A drive through the Florida Keys will bring you to find/see plenty of nature... obvious ones like a…read morebunch of state parks (Bahia Honda State Park, Curry Hammock State Park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson Hammock Botanical State Park); and there are a rather large number of natural places to go for hikes, bike rides, fishing... many that are unknown to visitors (you need a local to share the secrets); but a handful of hidden gems are right here in Key West.... Little Hamaca is a great one. Most locals (and some tourists) know there are protected, native habitats made up of salt flats and mangroves around three sides of the airport but it's surprising how many don't know there is a section on the north side of the airport that is a tropical hammock (an area that is an important part of an ecosystem that is an elevated area slightly above the wetlands that support trees and wildlife that may not survive otherwise). It can be challenging to locate.... do not attempt to visit directly from South Roosevelt; you must access the area from Flagler and definitely follow a GPS. It's an interesting drive and don't stop, thinking you arrived, at the first paved parking stall and what appears to be a nature walk with a covered canopy providing nature information (that's Fran Ford White Crowned Pigeon Park). Go well beyond Fran Ford and once you take the bend in the road, there is a hard to notice, dirt/rock parking lot... Once you park, there is a raised, wood boardwalk; and ironically the parking lot has a solid, concrete handicap parking stall and access to the boardwalk (so the park/trail are handicap accessible... thumbs up to the City of Key West for this). Roughly the first half of the trail is wood planks with metal rails; but at some point the trail continues through the dirt/rock/natural growth. The trail remains clear but no wheelchair accessible at this point. It's really a lovely area... home to numerous wildlife like raccoons, squirrels, crabs, snails, butterflies, reptiles, spiders and a variety of birds (including the endangered white-crowned pigeon, the namesake of the park/trail down the road from Little Hamaca Park. There may also be crocodiles as the warning signage at the trailhead states... If you travel far enough along the dirt trail, then another boardwalk begins and it eventually ends at the Riveria Canal... it's like a slight reward for your hard work (not really that hard though). If you're not familiar with Riveria Canal, it's a canal that is lined with residential properties on the far side from the hammock and salt flats.

Little Hamaca Park is a quiet, tucked-away spot in Key West, perfect for those who enjoy nature and…read moresolitude. The trails go through the mangroves and offer a peaceful escape from the busier parts of the island. It's a great place for birdwatching (there were people all over the place doing this) or simply taking a quiet walk near the salt pond. However, parking is limited, so plan accordingly. There are no public restrooms, which is inconvenient for longer visits. The trails can also get muddy after rain, so it's best to go during dry weather or earlier in the day when it's cooler. If you go towards dusk or dawn you absolutely 100% will need bug spray.

All throughout the Florida Keys there are well known spots (and some hidden gems) that offer…read morevisitors incredible nature trails and observation areas to view/enjoy wildlife and vegetation; and one of the lesser known spots is right here in Key West, The Key West Nature Preserve (formerly known as The Berg). Located along the Atlantic Ocean coastline, between Higgs Beach and Smathers Beach in-between a couple of the residential apartment buildings/complexes. Actually, there are two different areas... the larger is to the east (just over 6 acres) and the smaller to the west (just shy of 2 acres). Each has it's own entrance and you are limited to the path and/or boardwalks; allowing to you to view but not interfere or affect these protected preserves (home to raccoons and endangered birds among the mangroves, seagrapes and many palm tree varieties. I explored the east preserve this visit, but the entrance to both are somewhat misleading; I thought they were City bus stops before realizing it was actually an entrance to the trails. The paths are (or at least were) covered in drainage rock (better than mulch that runs into the mangroves and leaves a muddy trail). Unfortunately it does need some sprucing up (without rock or other stabilizer being added to the trail, the path is becoming more and more muddy/spongy. As you make your way along the path, there is a boardwalk that has been blocked off (some of the floor boards are noticeably deteriorated); which is a shame since the boardwalk ends with a observation point to over the shallow, brackish waters. Continuing back along the foot path approaching the beach, there is a boardwalk with a mid-way expanse that has benches and then continues to the beach... and what a view it is ! It was noticeable that the waters were all the way up to the end of the boardwalk (almost giving the boardwalk the appearance of becoming a dock). Years ago, I remember the waters being considerably further out from the boardwalk... and yes, I took into account the tides.

This little nature trail is located right off of Atlantic near Smathers Beach. I have noticed it…read moremany times and I have always wanted to stroll over and check it out so I did on this trip. It's just a short boardwalk amongst the trees that walks you out to the ocean. On the way you will encounter some wetlands and mangroves. If the city paid a little more attention to it, the space has potential. It looks ignored but with a little trimming and trash collection, this place could transform. I did encounter a gorgeous heron while taking in the view.

Secluded beach area. There was only one car in the parking area when we pulled in. I was excited…read moreabout the prospect of having the beach mostly to ourselves, and was hoping to snorkel a little. The beach was covered in sea grass, which is fine because nature and whatever. I didn't care about the smell of said decaying sea grass. But we waded out about 10 ft and were stuck in mud because the sand had run out. All we were doing was kicking up silt and mud. Almost lost my water shoes in the sticky mud. We left after 5 minutes in the water. This is a great option for someone who just wants to take their dog for a walk or stroll along a beach. But not at all good for swimming or snorkeling, and not even basking on the sand because of all the sea grass and the smell. The restroom and shower were nice, but we didn't use the restroom for anything but changing and the shower for anything but washing off the mud. There are so many beaches in the keys, this one was super disappointing.

