The Marquesas Keys by private charter: Key West's wild atoll
Twenty-five miles west of Key West, where the chain of islands gives way to open backcountry, a ring of mangroves curls around a shallow green lagoon. The Marquesas Keys are uninhabited, protected, and far enough out that on most days the only boat you'll see is your own. This is as wild as the Florida Keys still get.
- Where: ~25 miles west of Key West, past Boca Grande Key
- Distance: A bit over an hour each way on a calm day
- Status: Uninhabited; Key West National Wildlife Refuge
- Boat: Our Jeanneau NC 895, up to 6 guests, private
- Do: Snorkeling, flats fishing, empty beaches, total seclusion
- Bring: Everything — no services out here
What's actually out there
The Marquesas are a near-perfect ring of small mangrove islands — a shape so unusual it's often described as one of the only atoll-like formations in North America. At the center sits a shallow lagoon, Mooney Harbor, ringed by the islands and accessible only by small boat through narrow cuts. Around the edges are sand flats, grass beds, and clear, calm water that holds fish you'll spend the rest of your life trying to find again.
There's history out here too. The wreck of the Atocha — the 1622 Spanish galleon Mel Fisher finally located in 1985 — went down in these waters west of the Marquesas, and treasure is still occasionally recovered from the area. You won't be diving the wreck, but you'll be floating over the same ground that hid it for three and a half centuries.
What you won't find: docks, shops, food, or fresh water. The Marquesas are part of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge, undeveloped and left alone on purpose. What you bring is what you have.
How far is it, and how long does it take?
The Marquesas sit about 25 miles west of Key West, just past Boca Grande Key — a bit over an hour's run on a calm day. That makes it a full-day private charter with real time to fish, snorkel, and beach once you're out there. We run it on our own Jeanneau NC 895: up to six guests, a USCG-certified captain, and a day planned around the tides and the wind rather than a fixed schedule. Conditions decide everything out here, so the captain reads the forecast and calls it straight before you commit.
What you'll actually do out there
- Flats fishing. This is the draw for a lot of people. The Marquesas flats are legendary for tarpon, permit, and bonefish — the holy trinity of backcountry fishing — and we run light-tackle fishing with guides who know the water.
- Snorkeling. The shallow, clear water around the islands is calm and easy, good for rays, reef fish, and first-timers who want the backcountry without the chop.
- Empty beaches. Stretches of sand most people never reach, with room to swim, walk, and do nothing at all.
- Seclusion and wildlife. Wading birds, ospreys, the lagoon, and the particular quiet of a place with no engines but your own.
Bring water, sun protection, and your gear — like the rest of the backcountry, there's nothing out there but the islands.
Why go private
There's no other way to do the Marquesas right. There's no ferry, no tour boat, no crowd — it's small-boat country, and the only way out is a private charter. That's the appeal: your group, your day, and a captain who can put you on the fishing at the right tide and the beach at the right state of the water. Want to fish the morning incoming and beach the afternoon? That's a normal day for us.
Part of the run west
The Marquesas are the middle stop on the great westward arc out of Key West. Closer in, Boca Grande Key is the secluded-beach day — an hour out, white sand, easy snorkeling. Farther still, Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson are the seventy-mile expedition. The Marquesas split the difference: wilder than Boca Grande, reachable in a single day, and built for anyone who wants the fishing and the solitude. Many groups build it into a longer custom full-day charter and let the day run long.
Common questions
Where are the Marquesas Keys?
About 25 miles west of Key West, past Boca Grande Key — a ring of uninhabited mangrove islands in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge.
How far are they, and how long does it take?
Roughly 25 miles west — a bit over an hour each way on a calm day, run as a full-day private charter.
Why are the Marquesas special?
They form a rare ring shape often described as one of the only atoll-like formations in North America, with a shallow central lagoon, world-class flats fishing, and almost no other boats.
Is there snorkeling and fishing?
Yes. The flats are legendary for tarpon, permit, and bonefish, and the clear, shallow backcountry water makes for calm, easy snorkeling.
What should I bring?
Everything — the islands are uninhabited with no services. Water, sun protection, and your beach or fishing gear.
Can you combine it with other trips?
Yes. It pairs naturally with a Boca Grande beach day or a snorkeling run, and works well as a longer full-day custom charter.
It's the same boat, the same captain, and a day shaped around your group. Book the day and we'll point the bow west.
Six Fins runs private charters from the Perry Hotel & Hurricane Hole marinas in Key West. Small-group, custom, and led by a USCG-certified captain.