Key West · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Expensive to sleep in and small enough to cycle, with a sunset ritual that costs nothing.
Old Town and Stock Island
One long-running hostel sits in Old Town near the Atlantic side; otherwise the cheaper beds are on Stock Island, a bridge to the east.
What a day costs
Bed 50–80 USD and higher between December and April, food 25–45 because everything arrives by lorry, and bike hire around 15 a day.
Getting around cheap
The island is two miles by four — hire a bike or a scooter. The Duval Loop bus is free, and the Lower Keys Shuttle runs up to Marathon cheaply.
Free by day
The Mallory Square sunset performers, the Southernmost Point marker, Higgs Beach with its pier, and the above-ground cemetery in the middle of town.
Where travellers meet
The Schooner Wharf Bar at the seaport pulls crews, divers and travellers from the afternoon, with live music and no dress code whatsoever.