Key West in one day: across the ocean on bridges and back

On August 28, 2017, we left Miami, and by afternoon we were already in Key West. In Miami we drove along Ocean Drive, the city’s most popular party street.

A wide street along a row of palm trees, light-colored buildings and cafés with blue umbrellas on the right — Ocean Drive in Miami

Key West sits at the very end of the thin chain of islets called the Florida Keys, and the Overseas Highway leads there — about 180 kilometers from island to island. It feels like driving right through the middle of the ocean. Much of the highway was built on the route of a former railroad that was badly damaged by a hurricane in 1935.

Beyond the concrete railing of the bridge, an old arched bridge over the sea — An old bridge runs alongside the highway

A two-lane highway on a long bridge, a red car ahead, an old bridge on piers running parallel on the left — Bridges of the Florida Keys

Key West itself is a small town, and fairly densely built up.

A narrow street with white wooden houses, parked cars, and palm trees — Streets of Key West

A stone house with columns and a staircase behind a palm tree and a hedge — Streets of Key West

It is the southernmost city of the continental United States. The climate there is such that the temperature has never once dropped to zero: the record low is plus five degrees Celsius.

A striped concrete buoy stands on the shore — it marks the southernmost point of the continental USA, although that point is not actually there. Cuba is beyond the horizon, about 150 kilometers away. Of course, we also took photos by the buoy.

A red, black, and yellow concrete buoy on the waterfront, the sea behind it — The buoy at the southern point of Key West

Pavel and Alexandra by the striped buoy against the sea — The buoy at the southern point of Key West

The water at the Key West beaches turned out to be so warm it was almost hot.

Clear shallow water over a light-colored bottom, a rock overgrown with green algae — The water is almost hot

A white catamaran with black and white stripes and a tall mast on the sand by the water — A beach in Key West

We found no place to stay in Key West and drove back to the mainland, to a rest area by the highway. Altogether that day came to 500 miles — 804 kilometers: we had never driven more in one go.

Shortly after our visit, in September 2017, Hurricane Irma damaged the paint on the buoy; the same year it was repainted by the same artist.

Key West in one day: across the ocean on bridges and back

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