You can rent Key West vacation homes by the week, 3-day weekend, by the month or longer.  Some are rentable for an entire season, for you snowbirds out there.  One very popular type of Key West vacation home is the condo.  Many of the condos are right on the beach, like 1800 Atlantic.  This resort complex is a mixture of year-round residents plus vacation rentals.  There’s a swimming pool, hot tub, and tennis courts and of course it’s all oceanfront.  Facing south over the Atlantic Ocean, 1800 Atlantic is the best Key West vacation home you can rent if you want no-fuss living that’s close to Old Town. 

Other options include a Key West vacation home from a private owner, in which case you can either go through a realtor that specializes in Key West vacation homes, find one on craigslist, or the local paper.

Key West Cemetery

Sitting 128 miles out to sea between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, Key West, FL is a vacationer’s paradise.  While most this tiny tropical city for water sports and Duval Street, it’s worth exploring the lesser-known features that make this sub tropical island special.  For your Key West Florida vacation we recommend all the water sports, plus a day or two for the hidden gems of Key West.

After you’ve experienced world-clas salt water fishing, snorkeling, scuva diving or just lounging on the beach, here are a few ideas for getting to know the rest of Key West.  For starters, try a bicycle tour around the city.  Major points of view include the Key West Cemetery, Truman Annex, and other historical spots in Old Town that are best enjoyed by bicycle rather than tour trolley or car. 

Key West, FL actually has a fascinating history, much of which comes vis the healthy smuggling trade of days past.  Starting with rum in Colonial days, culminati with the  tawdry drug heyday of the 1970s and early 1980s, Key West has a colorful history of smuggling, pirating, and the break-off industry, wrecking.  Learn stories on your bicycle tour, or visit the Key West Shipwreck Historeum for starters.

A way to really slash dollars off our Key West Florida vacation expenses is to visit during the off season.  That’s in September.  Hotels are reduced, water sports companies offer all kinds of incentives from two-for-one deals to half off regular prices. 

Even for those who spend time on Duval Street shopping, retailers often are more likely to have sales and discounts.  Look for signs in the windows of shops, but don’t be offended if you ask for discounts and they say no.  It may be the slow season, but it’s only a month long.  They’re not going to give the store away! 

The main discounts during the off season are on airline tickets and hotel rates, which tend to be the largest items on a Key West Florida vacation budget anyway.  Both items can be researched and booked in advance, wich careful planning.

Kids at Pier House's Private Beach

With history dating back to the 1800s, Key West has its share of historic architecture.  Staying in an historic inn is a great way to round out the complete Key West vacation.   What’s better after a day of water sports or trying the Duval Crawl, then to retreat to a resort that’s steeped in Key West history?  For the ultimate historic inn, try The Weather Station. 

This favorite amongst Key West resorts is located in Truman Annex, which was originally US Navy property.  Now, Truman Annex is a beautiful community of historic homes, white picket fences, and tree-lined streets.  As Key West resorts go, this is very traditional.  Location can’t be beat, but as far as a full service resort, it offers only rooms and concierge.  You won’t find attached services like a restaurant, spa, or other services.  You are steps from everything, though.

For full service Key West resorts, there are several on the waterfront in Old Town Key West.  Pier House is one of the best Key West resorts, with wedding services, spa, and other treats found within its walls.  Nearby and also on Front Street or near Mallory Square are Ocean House, The Westin, and The Hyatt.

One of the nicest Key West resorts is Casa Marina.  It’s located on the other side of the island, on the beach facing south.  Built to be the flagship hotel in Henry Flagler’s group of hotels down the Florida coast, this is the grand jewel in the railroad man’s grand tourism scheme for the Florida Keys.  Now owned by the Waldorf Astoria and fully renovated, it is once again a jewel.

Where else can you explore a coral reef, enjoy big game sport fishing, relax on the beach, and top it all off by watching  a world-famous sunset over the water every single night?  Key West is full of surprises, too.  Take it’s charming history, which is chock full of legends and spooky stories of ghosts, pirates, wreckers and smugglers.  Your interest in history will be piqued by the numerous museums found in Old Town, dedicated to everything Key West.  You’ll easily indulge your interest in history, whether it’s  pirate history, the wrecking industry, schooner captains, James Audubon and his paintings, Ernest Hemingway or quirky Key West history.  It’s all here, in any of the museums found on the island. 

