A Weekend on a Boat in Key West

One of the best things living in Miami is how close I am to other tropical places!

Key West is just a 3.5 hr drive from Miami, along jaw dropping highway bridges across the Atlantic. The drive alone is worth the trip.

Staying on Key West, however, is extremely expensive. I’m talking the cheapest hotel at $300 a night. And there aren’t many options because it is such a small island, so you have to book early.

OR, plan to stay on a boat.

The boat I found, like many, are available through Airbnb. They are not directly on Key West, but the island right next door in big marinas. It may sound weird at first, rent a boat to live in? But, on Key West, it’s quite common for people to even live on boats full time! There’s even bathrooms and showers on the Marina.

Our Historic Stay: Sailboat Sunk in Hurricane Katrina

The boat I ended up going with had a bit of a story along with it. This boat had been used for decades, until it was sunk during hurricane Katrina. Since then, the owners are slowly fixing it up.

It was definitely a fixer upper, and I think if I were to do this again I’d pick a more modern boat because you could really tell inside it had once been underwater (the back of the boat had rotting wood they were still replacing). But at only $180 a night, it was a steal!

Exploring Downtown Key West

After checking in, we went to explore downtown Key West. There really isn’t a ton going on in Key West at night, again, because it is so small, except on the main bar street, Duval Street.

We stopped for dinner at the Flying Monkey, stuck our heads in a tourist shop, and in a matter of a couple hours I think we saw everything in Key West. It feels a little like an adult Disneyworld!

Breakfast of Champions: La Grignote

After doing some research about the best breakfast places around, I landed on La Grignote. It was DELICIOUS! Get here early though, because it is popular! The service was great and the food came out very quickly.

We were able to munch down everything & grab some dessert all before the excursion I’d really been looking forward to: kayaking in the mangroves.

Kayaking the Mangroves of Key West

While the Keys are known for beautiful beaches, Key West is not one of those keys. Most of the island is surrounded by mangroves.

Mangroves are vital to the ecological system down here, harboring tons of wildlife and growing animals before they can fend for themself in the open water, and protect the island from erosion.

Mangroves also, as I quickly found out, are incredibly tricky to navigate.

We booked a mangrove maze tour through Airbnb with Blue Moon Kayak. Don’t try to kayak through the mangroves down here by yourself unless you are with an expert. They don’t lie when locals call them a mangrove maze.

Also going with an expert allows you to appreciate all the wildlife you are passing, and find some you would never expect! We passed all kinds of fish, at least a dozen nurse sharks, and thousands of small jellyfish and crabs. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Hogfish & Chips

After the kayak trip, we were exhausted and hungry. Our guide recommended a bunch to do around Key West, but unfortunately it was our last day. If you are staying for multiple days, I recommend doing the kayak trip the first day so you can get recommendations on what to do the following days!

The one recommendation we couldn’t pass up, though, was his favorite lunch spot. Hogfish is located on the key right next to Key West, and is a hidden gem known to locals.

The food was phenomenal, and all the fish was fresh, like caught that morning fresh.