best beaches in key west??

[val4]

docking in key west Thursday March 4th, 7:30-2:00 can anyone suggest a good sandy beach to go to, and will I have to get a taxi or can I walk from the cruise dock????:)

[peter_krynicki]

docking in key west Thursday March 4th, 7:30-2:00 can anyone suggest a good sandy beach to go to, and will I have to get a taxi or can I walk from the cruise dock????:)

 

There are four and a half choices and I'd eliminate #4.

 

1. Fort Zachery Taylor which is a state park and beach with a small admission charge and which is walkable-to. About 10 minutes down Whitehead then through the Truman Annex.

 

2. Higgs Beach, a public beach with Tropical Watersports where you can rent a chair, snorkeling equipment, snack. It's a 'tweener - about 1.5 - 2.0 miles away. There's several nice things to see right here.

 

3. Smathers, same as #2 but a little nicer, but not walkable. It's 4 - 4.5 miles away. Also has a watersports place and snacks.

 

4. Simonton Beach at the north end of Simonton. It's better now but used to be called Bum's Beach.

 

And the 1/2: Dante's, a bar at the Bight behind the Half Shell Raw Bar. As long as you ordr a drink or something to eat you can use the pool. It has a waterfall and a good raw bar, but the pool is relatively shallow. It's an odd alternative to a beach.

 

All of 1 - 4 have a public bathroom and outside shower.

 

Pjk

[val4]

that is some great info thanks for the suggestions

 

:)

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I vote for Fort Zachary Taylor Sate Park because you don't have a lot of time in port and it is a shorter distance to reach. It is also one of my favorite places in Key West, plus you can take a little time and tour the Civil War era fort. It has some amazing giant-size coastal cannon and other armaments.

 

There is one other beach you can choose, but it is private and costs forty dollars per person a day, but it is beautiful. It is the beach at Sunset Key. You make arrangements to go out to Sunset Key at the Westin Hotel concierge. The hotel sets a strict limit on how many people can occupy the beach at any one time, and that limit is often reached very early.