Smathers Beach
Smathers Beach
3.5
About
Lap up the sunshine and score a golden tan at Key West’s largest public beach. The crystalline waters, palm-lined shores, and clear blue skies are all you need for a relaxing beach vacation. But if you’re up for some beach activities, there are beach volleyball nets, jet skis and paddleboard rentals available. Couples can opt for a romantic catamaran cruise while families with young kids can enjoy a splashing good time in the shallow waters. You can visit Smathers Beach any time of the year, but it gets particularly busy between March and April, when the spring break crowd rolls in. – Tripadvisor
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- Momof3inRVARichmond, Virginia62 contributionsFun Beach DayWe had a fun day at Smather's Beach last week. We liked that the parking is free across the street. We paid $50 to rent 2 lounge chairs and an umbrella. My kids wanted to snorkel and they did see some fish but not that many. We rented a kayak for $30. My kids really enjoyed this. The water was very calm and I felt safe letting the 2 kids go kayaking alone (13 & 12). There were posts in the water that marked how far out the kayaks were allowed to go. The beach did have some seaweed but not much. And the bathrooms were not bad at all. Wish there had been a snack bar. But this beach is directly across from Margaritaville Resort so you could walk across the street to eat there and grab drinks ;)Visited August 2023Traveled with familyWritten August 22, 2023
- dmsangerO Brien, Florida7 contributionsSeaweed & ConstructionBeach is being rehabilitated it looks like. Construction zone. Not easy to get to the beach. Also churned up by the recent hurricane which left a lot of seaweed on the beach. Will be beautiful when finished I’m sure but this visit disappointing though not the fault of Key West city.Visited September 2023Traveled with familyWritten September 10, 2023
- Benjamin LSioux Falls, South Dakota31 contributionsPretty good. Some seaweed but more space.Swimming beaches are in short supply in general throughout the keys for the general public. This one was the most spacious and had real sand as well. There was a fair amount of stinky seaweed. Waves were gentle. We found parking across the street that was free.Visited December 2023Traveled with familyWritten January 1, 2024
- Christina O6 contributionsNice beachA nice enough beach. Umbrella and 2 chairs $50 for all day. Calm, shallow, great place to swim but no place to buy food anywhere nearby that we noticed. Bathrooms were clean!Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten February 28, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
1,474 reviews
Excellent
514
Very good
428
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292
Poor
112
Terrible
128
CraigandAngieDalton
Watkinsville, GA94 contributions
Jun 2020
Smathers beach is dirty and gross! There is so much seaweed the city actually has a service with a dump truck/tractor to clean up and shovel the seaweed out of the way. The water when you first get in is dirty with seaweed, sea grass to the point it gets wrapped around your feet, legs, body. You have to swim out a good ways to get out of it! There are vendors there to rent chairs and umbrellas from the day; cost is $15 per chair and $15 per umbrella for the day. We rented a chair and umbrella which was a waste of our money because the beach was so dirty we didn’t easy to spend the day and found a nicer beach at Ft. Zachary Taylor instead.
Written June 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FDinger
Florida1,335 contributions
Nov 2020 • Solo
I’ve been to Smathers Beach several times over the past few decades. I even saw Jimmy Buffett perform a somewhat impromptu concert on the sand there one afternoon in the early 90’s. It’s a nice beach. I say that knowing the Keys are really not a beach destination, but if you need your toes in the sand, it’s a fine option. It’s narrow but long. It has nice palm trees. During my most recent visit late one afternoon, I saw two weddings, a professional photo session with a lovely girl in a very skimpy bikini, a line of fishing boats out on the water, and pairs of fighter jets in the sky. I also saw a wonderful sunset. I highly recommend a visit to Smathers Beach.
Written November 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Court
130 contributions
Oct 2022
Smathers Beach is beautiful and huge. There are bathrooms and parking nearby. It was kinda grayish since we went after Hurricane Ian, but I can see how it can be blue and beautiful any other time. We went for a wedding as a backdrop. Lots of weddings on this beach, we saw 4.
Written October 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ek1974
Hartland, WI233 contributions
Mar 2022
We stayed at Margaritaville Beach Hotel in March 2022. Smathers Beach is just across from Margaritaville. We went around 9:00 and no one is at the beach but my family. It is great for swimming and relaxing.
You can rent a umbrella and chairs from sunset company. But it is quite expensive. They charge $50.00 plus tax for a umbrella and two chairs, and another $25 for extra chair.
You can rent a umbrella and chairs from sunset company. But it is quite expensive. They charge $50.00 plus tax for a umbrella and two chairs, and another $25 for extra chair.
Written March 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon F
Cincinnati, OH5 contributions
Jun 2022
According to the locals we talked to, rotting sargassum appears every summer. How bad can it be? We rolled up our windows when driving alongside the rode; that's how bad it is. We decided to venture out of our car at one point despite the horrific smell and walked onto the beach for a couple minutes but quickly turned around. It appears it would be great in non-summer months, but it's quite unusable during the summer.
