Much about Key West has changed since ship captains and wreckers built the first sturdy homes here in the 1800s. But the weather has remained constant, and island architecture continues to make life comfortable, harnessing breezes and shading porch swings.

Walking tours of Key West are the best way to see some of the island's most intriguing architecture, along with court-yards, gardens and hidden pathways.

Start in the center of town at the Key West City Cemetery. The cemetery offers a peaceful tour of Key West's past, featuring family plots and a memorial to the American sailors who perished in the explosion of the battleship USS Maine in 1898. But here the island's sense of humor is kept very much alive, with legendary headstones that read "I told you I was sick," and "At least I know where he's sleeping tonight."

Then wander through the Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden, adjacent to the Key West Chamber of Commerce off Mallory Square. Here, busts of commodores, captains, doctors, authors and cigar makers commemorate 36 of the island's most influential residents.

For daytime wanderings, stroll the meandering paths through the grounds of the Key West Audubon House and Gardens, a testament to Key West's dedication to preserving history. The home was one of the first historic preservation projects in Key West, and was renovated in the 1970s, just before the wrecking ball was going to make the property a gas station.