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.
Stone Crab Season in the Florida Keys
When fall arrives in The Florida Keys, something delicious starts showing up on local tables, fresh stone crab claws. Stone crab season runs from Oct. 15 through May 1, giving visitors several months to enjoy one of the Keys’ best-known seafood treats. Sweet, tender and satisfyingly large, stone crab claws have been commercially harvested in Keys waters since the 1930s. The Florida Keys are an especially important home for stone crab. About 40 percent of Florida’s stone crab harvest comes from Keys waters.
A New Oyster Tradition Comes to Key West
Some places serve seafood. Others live seafood. At the edge of Key West’s Historic Seaport, Half Shell Raw Bar has been doing exactly that for decades. Set inside a former shrimp-packing warehouse on Margaret Street, this waterfront favorite has become one of the island’s most recognizable seafood spots, drawing everyone from commercial fishermen and captains to visitors looking for an authentic taste of the Keys.
The Best Sunset Spots in the Florida Keys
In the Florida Keys, sunset is more than the end of the day. It is a reason to order one more drink, take the long way back to the hotel, find a seat along the water and watch the horizon turn from gold to tangerine, pink, lavender and, on particularly memorable evenings, a fiery shade of red.
