I can't recommend this beach & park enough! So many "pluses" about it!…read more -Beautiful, clear water -Shade from ample trees just a short walk from the shore -A great canteen that sells plenty of lunch items, ice cream, even beer & wine! -A bin of give/take donated sand toys from travelers who come & go Take the tour of the Fort! It's daily at 11 & we learned so much. Plus, Ranger Grim is a gem. He is entertaining & even kept my eight year old's attention for an hour! We loved this park & will be back!

Our cruise port day was so hot and humid. Being from Florida now, you'd think we'd be used to it,…read morebut we were still melting! So, we wanted to cool down for a bit. We were traveling by golf cart, so I thought it was neat that we could drive right into the park. The signage was fairly easy to follow, and we followed the signs to the beach. They have lockers, bathrooms, and a snack/bar shack. You can't bring your own alcohol in, but they do sell beer and wine coolers. There are picnic tables in a mostly shaded area, as well as a few showers to rinse the sand off. We went a little farther down the beach and jumped in! The beach was really nice, but be warned, it's super rocky. I'm originally from Cape Cod, so my feet are used to that kind of terrain, but my husband... not so much! We spent maybe an hour here before continuing on our golf cart journey, but we definitely feel it's worth a stop if you're looking to cool down. The water was much more pleasant than some of the other beaches we visited that day, where there was a pretty strong smell. Honestly, a lot of the beaches had the stench of intestinal rot from a labyrinth! So if you're spending the day in Key West and want somewhere to cool off, Fort Zachary State Park is worth checking out!

A curiously small beach worth having a looksea. It's definitely not the swaths of beach you'll find…read moreon the other side of the island but it's a nice beach spot in the heart of downtown. Serviced by Loggerheads so there's chairs and umbrellas and libations on offer. They also have counter seafood eats and have been super friendly, helpful, and nice whenever we've stopped in. Imagine you could get some pretty good beachie sunset shots here.

Simonton Street Beach (aka Simpson Street Pier area) is my top pick after hitting five Key West…read morespots it's the smallest public beach, but that makes it the best hidden gem. Tucked at the end of Simonton Street on the Gulf side, it's super convenient: steps from downtown, Duval Street, and the Historic Seaport, with calm, crystal-clear water perfect for swimming or jumping off the concrete pier into refreshing depths where fish swim right below. Locals love it (a friend showed me the ropes, and it's a frequent local fave), and no wonder stunning Gulf sunsets paint the sky orange-pink, soft sand, nearby beach bar for cheap drinks/snacks/chairs, plus restrooms and a boat ramp adding quirky charm. While other beaches can be rocky (water shoes needed), this one's smooth and effortless. Pure, low-key paradise that's close to town yet feels worlds away hands down the best little beach in Key West.

Do not miss this trip- book it now! What an amazing day and great snorkeling. The staff is…read moreincredible, they supply breakfast and lunch along with great tours of the fort. I cannot commend the staff enough- very organized and made the trip very enjoyable.

Difficult to get to (take Seaplane adventures), but a gorgeous way to spend a day exploring the…read morefort, having a picnic with the tortugas and snorkeling ship wreck ruins. Theres a vibe here for sure and if youre sensitive to the paranormal, you'll definitely feel it. The park has a dark history for humanity and the folks who were forced to endure it. But today its the gorgeous national park with crystal clear water and beach time.

Mil ID required. No lifeguard. Beautiful view and uncrowded (it is late November)…read more This beach is walking distance from a small rental shop (rent bikes, beach chairs, snorkel equipment) and a bathroom with changing rooms. The rental shop also houses a small cafe (light fare). While there is a small amount of sand at water's edge, since the beach area itself is mostly old coral shells and rocks-get a beach chair as some have suggested (or sit on your towel like me, ouch). Wearing flip flops would suffice to protect your feet until it's time for swimming. You can swim comfortably barefoot, no need for water shoes (sand all along ocean floor, no coral or rocks like on shore). This beach adjoins the southeast edge of Ft Zachary Taylor State park (a fence separates them).

This beach sucks no facilities no bathroom just nothing hey mwr fix it and maybe more people will…read morelike to go there

Awesome playground right on the beach (not close to the water) with bathrooms near by. The entire…read moreplayground is gated which makes it more of a gem. There are small shaded tables on the side inside the grounds to drop all the beach bags and coolers and most of the play equipment is for climbing and balancing. We arrived right before sun down and the water was choppy with the rising tide but it was such an amazing sight to see the fishing boats arriving back to shore.

Key West is not a beach destination namely because the island doesn't have any beaches. True facts…read more Clarence Higgs Memorial Beach is an artificial beach and is really the only beach on the island besides Fort Zachary Taylor Park. Clarence Higgs beach is more of your traditional beach vacation where you can rent umbrellas and towels, play beach volleyball (there are only two courts), rent kayaks and snorkeling gear. The downside is that it isn't as picturesque as Fort Zachary Taylor Park. But that park doesn't really have any amenities. Overall, it's a decent beach. As the only traditional beach vacation spot on the island, though, it's going to be on your Key West itinerary at some point I hope.

