Couple conversing at a bar with walls covered in currency.

Insider's Guide

Explore Like a Local

Think of this as the Keys’ not-so-secret handshake. 

The Insider’s Guide is your path to hidden gems, insider’s tips and expert recommendations. From snorkeling secrets and fishing tips to stories of locals who protect these islands, this articles in this guide takes you beyond the surface, so you can travel The Florida Keys & Key West like a local.

Costumed group attending Fantasy Fest parade

Fantasy Fest & Beyond: Spooky Fun in the Florida Keys

Fantasy Fest may be Key West’s most famous costume extravaganza (Oct. 17–26), but the spooky season fun doesn’t stop there. Across the Florida Keys...

Smiling man embraces a dolphin in shallow water.

Steward of the Keys: Hunter Kinney Innovates with the Keys’ Dolphin Life Inc.

Hunter Kinney, head coach and chief innovation officer for Dolphin Life Inc. in the Upper Keys, is a Kentucky boy who loves all animals.

Smiling couple in front of the ocean, clear sky in the background.

Steward of the Keys: Carla Burns Directs the Conch Republic Marine Army

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Steward of the Keys: Carla Burns Directs the Conch Republic Marine Army

Just A Few Friends: Celebrating the Legacy of Jimmy Buffett

This Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 29–Sept. 1, 2025), Key West invites you to celebrate the life and music of Jimmy Buffett in the island paradise that...

Alligator Lighthouse Swim

ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys — The 12th annual Swim for Alligator Lighthouse, recognized as one of the eight toughest swim challenges in the world, takes...

Local’s Choice Tips: Charles Hertel

Charles Hertel, whose family roots and fishing lines are cast deeply in the Keys, never planned on becoming a restaurateur as the chief executive...

Taste The Keys: A Flavorful October in the Upper Keys

From October 1–31, Taste the Keys invites food lovers to explore the best of Key Largo cuisine. Savor every bite at participating restaurants offering...

Key West Vacation Pass Offers Value-Added Options for Visitors

Visitors to Key West and nearby areas of the Florida Keys can enjoy approximately two dozen sightseeing tours, watersports and other experiences with...

Key West’s New ‘Spirits of the Passage’ Exhibit Documents Maritime Slave Trade

In 1700, the English merchant slave ship Henrietta Marie sank 35 miles west of Key West shortly after offloading 190 captured Africans in Jamaica...

Art Walk Spotlights Islamorada’s Morada Way Arts & Cultural District

Combining Islamorada’s vibrant sights, sounds and tastes, the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District’s Third Thursday Art Walk is an event where visitors...

John David Hawver: Artist and Steward of the Keys

Oil painter John David Hawver, one of the Florida Keys’ best-known artists, is soft-spoken, modest and friendly. While he loves the people of the Keys...

Chris Bergh: The Nature Conservancy’s Steward in the Keys