If you're looking for sugary sand or beautiful beaches you're going to have to head North out of…read morethe Keys to almost any one of Florida's other 800 plus miles of beaches unless you're on a curated or private resort beach where they've brought in lots of sand and routinely scrape off the sea grass. You'd be better off at Sombrero, Smathers, Higgs, or Fort Zachary beaches for something like that sort of experience but still need water shoes and consider smelly sea grass is just a thing down here. You do get used to it, but it's an acquired Conch thing. Coco Plum's quiet and worth exploring. Sunrise is Great here (as almost anywhere in the Keys) and there's a trail amongst the canopy and brush worth checking out. People do like to bring and unleash their dogs here, so you might want to sort of expect that. Over the years, it's been really nice here after it's been scraped and new sand's been brough in. It's a bit rough for the weary after the last few storms now.

The Truman Annex is both a neighborhood and military installation in Key West. It is the part of…read morethe island that is west of Whitehead Street. It is where the winter White House for President Harry S. Truman is located from its days as part of the former Naval Station Key West. The Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West, Florida was the winter White House for President Truman for 175 days during 11 visits. Formerly the Truman Annex Naval Station, this award-winning, mixed use redevelopment sits on 45 acres in the heart of the Key West historic district. Between 1973 and 1977 the distressed surplus US Navy property was released to be managed by the Government Services Administration. The City of Key West created the Key West Urban Redevelopment Agency which was for 12 years unsuccessful in developing a master plan for the site. In 1986 Pritam Singh purchased the 43-acre property from the GSA for a bid of $17 million and began the redevelopment initiative considered to be one of the most successful highly regulated and permitted real estate projects in Florida history. This complex redevelopment project of over 800,000 square feet was completed in 1996 with 425 classic conch style, single family homes, high end condominiums, a hotel, affordable housing, parks, marina, retail, commercial and museums. The community includes several designated National Register properties and most significantly the Little White House, the former vacation home of President Harry Truman which is now a historic house museum. The Truman Annex is one of the most lauded and awarded projects in US development history. Awards won include the 1994 Florida Design Arts Award from the Florida Arts Council among others. We love walking around the shady sidewalks, watching the birds sing on the trees and admiring the nice houses and condominium complexes in this gated community. If you walk, you can just use the smaller gates located around the area, but if you drive in, depending on times, you might have to stop at the guard gate. This is the area where we walk on our way to the Truman Little White House and the Truman Waterfront Park. Just a beautiful area of Key West.

The Monroe County Sheriff's department has an amazing little zoo. The animals are well cared for by…read morethe inmates. They look forward to caring for the animals; I've been told it's a privilege that must be earned. It's a good thing for everyone. The in the zoo are animals that are confiscated exotics, animals that were cute as pets and too large, difficult or dangerous to care for as they grow. I've seen several snakes, birds, and animals that I've seen in no other zoo! Whatever the reason they are here... there are reptiles, mammals, many kinds of birds and animals I have never seen before. It's a small zoo and perfect for kids to get up close to snakes, birds, rodents and more. Admission is free and open on one weekend a month.

This air bnb sucks! Rude staff. Cramped accommodations…read more Beans are the worst. Chicken patties are on point though

I think the heat index in Key West was like 102°, but we went on a scavenger hunt and we did…read moreamazingly well Not only did we learn a lot about the history of Key West, but we had so much fun . Despite the fact that I got heat stroke, we still had so much fun. They tell you that you can walk the scavenger hunt. I would not advise that I would advise getting a golf cart or even a bicycle. Driving would be a bit impossible because there are some places that we had to go that would not have been conducive to driving a car. At the end of your scavenger hunt if you scored a decent amount of points, you got a $20 gift certificate to the restaurant attached to the scavenger hunt booth. Wonderful people to deal with, and an amazing time was had by all thanks to the southern most scavenger hunt

Super fun team building activity for friends or corporate groups. Took about 2 hours and got to see…read morea lot of Delray Beach. Highly recommend!

Had a fantastic fishing charter experience this morning on the Ultra Grand Slam. Captain was…read morebrilliant and brought us straight to the fish. Had one on the second we dropped lines in the water. Ross was equally awesome and managed us landlubbers brilliantly. This boat is apparently larger and runs "cleaner" than average so is a nice ride. They take care of everything AND you will catch fish with them. At the end of the charter they clean and fillet the fish for you and send you home with the fish ready to cook. All in all a very good time and money well spent. Oh and worth mentioning parking space for you right at the boat, no small thing in Key West. I highly recommend!

Emma Carrero Cates Pier is a short, concrete pier in Key West, FL, located just one block from the…read moreSouthernmost Point monument. It offers an uncrowded and scenic spot for viewing sunsets over the water, often providing an unobstructed experience compared to busier nearby locations Its located at the southern end of Duval Street/near the Southernmost Inn. It is typically quieter and less crowded than Mallory Square

This is a very nice place to take some selfies with the ocean in the background! Great views from…read morethis pier! Definitely would suggest stopping by!!