If you’re traveling to Key West with a bunch of rowdy teens, you’ve come to the right place. With plenty of outdoor and offshore activities to unleash their energy, you’ll enjoy a family vacation bonding while having a ton of fun too! Here’s a handy guide to things to do in Key West with teens.
All Day Water Adventure
For your adventurous crew, sign up for Fury Water Adventures’ All Day Water Adventure trip, which includes snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, kayaking and playing around on a designated inflatable amusement park on the water. You’ll enjoy breakfast and lunch along the way and once you’ve completed the snorkeling and jet skiing portion of the trip, it’s happy hour for Mom and Dad with complimentary beer and wine.
Local’s Eco Tour
Perhaps you have a more chilled out crew. Embark on Fury’s Local’s Eco Tour, which is decidedly less adrenaline pumping and more, well, chill than its counterpart, the All Day Water Adventure. On this half-day trip designed to mimic a local’s day off, you’ll enjoy snorkeling at secret spots in the Gulf of Mexico, kayaking through mangrove islands and splashing around on a remote sandbar beach while learning about the dynamic local ecosystem. A light lunch, snacks, beer and wine (always important for Mom and Dad!) are all a part of the fun.
Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square
A visit to Key West is simply incomplete without taking in the sunset. Head to Mallory Square for the nightly Sunset Celebration where your teens will see everything from tightrope walkers to musicians and magicians all with the backdrop of the setting sun. The whole atmosphere is festive and family-friendly. If you get hungry, vendors sell conch fritters and mojitos, while El Meson de Pepe Cuban restaurant is located directly on the square for a flavorful meal and live music.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park & Beach
Arguably the most beautiful beach in Key West, Fort Zachary Taylor State Park & Beach is the perfect interactive attraction for families with teens. You can relax on the rocky beach, hike nature trails and discover the historic fort. The park boasts a concession stand for snacks and a kiosk to rent snorkels so you can discover fish swimming right offshore.
Discover Fort Jefferson
For the truly adventurous family, consider a day trip to Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas National Park with your teens aboard the Yankee Freedom III. If they love nature, adventure, boats and the water, then this trip is heaven. You’ll need to reserve the entire day for this journey 70 miles west into the Gulf of Mexico past aquamarine water and uninhabited mangrove islands. After a two-hour sail, you’ll arrive at Fort Jefferson to tour the fort, enjoy lunch, go snorkeling and explore.
Hemingway House
A visit to the Hemingway House might earn your teens extra credit when they return to school from vacation. The Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author lived on the island throughout most of the 1930s in a beautiful home that still stands on Whitehead Street today as a museum. Hemingway’s years in Key West were his most prolific, publishing The Sun Also Rises and For Whom The Bell Tolls amongst others during that time period. Opt for a tour of the home by one of the expert guides and gain further insight into the writer, his life and his home. You’ll also encounter descendants of Hemingway’s beloved six-toed cat Snowball that roam the property freely today.
Key Lime Pie at Kermit’s
What teen doesn’t deserve a sweet treat for being so well behaved on their Key West vacation? Head straight to Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shoppe for the ultimate Key West dessert. You’ll find every variety imaginable, from whole pies topped with whipped cream or merengue to by the slice to frozen key lime pie on a stick dipped in chocolate. There’s even a frozen strawberry key lime pie on a stick dipped in white chocolate. Which will you choose?