Short Itinerary for Key West - HELP
 

My husband and I will be driving to Key West on November 8 after I finish work at a Miami conference. I'd like to have a plan in mind before we get there as we are travelling home on the 10th!!! I don't want the trip to be too full as we'd like some time to relax - We'd like to take a snorkeling trip and would love suggestions for what we should do while we're there (the most important Key West experiences). We both love to hangout and people watch, have a few drinks. Thanks in advance for the advice!

A must-do is watching the sunset from Mallory Square. Lots of street performers and a perfect place to people watch.

If you want to snorkel, I highly recommend Floridays - it docks at the Hyatt. However, snorkeling trips take half a day (4 hours).

If you want to take the time, the Conch Train Tour is a great way to begin a trip to Key West. It takes an hour and a half, but it will give you a great overview of the island and might point out other tourist attractions you want to see while you're there.

And of course as the above poster mentions, you MUST see a sunset celebration!

The best people-watching is on Duval. Just pick a place at random...

If I understand you right, you are driving to Key West from Miami after a conference and then driving back a day and a half later. I think you don't have enough time. That drive can be anywhere from 4 to 5 hours one way. You really won't have enough time to enjoy Key West. Skip Key West and maybe try a snorkel trip out of the upper keys.

My favorite place to snorkel is off the beach and the waters are beautiful at Bahia Honda Park....good clean bathrooms and large and you can shower off and family operated to get snorkel and fins and mask. They rated this the number two place.

SuzieQ is right. Key West doesn't do hurry well. Snorkle out of Pennekamp in Key Largo. Hit Alabama Jack's while you're in the area and have a great meal at Mrs Mac's Kitchen. Nice couple of days, and you can easily get back to Miami.

Even though I am a big booster of Key Largo/Upper Keys vs Key West, I actually think you should go for Key West (while snorkeling is a little better in the upper Keys, there is ZERO people watching in Key Largo)! Since it is only a 2 hour drive from Key Largo to Key West, you really are only spending an extra 4 hours of vacation time to go all the way. IF you rarely get to South Florida, and never on the company dime (as perhaps you will be?) don't blow the chance to see Key West.

I would certainly recommend a tour of Hemingway's house, if you're at all interested in that sort of thing.

Duval Street does indeed have good people watching, but our favorite bar is Schooner Wharf, down on the docks. Live music most of the day, open air, lots of people wandering by.

We'll be in Key West same time as you. So, if you see six 50+ year old hanging together at Schooner Wharf come and say 'Hi'. Jean

Thanks everyone for your great advice. We agree with Larry - who knows when we'll get to FL again and ON THE COMPANY dime..... Jean we'll look you up! Thanks again. kriskay