The Best $ 10 You’ll Ever Spend

While Key West boasts free beaches, you’ll want to “splurge” on Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, a hidden gem on the island’s southern tip with an A-rated beach and a Civil War fort. Considered the antidote for the island’s steamy, shallow-water beaches, locals and visitors love “Fort Zach” for its Caribbean- clear water teeming with marine life and exotic pines offering plenty of shade. Laze about in a hammock near a picnic table and grill, or stroll one of the many nature trails in this 54- acre state park, home to a 19th- century coastal defense fortress and friendly rangers offering narrated tours daily. Hang onto your (less than $10) day pass and head back before sunset for a spectacular view without crowds on the jetty- end of the beach.