Old Town and Duval Street
Gingerbread houses, galleries and the island's liveliest mile.
Why we love Old
Old Town is the historic heart of Key West, a grid of shaded lanes lined with 19th-century conch houses, tin roofs and gardens spilling over picket fences.
Duval Street runs a mile and a quarter from the Gulf to the Atlantic and packs in more bars, galleries and bakeries than seems possible. Mornings are quiet and golden, the best time to walk it with a cafe con leche in hand. By late afternoon the music drifts out of open doorways and the street takes on its famously easygoing buzz.
Step one block off Duval onto Caroline, Eaton or Whitehead Street and the pace drops again. This is where you will find the Hemingway Home with its six-toed cats, the Audubon House gardens and some of the island's best small restaurants.
- From the resort1.8 miles
- Travel time10 min by bike, 7 min by shuttle
Things to do
- 1
Ernest Hemingway Home
Tour the Spanish colonial house where Hemingway wrote, and meet the 60 or so polydactyl cats.
- 2
Southernmost Point buoy
Go before 9 am to skip the queue for the classic photo, 90 miles from Cuba.
- 3
Key lime pie crawl
Compare slices at Kermit's, Blue Heaven and the Key West Key Lime Pie Co.
- 4
Bahama Village
Chickens, colorful cottages and Blue Heaven's courtyard brunch under the almond trees.
Tips from the front desk
- Borrow a resort beach cruiser, parking in Old Town is scarce
- Most galleries open at 10 am
- Duval gets lively after 9 pm, Caroline Street is calmer for dinner
It is about 1.8 miles, a pleasant 35-minute walk along the Atlantic side. Most guests bike or take our free shuttle, which drops off at the corner of Duval and Truman.
During the day, absolutely. After about 9 pm the bars get busier, so families often prefer Mallory Square for sunset and dinner in Bahama Village.
Make Azure Bay your island base
Book direct for our best rate, a welcome drink at Salt and Lime and free cancellation on most stays.
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