I’ve lost track of how many people have asked me over the years “what’s the best beach in Key West?” and my answer has never changed: The beach at Fort Zachary Taylor.
Disagree? Send me an email with a compelling argument to the contrary and maybe I’ll include it in a future F5. Seriously. Bring it.
The following text recently popped up on my Edge browser’s home screen and I couldn’t have said it better myself:
Gaze out from these shores and you'll likely see a view of Floridian splendor—all glimmering ocean and gleaming sky. But look inland from this beach and you'll discover a Civil War-era stronghold of limestone and granite. Construction on Fort Zachary Taylor began in 1845, partly as a response to the War of 1812, and it was held throughout the Civil War as a Union defense position. It wasn't easy, as the fort was set at the westernmost point of Union-held Key West when the rest of Florida was firmly in Confederate hands. In the 1970s, the fort was deeded to the state and became one of the most popular historic sites in the Keys.