Key West on a Budget

Three hours into my latest visit to Key West, Fla., I listened as a mermaid explained why islanders are called “Conchs.”

“We had a tradition a long time ago where, when a baby was born — because, back then, your baby was born at home — you would put a stick in the yard and put a conch shell on it. That’s how you knew there was a new Conch born.”

A second-generation Conch, Kristi Ann Mills — known locally as Mermaid Kristi Ann — runs the annual Key West Mermaid Festival. She and I met on a previous visit and I think of her as representing what’s best about Key West: the people.

Renowned for stray chickens in the roads, bender-encouraging dive bars and the laid-back “Margaritaville” lifestyle popularized by Jimmy Buffett, Key West has long attracted a bohemian blend of artists, musicians, conservationists and dropouts to the end-of-the-road tropics at the southernmost tip of the United States.

During the pandemic, the island became a different sort of haven, beckoning an influx of newcomers seeking an outdoor lifestyle. Real estate prices soared and with Florida’s open tourism policy, the hotel business boomed.

So, could I, a thrifty traveler, still enjoy it?

Over a San Pellegrino ($2.95) at the Funky Rooster Coffee House and Wine Bar in Old Town, where a “pet bar,” or water bowl on the porch, had a sign reading “Dogs and chickens drink for free,” Ms. Mills assured me I could. She shared her tips for favorite places — many of which I visited — and introduced me to other passionate Conchs who make the place unique.

“Go off track,” she advised. “You’ll see how we do things a little differently.”

Rooms and bikes for rent

In October, a relatively quiet month to visit Key West, bargain accommodations were running about $175 a night and up. At NYAH — short for Not Your Average Hotel — a bed in a quad dorm room with a private bathroom was going for $100 a night. It was a compelling offer, especially since the hostel — a series of connected cottages — maintains courtyard pools, includes breakfast (covered by the roughly $10 a night resort fee) and is centrally located in Old Town.

Unless you’re reserving a private room with family or friends, staying at a hostel risks mystery roommates. In this case, the only other woman sharing the no-frills room had strewed her clothes across all four bunks and explained that she was binge partying after a breakup. Fortunately, since she’d come home at 5 a.m. and I’d head out…