5 Best Beaches in Key West, Florida

Some of Florida’s best beaches are actually longer than the whole town of Key West, but fabulous things often come in small packages, and this unique beach town is proof. The entire island is only about four miles long and less than two miles wide. It sits on the western end of the stretch of keys that extend off of Florida’s southern coast. Although you can fly directly into Key West International Airport (EYW), many people also make the iconic road trip through the Florida Keys and follow the mile markers until they get to Mile Marker 0 in Key West. 

In such a tiny town, there aren’t a lot of beaches, and they often don’t have staffed lifeguards. However, Key West typically doesn’t have rough waters, and the beaches there are really interesting. Definitely plan some time to walk along the shore, do some snorkeling, and check out some of the quirky things that make Key West beaches different. 

The beach within Fort Zachary Taylor State Park is well-maintained and offers a sense of tranquility, as it is surrounded by nature. A walking path takes you down to the beach, and you’ll likely be welcomed by one of the many birds who calls this park home. This beach is serene, but you may want to bring some water shoes, as there are areas that are rocky. Definitely grab a mask and snorkel and check out the area around the rock jetty, though. It is often teeming with colorful reef fish.

You can also relax on the shore, as there are chairs and umbrellas available to rent. You’ll find grills and picnic tables available to use, and there’s also an on-site cafe. If you hang out until sunset, you’ll have front row seats for an awesome solar spectacle. 

You won’t find hotels or cabins on-site, but there is one very notable piece of architecture—a fort that dates back to the Civil War.  You can check it out when you visit and you’ll get to see real cannons that were used to defend the area during the Civil War. You’ll feel like you’re back in the 1800s as you’re walking through it, and it’s neat to take a step back in history. The interpretive signage around the fort tells you a lot, but you can also take a ranger-led tour at 11 a.m. each day and hear more about the fort’s past. The tour is free, though there is a small fee to get into this state park. 

Higgs Beach is located at Clarence S. Higgs Memorial Beach Park on Atlantic Blvd, at the end of Reynolds Street. The park itself has some great amenities such as tennis and volleyball courts, grills, picnic tables, restrooms, showers, and a pier. There’s also a playground for the kids, and a dog park where your furry kids can run and play that has separate areas for big and small dogs. 

The sandy shoreline hugs the Atlantic coast and is a good place to swim. The snorkeling there is really good, so be sure to check out the local marine life that awaits just under the water’s surface. If you need to rent beach chairs or umbrellas, you can do that on-site. There’s also a lot to see at Higgs Beach, such as an AIDS Memorial and an African refugee memorial and cemetery. This park is also the location of the Key West Gardens at Fort West Martello, another old fort that dates back to the 1800s. The Key West Garden Club is a non-profit group that maintains this, and it’s really interesting to see the foliage and ruins intertwined at this free attraction. It’s a unique add-on to your day at Higgs Beach, and there’s no charge. 

If you’re hoping to wake up and have the beach within easy access when you’re in Key West, you can. The Casa Marina Resort is located next to it, and a stay there gives you easy beach access. 

This is the longest, most expansive public beach in Key West. This is a pretty beach with white sand, but it also tends to be the busiest beach in Key West. The water of this Atlantic-facing beach is pretty calm, though, which makes it a great place to get in and splash around. 

Visitors will find all of the amenities needed for a perfect day at the beach. There are beach volleyball courts, restrooms, showers, and concessionaires selling food. Sunset Watersports offers a beach pass for Smathers Beach that allows visitors to have day use of beach toys like kayaks, paddleboards, Hobie cats, and floats. It also includes the use of chairs and an umbrella. This is also a popular spot for parasailing, and you can add that on to your beach pass as well. 

The palm tree-lined beach is located on the south side of the island off of Roosevelt Blvd./A1A. In 2024, Florida decided to give an honorary name to A1A, though – the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. It’s a fitting moniker that ties in appropriately since it runs alongside this paradise-like beach. There is paid parking available at the beach, and this is the closest beach to Key West International Airport. If you fly in and want to have your toes in the sand right away, you can be there in under five minutes. 

South Beach is a small beach that is centrally located at the southern end of Duval Street. It’s not a large beach, but it does have a great location. You really can’t go to Key West without visiting this famous street – it is the most lively part of Key West. This popular thoroughfare is where you’ll find many attractions, shops, restaurants, and bars. 

Another one of the rites of passage of making your first trip to Key West is having your photo taken in front of the iconic buoy that marks the southernmost point of the continental United States, and South Beach is located very close to this landmark. 

The water is calm at South Beach, and you can take a dip in the calm water. According to local rumors, Tennessee Williams liked swimming at this beach so much that he went there almost every day during his time as a Key West resident. There’s also an on-site pier, and it’s easy to grab a drink or bite to eat at the Southernmost Beach Cafe. This is a public beach and anyone can visit, but the nearby Southernmost Beach Resort does provide chairs, umbrellas, and towels at no charge to guests who book accommodations there. 

Technically, Dry Tortugas National Park isn’t located in Key West, but since that is where you’ll depart from to get to this remote island, we’re including it as an honorable mention. It’s also just that cool, as it is home to Fort Jefferson, a historic fort that took almost 30 years to build back in the 1800s. The sparkling water and beach beside it gives it even more credibility, so we felt it deserved to be noted as a beach you may want to visit when you go to Key West. 

Dry Tortugas National Park is in a remote location that is 70 miles offshore.  You can get there by private boat, but most people book a ticket on the Yankee Freedom Ferry or take a flight with Key West Seaplane Charters. No matter which option you take, you’ll be very impressed when you get there. The fort is surrounded by crystal blue water, and it is such an unreal sight as you first see it in the distance and make your way closer. This is one of the lesser-visited U.S. National Parks, but it is the most unique. Beach-goers who make the voyage here can take a swim and snorkel in the remote, dazzling water.