All photos © Robin and Arlene Karpan

The Florida Keys are unique. In many ways they resemble the Caribbean more than the Florida mainland with their subtropical climate, low sandy islands formed on coral reefs and surrounded by crystal clear turquoise waters. Not surprisingly, this island archipelago is a major tourist destination, especially in winter, offering everything from fishing to diving, historic sites, beaches, luxury resorts, boat excursions, natural sites, seafood galore, and places to relax or party the night away.

There are a lot of ways to spend your money here, but when you want to give your wallet a rest, a surprising number of cool things to do are free. Here are a few that we enjoyed:

Learn about Coral Reef Restoration at Mote

Want to learn more about how climate change and other factors have affected coral reefs in Florida and elsewhere? Stress factors including pollution, overfishing, hurricanes, cruise ship activity, and warming waters have caused the coral to become diseased and die.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. You can take a free tour of Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration on Summerland Key and discover how scientists are successfully restoring depleted parts of the coral reef.

Mote is a nonprofit institution focused on marine science. Through conservation and restoration, they seek to make the oceans sustainable. Mote also collaborates with researchers worldwide to preserve healthy marine ecosystems.

Coral reefs play a vital role in our lives and economy. They provide habitat and shelter for fish, protect the coastline from major storms, and provide recreation for divers. Coral is a living organism that reproduces by spawning, resulting in new generations that can populate the coral beds.

In their labs at the research centre and elsewhere, scientists have established coral nurseries. They grow different species of coral and then transplant them into colonies on the reef. They can see and monitor their development remotely. So far there have been major successes with some species already reproducing, thanks to technology that speeds up the growth process.

On the tour, you can speak with scientists about their work and see tanks with living pregnant coral and where their transplanted corals are slowly growing. It’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into the world of coral.

This research facility is only one arm of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. You can also tour a coral nursery in Islamorada and one in Key Largo. Tour tickets must be reserved in advance but are complimentary. Visit their Public Tours page to find out more about where they are located and tour times.

Walk across the ocean on the Seven Mile Bridge

The Overseas Highway through the Keys has 42 bridges connecting 44 islands. It makes for a unique road trip where the road seems to be floating on water in places. But in one stretch you can walk or bike across and not worry about vehicle traffic.

When the old Seven Mile Bridge was completed in 1912 it was the longest bridge in the world. When a new bridge was built in 1982 it bypassed tiny Pigeon Key which was part of the old route. A two-mile section of the old bridge, from Marathon Key to Pigeon Key is now open to walkers and cyclists. It’s a great chance to get a more up close and personal feel for these remarkable ocean crossings than you would in a vehicle.

An optional shuttle service (fee charged) operates for those who don’t want to walk. Also optional is a tour of the historic site at Pigeon Key (admission charged) which played a crucial role in the building of this unique transport corridor.

Take in the Sunset Celebration at Key West’s Mallory Square

There are lots of places we can go to watch the sun go down, so what’s so special about here? At the seaside Mallory Square, the actual setting sun is only one aspect of the nightly celebration. Things get underway a couple of hours before sunset with a nightly arts festival with arts and crafts exhibitors, street performers, and food carts selling everything from popcorn to pineapple drinks and conch fritters.

One evening we watched a combination of comedian and acrobat entertain the gathered crowd. Another night it might be a psychic, sword-swallower, juggler, musician, or who knows what else.

We can wander through the permanent shops at the Mallory Square Market or stroll along the waterfront. If you get thirsty, there’s even a take-out bar built into the back of an antique car.

People line the waterfront as the sun dips into the Gulf of Mexico. With the right conditions, the sky comes alive with a backdrop of boats sailing just offshore. The big difference with this sunset spot is that a lot is going on even when the sun doesn’t cooperate.

Take a self-guided History Tour of Key West

Key West has a rich, colourful, and sometimes turbulent history. It is the largest historical district on the US Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places.

Several historic buildings have been turned into museums and charge admission to go inside. Many of these are worth visiting – we would rank the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum  as one of the top ones. A few other sites connected to prominent personalities include Tennessee Williams, John James Audubon, and US President Harry S. Truman.

But if you just want an overview of Key West history, you can simply wander around the compact-sized Old Town and Historic Seaport where most heritage buildings have signs out front providing stories on their significance. To help guide you on a walking tour, The Key West Art & Historical Society  has a free app you can download that takes you to 120 sites.

Visit the southernmost point in the Continental USA

This novel tourist spot in Key West is so popular that there is usually a line-up of people waiting to have their pictures taken here. It consists of a 12-foot high buoy-shaped concrete marker indicating that this is the southernmost point in the continental USA. It also says that it is 90 miles to Cuba, which is closer than the Florida mainland.

The sign at the top pays tribute to the Conch Republic, which has become a nickname for Key West. It came about in 1982 when Key West staged a tongue-in-cheek secession from the United States to become the independent Conch Republic. While it was a publicity stunt, it was done for serious reasons to protest government roadblocks to the Keys to check for drug smugglers and illegal aliens, which disrupted traffic and hurt tourism. The roadblocks did come down but the secessionists enjoyed their shenanigans so much that they continue to have annual “independence” celebrations.

Taste the Rum and hear the stories at Key West’s First Legal Rum Distillery

A tour and tasting at Key West’s First Legal Rum Distillery  is one of the more enjoyable free activities. The tour involves much more than your average “this is how we make rum” lesson. While they do explain some of their processes, such as salt-curing the barrels to give a distinctive flavor, it’s as much about rum’s place in the history of Key West.

During US Prohibition, Key West was a hotbed for rumrunning as booze was smuggled from the Caribbean to supply a thirsty market. This distillery was the first to make rum legally, hence the unusual name. Their most popular drink, Bad Bitch Rum, pays tribute to the most notorious of the rum smugglers, Spanish Marie, who had an armada of 15 smuggling ships and was suspected of doing away with her series of husbands.

Get in touch with Key West’s oddball quirky nature

Visiting Key West is not only about taking in specific sights and activities, although there are many. It is just as much about getting a flavour for this place that takes pride in having an independent streak where anything goes. For example, many first-time visitors are surprised to see chickens roaming freely throughout the streets, and sometimes into restaurants. We can experience much of that oddball ambiance by simply wandering around.

A great place to start is Duval Street which has 43 bars. You can see Sloppy Joe’s Bar, which was Ernest Hemingway’s favourite watering hole. Then there’s the unique Smallest Bar (that’s its name), a hole-in-the-wall with only three bar stools. Or browse through Kermit’s Key Lime Shop where there seems to be a gazillion different ways to use key limes, from chocolate-coated key lime pie on a stick to key lime fudge and even key lime dog treats.

Resources

These are only a few of the many free things to do throughout the Florida Keys which range from historic sites to parks, natural sites, beaches, and more. For more ideas see the Florida Keys Visitor Website.

Other Articles on Photojourneys about the Florida Keys

• Key West – Surprising and Quirky by Nature
• Islamorada Island Charm
• Adventures on the Water in Florida Keys

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