keywester33
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Posts posted by keywester33
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City View Trolley is no longer in operation and has been taken over by Old Town Trolley, which is the better of the two anyway. The free bus loop is designed for transportation, and is fine for getting around, but it avoids the high traffic areas, which also happen to be where the points of interest are. I definitely advise taking a trolley tour and riding it the whole way through without hopping off the first time as you get the history, and then on the 2nd go-round, decide where you want to stop and visit.
I thought Cityview was the better of the 2 tours for cruise ship passengers. It stayed in Old Town, was less expensive and had padded seats. I guess it’s a moot point now that we’re back to a monopoly.
To answer the OP, you can certainly tour on your own. The main area of interest in about a square mile, easily walkable and the free bus is there if you’re tired. Here is a self guided walking tour if you’re interested in historic architecture:
https://oirf.org/page.php?p=pelican
Look at the top attractions listed for Key West on TripAdvisor and see what appeals to you. Truman’s Little Whitehouse, Mel Fisher Museum, the Butterfly Conservatory, The Audubon House and the Lighthouse are some examples of options. Be sure to save some time for the dozens of shops, restaurants and bars all over the area.
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The main crescent beach at Bahia Honda is open. I wouldn't go there in a rented car on a cruise, though.
Just to be clear, the nicer beach that has received so much press and is the reason the park is so well known, Sandspur Beach, is closed. The Bayside beach (Calusa beach) is opened along with about 20 percent of the park.
Have you been there recently? I was there about two weeks ago and the park looked terrible. Damage remains plainly visible everywhere, the concession building is closed, and even the open areas of the park look very bad.
It is not worth the trip in my opinion.
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The Duval Loop is a free bus intended for transportation, not a tour. Stop 4 is closest to Mallory Square and you can take it to the Southernmost Point area or to the harbor. All of this is easily walkable for most people, but if you get tired, or have trouble walking, this is a good option:
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okay, I have 2 questions - we agree the beaches in KW are less than desirable
so>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
1. If we rent a car for the day can we head north a bit and find a nice beach that rents loungers?
2. Are there any great excursions/ferry that will take us to an offshore beach for the day that also rents loungers?
We are in KW from 7-5 so have a long day and would love to find a cool beach
1. No. There is no nice beach driving distance from Key West. Bahia Honda, mentioned above, was destroyed in Hurricane Irma and is mostly closed. It will be many more months, potentially a year, before the park is restored. You also would be taking a risk renting a car on the Overseas Highway. An accident can stop traffic for hours and you may miss your ship’s departure.
2. There are private charters that go to offshore sandbars. Fun in the Sun Charters is one example. You can find others listed on TripAdvisor under top attractions for Key West. They are very expensive. I’m guessing about $600 for a half day.
I’m sure you have better beach destinations on your cruise. I would do something else while in Key West.
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TY
Are you a business owner?
No. Just someone trying to give out accurate information. Key West is fine.
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Be sure to get an electric one. The gas powered ones are loud and can be smelly with exhaust.
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Googled Key West Damage Irma photos
Extensive damage
Most of those photos must be for ***** other areas of The Keys. Key West was very lucky and had minimal structural damage. Mostly larger downed trees that did damage and a few roofs lost. I live here. There is no damage now. Go to TripAdvisor and ask on the Key West forum if you have doubts. You will hear from dozens of people who have visited recently.
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For an inexpensive day In Key West, you can visit the Eco Discovery Center to learn about our coral reef eco-system. Admission there is free. From there you can walk to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park where they can explore the Civil War Era Fort and play on the beach. You can rent snorkels for the older kids. There is a moderate entrance fee to the park.
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Im not sure where your information is from, but there was almost no flooding here. Other areas of The Keys flooded, but Key West dodged the worst of the storm. With the exception of a couple hotels that are remodeling and a restaurant or two, everything is reopened and fine. You can’t really tell there was a storm.
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There is a free bus you can use to get around the tourist area if you get tired of walking. https://www.carfreekeywest.com/duval-loop-bus
While some may think it's "gloom and doom" to warn tourists about scooters, there are serious injuries here every week. There was a death less than a month ago. Helmets are not required here and no one wears one. It is rarely the scooter driver's fault. Rent one if you want, but be very careful and be sure your health insurance is up to date.
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Hey Keywester33, didn't see it mentioned in this thread so I thought I'd ask for your thoughts on Santiago's Bodega? Reviews I have read have been really good.
For me, the number 1 place in town depends what you want to eat. Everyone has different taste and while I really like Santiago's Bodega, their menu lacks local seafood. Unless it has changed recently, the only local fish is grouper fingers, basically fried fish sticks, and I think they have Tuna Ceviche. It's a great place for a group to enjoy tapas and they have lots of great things on the menu, but if I were a visitor I would want to try fresh local seafood, simply prepared.
In my opinion, better options for this are Blackfin Bistro, Bagatelle, Salute and The Thirsty Mermaid. If you are here in the evening, 7 Fish, Azur, Flaming Buoy or Little Pearl would be others with excellent fresh fish.
Of course, if you are not interested in local seafood, Santiago's has very good food and is fun with a group. You do have to reserve in advance.
