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Key West, Florida
Flat, American, and walkable. The easiest port day on most itineraries, as long as you are not expecting Caribbean sand.
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| Getting ashore | Ships dock. Three facilities: Mallory Square, the privately owned Pier B, and the Navy's Outer Mole Pier, listed as currently closed. |
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| Currency and language | US dollars, English, US phone service and US medical care |
| Free transport | The Duval Loop bus is free for tourists and residents alike |
Getting around without walking far
Key West Transit runs five routes from 5:40am to 10pm, seven days a week except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, on a fleet of 20 accessible buses. The Duval Loop is free. Other city routes are $2, or $1 reduced, with a one-day pass at $4.
The sit-down sightseeing options publish their prices: the Conch Tour Train from $40.80 for a 60-minute loop, and the Old Town Trolley from $50.30 for a one-day hop-on hop-off ticket with 13 stops, first tour 9am and last departure from Mallory Square at 4:30pm. Monroe County's tourism office publishes that Key West Transit, the Conch Tour Train and the Old Town Trolley all provide accessible options.
The beaches, and the honest verdict
Key West is a town day. The beaches are pleasant rather than spectacular, and people who arrive expecting the Caribbean are routinely disappointed.
| Fort Zachary Taylor | $6 per vehicle up to eight people, $4.50 single occupant, $2.50 for pedestrians and cyclists, plus a county surcharge. Open 8am to sundown daily; the fort itself closes at 5pm. |
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| Higgs Beach | County beach, open 7:30am to sunset, with restrooms, playground, volleyball, tennis and pickleball. Florida's wildlife commission lists it as offering beach wheelchairs and accessible restrooms. |
| Smathers Beach | City beach with restrooms and showers. Parking is $5 an hour. |
Where these facts come from
- Florida Ports Council, Port of Key West
- City of Key West, bus fares
- City of Key West, public transportation
- Florida State Parks, Fort Zachary Taylor hours and fees
- Monroe County, Higgs Beach
- Florida Fish and Wildlife, wheelchair-friendly beaches
- Visit Florida Keys, accessible travel
- Conch Tour Train, tickets
- Old Town Trolley, Key West
Ports change their rules and their prices. Check the official pages above before you sail.
Independent tours usually cost less than the ship's, and are often run by the very same local operator. Look for a listing tagged Worry-Free Shore Excursion — Viator backs those with what it calls a "Back to Ship Guarantee," which is the bit that takes the worry out of booking on your own.
- Viator publishes 400,000+ travel experiences
- Full refund on most experiences cancelled at least 24 hours ahead
- Back to Ship Guarantee on Worry-Free listings
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Search Key West tours on ViatorStairs, gangways, tenders, long piers, a cane on bad days. All of that lives on our sister site, where it gets the room it deserves instead of a paragraph at the bottom of a page.
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