Is there blue water in Key West?

From this pristine location, you'll be able to enjoy the crystal blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Bring your bathing suit and a book and relax at what Condé Nast once called the “best beach in the continental US”.



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Shallow water appears dark (brown) to the observer, while deeper water appears blue or green. Sand-covered bottoms appear white and may or may not be deep enough for your vessel to navigate.

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Both! The further down into the Keys you go, the more beautiful, clear, blue (and green) water you see! As you drive over the bridges in the middle and lower Keys you can look out for miles and miles and see water all shades of blue and green on both the ocean and bay sides.

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Key West. Those two words often bring about images of parties on Duval Street, incredible restaurants serving fresh seafood, and, of course, stunning beaches. The white sand that gives way to perfectly clear blue waters is the stuff that island dreams are made of.

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Boasting temperate waters and more than 3,400 hours of annual sunshine, the beaches of Key West are some of the most popular destinations on this tropical island paradise. You can enjoy the sun, sand and warm water as well as a variety of activities like swimming, snorkeling and fishing.

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You can also swim and enjoy other water sports like windsurfing and snorkeling as well as kayaking and paddleboarding in the clear, clean water inhabited by tropical fish.

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Our shores have shallow waters often resulting in sandbars, so the sun can reflect off the white sea floors and the surrounding microscopic plankton, which creates the gradient effect of clear-to-emerald-to azure-to-navy waters as you progress further out into the Gulf.

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Key West beaches are similar to The Bahamas, with white sand, coral rocks, and shallow turquoise water with tropical fish right off shore.

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47th Annual Swim Around Key West on June 3, 2023.

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The Best Beaches In Key West
  • 1) Dry Tortugas & Fort Jefferson. To many, this secluded cluster of islands 70 miles west of Key West is home to the most beautiful beach in the Florida Keys. ...
  • 2) Fort Zachary Taylor. ...
  • 3) Smathers Beach. ...
  • 4) Higgs Beach. ...
  • 5) Bahia Honda State Park.


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Which Florida beaches have the clearest water?
  • St. Andrews State Park, Panama City Beach.
  • Bean Point Beach, Anna Maria Island.
  • Inlet Beach, South Walton.
  • Clearwater Beach, Clearwater.
  • Destin Beach, Emerald Coast.
  • Smathers Beach, Key West.
  • Navarre Beach, Florida Gulf Coast.
  • Blue Mountain Beach, Santa Rosa Beach.


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Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key For years, there has been widespread agreement that the best beaches in the Florida Keys are the beaches at Bahia Honda State Park at MM 36.8.

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As sargassum washes ashore every year in Key West, locals and visitors alike are primarily annoyed by the smell of the sargassum quantity on the beach. This giant blob of seaweed breaks up along the shore to create a mess on public beaches in Monroe County, but there's not too much danger involved.

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One of the best beaches in Key West is located inside Fort Zachary Taylor Park, the southernmost state park in the country. The beach boasts crystal clear waters and is perfect for families looking for a unique place to cool off.

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Florida Keys Could Be Underwater by 2025.

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Maldives. The area known as the Maldives is 99% clear, blue waters and just 1% land.

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