Smathers Beach, the largest public beach in Key West, spreads out in front of you. Stretching approximately a half mile, this sweep of sand sits on the south side of the island along the Atlantic Ocean and State Road A1A, beginning at mile marker zero, the very start of A1A. The shore is lined with coconut trees and is often crowded with tourists and locals alike, a place both social and quietly tropical.
On September 2, 2013, long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad arrived here after swimming 110 miles (166 kilometers) from Havana, Cuba, the first time anyone had swum from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. The beach’s name honors George Smathers (1913–2007), a U.S. Senator for Florida and a friend of President John F. Kennedy, a reminder of the island’s ties to wider stories.
Stand with your feet in this sand and imagine the 110-mile finish, the line of coconut trees, the road and the ocean meeting at mile marker zero. Picture the Atlantic ahead, the palms along the shore, and the ribbon of A1A running beside the sand.