KEY WEST

Key West is a pedestrian-friendly, ultra-casual walking town. When you leave your cruise ship to come ashore, bring along a sun hat or visor, sunscreen, sunglasses, flat walking sandals or shoes, water and camera.
There are 3 cruise ship piers in Key West:
• Mallory Square • The Westin ‘Pier B’ • The Navy Mole

Mallory Square is the closest to Key West's downtown area. It is a short walk into town—just look for the ‘Welcome to Mallory Square’ archway, and walk though.
The Westin 'Pier B' is located at the Westin Resort, where most of the Royal Caribbean ships dock. It is close to downtown, about 200-250 yards from the pier to the tour locations.
The Navy Mole is on the Truman Waterfront. Because of the Navy base, access is restricted and requires passage through a security check point for all cruise passengers. (Remember to carry your photo I.D. and ship's cruise card). The Navy Mole requires transportation to get into town. You will be met on the pier by trolleys and given shuttle service into town. There is no cost for this service. It is provided by the city of Key West. You will be transported to Mallory Square (in front of the Sponge Market). Walking is not an option, due to Homeland Security regulations. The Navy is still active on this pier. (The ship berthing dock and the Outer Mole (Harbor) have been retained by the Navy which dredges the harbor and collects 40 percent of cruise ship docking fees.).

Ships Docking Schedule at Key West 2009: CRUISE SHIP CALENDARS
Find out where your ship will dock. The codes: B (Pier B); M (Mallory Pier); and OM (Outer Mole)

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POPULATION

The native population - those born on the island - refer to themselves as "Conchs" and represent a unique mix of Bahamian, Cuban, and New England seafaring heritage. Many well-known Conch families have been here for seven or more generations. Some confess to having never been off the island. The island has also attracted generations of artists and writers who popularized the mythology of Key West. Famous residents such as Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, John Ciardi, John Hersey, Richard Wilbur, Philip Caputo, Alison Lurie, James Merrill, and Thomas McGuane are among them. More Pulitzer Prize winners have lived in Key West than in any other city. Island folklore also crosses into popular culture. Novels, movies and television programs set in Key West have introduced many to the island indirectly. Pop star Jimmy Buffett's lament of being "Wasted away again in Margaritaville," has become a landmark goal for many visitors.

Key West is also known for its sizable, accepted, and openly gay population which has contributed greatly to the island's burgeoning tourism and business community. Tolerance is the rule and differences are to be celebrated. Key West is home to many eccentric residents and visitors who have traveled to the end of the road (U.S. Highway 1) to find individual freedom. This is their Paradise!

CELEBRATIONS and HOLIDAYS

Key West is a city which celebrates itself, its history, its diversity and its various reputations in many ways. Festivals and parties punctuate the tourist season. The social calendar, fishing tournaments and art festivals, literary seminars and world premiere plays, house and garden tours, international power boat and yacht races, and a lighted boat parade goes on 365 days a year. Most notable perhaps is Fantasy Fest, Key West's answer to Mardi Gras. Visitors from around the world descend on a ten-day event in October that culminates with a parade through Old Town that draws an estimated 50,000 celebrants.

Popular Annual Events

Key West Literary Seminar – January
Key West Race Week - international sailing event – January
48th Annual Key West House and Garden Tours - February, March
Conch Republic Independence Celebration – April 23
Taste of Key West - April
Red Ribbon Bed Race – April
Survivors Party – May
Queen Mother Pageant – May
PrideFest – June
Cuban-American Heritage Festival – June
Hemingway Days Festival – July LobsterFest - August 7 -9 Website: HERE
WomenFest – September
Fantasy Fest – October
Goombay Celebration – October
Robert the Enchanted Doll Day – October 24
Parrot Heads in Paradise Convention (aka Meeting of the Minds) – (November 5 - 8 in 2009)
Holiday Historic Inn Tour (December 12-13, 2009)
Boat and Holiday Parade – December

ECONOMY

Despite its reputation for being "laid-back," Key Westers are hard-working people. They have to be. Virtually everything on the island has to be imported on a one-way truck. Add to that the desirability of island property and it is easy to understand why the cost of living is the highest in the state. With tourism as its only true economic base, and relatively low-paying tourism related jobs as the most common denominator, it is clear why many members of the working population hold two or more jobs in order to live in what they consider paradise.

HISTORY

The native aborigines and subsequent native groups were the first settlers of Key West. European tourists occasionally stopped for fresh water on these islands, which stood fairly uninhabited. The tranquility was broken occasionally by those seeking refuge from being shipwrecked, to fish, to lumber, to salvage and plunder. Other than the Native Americans, apparently no one settled permanently until about the time Florida became a United States territory in 1821. There are scattered references, but no specifics, to the New Englanders and Bahamians as permanent settlers before the early 1800s.

The history of Key West is much like the rest of the Keys until 1821. Its natural deep water port was the deepest port between New Orleans and Norfolk, Virginia. Key West quickly became an economic center, was settled rapidly and became Florida's largest populated city. It had professional residents such as doctors, lawyers, insurance representatives, politicians, military personnel, journalists, publishers, etc. most of whom by vocation made some written documentation. These documentations have made Key West history easier to be 'history,' not fable. Politically, Key West was Monroe County. In population alone it overwhelmed all the remaining Keys for about a century and a half.

What is The Conch Republic? In 1982, the US Border Patrol placed a road block on US1 at Key Largo for the purpose of catching drug traffic, illegal aliens, etc. Traffic jams to and from the Keys built up in large proportions. Tourism basically died off. Several folks got together and formed the nation of "The Conch Republic," and seceded from the Union. However, The Conch Republic instantly surrendered to the United States and requested $1 Million in foreign Aid. The publicity stunt was successful in ending the road blocks. You will still find The Conch Republic Flag still flies in the skies above the Keys. Conch Republic passports are also issued.

DOCKING