Look for the giant mermaid on US-1 at Mile Marker 82 Bayside — that’s your sign you’ve arrived at the pulse of Islamorada. Open since 1952 and rebuilt after Hurricane Wilma leveled it in 2005, Lorelei is about as close to mandatory as a bar gets in the Florida Keys. Almost entirely open-air, with an expansive waterfront deck on Florida Bay, this is where Islamorada gathers every night for the Sunset Celebration — live entertainment, a Rock-N-Roll Magic Show some evenings, and the kind of sunset that turns grown adults into philosophers. The Key Lime Colada is excellent, the bacon-wrapped shrimp and blackened grouper sandwich are local staples, and happy hour runs 4–6 PM daily. Arrive early. Seriously.
