Smathers Beach is the largest public beach in

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

, 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 State Road A1A (SR A1A) is a major north–south Florida State Road that runs along the Atlantic Ocean, from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Fernandina Beach, just south of Georgia on Amelia Island. It is the main road through m ...

, 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."Diana Nyad: 'We Should Never Ever Give Up"
/ref> Smathers Beach is named after George Smathers (1913-2007), a U.S. Senator for Florida and friend of President John F. Kennedy.

References

{{Reflist, 33em Beaches of Monroe County, Florida Tourist attractions in Key West, Florida Landmarks in Key West, Florida Beaches of Florida