Duval Street
Southernmost Hotel Pixabay Public Domain
Key West
A trip to the Florida Keys just wouldn’t be complete without a walk down Duval Street, the famous downtown commercial zone that runs from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean (1.25 miles long). This street is as full of character as the city itself, holding some of the area’s best restaurants, bars, art galleries, locally owned shops, upscale boutiques, and historic sites. There is so much to see and do while here, you may want to come back again another time during your trip to see it all, or just opt in for an exclusive Old Town Trolley Tour.
Along Duval you will find a great mixture of high priced stores and bargain shops, selling every beach product imaginable from authentic Cuban cigars to towels and flip flops. You can find the best jewelry and local beads, gifts and souvenirs, clothes and swimwear, and even artwork while here, the entire street a great place to even just window shop. When it comes to eating here on Duval you are in for another treat, this step holding many deliciously famous restaurants and bars. Try Sloppy Joes, Turtle Kraals, Fogarty’s, or Bull and Whistle, just be sure to save room for Kermit’s Sky West Key Lime Pie Shoppe, what many argue to be the best key lime pie around.
There are several different chances to admire architecture and history here as well, from Truman’s Little White House to the San Carlos Institute, the Cuban cultural center with its famous Spanish facade from the 1890s. Stop by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Two Monkeys Pop Art Gallery, or Tropic Cinema before you leave the area as well. It will be easy to see why the Village People’s song ‘Key West’ was such a hit once you experience for yourself what it's like to ‘take a walk down Duval Street, you never know who you’ll meet’.
