BeachesBest Beaches in Key West
Compare Fort Zachary Taylor, Smathers and Higgs for swimming, sand, picnics and a waterfront walk.
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Beaches & Outdoors
Key West is surrounded by water, but it is not a giant natural-sand beach resort. The strongest outdoor experiences include beaches, snorkeling, paddling, parks and getting onto the water.
Find your kind of outing.
- Choose a beach based on what you plan to do there.
- Fort Zachary Taylor is the strongest all-around choice when swimming, snorkeling and a longer park visit matter.
- Smathers gives you more traditional open beach space and easier access to watersports.
- Other smaller beaches serve quieter or more specialized uses.
- Beyond the sand, Key West's outdoor appeal expands quickly into mangrove habitat, seagrass flats, offshore reef and open water.
- That is why a visitor who thinks “Key West doesn't have great beaches” can still have an excellent outdoor trip.
- The island's best nature is not confined to the shoreline.
