Famous for its history and pastel-colored houses, this southernmost point of Florida along with the surrounding areas feature fabulous coral reefs, amazing snorkeling and breathtaking dives—with so much to see and do, we wished we could have stayed longer!
The yachting industry has been pushed in many different directions during the current pandemic in an effort to keep up with the constantly changing regulations of well-known luxury cruising destinations. It is easy to understand why yacht owners and yacht charter guests have grown frustrated as they try to hop on their vessels or embark in their charter vacations and enjoy a luxury yacht cruise to unwind and soak up a little fresh ocean air, sip their favorite cocktail and bask in the sight of crystal clear waters.
Key West was never high on my list of luxury megayacht vacation itineraries—until now. This destination—local to Floridians—pleasantly surprised me, as I visited along with a group of Yacht Lady S guests and we realized what her colorful waters could offer the industry, no elaborate time-frame to deal with and no COVID testing requirements.
My guests landed in Fort Lauderdale and we cruised down to the Keys and beyond during the sunset hours so they would wake up at anchor amidst the still, clear blue waters of "The Dry Tortugas", 70 miles off of Key West.
The illusion of being in a luxurious remote island, surrounded by calm seas, provided a relaxing atmosphere that set the tone for the morning. A group of beautiful sea turtles accompanied us on the short tender ride to explore the history of Fort Jefferson / Dry Tortugas National Park. No other tourists were on the island at the time, except the local ranger. Most travelers generally arrive by ferry at set schedules, so our unique position allowed us an early start.
Later in the morning we took our guests scuba diving with our very own dive instructor off "Bird Key Harbor", where we had our pick of wrecks to check out. The sealife was simply breathtaking, and the tranquility of exploring the quiet and untouched Tortuga Islands was refreshing! The group walked Lighthouse Beach, where a house still sits on the pier; broken in two. Although we only spent one night at anchor, we could have easily spent two!
We then drifted off Key West where our scuba divers got to visit the famous and fascinating "USS Spiegel Grove Wreck" on Key Largo and even went back for a night dive! They just couldn't get enough of these wrecks! While we enjoyed the stillness of the ocean; we had a school of dolphins swim right up to the yacht where guests interacted for a brief moment while they circled us a few times until finally gliding away.
Docking in Margaritaville was a real thrill for our guests as they feature live performers on the pier every sunset, including jugglers, island musicians and artists. Guests can hear and watch all the action right from the sundeck as the yacht backs into the slip. Margaritaville Marina is a cute boutique villa in itself, which conveniently allows yacht guests to use the hotel’s amenities—from poolside cocktails or a dip in your own sundeck jacuzzi—the choice is yours! Located in the hub of Key West’s old town, Margaritaville is perfectly situated and all the historical sites are only footsteps away.
On our way home, we stopped off at the exclusive "Little Palm Island" a lush private island where guests went ashore to play golf and had a waterside brunch, looking out at Lady S before setting sail once again.
Key Largo was our final stop, where our group was overjoyed to swim with dolphins! "The experience was raw and wild," said one of our guests. Far from the typical dolphin encounter where one sits on a shallow step timidly greeting a dolphin; our guests floated freely in the lagoon while a pair of friendly cetaceans lifted them out of the water by their bottlenose, shaking hands and fins, and even allowing guests to pet them.
With everyone finally settled for the evening and watching the midnight ski, we sailed smoothly back to Fort Lauderdale. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that Key West had become one of our new cruising itineraries. There were far more activities at our fingertips that we could have enjoyed during a longer charter, so we’re already looking forward to our next visit.