Written June 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
USSBeagle
Midwest US155 contributions
Mar 2020
Better than Higgs beach by a long shot but Sombrero Beach in Marathon puts it to shame. The beach was not too crowded during the week which was nice but several areas where we tried to enter the water had broken glass. The local PD Horse patrol came by which was pretty cool. Bathroom facilities are available and plenty of parking too. There were several food vendors and rental shops for umbrellas, etc. Not much shade so bring or rent an umbrella.
Written March 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Getbusyliving
Great Falls, VA307 contributions
Jan 2021 • Family
Absolutely no question that this is the best beach in Key West. Sand is great and clean, water is crystal clear and sand on the bottom is rock free. You can also rent umbrellas and chairs and hobie crafts, kayaks, tubes, etc. On street parking was easy to come by for a nominal fee. No food options but bathrooms are on site. The beach is right next to a busy street but it’s not an issue once on the beach. Great sunsets from here as well. Don’t miss this one if you want some beach time.
Written January 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Snarfyschmoo
Knoxville, TN49 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
Enjoyed a few hours on this beach today. Not very crowded. Nice and shady under the palms. There was lots of seaweed washed up but no offensive odor, which was good because we smelled that sulphur smell others referenced several times driving in, and we were afraid it would ruin our beach time. But no odor here today! I did wade through the initial seaweed to venture in the water, which was very warm. Once you went the first five or six steps in, there was no more seaweed. Would definitely return here!
Written June 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GW
1 contribution
Apr 2022 • Family
1st time here and we rented floats,chairs, and umbrellas from Sunset company. Kinda pricey but worth it especially when you are not coming with all of those things.The guys there were super helpful and took time out to give us some recommendations for things to do! They were really nice! They will work with you too!
Written May 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PAboyinFL
Ocala, FL1,253 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
The beach area has a half mile thin stretch of sand that runs along the Atlantic Ocean. Water near the shore is brownish but blues up further out. Bottom has many rocks and stones. It’s an okay beach, but not among the better ones we’ve experienced over our years of traveling.
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diana w
Branson, MO2 contributions
What is the closest and safest place I can pay to store my backpack for the day. ?? I looked on bounce app, all kinda far or closed early. Just want t walk about without it. But need it back t fly out. Thank you, Diana
sfiedler12
Saint Cloud, MN44 contributions
Are there public restrooms?
FDinger
Florida1,335 contributions
Yes
Barbara d
Warwick, RI60 contributions
Are there beach chairs and umbrellas to rent at Smathers Beach?
tammyprince-67
Lydia, LA125 contributions
Not sure... we renewed our vows and then rented a ScootCoupe to get around easier (Which is very fun!! Just don’t hit a chicken or rooster! They’re protected in the Keys). We couldn’t stand the seaweed smell at the beach so, we didn’t stay any extra time there. But, if you do a search, which is how I got the following info...Fort Zach rents them, as well as Higgs (Tropical Watersports) and Smathers (Sunset Watersports). :)
Leslie S
31 contributions
Is the seaweed and smell still a problem?? We are planning a trip for late September.
tammyprince-67
Lydia, LA125 contributions
It was in July I would do a search online to see which months are the worst for Key West. Worse come to worse, I’de call or e-mail their chamber of commerce or visitors center and someone should be able to tell you :)
Does it cost to park at the beach
cameraric
Tampa, FL71 contributions
No, parking is free.
Planning a trip in May, wondering if there has been any red tide at the beaches?
DaytonaGuy
Haines City, FL864 contributions
I tried to research it, and nothing came up. That is not to say that there is or is not an issue with Red Tide though. Sorry, wish I could be more helpful.
Lynda G
Perrysburg
I want to get married on Smathers Beach in January 2019. Is there a number I need to call? I am not using a wedding planner.
littlek8_55
Augusta, GA205 contributions
I got married on Smathers in 2016, be sure and get a license from city hall. Super nice people there. Just google getting married in Key West and they will have all your answers.
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Claim your listingSmathers Beach - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Smathers Beach
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Smathers Beach:
- Parasailing at Smathers Beach in Key West (From $69.95)
- Key West Photo Shoot at Your Resort or the Beach (From $350.00)
- Key West Private Charter Rental: Luxury Boat with Captain (From $899.00)
- Full day tour of The Florida Keys - Key Largo Islamorada Key West (From $833.34)
- Key West Ultimate Beach Pass with Parasailing (From $109.95)
- Hotels near Smathers Beach:
- (0.22 mi) Margaritaville Beach House Key West
- (0.12 mi) Seaside Condo, 2 pools 2 minute walk to beach!!!!!
- (0.91 mi) Atlantis House
- (0.93 mi) The Capitana Key West
- (0.31 mi) Seaside Condo 2 pools. sunny, quiet, near Old Town
- Restaurants near Smathers Beach:
- (0.23 mi) Tin Cup Chalice Bar & Chill
- (0.21 mi) Figjam Coffee
- (0.29 mi) Drifter's Cove
- (1.02 mi) Key Plaza Creperie
- (0.92 mi) Goldman's Bagel Deli
- Attractions near Smathers Beach:
- (0.74 mi) Fly-KeyWest Helicopter Tours
- (0.71 mi) Blue Planet Kayak Eco-Tours
- (0.73 mi) Key West Seaplane Adventures
- (1.78 mi) Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory
- (1.07 mi) Cruisin’ Tikis KeyWest