My mom and I weren’t sure what we wanted to do in Key West. We’d never been to the island at the bottom of Florida and weren’t sure what to expect. We also didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a pricey excursion since we chose the pricier ones for Grand Cayman and Jamaica. After looking through the cheaper options, we settled on a bike tour. I thought it would be a better way to see the island and I loved the idea of a bike tour.
We arrived in Key West early on Monday morning and our bike tour was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. After a quick breakfast at the buffet on the Lido deck (side note: I really, really miss the daily breakfast buffet…), we headed off the boat to meet up with our tour guide.
It’s usually pretty easy when you get off the ship to check in with your excursion guides. They have big, white signs with the name of the excursion you picked scattered around the area you enter when you step off the ship. We checked in and from there, headed over on foot to where the bikes were held. We had a fairly small group. I think 12 people in total, including my mom and me, which is the perfect group for a bike tour, I think. Not too many people, not too few.
The tour guide was fantastic. He kept up an easy pace and I was directly behind him, with my mom behind me, and the rest of the group behind her. He stopped frequently to talk about different historical spots, beaches, and housing structures. He wasn’t too long-winded but kept up an interesting conversation flow. It was really the perfect excursion for my mom and me – I was able to get my history needs fulfilled while my mom was able to get her exercise needs met. 🙂
The tour was two hours long and took us from one side of Key West to the other. We passed Ernest Hemingway’s house and traveled through little streets and down the beaches. We passed the Southernmost Point of the Continental United States, although fun fact: it’s actually not the Southernmost Point. There’s a little hotel located close by that’s actually more southern than that landmark and our tour guide thought it was more interesting than a “hunk of rock”. Ha! So, sadly, I just got a quick snap of one of the most famous landmarks in Key West since he didn’t stop for us to take pictures.
I really recommend doing a bike tour if you’re ever in Key West. Since we had never been, it was a great way for us to get a feel for the island and learn about its rich history. (We also got a bit of a lecture from a writer of the newspaper in Key West, about how people are buying houses there but not caring about the history or culture of the island.)
After the tour, we had four hours left until we had to be back on the ship so we spent the majority of it walking around the little shops and streets, soaking in the sunshine and trying to find the perfect touristy keepsakes.
We had lunch at the famous Sloppy Joe’s Bar where we both got sloppy joes. (How could you not?) The feel of the restaurant was laid-back where you just walked in, found a table if you could, and a waiter would come to you for your order. I get nervous about those types of restaurants since the service usually sucks but this was not the case for Sloppy Joe’s. Service was prompt and friendly and the sloppy joe? TO DIE FOR. The perfect amount of spice in the meat and soggy bread in the sandwich to make it the best sloppy joe I’ve ever had.
I ended up buying a tank top and a key chain. (Key chains became my “thing” to buy at our stops. Don’t ask me why.) My mom bought a magnet. (Magnets became her thing.)
We had a really fun day in Key West and it was a pretty great way to spend a Monday. Much better than how I usually spend Mondays. 🙂 The bike ride really got us pumped to buy our own bikes when we got home. I’m hoping to buy mine in the next few weeks. We were only cruiser bikes but it was such a fun way to get some exercise and fresh air.
Key West itself was a cute little town, although I would like to see more of the real island next time I go. We spent most of our time near the ship where all the tourist shops were, after the tour. And even on the tour, we just stopped by some famous landmarks, not stopping long enough to snap more than a few photographs.
But it was a great start to our cruise and we were pretty exhausted from all the biking and walking that our next day, a day at sea, we slept in until noon and spent the rest of the day being lazy and not doing much, other than eating and reading and napping. (On a Tuesday! Can you see why I love cruising? Offers the perfect balance of relaxation and being busy.)
Next up on our cruise was Grand Cayman, where we had a fun-filled day planned: visiting Stingray City and playing with dolphins!
Have you ever visited Key West? What did you think of it? Have you ever done a bike tour around a city?
I have never been to Key West, but would like to visit some day!
I did a bike tour of Paris and it was AWESOME. I did an evening tour which included a ride up and down the Seine. With wine. It was so cool. I always recommend that bike tour to people who are visiting Paris. It’s so much fun and a great way to see a lot of the city!!
Oh, wow! That sounds like it would be an amazing bike tour. It’s definitely something I want to look for as I go to more different countries. If you get a good guide, it can be a great way to learn about a place.
I went to Key West after my senior year of high school but don’t remember a whole lot – I was obsessed with this dumb guy and spent a lot of the time buying overpriced phone cards (this was before EVERYONE had cell phones) and talking to him all day. I wish I could have appreciated it more!
Nonetheless I am MAJORLY jealous of your trip!
How fun! A relaxing bike cruise is definitely a great way to see a new place (especially if it’s flat).
Bike tours are SO MUCH FUN! Eric and I did one when we were in Amsterdam and were both a bit apprehensive about it but ended up LOVING it! Such a fun way to see a new place!
Oh how fun – a bike tour! I love that.
I haven’t been to Key West, but it looks like a cute little town (with yummy food!)
So pretty!! I don’t know if I’d be able to do a bike tour, but the way you explain it sounds like the perfect excursion. I neeeed vacation right now!
That looks like fun! I have never done a bike tour around a city, but I did rent a bike and ride around the wineries in Australia, which was fun! Except the way back was WAY harder than the way in! I have never been to Key West, only Key Largo.
I’ve never done a bike tour, but I would have loved it when we cruised to the Bahamas! We took a tour of the island but it was in a bus. A bike tour would have been so much fun!
Your trip looks like it was amazing! I want to go on another cruise so bad!
The last time I was in Key West, I was 3. So my memories are….not great to be honest 🙂
But this sounds like an amazing trip! I can’t wait to hear about Grand Cayman
You passed Hemingway’s house? That is cool. I wonder if you can do tours there. I remember taking a bike ride in Jekyll Island with my parents as a kid and I was so out of shape and slow, I thought I was going to keel over. I have horrible stamina. Anyway, I love these pictures. The flowers are beautiful there. I haven’t been to Key West since middle school. I can see why it appealed to Hemingway so much. It’s gorgeous!