Key West, Florida: An honest review

View from above (Tower at the Shipwreck Museum on First St.)

My husband and I recently took a trip to Key West for our first anniversary. We had originally planned a trip to Puerto Rico, but due to the coronavirus, we had to cancel.

Needless to say, we were disappointed, but determined to enjoy some much-needed time off.

We chose Key West because it was nearby and seemed safer than a lot of other choices available to us like Universal Studios.

Riding the Conch Train!

I had only ever been to Key West once on a cruise I took back in 2017 and we were only there for a few hours. But based on that, I remembered enjoying it and thinking it was pretty and Sky had never been, so we figured why not!

So with all of that being said, I wanted to share a very honest review of Key West and what we learned on this trip!

I'm going to start off the bat by saying that if you are looking for a luxurious and deeply cultured travel destination, this is not for you.

Key West is beautiful, has wonderful weather and some cool historical tidbits. However, over the years, the bar hopping vibe of Duval Street has encroached its way into most of the tourist area.

Partying and drinking just isn't our vibe. We enjoy museums, shopping and lounging on the beach with a cold, fruity drink. We found a little bit of that, but it really didn't take too long to get through those things and then we were left with, well, Duval Street.

Don't get me wrong: Duval Street has a lot to offer in the way of restaurants and shops. There will be a couple of things on my list of places to return to including the art gallery that made us official collectors. But overall, the street that spans the width of the island seemed to be mostly trashy. There were a lot of $5 junk stores, sex shops lit up to high heavens and we even saw a dude with a fake penis sticking out of his pants at 10 a.m. So there's that...

A cool destination sign post near our hotel!

With that in mind, here are my recommendations:

• You don't need to stay here longer than a few days. There's really not all that much to do, as it is a fairly small island. It's not known for its beaches, so it's not like you can just spend the day lounging.
• Utilize the trolley/train tours. These allow you to be driven around the island with a narrated tour where you can learn a lot about the history, which is pretty cool!
• Get there early for big tourist spots like the Hemingway House and the Southernmost Point. We didn't even get to do those because the lines were way too long to stand in the heat. Especially while wearing a mask.
• Plan ahead. Schedule your tours, museum times and other things ahead of time to get the most out of your trip. We missed out on several things because we went at the last minute with no plan. 
• Make an educated choice on where you want to stay. If you want to be in walking distance to the museums, shops and Duval Street, stay on the northern end. If you are looking for a more secluded, beach town vibe, stay on the southern end.
• We took the Key West Express from Fort Myers Beach to get there. It took less time than driving and was much more relaxing! Bring a book with you or some cards if you're with a group, since you'll lose your internet connection about 2 1/2 hours in on the way. 

I hope this review gives you a different perspective on the area and some helpful tips! I know a lot of people that rave about Key West, but I think if you are well-traveled it may not be as exciting. There are definitely things to love about it though, and don't forget to try some conch fritters and key lime pie!

Stay tuned for more tips and my favorite activities! Share your favorite spots in the comments!

XO, Briana