The heart and soul of Key West nightlife, Duval Street is home to some of the most institutional watering holes in the Florida Keys. As the Village People sing in their hit song “Key West”, “Take a walk down Duval Street, you never know who you’ll meet”. Stretching from Mallory Square to South Beach, this pulsing downtown centre is packed with bars.
The original Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville is a top attraction with plenty of tequila and sour mix flowing freely inside. Sloppy Joe’s is well known for providing the urinal-turned-fountain at Ernest Hemingway’s nearby home and has poured drinks on Duval Street since 1933. Other popular watering holes on Duval Street include the Flying Monkeys Bar, Rick’s Café, Fogarty’s, The Bull and Whistle and Irish Kevin’s Bar.
Downtown Key West is easy to navigate on foot, and Duval Street lies at the very centre of the neighbourhood. A complete stroll from Mallory Square in the north to the end of Duval Street just before South Beach takes 30 minutes without stopping for drinks or window shopping. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum and the famous Green Parrot Bar are located one street over on Whitehead Street.
In addition to its nightlife, Duval Street is well known for its architecture. Part Spanish Colonial, part bright Bahamian, the colourful 19th century facades smiling over Duval Street could only be found in the Florida Keys. A good site for spotting historic Victorian mansions is the end of Duval Street closer to the Atlantic Ocean, as it is a more residential area.