Key West, Florida, Travel Guide

You don’t have to break out your passport to spend a few days in an island paradise. Just head to Key West, Florida. 


Key West is home to some of the most spectacular beaches in America, and dare we say, the world. Its gin-clear waters that lap up against white-sand beaches will leave you in awe. Its vibrant community and fun nightlife will leave you with lasting memories. And its water activities — like snorkeling, diving, and deep-sea fishing — will keep you active from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave. 


“Key West has hundreds of years of interesting and infamous history, which includes pirates, shipwrecking, treasure, rum running, military exploits, and billionaire’s ventures,” Analise Smith, founder of Key West Food Tours, told Travel + Leisure. “Its melting pot of culture and turquoise ocean surroundings has given way to a vibrant food scene, which includes the most delicious selection of local seafood and tropical fruits.”


Smith added, “When deciding why to come to Key West, it might be a shorter list to ask, ‘Why not?’ And either way, you’ll have a hard time convincing yourself out of the idea.” 


Ready to plot out your Key West vacation? Keep reading about where to stay, eat, and play for a Key West getaway you’ll never forget. 



Best Hotels and Resorts 

Courtesy of Marquesa Hotel



Marquesa Hotel

The Marquesa Hotel embodies the Key West spirit through and through. The hotel, which was voted one of the best resorts in Florida by T+L readers in 2023, is classically styled with dark wood flooring and easy breezy island furnishings, and a bright blue exterior paint color that matches the nearby sea. Don’t miss the on-site Café Marquesa for an upscale meal. 


Ocean Key Resort & Spa

Ocean Key Resort & Spa has perhaps the most coveted address in all of Key West: Zero Duval Street. The hotel — also voted one of the best resorts in Florida by T+L readers in 2023 — could not be more conveniently located and boasts spacious rooms and suites, each with an epic view

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What is West Virginia’s favourite world wide cuisine?

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Even though West Virginians really like their down-household, community recipes such as pepperoni rolls and a range of ramp dishes, a new analyze observed that folks from across the Mountain Condition also have a love of some cuisines from throughout the world.

The study was performed by researchers with Pricelisto, a purchaser pricing web page that shares data on price ranges for menu items and goods for hundreds of businesses. The group used Google research quantity data from the previous calendar year to perform the research. Pricelisto states this consists of applying a selection of search terms this sort of as “[cuisine] meals,” “[cuisine] recipes,” “[cuisine] food in the vicinity of me,” etcetera.

“These insights show that there is a large amount of conformity with what get-outs are being requested and what places to eat persons are checking out, specially as they are identical in most states,” a spokesperson for Pricelisto stated. “As the expense of residing carries on to increase, and viewing restaurants or possessing foods delivered becomes far more highly-priced, this information shows the cuisines that persons will continue to be delighted to devote revenue on.”

Below are the top 5 favourite cuisines between West Virginians, in accordance to the research:

According to Pricelisto, the examine uncovered the most well-known form of delicacies searched in West Virginia is Chinese food stuff. Scientists say there have been close to 20,187 lookups connected to Chinese foods for every thirty day period in the Mountain State last year.

Pricelisto states aspect of the motive Chinese food stuff is so popular is it provides economical comfort food stuff when it comes to consider-out foodstuff, and spending plan friendly dishes with recipes that can be adjusted to cater to most nutritional needs.

Coming in at second spot on the record is Mexican delicacies. In accordance to scientists, there had been close to 16,047 month-to-month searches similar to Mexican cuisine in West Virginia above the past calendar year.

From quick-food stuff to relatives-friendly and domestically-owned dining establishments to easy-to-make recipes, Mexican

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Best Beaches in Key West, Florida

The Florida Keys attract travelers of all interests with their natural beauty and myriad on-shore and off-shore activities, and Key West is among the archipelago’s most-visited islands. Revelers come here to bar hop along Duval Street, or attend one of the island’s many annual festivals, like Fantasy Fest and Hemingway Days. Ocean adventurers can sail in Key West’s dazzling waters, or snorkel near gorgeous nearby reefs. And while Key West beaches aren’t usually top contenders on lists of Florida’s best beaches, there are some solid options for visitors in Key West. These eight beaches are our picks if you’re heading to the southernmost island in the Florida Keys.

Related: How To Take the Ultimate Florida Keys Road Trip


Smathers Beach

aiisha5/Getty Images



One of Key West’s best-known beaches is also its largest. Located on the south coast of the island, Smathers Beach is a half-mile long and is one of four main beaches in Key West proper. Pick-up volleyball games take place down on the sand, and there are restrooms and showers for rinsing off after a heated match or a dip in the shallow water here. And don’t be surprised if you see crowds gathered at the beach around sunset — this is a popular spot for weddings, and weekends often lure these parties down to the water’s edge for photos, vows, and million-dollar views.



Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park Beach

krblokhin/Getty Images



Far and away the best beach in Key West for a refreshing swim and snorkel (thanks to its relatively deep waters), the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, on the southwest tip of the island, is considered one of the top beaches in all of the Florida Keys. Towering Norfolk pine trees lining the sand provide plenty of shade, and picnic tables beg you to pack lunch and settle in for the day. Look for colorful reef fish — parrot fish, sergeant majors, and more — along the rocky pilings of the park’s jetty. This is the best spot in all of Key West to snorkel right from the shore, and

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As Russian Officials Rail From West, Their Youngsters Holiday in NATO Nations

The kids of Russian officers who railed in opposition to the West during the start of President Vladimir Putin’s whole-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have taken repeated vacations in NATO nations prior to and through the conflict, an investigation has identified.

