Travel: Key West’s Conch Republic is a state of mind

Forty-one years ago, on April 23, 1982, a Border Patrol blockade of the Florida Keys in search of drugs and undocumented immigrants led to the birth of the Conch Republic. Infuriated Keys residents seceded from the union to protest being treated like a foreign country and the massive traffic jam that temporarily cut them off from the rest of America.

Today, the city of Key West has turned this event into an annual weeklong party that celebrates the birth of the Conch Republic. While the Conch Republic never materialized as an actual country, it still exists as a state of mind, symbolizing Key West’s, offbeat, nonconformist nature where the locals enjoy an anything-goes lifestyle supported by a healthy tourist industry. Tourists enjoy this laidback vibe too. You can walk down the streets of Key West carrying an alcoholic beverage and no one cares as long as it’s in a can or a plastic cup (no glass, please).

Key West once served as a base of operations against pirates. In the 1800s, the city enjoyed thriving salt manufacturing, fishing and shipwreck salvaging industries. It’s a charming, colorful place in more ways than its past. In the Historic District, beautiful vintage wooden homes with intricate gingerbread trim, side-hinged louvered shutters and covered balconies are painted in pastel shades and are surrounded by lush foliage.

Adding to Key West’s charm are the wild roosters and hens that roam the city, dodging traffic and walking through open-air restaurants and neighborhoods like they own the place. They are believed to be the descendants of early Cuban and Caribbean residents’ backyard chickens brought over for eggs, and birds released when cockfighting was outlawed. These birds fend for themselves quite well and have roamed Key West for years. With its noisy roosters, fascinating history, vibrant blue skies and waters, and abundance of open-air shops and restaurants, it’s easy to see why Key West’s charm has endured through the decades.

The scenic Overseas Highway offers visitors miles of water views while driving through the Keys to Key West. At Bahia Honda State Park in the middle Keys, you can rent a kayak or take a snorkeling tour to the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. Snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, sailing, jet skiing, and eco-tours are popular in the Keys. Key West also celebrates its African/Bahamian and Cuban heritage, and it has an active LGBTQ+ community.

My husband and I traveled to Key West in late April while the 2023 Conch Republic annual weeklong Independence Celebration was underway. We stayed at Heron House Court, one of the many bed- and-breakfast inns in the Historic District which are actually renovated historic homes. Key West is mostly walkable and parking is scarce, so we parked our car and walked everywhere or took a taxi.

A great way to get around is on the Conch Tour Train, which hits all the interesting places in Key West. The driver discusses Key West’s colorful past, including the history of writer Ernest Hemingway and President Harry S. Truman on the island, the ship salvage “wreckers,” and Henry Flagler’s infamous railroad to the Keys. The tour also showcases some of the charming, pastel-colored historic “conch” houses.

Among the many historic places and museums to visit are: the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens; the Custom House, an art and history museum; Hemingway’s home; Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park; the Harry S. Truman Little White House; the Key West Aquarium; the Butterfly & Nature Conservatory; the Lighthouse Museum; the Shipwreck Treasures Museum; and the Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden. For shopping, Mallory Square boasts many unique open-air shops.

Another interesting site is Fort Jefferson, built on a tiny island about 70 miles off the Key West coast and now a major tourist attraction in the Dry Tortugas National Park. The easiest way to get to this massive brick fort is via the Yankee Freedom ferry or a seaplane. My husband and I took this tour on our first trip to Key West a few years ago. Fort Jefferson was strategically built to protect shipping in the waters in the Straits of Florida, which at the time was one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

In hostile hands, it was believed, the islands in the Dry Tortugas could serve as a potential staging area where America’s enemies could attack us in the Gulf Coast. Built between 1846 and 1975, Fort Jefferson was never finished or fully armed. It was never attacked, but soldiers were stationed there for years, living in harsh conditions. It served as a prison for criminals and Union Army deserters during and after the Civil War. Visitors can see the gun stations and prison cells while learning how the fort is being preserved.

We spent a morning on this trip snorkeling on an excursion with Fury, one of the many companies operating in the Keys. A motorized catamaran took us to two separate spots on the reef off of Key West for three hours of snorkeling in pristine waters.

No visit to Key West is complete without a stroll on the famous (or infamous) Duval Street, with its several blocks outdoor bars and restaurants, art galleries, and souvenir shops. Duval Street is well-known for its rowdy nighttime revelry and is the location for many of the Conch Republic anniversary celebration events including a parade. Duval Street is also where you’ll find Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Café and retail store, if you’re a fan.

Finally, don’t forget to take a selfie at the iconic Southernmost Point marker, but you may have to wait on line for the snap.

If you go

Getting to Key West: Most Americans can either fly to Miami and drive a rental car to Key West, or fly into Key West International Airport. Check the airlines for flights. The Florida Keys Marathon Airport accommodates charter flights and private planes. Several bus companies including Greyhound, FlixBus and the Keys Shuttle offer bus service to Key West from airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Check their websites for route, price and schedule information.

Learn more about the history of the Conch Republic: conchrepublic.com/our-founding-in-1982