Higgs Beach
Higgs Beach is Key West's beach park along Atlantic Boulevard, with the Reynolds Street Pier, picnic spots and courts behind a strip of Atlantic sand. The 12.5-mile Swim Around Key West started here in 2026, so long-distance swimmers know this shoreline well. Bring a mask, since the park is known for swimming and snorkeling close to shore, and use the pier as an easy sighting mark.
Photo: Pietro Valocchi · CC BY 3.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 88/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 30°C, wind 11 km/h, waves 0.3 m, UV 4. Updated .
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Clarence S. Higgs Memorial Beach Park, 1040 Atlantic Blvd., Key West; free public beach.
- Water quality
- Florida Department of Health Healthy Beaches Program samples the 'Higgs Beach' site for enterococci bacteria every 1–2 weeks depending on county (Good 0–35, Moderate 36–70, Poor 71+ per 100 mL); an advisory is issued when a sample and its resample both exceed 70.
- Who swims here
- Start area of the Swim Around Key West, a 12.5-mile clockwise swim around the island with solo and relay categories and required kayak escorts; the 50th edition on June 27, 2026 started from Higgs Beach at 6:30 a.m.
- Facilities
- Reynolds Street Pier · Picnic spots and BBQ pits · Playground · Beach volleyball, tennis and pickleball courts · Kayak and paddleboard rentals · Beachside café · Dog park
Sources: visitfloridakeys.com, visitfloridakeys.com, visitfloridakeys.com, visitfloridakeys.com, swimaroundkeywest.com, floridahealth.gov, fdoh.maps.arcgis.com
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Details
- Location
- Key West, FL, United States
- Type
- ocean
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Coordinates
- 24.5467, -81.7862