PORT GUIDE: KEY WEST

8 Fun Things Every Cruiser Should Do in Key West

Attention, cruise passengers: Make the most of your day in port with these Key West travel tips from Florida experts.

By Cammy Clark, Friday, Apr 13, 2012, 8:00 AM

Over 600,000 cruise passengers descend on Key West each year—and plenty of them head straight to Margaritaville. But there’s a lot more to this tiny island than Parrotheads and Hemingway haunts. We polled in-the-know locals for their best insider tips for a perfect day in port.

1. NATURE KAYAKING

Key West Eco-Tours
Free in-town pickup
On a kayak tour of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, you can see eye to eye with an egret and paddle past leatherback turtles and tropical fish. javacatcharters.com, half-day trip from $75. —J.W.

2. CHICER SOUVENIRS

Bésame Mucho
15-min. walk from the port
The keepsakes here appeal to locals and day-trippers alike: gold-edged market baskets, Dominica Bay Rum aftershave, and lip balm in art deco tins. 315 Petronia St., besamemucho.net, lip balm $7. —N.G.O.

3. A RIDE OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Lloyd's Tropical Bike Tour
20-min. walk from the port
Lloyd Mager leads two-hour rides along the quiet side streets of Key West, armed with a keen eye for native flora, loads of corny jokes, and a machete to cut and serve fresh coconuts. 601 Truman Ave., lloydstropicalbiketour.com, bike rental and tour $39. —K.M.

4. EAT WHAT THEY CATCH

Hogfish Bar and Grill
15- to 20-min. taxi from the port ($20)
Just over the bridge on Stock Island, this rowdy open-air joint is “what the Keys used to look like,” Joe Weatherby says—and a favorite lunch spot for area fishermen. 6810 Front St., Stock Island, hogfishbar.com, half-pound shrimp $12. —J.W.

5. A SINGULAR ART GALLERY

Art@830 Gallery
10-min. walk from the port
This one-stop shop for salvaged-wood shadow boxes, mixed-metal jewelry, and blown-glass seashells is also the best place to get a crash course in the Keys’ art scene, courtesy of owners and longtime residents Christine Scarsella and Tony Gregory. 830 Caroline St., art830.com, blown-glass shells from $48. —N.G.O.

6. RUB ELBOWS WITH ROCKERS

Smokin' Tuna Saloon
10-min. walk from the port
It’s a toss-up what draws more repeat visits to the saloon—the “to-die-for” fish dip (made with hickory-smoked dolphin) or the nightly lineup of live country, rock, and blues performances on the tree-lined back patio. 4 Charles St., smokintunasaloon.com, fish dip $9. —N.G.O.

7. OLD-TOWN EDEN

Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden
15-min. walk from the port
Consider it a case of surname as destiny: Artist Nancy Forrester has made it her mission to preserve the last wooded acre in Old Town, home to 100-plus species of palms, orchids, and ferns—and 22 chatty rescued parrots. 1 Free School Lane, nancyforrester.com, admission $10. —M.H.

8. VICTORIAN HOUSE TOUR

Curry Mansion Inn
10-min. walk from the port
Linger over the Tiffany-glass doors and elaborate woodwork of 19th-century wreck salvager William Curry’s Victorian estate, sure, but don’t miss the kitchen. Some say Curry’s cook Aunt Sally invented Key lime pie. 511 Caroline St., currymansion.com, admission $5. —K.M.