5 Things to Do in Key West Beyond Duval Street

Duval Street is part of the Key West experience — and we wouldn't tell you to skip it.

Walk Old Town. Grab a drink. Listen to live music. Eat some Key lime pie. Come back after sunset and you'll experience a completely different atmosphere.

But after spending our days taking guests onto the waters around Key West, there's one thing we wish more first-time visitors knew:

Some of the best parts of Key West aren't visible from Duval Street.

Key West is an island. Beyond downtown are shallow turquoise waters, mangrove shorelines, sandbars and miles of water that most visitors never experience from land.

So spend some time on Duval Street.

Then get out on the water and discover the other side of Key West.

Here are five ways to do it.

1. Visit a Key West sandbar

A Key West sandbar isn't the same thing as going to the beach.

You're leaving the island behind and traveling by boat into the shallow waters surrounding the Lower Keys. As the water gets shallower, the deeper blues can turn into the turquoise water people picture when they imagine the Florida Keys.

Then the anchor goes down.

Swim. Float. Explore the shallows. Stay aboard with a cold drink. Or do absolutely nothing for a while.

That's the point.

Jewfish Basin

Guests often ask whether Jewfish Basin or Snipes is the better sandbar. The honest answer is that the best choice depends on the day.

Snipes Point

Tide, wind, water depth, boat traffic and travel time all factor into a captain's decision. As Six Fins Captain Dustin explains:

“The best sandbars are on the Gulf side, in what we call the backcountry. If the tide is going out, I'll usually stay closer to home at Jewfish Basin. Snipes is another 20 minutes away, and sometimes it just isn't worth the risk.”

— Captain Dustin, Six Fins Charter Company

That's the kind of decision guests may never see being made.

Going farther isn't automatically better. An experienced local captain is thinking about where the water is going, how conditions may change, how much time the group will actually have at the sandbar and, above all, getting everyone there and back safely.

The goal isn't to reach the most famous sandbar. It's to choose the right experience for that particular day.

Six Fins’ Secret Local Sandbar Escape gives a private group the opportunity to leave Key West behind and experience the backcountry with a local captain. See our Key West sandbar charter.

2. See Key West from a jet ski

Here's something we notice frequently with first-time guests:

You don't fully appreciate that Key West is an island until you get out on the water and look back at it.

A guided jet ski tour changes the perspective completely.

The marina disappears behind you. Buildings give way to open water, channels and mangroves. Instead of traveling between attractions, the ride itself becomes part of the experience.

And you don't have to be an experienced jet ski rider to appreciate it.

Six Fins tours begin with check-in and a safety briefing before guests leave the marina. We intentionally keep our standard guided experiences small rather than combining riders into a huge pack.

It's not just about the ride

One of the advantages of exploring with a local guide is discovering places you probably wouldn't find on your own.

As Nacho, Six Fins’ Head Jet Ski Guide, puts it:

“Whether we're running the two-hour tour, the 90-minute tour or the one-hour Freestyle, I want my guests to get out to the swings at the Sub Pits. It's one of those places where people make some amazing Key West memories.”

— Nacho, Head Jet Ski Guide, Six Fins Charter Company

That's what we want a Six Fins jet ski experience to be about.

Yes, riding a Yamaha WaveRunner across the waters surrounding Key West is a big part of the fun. But the experience is also about knowing where to go, seeing Key West from a different perspective and finding places that become part of the story you take home.

For guests who want the full experience, our I Lapped Key West tour takes riders on a 28-mile circumnavigation of the island.

Conditions, safety, timing and the guide's judgment can always affect a day's route and stops. We think that's part of exploring real water rather than following an amusement-park track.

Compare all of our guided Key West jet ski tours.

3. Spend a few hours on a private boat

We offer both jet ski tours and private boat charters, and guests occasionally ask which one they should choose.

They're really two different experiences.

A jet ski tour is about the ride. A private boat charter is about having the day to yourselves.

Maybe you want to snorkel.

Maybe everyone wants to swim.

Maybe the group wants a sandbar.

Or maybe you find a beautiful spot, nobody wants to leave, and the best decision is to stay there a little longer.

That's the advantage of a private charter.

You're not sharing the boat with strangers, and you're not spending your Key West vacation following the schedule of a large tour group.

Six Fins operates its private charters aboard our 30-foot Jeanneau NC 895 with a USCG-licensed captain. Depending on the experience you choose and the day's conditions, your time on the water might include a sandbar, snorkeling, cruising the backcountry or simply relaxing aboard the boat.

For couples, families and small groups in particular, having your own boat can completely change the pace of the day.

And sometimes the best plan is not having every minute planned before you leave the dock. Explore our private boat charters in Key West.

4. Experience Key West with local knowledge

Visitors understandably like firm itineraries.

Where are we going?

Which sandbar will we visit?

Where will we snorkel?

Will we see dolphins?

We understand why people ask.

But after spending enough time on the water, you learn that Key West doesn't always cooperate with a rigid itinerary.

Wind matters.

Tide matters.

Visibility matters.

Boat traffic matters.

And wildlife certainly doesn't work from an appointment book.

That's part of the philosophy behind Six Fins.

As our founder, Mac, explains:

“One of the things I've learned about Key West is that you can't force the water to follow your itinerary. The best days happen when you pay attention to the conditions, trust your captain or guide, and let the day unfold. That's the kind of experience I wanted Six Fins to provide from the beginning.”

— Mac, Founder, Six Fins Charter Company

Read Mac’s story and how Six Fins began →

A destination that was fantastic yesterday may not be our first choice today.

That's where local knowledge becomes valuable.

An experienced captain or guide can look at what's actually happening on the water and make decisions accordingly.

Maybe the water is better somewhere else. Maybe one area is unusually busy. Maybe the tide makes a different destination the better choice. Or maybe something unexpected happens along the way that becomes everyone's favorite part of the trip.

We'd rather adapt to Key West than pretend we control it.

That's why our captains and guides aren't simply there to drive the boat or lead a line of jet skis. Their local knowledge is part of the experience.

5. Give your group a Key West story that doesn't start on Duval Street

Key West attracts groups for obvious reasons.

Birthdays. Family vacations. Weddings. Reunions. Bachelor and bachelorette weekends. Friends escaping winter. Friends escaping work.

And eventually, plenty of those groups find their way to Duval Street.

We understand.

But consider doing something together before everybody heads downtown.

Put the group on a private boat.

Spend part of the day at a sandbar.

Get everyone onto WaveRunners.

Swim somewhere you couldn't have reached from shore.

Those experiences create something a night of bar-hopping usually doesn't:

A shared Key West story that's unique to your group.

We've seen groups arrive at the dock with completely different ideas of a perfect Key West day.

Some want speed and adventure.

Some want music and a sandbar.

Some just want everyone together somewhere beautiful.

There isn't one correct way to spend a day in Key West.

That's exactly why getting off Duval Street for a few hours is worthwhile.

And after everyone gets back, showers and changes?

Duval Street will still be there.

Is Duval Street worth visiting?

Absolutely.

We aren't arguing that you should choose between Duval Street or the water.

Do both.

Duval Street gives you restaurants, bars, shops, music, nightlife and a huge part of Key West's personality.

But it can't show you everything that makes Key West special.

For that, eventually you need to look beyond the end of the street.

Key West is surrounded by water.

Spend part of your vacation downtown.

Then get out on that water and see the other side of the island.

Frequently asked questions about Key West beyond Duval Street

Captain Dustin's advice sums it up well: the best destination is the one that makes sense for the conditions that day.