Key West & Sanibel Island

Key West is a lot of fun, I’ve spent a week there every summer growing up! I highly recommend getting out on and IN the water, whether you rent a boat or take a snorkel boat, at LEAST once. The water is where the magic really is in Key West! The beaches aren’t really anything impressive, honestly, it’s all about getting out into the ocean. If you’re there during lobster season, DEFINITELY try a lobster dish! It’s different than Maine lobster and is always a treat. I also recommend trying conch fritters while you’re there. The fresh seafood in general is just wonderful!


Mallory Square has a sunset celebration every night, lots of vendors set up booths down there and lots of performers like fire jugglers, cats doing tricks, etc. You can go every night and see different things.
If you’re into ghost tours, there are plenty to choose from, both walking tours and via bus.
Kino’s sandal shop is a must-do for me, my kino’s flip flops are my favorites and it’s fun to go into the factory and pick your pair.
There’s a butterfly garden and an aquarium if you’re a nature lover. There’s also a couple of shipwreck museums, Truman’s “little White House” if you’re into history, and there’s a pretty convenient hop-on hop-off trolley that will take you around the island and point out various places. Nice way to get around if you don’t have a car or a bike!
Duval street has a huge variety of shops, bars, and restaurants and it’s always fun to just wander and see what you find! It’s not a huge island so you can see most of it pretty quickly. There are some excursions you can take to sunset key or the dry tortugas but if you’re only there for a few days there is more than enough to keep you entertained within Key West itself.
I can’t share as much about Sanibel, I have only been a couple times as a kid visiting family friends, but I do know it has a lovely beach and we had a blast kayaking in the ocean there!

I’m getting married in Sanibel in July! I love seashells —it’s one of the best places in the US to do some shelling. I’ve only been there once, so when I go in July I plan to do a lot more. Key West is awesome. Such a fun place. Definitely go to the butterfly museum while you’re there! Duval street is a blast —you should do a quick stop at the smallest bar in the world for a drink, go to Mallory square for the daily sunset celebration, have a slice of key lime pie, etc. I’ve heard Sloppy Joes is an awesome bar, but also a tourist trap —though I’ve never been there. I recommend purchasing water shoes to wear at both key west and Sanibel beaches as the sand is pretty rocky/Shelly. You’ve picked two really awesome places —you’ll have a great time!

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This is so helpful! Thank you!