My Key West Adventure But First, Crossing a 7-Mile Bridge
I visited Key West for the first time, six years ago during a port of call during a weekend cruise. A five-hour visit was not enough time to see Key West’s many highlights. As the Southernmost Point of the United States, traveling to Key West by land requires a long 7-hour car ride from my home in central Florida. It made perfect sense to visit Key West after disembarking from a 3-night cruise in Miami since we were so much closer.
The car ride from the Miami cruise terminal was 3-1/2 hours, a 165-mile ride to Key West. But first, I’d have to tackle driving across the famous “7 Mile Bridge” on the Overseas Highway from Key Largo all the way down to Key West. It’s not that I won’t drive across bridges but I’m always relieved to get off the bridge and back on land. So, you can understand that seven miles on a narrow bridge, completely surrounded by water could be daunting.
Well, if I’m writing a review about my Key West adventure, you already know that I conquered my drive across the bridge.
The Charming Havana Cabana
Interesting fact: Although Key West is the southernmost city in the United States, it is actually closer to Havana, Cuba than Miami. Key West is just 90 miles north of Cuba.
Since we had just gotten off a weekend Bahamas cruise, we were not planning to visit Key West to enjoy sunbathing. Instead, we set out to do some historical exploration, hitting all the tourist attractions in Mallory Square and on Duval Street. We wanted to find accommodations that would provide us easy access to see as much as possible in three days.
On the 5.2 square miles island of Key West, there are more than 50 hotels and resorts plus a multitude of private rentals. There was something special about the Havana Cabana hotel that immediately caught my attention, and it turned out to be a special visit, and it wasn’t just because of their popular poolside mojitos.
Havana Cabana is described as a “Cuban-inspired paradise in Key West,” fully living up to its name. From the Cuban-inspired charm and character with a classic car out front and great poolside music, it turned out to be a great place to stay in Key West. Beautiful Cuban-inspired hand painted murals and artwork in bold colors are featured on the walls along with decorative wooden handrails guiding the stairways, and bright orange uniquely shaped couches, each aspect demonstrating the hotel’s impressive attention to the finest Cuban details.
While the downtown Key West area is nearby, Havana Cabana makes you feel like you’re in a private, secluded area away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist attractions.
Havana Cabana Accommodations
There are rooms and suites available, some with beautiful pool views. We stayed in a standard room with a tropical décor, two queen size beds (fancy bedframes), not overly spacious but perfect! The room had a small sitting area, desk, flat-screen television, and doors that opened to a small open patio area.
Select from these room types:
:: Standard room
:: Suites
:: Patio rooms include a small outdoor lanai area, lower floor
:: Balcony rooms provide a view with outdoor space, upper floor
:: Studio rooms offer a bit of extra open space
:: Accessible rooms are spacious, mobility accessible
Pets are welcome at Havana Cabana with a daily fee (with the fee exception of service animals). Note: There are multiple dog beaches in Key West along with many dog-friendly restaurants.
In-room amenities include:
:: Wireless internet
:: Brand name bath amenities
:: Coffee maker, mini refrigerator, and microwave
:: Flat screen television
:: Work desk and chair
:: Hair dryer
:: Iron and ironing board
:: Safe
Havana Cabana Transportation Options for Sightseeing
Havana Cabana offers many options to make sightseeing in the historic Old Town area convenient and fun. You can rent Vespas, 5-speed bicycles, and golf carts, or take the resort’s complimentary downtown shuttle. The shuttle driver was very entertaining while providing informative tidbits about Key West. There is plenty to see downtown including art galleries, shopping, restaurants, bars, museums, and key lime pie! There are many establishments offering what each describes as the best “key lime pie” in Key West. Being a foodie, I was on a mission to find my favorite.
Havana Cabana Activities
After walking for many hours each day, we enjoyed relaxing at the beautiful palm tree shaded pool each afternoon. It was a nice place to enjoy some leisurely activities like playing dominos, corn hole, and Connect 4, while sipping a mojito or two. Apparently, it’s the largest pool in Key West but certainly not the largest pool we’ve ever been to. As a guest of Havana Cabana, it was nice to have a complimentary chaise lounge, and the poolside food and drink are an added perk.
Onsite Dining at Havana Cabana
Havana Cabana’s dining options provide a Cuban flair. The café con leche and breakfast sandwich were recommended and lived up to the delicious hype.
:: Floridita Food Truck – Located right in Havana Cabana’s courtyard, offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner
:: Mojitos Pool Bar – Enjoy fancy drinks like a frozen Banana Daiquiri or frozen Mango Margarita while swimming and listening to live music.
:: Flama Cabana – Cuban-themed lounge overlooking the water offers delicious foods like Empanadas De Pollo and Truffle Cheese Fries plus classic cocktails and cigars from their fully stocked humidor.
