The Best Shopping in Key West

The oldest gallery in Key West, Gingerbread Square is housed in a historic building and features paintings, limited-edition prints, glassware, ceramics and sculptures crafted by noted artists, many of them local.

Want to do a bit of shopping in Key West and really help support the local economy? Kino Sandals are affordable and handmade by skilled craftsmen at their Key West Factory. The store was opened in 1966 by Cuban immigrants, and is now managed by the third generation.

In the center of Mallory Square you can visit the Sponge Market Shop, which doubles as a museum that depicts the history of the sponging industry in Key West. In the early 19th century the Key West fishermen found sponges washed up on the beaches after storms. This discovery led to the sponging business in Key West. The sponges were collected from the shallow waters near the shore with a pronged rake. The sponges were then sorted and dried for the local market. Until 1849, these sponges were used and sold locally. That year spongers sent a sample of Key West’s fine sponges to New York. By the late 19th century the New York market was huge, and Key West held a great monopoly of the sponge trade in the U.S. At one point, there were as many as 250 boats in the Key West sponge fleet. More then 1400 people were employed in the sponge trade. Around 1905, the Key West sponge beds were fairly depleted and the trade was taken over by the Tarpon Springs, Florida spongers. The Key West Sponge Market Shop carries many different sizes and colors of sponges, for great prices. There are also many other souvenirs available. I dawdled in this museum/shop for about an hour, as I was very interested in the pictures and history of this fascinating industry. The sponges I bought as gifts were very appreciated. If you like history and high quality goods, this is the place for you.

New Orleans may be home to America’s most festive thoroughfare, Bourbon Street, but Key West’s Duval Street is a close second. This two-kilometer-long (1.25-mile-long) road runs from north to south, from one end of the island to the other, and passes through the city’s historic Old Town. It’s lined with bars, restaurants, stores and galleries—many of which are among Key West’s most famous, including Sloppy Joe’s, a Hemingway hangout back in the 1930s and still a hotspot today. By day it’s mostly for shoppers, but it really heats up at night, with huge crowds strolling up and down the street, live music spilling out from the bars and a party atmosphere all around.

Founded in 1984, this is the oldest cigar factory operating in the Keys, and it uses traditional Cuban methods to cure and roll its stogies. You can choose from a large selection of cigars and also watch a skilled torcedor (cigar roller) in action.