Whether you’re searching for the perfect flip flop, a designer bag, or the most awesome souvenirs to take home to friends and family, a Duval Street shopping spree will take care of everything. Set aside a morning, afternon or evening (most shops are open at night, too), and stroll up and down Key West‘s hub of shopping, eating, entertainment and catching the scene. Yes, Duval Street has its share of tacky t-shirt shops and souvenir vendors, but it’s easy to identify them, and therefore easy to avoid them if you want to.
Starting at the northern end of Duval, near Mallory Square and Front Street, work your way up Duval and then back down on the other side of the street from where you started. Since the Mallory Square area at lower Duval is near where cruise ship passengers disembark, this end of Duval is much busier and the density of tacky t-shirt shops is much much higher. As you walk further and further, the crowds thin out and the stores even get a little nicer in some cases.
However, lower Duval is also where you find some of the more famous Key West attractions. You get Sloppy Joe’s Bar, Captain Tony’s Saloon (not right on Duval but within spitting distance of it), and some of the more famous eateries like Hog’s Breath. The Bull & Whistle is worth hitting too, three levels of rustic bars, each with its own flavor (especially the rooftop bar…we won’t spoil the surprise, you’ll just have to visit and find out for yourself).
Best Soft Serve in Key West
By the 500 block of Duval, you’ll notice some higher end chain stores like Coach, Banana Republic and Biton. You’ve probably heard of Coach and BR, but not Biton, which is not really a true chain store although it does have multiple branches all over the country. Biton sells fully upscale clothing by designers you’ll see in Vogue. Beautiful and pricey. It’s also in this area (and a few other areas of Duval, since they have a few branches) that you’ll see Crazy Shirts, a very gimmicky yet irresistable (for some) store. Their t-shirts are dyed and smell like whatever you choose, and you can choose from beer-dyed, money-dyed, and more.
One of the best places to get original, thoughtful souvenirs of Key West for folks back home is Artisans, and their sister boutique, Aria. They sell costume jewelry, handbags, decor items, and fine jewelry. Their offerings are very carefully selected and staff is very friendly and helpful. The souvenirs would be the costume jewelry you can buy, from $4 to $12 for earrings, necklaces, and bracelets and hundreds to choose from. It’s an emporium of jewelry and bargain prices. You can take home something much more original and thoughtful than a mug from Margaritaville or a t-shirt from Hog’s Breath.
After the 600 block or so, it quiets down and there are lots of nice galleries. This upper end of Duval has great dining, too. Locals’ favorite La Te Da has outdoor dining. Nine One Five has award-winning chef. Upper Crust has the best pizza in Key West. Take the time to make it to this end of Duval. You’ll be glad you saved your money when you see the great artist wares for sale at a myriad of galleries up at this end.