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Parking is difficult, but is possible, especially if you are willing to pay. Golf carts need to follow the same rules as regular cars. If you look for free parking, be very careful to look for "permit only" painted on the street in the parking stop. These are reserved for residents and you will be ticketed if you park in one. The paint can be a bit faded, so be sure to double check. Also, be sure you are not blocking any driveways or gates.
Almost all the tourists sites are within a square mile area around the length of Duval Street. Unless you have mobility issues it is pretty easy to walk everywhere. Uber's and taxis are also readily available and pretty affordable within this area. Finally, there is a free bus called the Duval Loop you can use to get around or if you get tired of walking. It runs everyday in season. Here is the link to the site: https://www.carfreekeywest.com/duval-loop-bus
If you do decide to rent a cart, rent an electric one rather than a gas powered one. The gas powered ones are loud and often have smelly fumes. Enjoy your visit!
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My wife and I really like Zachary Taylor park. Sure it's no Ft Lauderdale Beach or Seven Mile Beach - the sand and coral rubble closer to the water is coarse - but it's nice and rustic and the fort is a nice stroll as well. Whenever we go, we always rent bikes. In my opinion it's the best way to get around if you plan to cover more than a couple miles in a day.
Just FYI, as mentioned before, the park was damaged during hurricane Irma and will take some time to recover. It's not worth the trip right now in my opinion, especially for a visitor who is only here for a short time. There is also a new free circulator bus called the Duval Loop which you can view here: https://www.carfreekeywest.com/duval-loop-bus
It really eliminates the need for a scooter, electric car or bike unless you really want to ride one.
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I would agree with all of the above except I would skip Kilwins in favor of something local like Flamingo Crossing Handmade Ice Cream. Kilwins is a yankee institution from MIchigan and has stores all over the country.
Mike:)
I agree. Flamingo Crossing has the best ice cream in town. Also, if you want something more similar to Kilwins (fudge, candy and cookies) go to Matteessens on Duval. Much better in my opinion.
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The best Cuban Sandwich here in my opinion is at 5 Brothers.
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Thirsty Mermaid is open we can try that.
Keywester--which is better--mussels or clams if I decide to choose? I'm more inclined to try the mussels but do not know why.
Yes, thirsty mermaid is open and is very good.
I prefer mussels to clams, but I think it's a matter of taste rather than one being better than the other.
Enjoy your trip!
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Anyone know if Blackfin Bistro offers any lunch items other than burgers, sandwiches and salads?
Yes, they do. They have fish, shrimp and a couple pasta dishes as well as several appetizers. Their menu is online.
However, they will likely be closed for a while. Large trees damaged their outdoor seating area during Irma and they haven't announced a reopening date yet.
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Our cruise port is open. Both trolley companies and the Conch Train are open. Most museums and downtown attractions are open. It will take more time to get the beaches in shape, so there is really no need to stray too far. I would skip any golf cart of scooter rentals for a couple more weeks as our streets off Duval have a lot of debris and many parking places are full of debris. I would walk, use the trolleys, Uber or taxi, or take the free Duval Loop bus if it's running when you are here. This is the link:
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I don't know when you're planning to visit, but Fort Zachary will likely be closed for a few weeks. There is a lot of cleanup needed from the hurricane. As mentioned before, the beach there is nothing special. Mostly rock and coral with a few sandy patches. It's a pretty setting, but we will have to see how much of that setting is left after the hurricane.
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Don't use a scooter in Key West unless you're very experienced. They are dangerous and Old Town can be very congested. For a first time visitor, you might be fine walking everywhere if you skip the beach. Our beaches are not very good here anyway. Unless you want to see residential areas and typical shopping malls, most things to see are in Old Town are in about a square mile area.
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It looks like the first cruise ship will be in port this Friday. Personally I think these visitors may be disappointed in the number of closed businesses and attractions, but hopefully they will make the best of it and spend some money with our service industry and workers.
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Thank you for asking, my house is ok. Some large trees lost and minor damage, but nothing too bad. Key West was very lucky. Just 20 miles up the road, things are devastated.
I think Key West will recover well and the port will reopen. I don't know when, but not too long. A big problem will be housing for our service industry. Many lived in the worst hit areas of the Lower Keys and affordable housing, like trailers and houseboats, were largely destroyed. Rents were outrageous before Irma. I don't know what people will do.
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"Am I correct as a summary that Key West itself survived fairly well under this bad situation. BUT, getting there right now and enjoying the rest of Keys is not good?"
Yes, that is a fair summary. It will be some time before the rest of The Keys recovers, but Key West was very lucky.
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25% of buildings totally destroyed, 65% of buildings with severe damage. might not be alot to see or do.
These statistics are not about Key West! Key West actually weathered the storm very well with very minimal structural damage. It is other areas of The Keys such as Marathon and the Lower Keys that were severely damaged.
There is a great deal of misinformation out there. Please don't help spread it.
Key West Places to Eat
in Key West
Posted
As I said earlier, Santiago’s has great food. It’s lots of small plates, and relatively reasonably priced for Key West. However, they do not have much in the way of fresh, local seafood, which is something most visitors want to try. Louie’s will be expensive, but they will feature fresh seafood options and specials. I’ve never had a bad meal at Louie’s, so I don’t think you will be getting “not so great food.”
The food is excellent at both places. The setting at Louie’s is beautiful and much nicer than the atmosphere at Santiago’s. Why not look at both online menus and see which one you prefer?