AAA Destination Guide: Key West, FL

Key West, #Florida features beautiful beaches and a relaxing atmosphere that can't be achieved anywhere else. This AAA guide features popular local destinations like the Ernest Hemingway House and Museum where you can see Mr. Hemingway's six-toed cats. After your day at the Hemingway house you can grab a bite to eat at Blue Heaven or Half Shell Raw Bar,
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The American Automobile Association (the "AAA" or "Triple-A") was founded on March 4, 1902, in Chicago, Illinois when, in response to a lack of roads and highways suitable for automobiles, Nine motor clubs with a total of 1,500 members banded together to form the Triple-A. Those individual motor clubs included the Chicago Automobile Club, Automobile Club of America, Automobile Club of New Jersey, and others.
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AAA Destination Guide: Official AAA maps,  
travel information and top picks 
AAA Destination Guide: Florida Keys includes trip-planning information 
covering AAA recommended attractions and restaurants, exclusive 
member discounts, maps and more.Â Â 
Deep-sea fishing. Quaint bed-and-breakfasts in Victorian cottages. Rocky 
beaches. Amiable residents. Sounds like a perfect New England setting, 
doesnâ€™t it? Guess again. This is the Florida Keys, and the very thought 
conjures up images of knockout sunsets, tangy Key lime pie, water 
sports, relaxation, good timesâ€”and Ernest Hemingway, arguably the 
most famous person associated with Key West.  
Henry Flagler, a railroad developer and magnate, is perhaps less well-
known, but he was immeasurably more instrumental to the future of the 
Keys. Flagler built the first railroad to Key West in the early 1900s, 
opening up the Keys to development and tourism. The railroad was 
destroyed by a hurricane in 1935, but the remaining infrastructure was 
used to construct the Overseas Highway, which allows easy access to 
the islands.  
Today the Florida Keysâ€”including Big Pine Key, Dry Tortugas National 
Park, Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, Marathon, and Sugarloaf Keyâ€”
are the epitome of easy living. Youâ€™ll find plenty to do and see: art and 
history museums, national parks, miniature deer, Florida kitsch, kayaks 
and catamarans, year-round fishing tournaments, festivals, open-air pubs 
and restaurants featuring fish caught the same day.  
Thereâ€™s so much to do in the Keys, itâ€™s no wonder the localsâ€”artists, 
writers, parrotheads, expatriatesâ€”exhibit such an obvious zest for life. 
Perhaps itâ€™s all that Key lime pie.  
Essentials 
Put yourself in a Florida Keys state of mind with a leisurely drive on the 
113-mile Overseas Highway, passing ultramarine expanses of sea, 
clusters of mangrove trees and scrubland, candy-colored plastic palm 
trees, tikis and giant seashells.  
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo is just one of many 
Keys attractions holding allure for both anglers and fans of scuba diving, 
snorkeling, kayaking and canoeing.  
Tool around Key West on the open-air cars of the Conch Tour Train, and 
learn about local legends, lore and landmarks.  
Introduce yourself to the sleepy descendants of Hemingwayâ€™s six-toed 
cats while learning about one of the greatest American authors at the 
Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum.  
Enter the greenhouse at the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory 
and find yourself in a completely different world. More than 50 species of 
butterflies flutter from one tropical flower to another; if youâ€™re lucky, one 
will land on your shoulder.  
Peaceful daytime and sunset cruises with The Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships 
feature complementary drinks and an attentive crew aboard a replica 
19th-century schooner. Whatâ€™s not to love?  
Leave the car at the hotel and do the Duval Crawl. No, itâ€™s not a danceâ€”
itâ€™s the local term for barhopping along Duval Street, Key Westâ€™s main 
drag. Be sure to visit Sloppy Joeâ€™s and Capt. Tonyâ€™s Saloon 
(Hemingwayâ€™s favorite haunt).  
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Itâ€™s de rigueur to have your picture taken at the southernmost point in the 
continental United States, marked by a red, black and yellow concrete 
buoy at the intersection of Whitehead and South streets.  
You canâ€™t leave the Keys without sampling some scrumptious Key lime 
pie. Have a contest with your companions and try the recipes from 
several restaurants; every eatery in the Keys claims to have the best.  
Street performers, including jugglers and cats jumping through flaming 
hoops, entertain daily at Mallory Square off Duval Street; raspberry and 
peach sorbet sunsets spill across the sky for the big finish. Sometimes 
the best things in life are free. 
Essentials Map 
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Essentials Details - Get additional information on AAA.com;  
 - GEM Attraction offers a Great Experience for Members 
 
