There are some great B&B's to stay in. Be aware that some are gay/lesbian only or clothing optional if you go that route.

Just sayin'.....


Also....I usually fly into Ft Lauderdale because of the cheap flights on SWA and drive down 1A thru Miami and on to the keys. Rental cars seemed to be a littless outta Ft L'dale IIRC. You may even wanna spend Sunday night in South Beach....neat boutique hotels there. I usually stay at the Pelican Hotel on SB....and spend a lot of time down at the topless beach:D

My advice, take a plane somewhere else. I can't understate how disappointed I was when I was there. NO BEACHES. Again No beaches. If you want to go walk out into the ocean, you need aqua shoes or else your feet will get cut to shreads, tourist traps galore (unless getting your picture taken in front of Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville is your thing), a pain in the butt to drive to figure 4 hours from Miami. When I was there for more then a week, I mostly spent my time at the condo's pool. I don't know how this place gets by with the tropical paradise spin? If this is what you want, fine, but if your looking for a tropical place with beautiful beaches there are many better places. The Bahama's (although this wouldn't be my first pick), it has much better beaches, Aruba, The Keys on the way to Key West, even the West Coast of FLA like Marco Island. If you want the warmest place in the Continental US, Key West is it I guess.

89911 is right, there aren't any "real" beaches in KW proper--Ft. zach taylor state park does have a beach, but in my opinion the best beach is North of summerland Key--Bahia Honda state park.

if you want beaches the rest of the keys have them

I would stay outside key waste and daytrip in anyway

lots of real people in the middle keys bars

key west is all tourists
do mel's treasure show
the bars and sunset dock show
and get out

I don't remember the details, just that I spent an awesome Summer vacation down there in the '90s. There is a roadside diner on one of the little islands/keys somewhere between Miami and Key West that serves what has to be the best Cuban sandwich on the planet. Finding it again and remembering the name & location is on my list of things to do in this lifetime.

Two words. Blue Heaven. Great, ridiculous restaurant/bar. You sit outside on plastic tables while feral cats and chickens walk around and beg for scraps. They have a rope swing, too. I've only ever eaten breakfast there, but I eat there EVERY time I go to KW. My favorite dish so far has to be the lobster eggs benedict, but it's not always on the menu. They have a great banana bread (no nuts! I hate nuts in my banana bread), and if you want a whole loaf, you need to call a day before to make sure they'll have one to sell you. Blue Heaven is at Petronia and Thomas streets in a neighborhood called Bahama Village. Ask any local.
On Duval Street is a little french place called Croissants de France, they have some amazing pastries, and now have a full-service restaurant, Le Bistro, attached.
The Rooftop Cafe, near Mallory Square, has great food, too.
A previous poster mentioned the lack of beaches. This is sort of true; there ARE beaches, but certainly not the best in the world. If you're looking for a place to go JUST to go to the beach, then I agree, don't go to the keys. However, the drive from Miami to Key West is a unique experience in the states, if not the world, and alone might be worth the trip. Yes, there is traffic, but the overseas highway is incredible.
Key West is a great place to let your proverbial hair down, eat good food, drink, enjoy people-watching, and sightsee. There is a very laid-back, each-unto-their-own attitude. Enjoy!

I've stayed at the Southernmost hotel several times and really liked it
Ask for a beach side room The beach was fine by my amateur standards
I like a hotel better then a B&B. When you get to the "breaking furniture sex" the B&B owners look at you funny