Havana Cabana Turned Out to Be the Ideal Key West Location
Let me explain that Key West is a hopping town, with lots to do and see. Planning your activities ahead of time is recommended to ensure you see the top highlights on your list. Be sure to check the calendar of Key West events as there are continuous celebrations and festivals. The Havana Cabana resort offers full-time concierge services that were extremely helpful to us. I had done my homework ahead of our visit and I still had lots of questions.
While there are many beach areas in Key West offering water activities, after our weekend cruise, we just wanted to explore the town. There are more than 400 years of history in Key West, and I consider myself a history buff.
Duval Street is the main street in Key West. Make a right or left at the clock tower and there is so much to see. Stroll up and down Duval Street, ride a bike, shop, eat, and drink. Apparently there are more than 40 bars! Take a pub crawl tour if you want or just bar hop to some favorites like Sloppy Joes Bar, Hank’s Hair of the Dog Saloon, Garbo’s Grill, Hog’s Breath Saloon, the Green Parrot, the Bourbon St. Bar, and the Bull and Whistle Bar.
My Best Recommendation: Take the Old Town Trolley
For $62, you can take the Old Town Trolley 13-Stop Hop-On Hop-Off Tour around Key West all day long from 10am to 4:30pm. It’s an open-air trolley that makes stops near the main attractions. A live guide provides non-stop narrating about everything you need to know about Key West. We got to explore at our own leisure and selected just what we wanted to see.
The tour begins at Mallory Square and covers the entire city. We even received complimentary admission to the “Sails to Rails” Museum. Since the first day we hopped on and off the trolly, the second day of our trip, we chose a less intense sightseeing route by visiting the Key West Aquarium, Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, and the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum.
Here are more of our highlights:
:: Mallory Square – The heart of Key West, the perfect place to watch the Key West sunset, enjoy street performers and musicians, plus delight in food vendors.
:: Ernest Hemingway’s House – Historic landmark provides history about Ernest Hemingway and Key West with a tour of the property. Lots of cats roam the property.
:: Key West Lighthouse – Located across from Hemingway House. If you’re brave, climb the 88 steps to the top for an amazing view of Key West.
:: The Southernmost Point – Just a heads up that there is a huge waiting line to take a photo in front of the iconic Key West Southernmost Point Buoy.
:: Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory – Of course, this was one of my favorite stops! My love for butterflies was magnified.
:: Harry S. Truman Little White House – Historic building served as the winter White House for President Truman. Tours offered every 20 minutes.
:: Key West Shipwreck Museum – Located next to Mallory Square, learn about the wrecked Isaac Allerton vessel. Climb the tower for aerial views over Mallory Square.
:: Key West Sunset Cruise: Dinner, drinks, live music, and a memorable sunset.
Dining in Key West
I will jump right in to say that we enjoyed multiple Cuban sandwiches, the best in our lives! The bread … the pork, ham, and cheese … the mustard aioli and pickles … deliciousness at its finest! Cuban Coffee Queen offered the best Cuban cuisine for lunch and the best coffee selections.
Here are just a few other amazing restaurants:
:: Margaritaville Restaurant
:: Bistro 245
:: Santiago’s Bodega
:: El Meson De Pepe
:: Blue Heaven
Now For Dessert: Taste Key Lime Pies Throughout Key West
It wasn’t our intention to make our Key West visit a trek to uncover the best key lime pie in Key West but that’s exactly what happened. Considering that we are originally from an area of New York that has some of the best Italian pastries and cookies, I don’t even remember when our love for southern key lime pie began.
Here is where we tried key lime pie in Key West:
:: Key Lime Pie Bakery
:: Kermit’s Key Lime Shoppe
:: Blue Heaven Restaurant
:: Old Town Bakery
Our favorite: The key lime pie at Blue Heaven was like eating a pillow of meringue set upon a buttery graham cracker crust. The best ever!
Key West Now Holds a Key to My Heart
Everyone needs to visit Key West for a few days at least once. We got a quick glimpse of Key West during a cruise port stop a few years back, but this trip has made us fall in love with Key West even more. The fun, yet relaxed atmosphere makes for a pleasant, memorable getaway. Plus, the spectacular sunrises and sunsets can’t be beat.
The Havana Cabana resort was an affordable place to stay and added to our excellent few days in Key West while relaxing at the resort’s beautiful tree-shaded pool, eating delicious treats from the food truck, the cleanliness, convenient shuttle service, and friendly staff offering exceptional, attentive service. Havana Cabana provided a refreshing Cuban-inspired, vibrant atmosphere and charming hotel décor.
As you may know, Key West gave Jimmy Buffett great inspiration to write the song, “Margaritaville” where he wants to “find his lost shaker of salt.” Well, this Key West getaway has inspired me to write a song titled, “KeyLimePie-ville” that I will sing over and over as I walk on the treadmill to lose the five pounds that I gained.