  - Exclusive AAA member discounts available 
1. John Pennekamp
Coral Reef State Park  
US 1, Milepost 102.5  
Key Largo, FL 33037  
Phone: (305) 451-1202 
 
2. Key Largo 
 
3. Key West 
 
4. Conch Tour Train   
501 Front St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-5161 
 
 
5. Ernest Hemingway
Home and Museum  
907 Whitehead St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-1136 
 
 6. Key West Butterfly 
& Nature Conservatory  
1316 Duval St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 296-2988 
 
7. Discovery Undersea Tours  
251 Margaret St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (800) 262-0099 
 
  
 
 
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Restaurants 
Housed in a 1930s â€œconch houseâ€ from a rustic fishing camp, Ballyhooâ€™s 
Historic Seafood Grille in Key Largo has retained its comfortable dÃ©cor, 
down to the wood-beamed ceilings. The friendly staff will help narrow 
down your choices on an extensive list of fresh seafood from the Atlantic 
Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. You canâ€™t go wrong with the catch of the 
dayâ€”served 13 waysâ€”or all-you-can-eat stone crab. Yummy pretzel rolls 
are a special touch, and the wine list has choices to complement every 
selection.  
Rise and shine extra early for breakfast at the 
Islamorada Restaurant & Bakery/Bobâ€™s Bunz. The 
lines are long but worth the wait, especially when 
you sink your teeth into the incredible sticky buns 
and pecan rolls created by talented pastry chef 
Robert Spencer. Egg dishes and fluffy pancakes 
are equally tempting. Lunch also is available at this 
diner-style family restaurant.  
Moor your yacht to the dock in front of the Islamorada Fish Company. 
This open-air restaurant serves nothing but the freshest fish, assured by 
daily deliveries to the fish market next door. Try the stone crab claws, 
Florida lobster and fried fish sandwiches; the burgers and chicken dishes 
also are good. Sit dockside for an amazing view of the bayâ€”especially 
striking when the sun slowly sinks below the horizon each evening.  
Barracuda Grill isnâ€™t your typical seafood shack with beer signs and 
fishing nets on the wall. Minimalist yet cozy dÃ©cor and innovative meal 
presentations set this Marathon restaurant apart. Youâ€™ll relish the â€œtipsy 
olivesâ€ appetizer, marinated in a secret recipe. The seafood dishes are 
savory, and the rack of lamb or aged Angus beef are a refreshing change 
of pace. The wine list leans toward California wineries.  
 
 
Restaurants Map 
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Restaurants Details - Get additional information on AAA.com;  
AAA Diamond Rating information available on AAA.com/Diamonds 
1. Ballyhoo's Historic 
Seafood Grille  
 
MM 97.8  
Key Largo, FL 33037  
Phone: (305) 852-0822 
 
2. Islamorada Restaurant & 
Bakery/Bob's Bunz  
 
81620 Overseas Hwy  
Islamorada, FL 33036  
Phone: (305) 664-8363 
3. Islamorada Fish Company 
81532 Overseas Hwy  
Islamorada, FL 33036  
Phone: (305) 664-9271 
 
4. Barracuda Grill  
 
4290 Overseas Hwy  
Marathon, FL 33050  
Phone: (305) 743-3314 
 
DestinationÂ Guide:Â FloridaÂ KeysÂ 
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Restaurants Map 
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Elegant and understated Antoniaâ€™s Restaurant in Key West blends 
traditional Italian cuisine with a modern Mediterranean influence. Chef 
Michael Mosi makes regular forays to Tuscany to unearth new recipes; 
the payoff is homemade pasta and praiseworthy sauces combined with 
seafood, chicken, veal and beef. During the day, you can watch the chef 
roll out fresh pasta in the front window. The wine list comprises Italian 
and American labels; a full bar also is available. 
Restaurants Details - Get additional information on AAA.com;  
AAA Diamond Rating information available on AAA.com/Diamonds 
5. Antonia's Restaurant  
 
