist area in its own right, Smathers Beach is also an excellent snorkeling spot and offers lots of facilities for avid beach-goers.
What is the prettiest beach in the Florida Keys?
Some of the prettiest beaches in the Florida Keys include Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, Smathers Beach, Bahia Honda State Park, Sombrero Beach, Anne’s Beach, and Dry Tortugas National Park. These beaches offer stunning views, relaxation, and exciting outdoor activities, from volleyball to snorkeling.
Are there swimmable beaches in Key West?
Most of the beaches in Key West are swimmable, from Rest Beach to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, which are surrounded by limestone and coral reefs. However, most Key West beaches don’t have lifeguards, and there are a lot of sharp and slippery rocks and stones on the sand and in the water. Swimming in Key West is at your own risk, so be extra careful when roaming around barefoot, doing casual swimming, floating near sandbars, or snorkeling.
Which Key West beaches are close to the cruise port?
Smathers Beach, Higgs Beach, and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park are some of the closest Key West beaches to Mallory Square, Pier B, and Outer Mole, the three piers at the port of Key West. You can reach Smathers Beach and Higgs Beach by walking for 5 to 10 minutes or taking a 10-minute shuttle, car, or taxi to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park.
What months should you avoid going to Key West?
You can go to Key West all year long, enjoying optimal temperatures ranging between the mid 70s and the lower 90s. However, visitors should check weather sites and apps for hurricanes that can create unpredictable weather between August and September. Peak season in July can also get very crowded, especially with visitors flocking to popular tourist attractions like the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, so be mindful when planning a trip to Key West during this time.
Are there gators in Key West?
Yes, there are alligators in Key West, but rare and mostly found near the old quarry on Big Pine. Some gators have also been spotted further out in the ocean from time to time, so be mindful of your surroundings while doing water activities like jetskiing, swimming with dolphins or snorkeling.
What is the 50% rule for the city of Key West?
The 50% rule applies to buildings (e.g., general buildings or vacation rentals) in the city of Key West, which might get substantially damaged or renovated in different scenarios. According to the Code of Federal Regulations Chapter 44 Section 59.1 of the NFIP regulations, a building is regarded as “substantially damaged” if the cost of restoring or remodeling the building is equal to or exceeds 50% of its market value before the damage occurred or renovations began.