The Insider, an unbiased Russian-language information outlet, scoured the Instagram accounts of people today connected with the youngsters of major-rating Russian officials like Overseas Intelligence Director Sergei Naryshkin, Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu, and Vladimir Dzhabarov, a senior member of the Russian Federation Council.

It uncovered that some of their small children experienced vacationed in NATO member nations including Italy, Greece, Turkey, and the United States, right after Putin launched a comprehensive-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Then Russian Condition Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin attends Countrywide Historic Assembly’s conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, June, 22, 2016. The young children of Russian officials who railed from the West in the course of the launch of President Vladimir Putin’s total-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have taken regular vacations in NATO nations prior to and all through the conflict, an investigation has identified.
Getty Photos/Mikhail Svetlov

Though the Instagram account of Naryshkin’s daughter, Veronika, is non-public, the news outlet analyzed holiday vacation pics taken by her near pal, Victoria Kosolapova. The pair reportedly journey jointly routinely.

Pics uploaded on Kosolapova’s account on Instagram—which is banned in Russia—show the pair in Turkey.

They also snapped images with each other in Italy, and Greece, The Insider discovered, even as Naryshkin in July 2022 accused the army alliance of “waging a hybrid war towards equally Russia and our ally, the Republic of Belarus.”

Naryshkin has recurring the Kremlin line that Russia attacked Ukraine in an effort and hard work to “de-Nazify” the nation and eliminate its “neo-Nazi” leaders from electric power.

He claimed in April 2022 in an posting posted on the web site of Russia’s Countrywide Defense magazine that Western nations are at possibility of falling under “Nazi” management.

The Russian intelligence main argued that “it can be feasible that [the end of an awakening in the West]

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Fodor’s 2023 GO and NO lists revealed, with Cornwall and the American West NOT recommended

With a world’s worth of options, settling on your next holiday destination can be tricky, but these top tips on where to go – and where to avoid – will help you prioritise those bucket list items.

The wanderlust-themed wisdom is courtesy of Fodor’s Travel and its newly released Go and No lists for 2023, as well as a rundown of the ‘most incredible hotels in the world’.

Holiday hotspots such as Cornwall in south-west England and popular states in the American West, including Arizona, Nevada and Utah, appear on the ‘No’ list, which flags destinations that travellers should reconsider visiting for ethical or environmental concerns. Meanwhile, Fodor’s ‘Go’ list gives the green light to travel to destinations such as Rye, England; Cairns, Australia, and Wilmington, North Carolina. When it comes to the unique hotels to check into around the world, Fodor’s recommends spending the night at Borealis Basecamp in Alaska and London’s The Twenty Two, among others. Scroll down for the lists in full…

Fodor’s No List 

Fodor’s Travel has released its Go and No lists for 2023, as well as a rundown of the ‘most incredible hotels in the world’. Cornwall appears on the ‘No’ list, falling into the category of ‘Suffering Cultural Hotspots’. Above is the county’s Polperro Harbour

A total of 10 places, divided across three categories, have made their way onto the ‘No’ list for 2023.

Cornwall falls into the category of ‘Suffering Cultural Hotspots’, as Fodor’s says that traffic ‘plagues residents’ of the county and that a housing crisis there is being ‘fuelled by short-term vacation rentals driving up the cost of living’.

Another destination to make its way into this category is Thailand. Fodor’s notes that on the island of Koh Tao, a tourist user fee came into effect this year partly because tourism activities have put a strain on the isle’s tropical marine environment.

Thailand sits in the 'Suffering Cultural Hotspots' category of the 'No' list. Above is the Thai island of Koh Tao, where tourism activities have put a strain on the marine environment

Thailand sits in the ‘Suffering Cultural Hotspots’ category of the ‘No’ list. Above is the Thai island of Koh Tao, where tourism activities have put a strain on the marine environment

The American West, meanwhile, goes in the

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Burgers, hot dogs plus a side of food nostalgia hit the spot in West Hollywood

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Monday, July 25. I’m Andrew J. Campa, a metro reporter writing from the San Gabriel Valley (you know, the place where In-N-Out ? was invented!).

It’s been a month of nostalgia dining in West Hollywood (WeHo, if you know), where warm memories and hot plates fed a crowd of salivating well-wishers.

Our Food Team documented a pair of returns in the iconic Westside enclave, leading with Irv’s Burgers.

The stand reopened July 1 after a four-year hiatus and has been celebrating a month of ceremonies, including a ribbon-cutting event ✂️.

Scores of crowds waited in long lines and shared recollections with our Stephanie Breijo, who documented the stand’s renaissance.

Among the fans were couple Dovie Mamikunian and Laurent Suchel, who lived in Paris until recently, and ventured to West Hollywood to and from Los Angeles International Airport.

“We … would have a hamburger before the plane,” Mamikunian said. “When we got off the airplane, first place we’d come is here.”

The duo visited Irv’s for 20 years at all three of its locations, including the newest version on Santa Monica Boulevard.

The burger stand has become a family tradition for Mamikunian, who grew up in Los Angeles. She discovered Irv’s with her brother, dined there with her husband, Laurent, and passed down the culinary custom with her daughter.

Like Mamikunian, regular diner James Evans was ecstatic to hear about the return of Irv’s. The location’s closing in 2018 brought about a sense of communal loss, said Evans.

“I was devastated — I felt so bad for them because they’re such a staple of the neighborhood,” he said.

On the first day back, Evans ordered his usual: a single cheeseburger, fries and a Coke. Mamikunian’s first trip back also heralded her familiar order of a patty melt.

The food was a welcome comfort for both. However, what made Irv’s stand out for Mamikunian, Evans and scores of others was the return of Sonia Hong, the restaurant’s former owner.

Hong ran and owned the locale from 2000

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