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3 Days in Key West for Foodies

Curated by Nick Dauka travel writer and Central Florida resident.

Planning a bachelor party in Key West has taught me two things: It’s possible to enjoy Key West’s bar scene until the sun comes up, and it’s impossible to do without help from the local cuisine.

You could eat your way through the Florida Keys as if it were a 100-mile-long buffet, but making Key West your dining destination is just as fulfilling—literally. This popular island has all of the seafood you could ever want. Naturally, you must eat conch in the former Conch Republic, but there’s more to this food scene than fried fish and shell shucking. Here’s how to fill your plate with three days of Key West’s cuisine.

Warm, sunny weather means you'll do plenty of outdoor, waterside dining—dress accordingly.

If you only have time for one thing, make it simple: fresh conch from a beachside seafood shack.


Day 1

Get a taste of Key West—both in its cuisine and its culture—on day one. Slide on comfortable sandals and get your fill of Cuban grub, seafood, and famous Key lime pie as you stroll around Old Town.

Save reservations for a sunset restaurant dinner for another evening. Tonight you deserve to see the sunset from the topside of a yacht. A sunset dinner cruise overflowing with a tropical-themed buffet and alcoholic beverages is an appropriate way to toast to a great first day.

Day 2

The cerulean waters of the Florida Keys offer amazing marine life viewing. Schedule breakfast with a side of snorkeling on a morning tour to one of the nearby coral reefs.

Your second helping of food on your second day should include a portion of local history. Stroll with a small group in the footsteps of the famous local and literary great Ernest Hemingway as you eat your way through Key West’s history, culture, and cuisine (yes, there will be pie). Finish things off with some fresh conch from a beachside seafood shack.

Day 3

By your third day, you’ve certainly seen the fun to be had at the bars on boozy Duval Street. Stir up some good times before heading home with a cocktail class. Mix up four cocktails while learning about tiki culture—and even learn how to set a drink on fire!

Now that you’re slightly sideways, stumble your way through the Key’s bar scene on a craft cocktail crawl. Light bites are available at each stop, and with your newfound cocktail crafting knowledge, you’ll savor every drink—and this vacation—even more.

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