Sunset Spots You Can Reach by Golf Cart in Key West

Key West is famous for its sunsets, and on an island about four miles by one, a golf cart puts every good vantage point within a ten-minute ride of Old Town. The nightly celebration at Mallory Square is the classic, but it is far from your sole choice. Here are seven spots worth the ride, with notes on getting there and where the cart waits.

Before you set off

• Check the day's sunset time. It swings by more than two hours over the year, from late afternoon in December to well after eight in midsummer. Plan to be parked at least thirty minutes early.
• Know how parking works. A cart parks in a standard space the way a car does, and most Old Town spaces are metered or paid at the same rates. Nothing is set aside for carts, so near Mallory Square the spaces go early. Our Key West parking piece has the detail.
• Pack light. Water, a light layer for the breeze off the water, bug repellent in summer and your camera.

Sunset spots worth the ride

1. Mallory Square

From Duval Street: under a mile, five to ten minutes by cart.

The waterfront plaza at the north end of Old Town hosts the nightly sunset celebration, with street performers, vendors and a crowd that builds well before the sun touches the Gulf. Arrive early, park where you can and walk the last stretch. This is the one if you want energy and a show.

2. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park

From Duval Street: about a mile and a half, ten to fifteen minutes.

The state park at the island's south-western tip has a west-facing beach framed by the old fort's walls. Enter through the park gate, leave the cart in the park's lot and walk down to the sand. Come early enough for a swim or a look around the fort first.

3. Truman Waterfront Park

From Duval Street: about a mile, five to eight minutes.

South of Mallory Square along the old Navy waterfront, Truman Waterfront Park offers open lawns, a promenade and benches facing the water, with the former Coast Guard cutter Ingham moored alongside as a museum. It draws a fraction of the Mallory crowd.

4. Higgs Beach

From Duval Street: about a mile and a half, ten to twelve minutes.

Higgs Beach sits on the Atlantic side along Atlantic Boulevard. The sun sets to the west along the shoreline rather than straight out to sea, and the long White Street Pier next door gives you a walk out over the water for photos. Parking is in the beach lots and along the boulevard.

5. Rest Beach and White Street Pier

From Duval Street: about a mile and a half, twelve minutes.

Just east of Higgs, where White Street meets the water, Rest Beach is a small, quiet strip with the pier running out beside it. Walk to the end of the pier for an open horizon. Good for a picnic and a slow evening.

6. Simonton Street Beach

From Duval Street: about half a mile, five minutes.

A pocket of sand at the Gulf end of Simonton Street, a block from the Historic Seaport. It is small and parking is limited, so it rewards an early arrival, but it is the easiest sunset you will find from an Old Town guesthouse.

7. Garrison Bight

From Duval Street: about a mile, eight minutes.

The working marina on the north shore, where the charter fleet ties up. Masts and hulls against the evening sky make a different kind of sunset picture, and the docks and benches along the bight are rarely crowded.

A sunset loop by cart

If you would rather sample several spots than settle on one, try this loop of roughly four miles:

1. Higgs Beach for a swim and a walk on White Street Pier late in the afternoon.
2. Garrison Bight for a look at the boats as the light softens.
3. Truman Waterfront Park to stretch your legs as the sky starts to colour.
4. Mallory Square for the final minutes and the celebration.

Our sunrise-to-sunset planner builds a whole day around the same idea.

Picking a cart for the evening

A 4-seater is the easiest to park near the busy spots. For a group, a 6-seater or an 8-seater keeps everyone together, and some carts list a Bluetooth soundbar for the ride. Fleets are run by local rental companies; compare them on our Key West golf cart rentals page.

A few courtesies

• Keep music low near the residential streets you ride through on the way.
• Carry your rubbish out; bins fill up fast at the popular spots.
• Share the railings and benches. Sunset is everyone's moment here.

Key West sunsets are the island's nightly show, and a cart lets you choose the seat. Plan ahead, park early and enjoy the ride. For the local rules, see our Key West guide.