During our trip to Key West this past summer 2022, we spent four days in town taking in as many of…read morethe sites as we could. We visited several different beaches, including this one. Of all of them that we enjoyed, this one probably is the largest... which is to say the longest, running a couple of miles on a straight away up the eastern side of the key. Parking was free and easy if you arrive early, but by mid morning, it's pretty much solid wall-to-wall cars, and you're zooming and packing to wait for someone to pull out so you could pull in. The beach has pretty much everything you would expect in Key West: farm trees for shade, rentals like chairs and umbrellas, and that blue color water that seems to only exist here and in postcards. Interestingly, pretty much every beach in Key West during our visit was covered in Sargasso; a local suggested that the bloom has been worse in the past several years, with no sign of letting up. Once it stacks up on the beach, it tends to start decomposing, leading to that sulfur rotten egg smell that can be quite unpleasant if you're not used to it. Kind of like low tide in the bay. We sort of made the best of it, and really only spent a few hours here. I did enjoy a nice run up the concrete "boardwalk" that spans the length of the beach, and then moves about 10 feet above the surface of the water as you head north. Beautiful part of the world, and can't wait to go back.

We really liked it here. Small yes. Not a place for a all day beach trip. But perfect for a beach…read morehang with friends and some drinks. There is a beach bar right there and lawn chairs and umbrellas for rent. Would say not really a location for children would stick with adults here. Clearest water we saw and definitely beautiful.

Great little spot, umbrellas and cocktails at your feet. Bike racks, parking, dog friendly spot…read more Spent every afternoon here with a cold one and a sweet warm woman.

This beach is tiny and full of gross seaweed. Maybe it's not always like that, but I wasn't getting…read morein that water. There is a little cage there and you can rent chairs and umbrellas.

During our four days in Key West during a 2022 cross country road trip, the Picante family enjoyed…read morea great Key West morning at Higgs beach. We arrived early and found parking near the children's playground area, and walked out onto the white sand beach with only a few other AM visitors. We did not utilize or investigate what looked like umbrellas and beach chairs for rent, and instead waded out into the bathtub temperature water with our masks and snorkels. The swim area stays shallow farther than we SoCal folks are used to in our beaches, and it is roughly enclosed by a break wall of sorts, and a long walking pier with stairs down into the water for access. Still plenty of small snapper, grouper, and other fish can be seen out near the structure of the pier and break wall. After a warm morning in the water, we left our towels on the beach and enjoyed a delicious lunch at Salute (see other review) before packing up and exploring the other great parts of Key West. We found this beach to be cleaner than Smathers beach, and maybe more laid back. Also of note: there was a marked sea turtle nest on the beach surrounded by caution tape and signage. Yet another wonder of the keys for us touristy visitors who live in Sunny SoCal with her cold California current ocean temps.

Went to Highs Pier to view the sunrise on our last day in Key West. Easy to park. Long clean pier…read morewith benches. Beautiful view. Would recommend checking

This is not a business, but rather an outer Key for boaters to anchor for a day in the sun and…read morewater. Bring a flotation device and float along the lazy river, or grab your beach chair and some sunscreen and catch some rays along the beach area. This is a beautiful place to spend a few relaxing hours by private or chartered boat. Pets are discouraged from being brought on shore as this is a protected wildlife sanctuary. There is a quick drop after about 15-20 feet from the beach depending on tides, so mid to larger size boats can anchor here. ABOUT BOCA GRANDE KEY: (Visit the government Website for more information) http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/zones/wmas/bocagrande.html

2018: July 3rd ... still quiet ... what an awesome experience with Mermaid Charters ... (captain…read moremike makes Boca Grande Key truly memorable). This was great for our kiddos (ages 4,5,6 - 7th birthday trip). Beautiful private little island and easy to get to!

We booked a trip on the glass bottom catamaran so that our little one could view the reef and…read moreaquatic wildlife. We chose the 5:00 time so that I could enjoy a stunning sunset. The crew were very kind, gave an educational presentation, and answered my little one's many questions with patience. I couldn't partake in the sunset champagne because of medication, but I'm told it was lovely.

Group of 6 went on the sandbar sunset tour and we had the absolute best time! It was extremely…read morewindy and a little chilly but Jude and Ivy were the absolute best! The sunset was spectacular! The full moon was a bonus! They had to save a couple of people that drifted off due to the high winds, then on the way back they stopped and picked up garbage in the water that was not from our boat, we were extremely impressed. They absolutely made our trip with their fantastic personalities. They made it an amazing experience for everyone on board! Highly recommend! We saw dolphins, rainbows, sunset and the full moon!