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Key West is a city and an island of the same name, the county seat of Monroe County, and an island in the Florida Keys. It is considered the southernmost city in the continental United States.
In Pre-Columbian times Key West was inhabited by the Tequesta and Calusa peoples. The first European to visit was Juan Ponce de León in 1521. As Florida became a Spanish colony, a fishing and salvage village with a small garrison was established here.
The island was used by fishermen from Cuba and from the British Bahamas, who were later joined by others from the United States after the latter nation's independence. While claimed by Spain, no nation exercised de facto control over the community there for some time. The island was considered the "Gibraltar of the West" because of its strategic location on the 90-mile (140 km)–wide deep shipping lane, the Straits of Florida, between... Read more
Key West is a city and an island of the same name, the county seat of Monroe County, and an island in the Florida Keys. It is considered the southernmost city in the continental United States.
In Pre-Columbian times Key West was inhabited by the Tequesta and Calusa peoples. The first European to visit was Juan Ponce de León in 1521. As Florida became a Spanish colony, a fishing and salvage village with a small garrison was established here.
The island was used by fishermen from Cuba and from the British Bahamas, who were later joined by others from the United States after the latter nation's independence. While claimed by Spain, no nation exercised de facto control over the community there for some time. The island was considered the "Gibraltar of the West" because of its strategic location on the 90-mile (140 km)–wide deep shipping lane, the Straits of Florida, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. On March 25, 1822, Matthew C. Perry sailed the schooner Shark to Key West and planted the U.S. flag, physically claiming the Keys as United States property.
Key West was relatively isolated until 1912 when it was connected to the Florida mainland via the Overseas Railway extension of Henry M. Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway (FEC). The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed much of the railroad and killed hundreds of residents. The FEC could not afford to restore the railroad. The U.S. government then rebuilt the rail route as an automobile highway, completed in 1938, which became an extension of United States Highway 1. The portion of U.S. 1 through the Keys is called the Overseas Highway.
Key West claims to be the only city in the lower 48 states to have never had a frost or a snowfall. Because of the proximity of the Gulf Stream in the Straits of Florida, about 12 miles (19 km) south and southeast, and the tempering effects of the Gulf of Mexico to the west and north, Key West has a notably mild, tropical climate.
Precipitation is characterized by dry and wet seasons. The period of November through April receives abundant sunshine and slightly less than 25 percent of the annual rainfall. This rainfall usually occurs in advance of cold fronts in a few heavy or light showers. May through October is normally the wet season, receiving approximately 53 percent of the yearly total in numerous showers and thunderstorms. Rain falls on most days of the wet season. Early morning is the favored time for these showers, which is different from mainland Florida, where showers and thunderstorms usually occur in the afternoon. Easterly (tropical) waves during this season occasionally bring excessive rainfall, while infrequent hurricanes may be accompanied by unusually heavy amounts. At any rate, Key West is the driest city in Florida. Summer is generally a few degrees cooler than the interior due to the moderating effects of the water, and with tropical breezes is a welcome relief from the interior's scorching temperatures.
With many narrow and one-way streets, driving Key West is difficult and parking is expensive. Many visitors choose to rent motor scooters, bicycles, golf carts, explore on foot or use public transportation. When renting a golf cart keep in mind that you have to find parking for this vehicle as well. Scooters and bikes can normally be parked on the sidewalk right outside your destination.
The tourist area in Key West is Duval Street.
Key West Transit offers a fairly comprehensive bus system for local travel in and around Key West and up to MM 53 on Marathon Key in the Lower Keys. For taxi, you may contact One Key West at +1 305-295-5555 to arrange for a pick-up or a ride share service such as Uber or Lyft.
Taxis and ride share services are plentiful and affordable.
If you plan to rent a car be aware that the Enterprise and Alamo desks are not located at the airport. You have to call the shuttle bus and wait for 12 minutes to catch a ride to the Truman Ave location. Budget is the only car rental agency in Key West that does not charge additional fees for a second driver. Renting a car is more necessary if you plan to travel extensively or point to point in different parts of the Florida Keys then if you're staying exclusively on Key West where you won't need a car at all. If your lodgings are in Old Town you can more easily walk or bike to all the attractions.
There are a large number of drinking establishments of various types. The main tourist strip on Duval Street has numerous watering holes.
There are also plenty of places to wet your whistle that aren't necessarily right on Duval Street.
Key West is not like Miami. There aren't many high-end shops or big name brands. While there are a few, Key West is not the place for this type of shopping. Fly into or out of the Miami airport and spend a day in South Beach if this is what you are looking for. There are a lot of shops in Key West, especially along Duval Street, which goes from coast to coast. You can find something to wear at night which in Key West isn't much (price or material). Lose your sunglasses...they have them. Need suntan lotion..check. Want a tattoo? You could get probably get 20 or so if you went to every tattoo place in Key West. This is not a good idea if you have been drinking. You may regret it the next sober morning when you realize you have one or more.
LOCAL TIME
1:34 pm
April 15, 2021
America/New_York
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Lively, sincere, unforgettable – it is Key West . This sunny city offers plenty of sights and exciting activities. Key West is a pleasant port of call for voyages in the Caribbean & Bermuda and Transatlantic destinations. Surprises begin as soon as you leave your cruise ship, because it... |
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Key West
is certainly the most interesting one.
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Key West
is the southernmost city of the continental US states. Among the 49 states (except Hawaii), it is the only city where the temperature below 0 degrees Celsius has never been recorded. It is situated only 90 miles from Cuba and it is the last and the largest island of a... |
Our trip took place from April 27 to May 13, 2012.
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Miami
,
Key West
, cruise: Cozumel (Mexico) - Belize - Honduras - the Cayman Islands,
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Key West
is the only city where the temperature never went below 32°F. The coldest registered temperature was on 12.01.1886 and 13.01.1881 - 41°F. The... |