Key West is internationally known as a gay mecca, attracting more than 250,000 visitors to this top LGBTQ vacation spot that celebrates openness and pride — the entire destination is renowned for its welcoming and accepting attitude.

“One Human Family” became Key West’s official philosophy in 2000 — and was soon adopted by Monroe County, which encompasses the entire Florida Keys island chain.

Just the right amount of kitsch, Key West bursts with sunlight, boasts year-round tropical weather, and some of the clearest snorkeling and most preserved coral reef structures in the world. Cruises to Key West, Florida are one of the most popular ways to see this walkable, immersive city. It’s easy to feel at home in Key West among swaying palms and small fishing boats glittering off the harbor. Key West is also famously rough around the edges. Once mostly cut off from the rest of the world, it has persevered through countless hurricanes.  

When your cruise ship docks, seek out a cafe con leche and a slice of key lime pie immediately. Then set out for attractions along Duval Street or Mallory Square, both hubs for shopping and nightlife. Don’t miss the six-toed cats living at Ernest Hemingway’s famed Spanish Colonial house-turned-museum. And, of course, a photo op awaits at the Southernmost Point of the United States, a concrete buoy memorializing Key West’s geography.