Located in Monroe County, Florida, Smathers Beach is a beach. It sits roughly 1.1 km (0.7 mi) ESE of Key West.
Smathers Beach is the largest public beach in Key West, Florida, United States. It is approximately a half mile long. The beach is located on the south side of the island, along the Atlantic Ocean and State Road A1A, and begins at mile marker zero, the beginning of A1A. The beach is lined with coconut trees and is often crowded with tourists and locals alike. On September 2, 2013, long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad arrived on Smathers Beach after swimming 110 miles (166 kilometers) from Havana, Cuba. It was the first time a person had ever swum from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. Smathers Beach is named after George Smathers (1913–2007), a U.S. Senator for Florida and friend of President John F. Kennedy.From the Wikipedia article “Smathers Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Smathers Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:40 AM | 64° ENE | 8:19 PM | 296° WNW | 89° | 13h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 66° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 116° ESE | 5:44 PM | 245° WSW | 42° | 10h 37m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 47m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:37 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 20m |
| June | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 39m |
| July | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 31m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 00m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 18m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 57m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 37m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Smathers Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 37° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 23° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 6:12 AM | 2.7 | 33° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 4.0 | 37° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 5:18 AM | 5.7 | 37° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 5:06 AM | 7.3 | 37° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.8 | 37° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:23 PM – 1:43 AM | 4.3 | 37° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 11:39 PM | 2.8 | 34° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.3 | 24° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.13 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (62%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 80 | 80 | 82 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 86 | 84 | 81 |
| Low °F | 50 | 53 | 59 | 64 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 76 | 66 | 64 | 54 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Key West, south side, White Street Pier, 1.4 km (0.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Smathers Beach, closest first.
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Ghost Town
LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Smathers Beach?
What time is golden hour at Smathers Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Smathers Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Smathers Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Smathers Beach?
How far is Smathers Beach from Key West?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.