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Smathers Beach

Photo: Juliancolton / Public domain

Beaches

Smathers Beach

Key West, FL · Florida KeysFreeFree; parking $5 an hour

About

Smathers Beach runs a half mile along South Roosevelt Boulevard, a ribbon of imported Bahamian sand that the city trucks back in every time a storm hauls it off. The water sits calm and clear because the only living coral reef in North America breaks the swell seven miles offshore, so the shallows stay warm and easy for swimming, paddleboarding, or talking a vendor into a jet ski. It is the rare beach where you can watch the sun come up over the Atlantic and set behind the palms from the same patch of sand.

Highlights

Key West's largest public beachImported Bahamian white sandCalm, clear water over a shallow reef-sheltered shoreWatersports rentals: kayaks, paddleboards, jet skis, parasailingPalm-lined seawall promenadeSunrise and sunset from the same stretch

Getting there

South Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL 33040

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