615 Duval St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-6565 
 
6. Blue Heaven  
 
729 Thomas St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 296-8666 
 
7. Cafe Marquesa  
 
600 Fleming St  
Key West, FL 33040 
Phone: (305) 292-1244 
 
8. Conch Republic 
Seafood Company  
 
631 Greene St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-4403 
 
9. El Siboney  
 
900 Catherine St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 296-4184 
 
10. Half Shell Raw Bar  
 
231 Margaret St  
Key West, FL 33040 
Phone: (305) 294-7496 
 
11. Latitudes Beach Cafe  
 
245 Front St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 292-5394 
 
12. Pepe's Cafe  
 
806 Caroline St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-7192 
 
13. Pisces Seafood Restaurant  
 
1007 Simonton St  
Key West, FL 33040-6552  
Phone: (305) 294-7100 
 
 
Roosters roam the courtyard of Key West favorite Blue Heaven, but itâ€™s 
the food that makes this charming restaurant so memorable. Take your 
place in line for tasty breakfasts including made-from-scratch â€œRichardâ€™s 
Very Good Pancakesâ€ and a variety of Benedicts served with lime 
hollandaise. Fresh herbs and spices lend high flavor to equally 
scrumptious lunch and dinner items with a Caribbean influence, such as 
Jamaican jerk chicken. Vegetarians will savor such dishes as carrot and 
curry soup and tofu stir-fry.  
One of the finest places to eat in Key West, Cafe Marquesa is worth the 
splurge. Chef Susan Ferry serves up a creative blend of American, Asian 
and Caribbean cuisine at this cozy 50-seat restaurant adjoining The 
Marquesa Hotel. The menu changes seasonally, with such choices as 
DestinationÂ Guide:Â FloridaÂ KeysÂ 
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macadamia-crusted yellowtail snapper with mango vanilla butter and 
grilled prosciutto-wrapped Black Angus filet. The Key lime Napoleon is a 
luscious twist on the ubiquitous pie.  
Like most Key West restaurants, the fish is fresh and the servers are 
friendly at Conch Republic Seafood Company. Large aquariums, nautical 
dÃ©cor and local musicians playing cover songs complete the casual 
setting on the marina. The Floridian and Caribbean cuisine features such 
favorites as Key West shrimp, grilled dolphin and tuna, conch chowder 
and fritters and blue-crab cakes. Bold diners may indulge in the raw bar 
and a rum bar with more than 80 varieties.  
For serious Cuban cuisine, make a trip to El Siboney. Off the beaten path 
in Key West, the family-friendly restaurant is a favorite among local Latin 
Americans. Expect a wait for such Cuban favorites as ropa vieja, arroz 
con pollo, picadillo, fried plantains and award-winning Cuban 
sandwiches. Artwork on the walls pays tribute to the restaurantâ€™s 
namesake, a mythical Caribbean Indian chief.  
At Key Westâ€™s dockside Half Shell Raw Bar, you might be overdressed if 
youâ€™re wearing long pants. Breathe in the salty air and watch boats slowly 
rock in the marina while you dine at simple wood tables. The down-to-
earth menu features fresh oysters and shrimp served many ways, 
including raw, fried, steamed or in a po-boy sandwich. Oysters 
Rockefeller is about as fancy as it gets. Drink it all down with an ice-cold 
beer.  
A short boat ride from The Westin Key West Resort & Marina transports 
you to Latitudes Beach Cafe, located on an island just off Mallory Square. 
Tiki torches and a beachfront view of the Gulf of Mexico create a 
romantic backdrop; the cuisine (and the mood) is Caribbean with Asian 
and American accents. Menu highlights include lobster Thermidor, 
seafood bouillabaisse and herb-crusted rack of lamb.  
Pepeâ€™s Cafe is the oldest restaurant in Key West and perhaps its best-
kept secret. Locals come here for the comfort food and relaxing 
ambience. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes are a favorite, and every 
Thursday is Thanksgiving. The brick walls hold photos of celebrities who 
have dined here; a large bougainvillea tree provides shade on the patio.  
All signs point to Pisces Seafood Restaurant for memorable seafood 
served in an intimate setting with modern flair. Signed Andy Warhol prints 
adorn the walls, but the true art lies in Chef Andrew Bermanâ€™s 
contemporary American cuisine. His menu includes such imaginative 
creations as Pisces Aphrodite (seafood wrapped in pastry), black grouper 
bouillabaisse, raspberry roast duckling and his signature dish, lobster 
tango mango. Toast the chef with a selection from the award-winning 
wine list.  
Attractions 
In an area with dozens of attractions, you may have trouble deciding 
where to spend your time. Here are the highlights for this destination, as 
chosen by AAA editors. GEMs are â€œGreat Experiences for Members.â€  
Thereâ€™s more to the Florida Keys than Key West. In fact, the Keys consist 
of some 1,700 islands. The largest and most populousâ€”Big Pine Key, 
Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, Marathon and Sugarloaf Key, along 
with Dry Tortugas National Parkâ€”are the hot spots for fun, fishing, 
sightseeing and water sports.  
Immerse yourself in the Florida Keys lifestyle at John Pennekamp Coral 
Reef State Park in Key Largo. Take to the waters via glass-bottom boats, 
scuba diving or snorkeling to see the parkâ€™s main attraction: its living coral 
reefs. Landlubbers will appreciate the parkâ€™s nature trails, beaches and a 
30,000-gallon saltwater aquarium. At Theater of the Sea in Islamorada, 
you can swim with dolphins and sea lions or catch them in the act in live 
shows; parrots perform too. Observe marine creatures on a bottomless 
boat ride through a 3-acre saltwater lagoon. And donâ€™t forget to pet the 
resident cats.  
Interacting with dolphins also is encouraged at the Dolphin Research 
Center in Marathon. Depending on your budget (and how wet you want to 
get), you can watch narrated demonstrations, shake flippers and paint a  
DestinationÂ Guide:Â FloridaÂ KeysÂ 
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Attractions Map 
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T-shirt with an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, or become a trainer or 
researcher for a day. Wander the nature trails at the 8,700-acre National 
Key Deer Refuge in Big Pine Key to peer at the diminutive Key deer, an 
endangered species ranging in height from 25 to 30 inches. The best 
time to see these dog-sized creatures is at dawn and dusk.  
When you arrive in Key West, the Conch Tour Train, a AAA GEM 
attraction, should be first on your list. Not only will the ride help you get 
your bearings, youâ€™ll also learn about Key Westâ€™s history, architecture and 
famous residents, including an author, a painter and a president.  
Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. was the home of one of Key 
Westâ€™s most illustrious citizens. Highlights include Hemingwayâ€™s writing 
studio, decorative tiles in the kitchen and Art Deco bathroom, the first 
swimming pool in Key West and a cat cemetery. Guides regale visitors  
Attractions Details - Get additional information on AAA.com;  
 