And after each day of adventure, exploration and fun in the sun, you can retreat to world-famous guest houses of Key West.  Some are on the National Historic Register and most date back to the early 20th century.  Great Key West vacation rentals are just one of the great things Key West is known for.

In winter, it’s big game sport fishing as the big fish come closer to Key West int the cooler waters.  When planning your trip, be sure to book a day of offshore fishing.  Most Key West vacation packages can help you choose from several charter boats and guides for any type of fishing.  If plying the back country waters is yoru type of adventure, Key West vacation packages come in all sizes…there are plenty of flats charter fishermen (and women!) ready to go. 

Nurture your love for the great outdoors in a number of ways…snorkeling opens up the marine world to view, as you discover creatures you’ve only heard about ’til now:  rays, eels, barracuda, and zillions of species of colorful reef fish.  Key West snorkeling is on the list of  Top 10 Things to Do in Key West, and we’d highly recommend it!

Tailor Key West vacation packages to suit your tastes and prepare yourself for one unforgettable trip!

Rewards of a Key West vacation are far-reaching.  Even long after they’ve left for home, visitors to Key West leave the island with a new-found sense of peace and calm.  The laid-back state of mind is one of the best souvenirs you can take home from Key West.  The island lifestyle comes from the slower pace, a close association with the ocean and the marine world, and lots and lots of sun.  Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Key West is 128 miles from the hustle bustle of the mainland!

Work on your chill by living the life completely during your Key West vacation.  Take a sunset cruise, go for an afternoon of leisurely snorkeling on the reef, a day of fishing, or simply sittiing back in your beach chair, soaking up the sun.  It’s all here in Key West, FL.

Book Key West vacation rentals any time of year for whatever duration you desire, but there are times when rates go up or down. The week after Christmas brings a flurry of activity, and rates for Key West vacation rentals go up. Fantasy Fest is another crazily busy time, but mostly in Key West and the lower Keys. Finding a room in Key West during Fantasy Fest requires skill, luck, and months of planning ahead, if not a year or more!

Some of the finest and most deluxe Key West vacation rentals are guest houses and conch cottages, often featured in magazines. There are so many quaint places to stay in this town, you will need a guide to help you find and book the right one. In fact, if you’re staying in the Keys for a longer time, say several weeks or more, do some research online ahead of time and you will find deals and specials, off-season rates or just the right home for your vacation. Furnished houses for rent in Key West are the most common type of Key West vacation rentals here. That’s because Key West has plenty of preserved historical architecture, known as Conch Houses. This town does have its share of chain hotels and motels, but the specialty is charm and preservation of history.

The minute you arrive in Key West, you can begin living like a local.  Don’t bother packing much- a t-shirt and sandals plus a swimsuit are all you need for this laid-back lifestyle.  Embrace the slower pace as you let the sun and warm tropical ocean waters work their magic.  Even our watersports can be enjoyed at a snail’s pace.  A Key West snorkeling trip requires simply  the ability to float and observe.  Parasailing means watching the world from a bird’s perspective…while safely buckled into a harness seat. 

Key West vacations have the unique quality of offering thrilling adventures like encountering Dolphins in the wild, or coming face to face with a barracuda while snorkeling, all with no more effort than it takes to enjoy a smooth boat ride and jump into the warm tropical waters!   Your Key West vacation offers you a glimpse into the unspoiled world of North America’s only living coral reef.  Thousands of underwater species populate the reef habitat that’s just a half hour boat ride from the docks at Key West’s Historic Seaport.  Enjoy it any way that suits your pace:  Glass Bottom Boat, Snorkel Adventure, Scuba trips, sport fishing, or a Dolphin adventure.  There is more than one way to enjoy Paradise but no matter how you plan your trip, life will move at a slower pace while you’re here.