Town vs town
answered from the site’s listings
Frequently asked
Is Marathon nicer than Key West?
Marathon
1 answer
Oct 13, 2026
1 answer
In short
It depends on what you want: by our listings Key West has more going on — more places to eat, drink and visit — while Marathon is the quieter pick. Restaurants and bars in Key West rate a little higher on average (4.45 vs 4.27).
Beaches: Marathon 1 vs Key West 7
Restaurants: Marathon 14 vs Key West 158
Bars and clubs: Marathon 4 vs Key West 79
Hotels and inns: Marathon 6 vs Key West 71
Attractions, museums and parks: Marathon 12 vs Key West 76
The most-loved spots on each side, from our listings:
- Coco Plum Beach (4.0★), Marathon
- Bongo's Botanical Beer Garden and Cafe (4.7★), Marathon
- Marathon Mermaid Charters (5.0★), Marathon
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park Beach (4.6★), Key West
- Little Whitehouse Subs (5.0★), Key West
- Honest Eco Tours (5.0★), Key West
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park Beach
Tourist attraction · Beach pavillion · Cafe
601 Howard England Way, Key West
(305) 292-6713 Closing soon at 6:00 PM
4.6
Popular place
website
Bongo's Botanical Beer Garden and Cafe
Cafe · Art cafe · Bar
59300 Overseas Hwy, Marathon
(305) 414-8245 Closed
4.7
website
Little Whitehouse Subs
Sandwich shop
218 Whitehead St, Key West
(305) 304-1470 Closed
5.0
website
Marathon Mermaid Charters
Boat tour agency · Cruise agency · Sightseeing tour agency
1688 Overseas Hwy, Marathon
(305) 842-1492 Open until 9:00 PM
5.0
Popular place
website
Coco Plum Beach
Public beach
Coco Plum Dr, Marathon
(305) 743-0240
4.0
website
Honest Eco Tours
Boat tour agency · Sightseeing tour agency · Tour operator
231 Margaret Street Seawall Slip #3, Key West
(305) 294-6306 Closing soon at 6:00 PM
5.0
Popular place
website
Th
The Beachside Resident
editorial answer · from the site’s listings
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