  - Exclusive AAA member discounts available 
1. Big Pine Key 
 
2. Islamorada 
 
3. Key Largo 
 
4. Marathon 
 
5. Sugarloaf Key 
 
6. Dry Tortugas National Park 
 
7. John Pennekamp 
Coral Reef State Park  
US 1, Milepost 102.5  
Key Largo, FL 33037  
Phone: (305) 451-1202 
8. Theater of the Sea  
84721 Overseas Hwy  
Islamorada, FL 33036  
Phone: (305) 664-2431 
 
 
9. Dolphin Research Center  
58901 Overseas Hwy 
 (US 1) MM 59  
Grassy Key, FL 33050  
Phone: (305) 289-1121 
 
 
10. National Key Deer Refuge  
179 Key Deer Blvd  
Big Pine Key, FL 33043  
Phone: (305) 872-0774 
 
with humorous tales about the authorâ€™s life. Twenty-eight original 
engravings painted by artist and ornithologist John James Audubon, who 
visited here in 1832, decorate the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens. 
Owned by harbor pilot Capt. John Geiger, the American Classic Revival 
home features 18th-century antiques and a 1-acre garden with rare 
tropical plants.  
Learn little-known facts about President Harry Truman at the Little White 
House Museum. Truman stayed here 10 times during his term, enjoying 
the beach, fishing and playing poker while discussing policies and 
working at his living room desk.  
Delve into other aspects of Key Westâ€™s diverse past at the Key West 
Museum of Art & History at the Custom House; collections include folk 
art, Ernest Hemingway mementoes (including his bloodstained World 
War I uniform), Fantasy Fest costumes and â€œIn Their Own Words: The 
History of Key West 1822-1940.â€  
 
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Attractions Map 
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To see art created by Mother Nature, meander the path at the Key West 
Butterfly & Nature Conservatory, where butterflies of amazing hues, tiny 
gem-colored birds, soothing waterfalls, New Age music and tropical 
plants and flowers create a miniature Eden. You may never want to 
leave. 
However, you canâ€™t go to Key West without taking to the seaâ€”even if itâ€™s 
just to get your feet wet. With the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf 
of Mexico on the other, thereâ€™s no shortage of ocean-going attractions, 
Attractions Details - Get additional information on AAA.com;  
 - GEM Attraction offers a Great Experience for Members 
 
  - Exclusive AAA member discounts available 
11. Key West 
 
12. Conch Tour Train   
501 Front St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-5161 
 
 
13. Ernest Hemingway 
Home and Museum  
907 Whitehead St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-1136 
14.Â Audubon House 
and Tropical Gardens  
205 Whitehead St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-2116 
 
15. Little White House 
Museum  
111 Front St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-9911 
16. Key West Museum of
Art & History at the Custom House  
281 Front St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 295-6616 
 
