Former refuge of pirates, fishermen, traders and treasure hunters, Key West is today a secret piece of paradise on earth where time stops still to celebrate the magic moment of sunset. Talking about Key West is talking about
Hemingway, who lived on the island from 1941 to 1950, and its bar
Sloppy Joe's, which every year holds a competition on the character more like the writer, whose picture hangs One of the walls. Given its proximity to Cuba, to Key West have migrated in boats and rafts thousands of Cubans who are still waiting from the other side of the end of the era that keeps them away from their homeland for more than four decades.
Sunset celebration, Key West
Better known between locals as the the Southernmost point of the United States of America, Key West (Cayo Hueso in Spanish) is at the most southern US, where you can see the still today mythical and nearby island of Cuba. Despite its close to 32.000 inhabitants all is quiet here, as if time had stopped in a remote part of this site -known as an extension of the Florida peninsula- surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. The American writer Ernest Hemingway adopted it as his beloved
Finca Vigia and lived there for nine years of his life, in which he wrote some of his most memorable novels, among which are To Have and Have Not, The short and happy life of Francis Macomber or the more famous
For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Duval St @ Key West, Florida
The Overseas Highway
Over 120 miles of the
Overseas Highway, a four hour drive through the narrow neck of land that joins all the keys of the peninsula of Florida, make up this archipelago of about 1,700 islands leading to the
Seven Mile Bridge, known for being the longest engineering project in the world built over the sea.
Overseas Highway @ Key West, Florida
Sunset celebration
Once on the island,
Duval Street welcomes visitors. This is the only street that runs along the Key West fell from top to bottom, from the vast Atlantic Ocean to the cozy Gulf of Mexico. This tiny street is famous for its Victorian-style mansions overseas, exclusive boutiques, restaurants with typical local food (fish, lobster and tropical exotic dishes) and their drag queen shows at night.
Gulf of Mexico @ Key West, Florida
Key West is one of the few places on earth where time stops still to contemplate, evening after evening, the magical sunset. Best known as the
Sunset Celebration, the thriving community of artists currently living in this small and unique town and visitors are there, they meet at the dock of Mallory Square to watch spectacular sunsets over the Gulf Mexico. Jugglers, acrobats, fire eaters, clowns and all kinds of tourists mostly from Europe awe at the celebration of this unique show, one of the most beautiful prints and postcards collected in the Americas.