It’s easy to guess why the region is nicknamed ‘the Floribbean’, blessed as it is with year-round sunshine and tropical beaches many lined with Caribbean-style villas and Cuban eateries. Once home to both Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, Key West’s population of gay nationals and ex-pats has boomed since the 1970s, and the island is now ripe with gay-owned hotels and B&Bs as well as an active gay nightlife centred around Duval Street. Key West in particular is a gay favourite for its eccentricity and creative energy, pushed forward by literary residents both past and present. Stretching towards Cuba on a series of tropical islands all linked to the mainland via the Florida Overseas Highway, find the Florida Keys, home to some of the most romantic getaways in Florida.