Hitting the beaches at Key West

What? There are beaches in Key West….are you spoofing?  

Heck yes! There are a number of beaches on and around Key West, but let’s knock one topic out right away…it’s a coral island.

Like the town, it’s beaches are a little…hum…unique. Some are small and tucked away, others fairly long.

The crown jewel is Fort Zac beach. (Ok, ok… if you’re a conch we can argue about this over a cold beer or you can shoot us your favorites and why. )

Here’s why it’s our #1.

Well, on a personal level, I did all my swim training for a Triathalon there.  I’d get up early at my house on Elizabeth, jump on the bike and head on over.  There would be a few couples sitting on the beach taking in the early morning. Always seemed to be a beach side yoga class working through their down dogs and enjoying the serenity.  

Just a quiet beauty with the sun rising, fishing boats heading out and the waters of the Atlantic crossing into Key West harbor.  

I’d slide into the February waters wondering “what the heck am I doing to myself…”, and ease through the paces but getting lost in thought and enjoying the quiet of the waters and the surroundings.

There is a beautiful cove that provides a break line from the ocean and is the perfect place for a long swim. It’s also crested by a gorgeous coral beach, hint…wear your flip-flops.

At one end of the beach is a snack shack (with clean bathrooms) and tiki hut where you can rent beach chairs and umbrellas to hang-out for the day. The snack shack is stocked with the normal burger/chicken fare and ample selection of cold beer.

The other end is a large jetty that demarks the transition from the ocean to the harbor. The inland side of the beach is shaded and laced with picnic tables and grills for truly kicking back and enjoying the day.

For the Madda Fella team, it was the first location we went to for our photo shoot…and as we knew, just a cornucopia of settings in one place to capture the beauty of the island and a few of our products.

The big picture is that it is part of the 83-acre Fort Zac Taylor State Park. You can walk, bike or drive there.

A small fee to the park ranger station and you have full run of a beautiful, natural playground. If you’re into it, there is the civil war era, historic landmark actual Fort…hence the name Fort Zac. Interesting enough, this was a Union controlled outpost during the Civil War. Wander through and think what it must have been like for the soldiers manning it.

So, for me…it’s the whole package. Not rowdy, great place to escape to and enjoy a little nature, a little history, a picnic with friends or day on the beach…and the most important ingredients….sunshine and crystal blue waters.