Experience 'Authentic Florida Keys' At This Under-The-Radar, Quirky, Island

Authentic, eclectic and 'rustic  are all words that have been used to describe Key West's nearest neighbor, Stock Island. The locals may think Key West has become too full of tourist traps, and that it's become nothing like the island described by Ernest Hemingway and Jimmy Buffett. But on Stock Island, you can still experience the laidback Florida Keys escape those famous storytellers enjoyed so much.

Many people have been to Stock Island without even realizing it. For most, it's one of the 40-something keys one drives over to get to the end of the Overseas Highway on a Florida Keys road trip. But few stop to taste the flavor of this unique little island, where the area's only hospital opened in 1944, and the state's largest drive-in movie theater opened in 1953.  

Stock Island is both a part of Key West and not a part of it at the same time. It has historically been an extension of the town, and today, many Stock Island residents work in Key West. But Stock Island remains something of a local's paradise. But a few resorts are popping up, and there's great food and activities if you know where to look. 

Stock Island is home to a government complex, medical center, and college, as well as the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Gardens. It's also home to several neighborhoods favored by locals because they're more affordable than living on the island of Key West. But as Key West's popularity has grown and the island's flavor has changed, Stock Island has become something new: a destination for people searching for the "real" Key West. 

There are great places to eat and stay on Stock Island, but getting to them means wandering through working boatyards, waterfronts, trailer parks, and warehouses. The houses here aren't cute Old Town cottages with elaborate gardens. Instead, they're tightly packed mobile homes or prefabs.

Being farther from Duval means there's less to do on Stock Island, but there's plenty to keep you occupied if you are a water fanatic looking for things to do in the keys. The marinas here are departure points for many types of small boat excursions. For example, you can take a jet ski tour with Sunset Watersports out of Cow Key Marina. Or, get a real feel for The Keys and take a captained charter with Casual Monday. The crew take guests to isolated sandbars for beach adventures or on unique sunset cruises with a distinctly low-key, easy-going vibe. 

Even though it feels far removed, Stock Island is just about 5 miles away from Duval and Old Town Key West by car. If you want to stay on Stock Island, there are a few popular choices. Two marinas on Stock Island, once favorited by shrimpers and fishermen, have been revamped into The Perry Hotel and Oceans Edge Resort to cater to visitors and visiting yachtings. There are also two campgrounds on the islands for visitors arriving with RVs: Boyd's and Leo's. 

Many of the hottest places to eat, like Matt's Stock Island Kitchen, Bad Boy Taqueria & Tequila, and the Yellowfin Bar, are at the resorts. But to sample Stock Island, try some local favorites, too. The Hogfish Bar and Grill is an outdoor, laid-back eatery on the working waterfront at Safety Harbor. There's also Roostica Wood Fired Pizza, El Siboney, and several tiki bars sprinkled around the island.

Like its neighboring keys, Stock Island has great weather year-round. Most agree that the best time to visit is during spring and early summer — March to May — when temperatures are not at their hottest and Key West's risky hurricane season has yet to spin up. But plenty of people enjoy spending fall and winter in Key West, especially considering that the coldest month of the year, January, still has an average high of 75 degrees Fahrenheit.