Key West’s Old Town Treasures: From the Lighthouse to the Little White House

Find out why Conch Republic, as locals affectionately know Key West, attracted so many literary legends on a walking tour of the quirky old town. Starting near Mallory Square, you’ll learn about the people who made Key West the paradise that it is today, including ‘the conscience of Key West,’ former mayor Tony Tarracino, and Henry Flagler, one of America’s richest men. Hear how the town, once America’s richest city per capita, nearly went bankrupt before reinventing itself as ‘The Conch Republic’ in the 1900s. This walk takes you to former president Harry Truman’s Little White House where he spent 175 days of his presidency, Captain Tony’s Saloon, Sloppy Joe’s, the almost 100-year old eatery where Ernest Hemingway went to drink, and Jimmy Buffett’s original Margaritaville store. Along the way, you’ll learn how the salvaging of wrecked ships transformed the city, why the buildings’ aesthetics are so strictly controlled, and what led there to be so many chickens running around. You can also look forward to: • Seeing the tallest building in Key West, La Concha Hotel where Tennessee Williams stayed for ten years • Walking along the longest street in the world, Duval Street, which takes you from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean • Passing Ernest Hemingway’s home where he wrote ‘To Have and Have Not’ about a Key West sea captain • Learning the real reason the 150-year-old Lighthouse was built inland rather than on the coast • Hearing about the city becoming the ‘Cigar Capital of the World’ and how a fire made it lose the title There are plenty of things to stop and see along this 90-minute walk so, whether this is your first trip to the city or you’re a seasoned traveller, you’ll likely discover a side of Key West that you never knew existed.

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