My Daughter and now Son in law, just married there and are very pleased.
5 star :-) would give 10 star if you had the option.
Clean and tropical, the people were helpful and sweet.

We went on a Harley Bike Trip down to Key West the first week of March 2008. Visited Smathers Beach that week and what a waste of time and disappointment! The beach did have a few homeless and also some people playing vollyball and having an excellent time. BUT, the smell, the nasty seaweed and water! Wow. I can hardly believe that such a beautiful place could have such a nasty beach.

While visiting relative in MIA, we had the urge to go to the beaches in Key West. Upon driving by and walking toward the beach, the presentation appeared to be inviting with the mixture of pretty green shrubs, coconut palm trees and the like. My children and I had been looking forward to visiting and getting in the nice white sandy beaches in Key ...

If it is better now than in 2005, I wonder how it was!! ants, weeds, homeless people, etc... but the smell!! It was just unbearable, you smell the beach before you see it, a real shame! It seems that the waste water is going directly there, not child friendly either, the kids can not play in the sand or swim in the water, a pure waste of time (pun intended) to go there!

After Hurricane Wilma destroyed Smathers Beach, the local and state governments got together and had a multi-million dollar beach replenishment party.
I have worked on Smathers for 20 years, and can honestly say that the beach is the best its been in 20 years, clean and groomed unless right after a storm...
Beautiful imported sand, photogenic ...

I was compelled to write this after viewing a TV show about the 10 best Florida beaches. They listed Smather's Beach among them. I've been to a couple dozen beaches along the Atlantic coast from Maryland to Florida, and I really enjoy the ocean. I was really looking forward to my first trip to Key West last May. We arrived late ...

Smathers Beach was horrible. The water was brown, there was seaweed all over and just plain dirty. We had to go into the water to do a parasailing adventure, and it killed me to step foot in the water.

Bahia Honda - not worth the drive either. The water was also just as dirty, seaweed and gross debris was on the VERY limited sand there. 99% ...

Seaweed and bird excrement...that's what my sister and I saw at the beaches in Key West...but...Duvall Street is so much fun, and the sunsets are amazing. People are probably the friendliest you'll find any where in the states.
I'd definitely like to return to Key West, but I'll take the pool and Duvall Street over the beaches any time!!!

I LOVE SMATHERS BEACH THOSE PEOPLE THAT HATE IT DONT KNOW WHAT THERE TALKING ABOUT SMATHERS BEACH IS THE BEST BEACH EVER IM SMART BEST BEACH SMATHERS BEACH