Key West's Casa Marina Resort

Casa Marina Resort

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I love Key West for its Old Town, where the funky bars, restaurants, shops and Ernest Hemingway’s Home and Museum make for a lively experience. But when it comes to serious relaxation I much prefer to sway in a hammock and rest my head at the historic Casa Marina Resort—just far enough from the cacophony and crowds for which Key West is famous, but close enough to bicycle over to the main drag, Duval Street, when the urge strikes. Last weekend, I started my stay at the Casa Marina with breakfast at the beach bar chatting with Parisians and Brits. (I sipped café latte; they sipped beers.) A walk down the pier ended with a swim in the Atlantic Ocean made easy by a neat staircase that puts you waist deep in warm water. Since the beaches in the Keys are very shallow and the coast a bit rocky, this convenient entry point makes beach life easy. No sooner did I settle into a comfy chaise under a palm on what is the largest resort beach on the island, when the concierge arrived offering swirly popsicles on a very hot day. (Nice touch.) Besides the great outdoor area, the resort is home to the last hotel built by Florida industrialist Henry Flagler, who’s credited with the state’s development. (Flagler died before it was finished in the 1920s, but left enough money to get the job done so I’m told.) Mediterranean archways, wooden ceiling beams and red barrel-tile roofs all add to the hotel’s charm. And last, you don’t want to miss the stuffed lobster and passion fruit pudding served by the flame of tiki torches on the beach and pier once the sun has set. Tables dressed in crisp white linens are set up for this four-course, prix fixe dinner aptly named “Toes in the Sand.” 

Tags: Casa Marina Resort | Florida Keys | Key West