17. Key West Butterfly & Nature 
Conservatory  
1316 Duval St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 296-2988 
 
18. Discovery Undersea Tours  
251 Margaret St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (800) 262-0099 
 
 
19. Mel Fisher Maritime Museum  
200 Greene St  
Key West, FL 33040  
Phone: (305) 294-2633 
 
whether your preference is on top of the water or under it. Enjoy a gentle 
sea breeze as you cruise the waters aboard a reproduction of a 19th-
century schooner or clipper ship with The Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships, you 
can even hoist the sails and steer. Glass-bottomed boats let you explore 
living coral reefs without donning a wet suit on Discovery Undersea 
Tours. Marvel at the undersea world as guides eagerly point out sea 
cucumbers, tropical saltwater fish and other creatures of the deep.  
The waters of Key West also have been host to many shipwrecks. The 
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum reveals some of their bounty, such as a 
treasure trove of artifacts from the 1622 shipwreck of the Atocha which  
DestinationÂ Guide:Â FloridaÂ KeysÂ 
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included gold jewelry, silver ingots, coins, gems and pottery. Shackles, 
cannons and pewter pieces from a wrecked slave ship also are on 
display.  
If you can tear yourself away from Key West, take a ferry or seaplane to 
Dry Tortugas National Park. Youâ€™ll have an entire day for bird-watching, 
swimming, fishing, picnicking, exploring shipwrecks while snorkeling and 
diving, or touring Fort Jefferson; you also may camp overnight.  
Events 
In addition to its many cultural and historic landmarks, this destination 
hosts a number of outstanding festivals and events that may coincide 
with your visit. No matter what time of year you visit the Florida Keys, 
youâ€™ll have no trouble finding a fun event to attend; hereâ€™s a sampling. 
GEMs are â€œGreat Experiences for Members.â€  
At the Marathon Seafood Festival, held in March, feast upon the freshest 
fish culled from Marathonâ€™s unusually deep bays. Lobster, grouper, 
conch, shrimp, snapper and stone crab await your appetite; boat and 
plane shows, live music, arts and crafts and a nautical flea market flesh 
out the festivities.  
The Seven Mile Bridge begins in Marathon, and every 
April 1,500 runners compete in the Seven Mile Bridge Run 
to race from one end to the other. Cheer them on while 
taking in the beauty of the vivid sapphire waters stretching 
to the horizon. 
Blow your own horn in a conch-shell-blowing contest during Key Westâ€™s 
Conch Republic Independence Celebration commemorating 1982â€™s short-
lived liberation of the Keys. Aprilâ€™s weeklong event includes drag queens 
sprinting in stilettos in a â€œdrag race,â€ a bed race featuring wildly decorated 
beds, and a pirateâ€™s ball.  
It will be hot, hot, hot at Mayâ€™s Cuban American Heritage Festival in Key 
West, and weâ€™re not just talking about the weather. Shake your groove 
thing as you join the Coast-to-Coast Conga Line; salsa dance lessons, 
Latin music concerts and a cigar dinner add to the fun.  
In July, dive or snorkel in the clear waters of Looe Key Reef in Big Pine 
Key for the Underwater Music Festival. Youâ€™ll be reelinâ€™ and rockinâ€™ to 
tunes played by undersea musicians surrounded by a beautiful coral reef 
and its colorful denizens, including angelfish, parrotfish and yellowtail.  
Head back to Key West for some more frivolity. The Hemingway Days 
Festival in late July pays homage to the isleâ€™s adopted son, Ernest 
Hemingway. Activities include a look-alike contest, literary readings, a 
marlin tournament, a Caribbean street fair and a short-story competition.  
Key West earns its nickname of â€œKey Weirdâ€ during Fantasy Fest in late 
October. Mingle with some 70,000 others if you dare at this adult-themed 
saturnalia where Mardi Gras meets Halloween. Wacky costume contests, 
parades and parties galore are some of the highlights.  
Make merry during Novemberâ€™s Pirates in Paradise celebrating Key 
Westâ€™s nautical history. Sail on a tall ship for a pirate attack on Fort 
Zachary Taylor and explore the living history village and market. Treasure 
hunts, strolling minstrels, a walk-the-plank contest and a pirate tavern 
enhance the experience.  
Unusual things drop at midnight during the New Yearâ€™s Eve Key West 
Celebrations, including a conch shell, a drag queen in a giant high heel 
shoe and a pirate wench from a tall ship. Fireworks blaze over Key West 
Harbor, welcoming a new year of good times in the Keys. 
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