Smathers Beach

Smathers Beach is the closest Key West comes to a classic Florida beach day. It stretches about half a mile along South Roosevelt Boulevard on the island's Atlantic shore, a long ribbon of pale sand backed by palm trees, between the airport and the eastern end of Old Town, and it is the largest public beach on the island. The water is calm, warm and shallow for a long way out — the barrier reef several miles offshore breaks the ocean swell, so there is no surf to speak of — which makes it easy for paddling, floating and wading with children. Along the sand you will find beach volleyball courts, restrooms and outdoor showers, stands that rent kayaks, paddleboards, small sailboats, floats, umbrellas and chairs, jet-ski operators, and food trucks along the road. Facing southeast, it is one of the few places in Key West where you can watch the sunrise over the water, and it is open from sunrise to sunset. About 150,000 people visit each year, and during spring break it is the island's party beach, loud and crowded; outside those weeks it is relaxed and family-friendly, with plenty of room to spread out. Know the trade-offs before you go: there are no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk and watch children closely; the shallow, grassy bottom means you wade a long way to reach swimming depth; parking along the boulevard is metered and can fill on weekends; and in the warmer months seaweed can wash up in quantity. It is not a snorkeling beach and it is not the wild nature of Bahia Honda — but for an easy afternoon of sun, sand and a paddleboard, it is the best beach on the island itself.

Key West is not, by nature, a beach island. Its coral-rock shoreline was mostly mangrove and rock, and like most of the island's beaches, Smathers was built and is maintained with imported sand. That explains its tidy, uniform look and the seagrass-and-sand bottom offshore. What it does have is space, the long open Atlantic view and a breezy, uncrowded feel on most days, along with views of planes coming in to land over the water at the nearby airport. The palm-lined boulevard behind it is one of the prettiest drives or bike rides on the island, running along the water toward Higgs Beach and Old Town.

Making a day of it: arrive in the morning for the best parking and the calmest water, or come at dawn for the sunrise. Bring reef-safe sunscreen, water and shade, since the beach is exposed; rent an umbrella if you did not bring one. A paddleboard or kayak is the best way to enjoy the flat water, and on calm days you can paddle out to look at seagrass, small fish and rays. Food trucks cover lunch, and there are restaurants and shops a short drive away. Parking is metered along South Roosevelt Boulevard with enforcement through most of the day and evening, and overnight parking is not allowed; biking from Old Town takes about twenty minutes along the waterfront path.

Who it suits: families who want an easy beach with gentle water, couples who want a sunrise walk, groups who want volleyball and water toys, and anyone staying near the airport or New Town. Travelers looking for snorkeling should book a reef trip instead, and those who want a more natural beach should drive to Bahia Honda State Park. Pair Smathers with Fort East Martello a few minutes away for a mixed history-and-beach day.