The Best of Key West

Despite the recent sweep of hurricanes, Key West has bounced back quite rapidly and its bars, restaurants and hotels are back open for business. If you have an upcoming vacation scheduled there, don’t hesitate to follow through with your plans at this beautiful destination. With the best sunsets in the world, a thriving nightlife and thrilling ocean views, Key West has some of the most stunning and entertaining hot spots that should definitely be on your bucket list. Today, I’ll tell you where to stay, dine and watch the sunset.

The Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa

Tucked away by the ocean’s waters and beautiful rocky beachside, the Hyatt’s resort is the ultimate peaceful, yet exciting getaway. The resort not only boasts handsome views of the ocean from its balconies, but has a feeling of being aside from the nightlife, even though it’s only steps away from Old Town and the bustling bars and restaurants.

You don’t even need to leave the hotel to have a fun time. Simply float in the pool all day or swim in the ocean by the private pier. Converse and drink with others at the Blue Mojito Bar and Grill or dine ocean front at the SHOR American Seafood Grill.

Everything is placed around the pool, making it easy to get around the resort without getting lost, and providing a warmer feeling than some larger hotels. The bar area connects to the pier and provides cozy ocean views and lounge areas.

The rooms themselves are spacious and wide, with tile floors and open, roomy showers. The view from our ocean view room overlooked the pool, still with a great view of the water and the resort’s trees, flowers, bar and pier. The entrance of the grounds is home to turtles and parrots for the guests’ to view.

The overall feel of the resort is intimate, yet right in the epicenter of the island life that Key West offers.

Sunset at Mallory Square

Key West is known for its striking views and sunsets that are hard to come by. You won’t want to miss watching the sunset while you’re visiting, and one of the best places to do that is Mallory Square.

Join others in this energetic area, but make sure to head down early to get a decent viewing spot and shop beforehand. The place fills up with tourists, performers, food and fun each night before the sun sets into the Gulf of Mexico.

Snorkeling Tour of the Reefs

While there are many ways to book snorkeling and water activities, the Hyatt provides an extensive three hour tour and includes beverages, instructors and a ride out on a sailboat to where the coral reef is 30 feet deep.

This was a great experience and the instructors are well trained to assist you and make you feel comfortable along the way, even if you’ve never done water activities before.

We were with a group of all different ages and the leaders cater to everyone’s needs, making sure everyone knows what they’re doing so they can enjoy the experience. These tours run each day and all you need to do is reserve a spot at the gift shop ahead of time.

Better than Sex: A Dessert Restaurant

Don’t be intimidated by the name – This little restaurant provides a fun dessert and drink menu to satisfy your sweet tooth. My only mistake was having a full dinner before coming here. The soft lit restaurant presents a thrilling atmosphere with iPads as menus and a dark dining room with tucked away tables, definitely worth waiting for.

I ordered the Banana Bazooka with a glass of “Caramel” Over Me, a white Moscato dipped in caramel. My husband Scotty got the Choco house Cabernet, which was dipped in chocolate on the rim. His dessert choice was the “Peanut Butter Perversion.” Each of our desserts was delicious, intricately designed and full of various flavors.

Mine had big pieces of bananas layered with cinnamon, blended with caramel, chocolate and brown sugar. Scotty’s was a mix of chocolate chip cookie dough with peanut butter, a perfect combo.

Sloppy Joe’s Bar

Originally a Key West saloon, Sloppy Joe’s Bar has been around since the 1930’s and is a hot spot you should definitely make time for during your trip. This place puts their famous sloppy joe’s recipe on all sorts of foods; nachos, quesadillas, pizza and fries. The bar and restaurant is a great casual place to come and hang out during night or day, have a few drinks and listen to music. It’s right in the middle of all the excitement on Duval Street. You may even find yourself on their live bar and crowd web cams!

Brunch at Pepe’s Café & Steakhouse

Located in Old Key West, Pepe’s is a great little local place to grab brunch. Serving breakfast until noon, the café provides an assortment of items on their menu, including fresh squeezed mimosas and their own delicious blend of coffee. The restaurant is “the eldest eating house in the Florida Keys” and has been running since 1909. The charming place has a delightful mix of breakfast platters, steak sandwiches, burgers, homemade soup and chili, and more. There is a full service bar and it’s open 365 days a year, 7 days a week!

More things to do

Key West is full of activities which include; tours, water activities, fishing, shopping, dining, galleries, festivals and more. For a full list of things to do in Key West check out Mallory Square’s website.