Eat. Beach. Sleep. Repeat. Part 1.

The time has come. My first blog post. 

EAT. BEACH. SLEEP. REPEAT. part 1 

I’ve been asked a countless amount of times by visiting brides and clients about where to eat, drink and what to see when in Key West, so I’ve decided to put all my favorite spots into a blog post!

After spending a few days playing tourist, I’ve realized there’s no way the amount of photos I took would fit into one post, so I broke them into a few. Here’s the first one!

My favorite thing to do in the morning, while everyone is still asleep, is to ride my bike to the Old Town Bakery and grab some freshly baked bread, croissants and orange juice. 

The next favorite thing is to have a quick breakfast at Sandy's Cafe. Great place to bump into friends over a grilled fish wrap and a large con leche (best in town).

If you had one too many the night before and sitting straight and facing people is not an option - Southernmost Beach Cafe is a great place to hydrate and consume calories while your lifeless body is getting tan lines.

If you're feeling a little adventurous - visit the Key West Lighthouse with one of the best views of the island (be prepared to climb 88 steps) or stop by the Butterly and Nature Conservatory (great place to take kids to). 

As a devoted cyclist myself, I always suggest to the visitors to rent a bike to get around. That way you're truly experiencing the mellow spirit of Key West, exploring the hidden corners of the island and, of course, avoiding the parking issues. Please note you must follow the road rules just like any other vehicle. Riding on sidewalks is allowed everywhere except Duval street.

Bike lane/route map here

Dog Beach is the number one stop for the perfect Instagram capture. Also happens to have one of the best restaurants on the island - Louie's Backyard. One of my favorite spots for lunch and sunset drinks with the ocean view.

If there's a definition of a perfect bike ride - the route from the Southernmost Point to the end of the Smathers Beach would be it. On your way you'll pass some wooden Conch houses, Duval Street, Higgs Beach, Key West Garden Club at West Martello, White Street Pier, Atlantic Boulevard with it's hidden Nature Trails (look for the signs on the right side) and finally Smathers - one of the most photogenic spots in Key West, with it's white sands and picturesque palm trees - all of them worthy a separate photo blog post. 

Other must-see spots and areas are the house on the corner of Angela and Margaret streets, Cuban Coffee Queen mural, Tropic Cinema with its own Marilyn Monroe, Key West Historic Seaport, Petronia Street and, obviously, Duval Street.

While at the Historic Seaport, take advantage of the happy hour at Alonzo's - half price seafood and Key Lime martinis are hard to beat. 

Another favorite place of mine is Santiago's Bodega (hot & cold tapas) that is located at the end of Petronia Street (which is a great tourist attraction by itself with a lot of cool shops, restaurants, little galleries and bars). 

For a little retail therapy visit Tucker's Provisions on Duval - an eclectic store with a great selection of clothing, accessories and souvenirs. 

Say goodbye to the day and watch the sun going down at the spectacular and serene Fort Zachary park. No filter needed... 

As I barely covered a few of my favorite places in this post - stay tuned for more!

In the next few posts I'll be covering more places to eat, drink, shop, stay, as well as water sports and cultural events.