Key West Beach Week

The Florida Keys, an archipelago of about 1,700 islands extending south and southwest of the Florida mainland, offer all the beach-side enjoyments you’d expect from small, warm islands. Key West and Key Largo are the most well-known of the area’s towns, but Islamorada, between the two, is a terrific family destination.

Feast on seafood, visit various nature reserves, go snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, or just relax on the beach. Visit Key Largo for John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, glass-bottom boat tours, casino boats and parasailing. The wild at heart should consider renting a Harley. The City of Key West has lost more than a thousand of its citizens to the AIDS epidemic. Some of their names are inscribed on a memorial near the White Street Pier. Visitors looking for something more cheerful can check out Wildlife Rescue of the Florida Keys, located at McCoy Indigenous Park. The organization has released more than 2,000 healed animals into the wild since 1993.

Ocean Key Resort & Spa is nestled between Key West Harbor and Historic Mallory Square. This luxury resort celebrates barefoot elegance inspired by a blend of Caribbean and South Floridian cultures. Each guestroom and suite is large enough to lose yourself in Key West fantasy ? bright, bold, and full of Florida Keys energy. Situated in the heart of old town Key West, Ocean Key boasts an enviable location and cutting edge design. Accommodations include tropical city views as well as the tourquoise waters of the ocean. Sun kissed days glide effortlessly into moonlit nights.and every sunset is a celebration.Resort features include classic island dining at Hot Tin Roof, Ocean Keys seductive waterfront restaurant. Indulge in seafood and land fare prepared in a unique culinary style dubbed as conch-fusion, a melange of tastes and fragrances, combining traditional Florida foods with Latin, Caribbean and tropical influences. The Sunset Pier serves casual dining and is the best place in Key West to enjoy exotic drinks and nightly music and dancing while watching Key West's famed sunset celebrations. Spa Terre is a boutique spa and fitness center designed to represent the classic Floridian beach house. Experience intense tranquility, proactive healing, and spiritual awareness all delivered with luxury service at Spa Terre.

Located by the historic Key West waterfront, this open-air marketplace and entertainment complex is a great place to start or end your visit to Key West. Known for its magnificent sunsets, the area is also home to many shops, including Shell Warehouse, Key West Sponge Market and Caribbean Cargo. The Square also features daily entertainment, which includes guitar music, juggling, and animal performances. Local sightseeing tours also depart from the Square.

These comfortable, enclosed trams depart from Mallory Square and other points including many local hotels, taking passengers on informative, 90-minute guided tours of Old Town. Guides share stories about the area's history and its legends. Passengers can purchase an "all day" pass, where they can exit the trolley for a closer look at any stop and resume the tour by re boarding a later trolley during normal business hours.

Anyone who enjoys tales about pirates and buried treasure will appreciate this small museum. Named for a local salvager who found sunken treasure aboard a wrecked Spanish galleon, the museum currently houses a collection of these treasures, including doubloons, solid gold bars and four sunken ships from as far back as 1560. The museum also shows a film on Mr. Fisher that describes his 1985 discovery. Admission: Adult-$11.00 Student with ID-$9.50 Child-$6.50.

At Alice's, the award-winning cuisine is served in a tropical setting. Stop by for breakfast, perhaps for the Magic Mushroom and Goat Cheese Omelete. Or come for dinner and experience the Key West Yellowtail with Brown Butter and Capers. Some outstanding poultry, pork, game, seafood and beef selections are created in this kitchen. The basics are enhanced by spices, curry flavors, Asian vegetables, delicate rice and more. A full bar is also available.

This national park is the farthest-at-sea national facility, and home to the historic Fort Jefferson. The 100 foot catamaran called 'The Yankee Freedom II' features twin bow observation pulpits and a main deck large enough to walk around, plus an air-conditioned cabin with galley and bar. Dine on a complimentary breakfast on board and a comlimentary picnic buffet at Fort Jefforson. Your journey includes a free, guided tour.

Before tourism became Key West's major source of income,'wreckers' earned their living by salvaging what they could from ships wrecked on the reefs. At the Key West Shipwreck Museum, you can learn about the 'wreckers' and see jewelry, china, house wares and other artifacts from the Isaac Allerton, which sank in 1856. An observation tower offers a great view. The tour guides are living history actors. Admission is USD8 for adults and USD4 for children. There are shows every 30 minutes.

The Conch Republic Seafood Company offers a great open-air waterfront view of the Key West Bight and some of the freshest seafood available, but this is not the main draw. Most visitors come for the 80-foot long rum bar, shaped like a boat, which claims to be the largest between Miami and Cuba. You can select from oysters, clams, mussels or shrimp from the raw bar, or dine on Bahamian-Style Cracked Conch, Grilled Tuna Steak or Black Angus steak. For dessert, try the Chocolate Rum Cake with white chocolate glaze.

Be a treasure hunter for a day on your Florida vacation as you explore the sunken 18th century Spanish fleets of Florida.

Close encounters with these sociable mammals are educational and fun.

Artist John James Audubon, famed for his detailed drawings of birds and animals, once visited this handsome and historic two-story house that now bears his name. Audubon House, whose construction is typical of historic Key West, offers a self-guided audiotape-tour guiding guests through the home and its lush, tropical garden. In the house are antique furnishings, old photographs and Audubon prints. A gift shop sells unusual items associated with the artist and the house, as well as souvenir items.

Pirates of the Caribbean are closer to you now than ever before and one man is responsible for it: Pat Croce. He's been a live commentator on the NBA on the NBC show and has been a bestseller author. But this time he's done things differently. The Pirate Soul Museum opened by him in Key West pays tribute to pirates across the world. Don't be surprised if you find Captain Johnny staring at you with weird hair-dos and masks, because it's a winding journey into the alleys. You can touch Captain Kidd's loots and weapons and see history unfold.

If you're a fan of the delicate winged creatures, then this is definitely the place for you. The Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, which treats visitors to amazing sights and smells of mother earth, has a climate controlled enclosure for about 60 species of butterflies. The colors, size, shape, history and lifespan can be studied at the Learning Center - a great experience for children and adults alike. The gallery and gift shop have lots more in store. Admission: adults USD10, seniors/military personnel USD8.50, children (4-12)USD7.50, children under 4 enter free.