Among of many Key West's natural attraction Key West's sun sets are the most popular. Every night, about an hour before sunset groups of jugglers, musicians and other performers gather at Mallory Square Dock in Old Town off Duval Street to entertain spectators of the most incredible sunset of the East Coast. Gingerbread mansions, tin-roofed conch houses, the John Audubon House and Ernest Hemingway's home, restored old wooden homes, Bahama Village and Seaport district, beaches and reefs make Key West the most distinguished among the Keys.

At 30 miles, Key Largo is the northernmost and the longest island of the Florida Keys. It lies only an hour's drive from South Florida's two major airports. The island is a famous diving and sport-fishing destination. It is home for John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, a land area with 178 nautical miles of protected ocean waters. Features include a portion of a living coral reef and the underwater, 9-foot bronze stature "Christ of the Deep", which can be viewed by snorkel or scuba tour.

The "purple island" (isla morada) got its name for its purplish appearance from a distance. Islamorada is a fishing haven spread over the islands of Lower Matecumbe Key, Plantation Key, Upper Matecumbe Key and Windley Key. Islamorada and its surrounding areas boast several state parks. Indian Key Historic State Park, a 10-acre uninhabited island is located a mile southeast of Lower Matecumbe Key. Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site can be reached only by private or chartered boat from the marinas at the western end of Islamorada. Because of its high elevation the island retains a singular plant community and is a fine example of a West Indian hardwood hammock. Matheson House, the home of the former land owner, built of coral in 1919 and furnished in 1930s styles, still remains unchanged. The shops and galleries at Treasure Village and the Rain Barrel on Plantation Key offer a colorful collection of arts, crafts, and other creative island treasures.

The Lower Keys were sparsely settled in the early to mid 1800's. Mosquitoes and lack of any particular way of making a living made it difficult to homestead this area. At the same time, Key West had a population of 18,000, making it the largest city in Florida. Some well-to-do Key Westers had country homes 30 miles east in the Lower Keys and all sailed by boat to their second home. Although sparsely inhabited today, small lower Keys like No Name and Little Pine had substantial settlements. Big Pine Key, between Marathon and Key West, is home the Key deer, a miniature species maturing to the size of a large dog. Tiny Little Duck Key boasts Veterans Memorial Park. Its sandy beaches, picnic areas, and pet-friendliness make it a perfect family stop along the famed Overseas Highway. There are many other small islands of the Lower Keys with intriguing names such as Summerland Key, Big Torch and Little Torch Keys, Cudjoe Key, Sugarloaf Key or Big Coppitt Key. All are an easy drive to Key West. In fact, the uninhabited Saddlebunch Keys are a network of sandy lagoons and mangrove islands that make the jaunt a memorable one, especially at sunset.

Marathon, named for the lament of an East Coast Railroad engineer, is a small city centered on the island of Vaca Key at the midpoint of the Keys island chain. It boasts homey resorts, luxury accommodations, shopping opportunities and has retained the charm of its roots as a 19th-century fishing village. Marathon is home to Crane Point Hammock, a 63.5-acre land tract that is one of the most important historical and archaeological sites in the Keys. The area contains evidence of pre-Colombian and prehistoric Bahamian artifacts, and once was the site of an entire Indian village. Recently opened to the public is Pigeon Key, a tiny five-acre island nestled below the old Seven Mile Bridge. Step onto Pigeon Key and step back into history to the key that was home to the men that built Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad. Marathon also is home to the Dolphin Research Center and the Turtle Hospital. Both play important roles in the preservation of indigenous Keys' marine life.