KEY WEST BARS

The Nightlife in Key West

Key West is famous for conch houses and bars, among other things. There are more bars up and down Duval Street than you can shake a stick at, and one of the most popular activities for some visitors is the Duval Crawl, or bar-hopping on Duval Street. Key West is a haven for drinkers, it's encouraged, even. Morning noon and especially at night you can see locals and visitors alike hard at it. Key West has always been a hard-drinking town, right from the beginning days of wreckers and smugglers. These rough types liked to pound the drinks after a hard day's work tearing apart wrecked ships and salvaging the valuables, if they were wreckers. If they were smugglers, they took time off from their rum-running or arms dealing to drink a while in town and relax or stir up some excitement. Even in the 1940s, there were almost 50 bars on Duval Street. These days, people come to the bars of Key West to unwind, get away from stress, and have a rowdy good time with like-minded bar-hoppers and vacationers looking for fun and relaxation.

The bars begin at the 200 block of Duval Street, and keep on going but thin out as you head south toward the Southernmost Point. The 200 block is where you'll find the thickest concentration of bars, for easy bar-hopping. On this party block you'll find some of the biggest, the loudest, and most famous, such as Rick's, Bull & Whistle, and Sloppy Joe's. Captain Tony's Saloon is just around the corner, too. Rick's upstairs is where younger crowds go to dance to DJs since the upper floor is much larger than anywhere else. Downstairs is smaller and more bar-oriented.

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