Six guests. One captain. No strangers.
Key West Fishing & Private Boat Charters
Chase mahi offshore, spear your own dinner, drift a sandbar nobody else knows about, or just watch the sun go down with a cold one. Rio has been running these waters his whole life — and he takes every trip himself.
Key West, Florida
Your own boat for the day
Captain Rio's Charters runs 100% private charters out of Hurricane Hole Marina in Key West, Florida, aboard a 32 ft Stamas Sport Fisherman for up to 6 guests. Rates are flat per boat — $500 for two hours, $900 for a half day and $1,700 for a full day — and cover fishing, spearfishing, snorkelling, sandbar trips, lobstering and sunset cruises.
No sharing the rail with strangers. No fixed itinerary. No rushing back so the next group can get on.
Pick your adventure
Six ways to spend a day out here
Or mix them. A half or full day can take in the reef, a sandbar, a wreck and a sunset without breaking a sweat.
Key West Fishing Charters
Reef, wreck, offshore or backcountry — you pick the fight, Rio finds the fish.
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Key West Spearfishing Trips
Go get it yourself. Rio is a competitive spearo and he'll teach you how.
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Key West Sunset Cruises
Everyone else is elbowing for space at Mallory Square. You'll be out on the water.
See the tripKey West Snorkeling & Sandbar Tours
The only living coral barrier reef in North America, plus a sandbar all to yourselves.
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Key West Lobstering & Island Exploration
Dive down, tickle him out, net him. Then eat him. Hard to beat.
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Key West Private Group Charters
Your boat, your people, your day. Tell Rio what you're celebrating.
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The captain
You get Rio. Every time.
Plenty of charter outfits sell you a boat and send whoever is free that morning. There is one boat here and one captain, and he is the reason people come back.
Rio grew up in Key Largo, moved down to Key West in 2008, and has spent every year since building this thing one trip at a time. Before that he was head captain on the schooner Jolly 2 Rover and ran Damn the Rocks Charters. He is a competitive spearfisherman, a freediving guide, and he won the Hobie Cat Race to Cuba in 2016.
- USCG licensed & fully insured
- Florida Keys native — raised in Key Largo
- Key West resident since 2008
- 1st place, 2016 Hobie Cat Race to Cuba
- 10 years running one of Key West's best-known sailing vessels
- Competitive spearfisherman & freediving guide
The boat
1998 Stamas 32 Sport Fisherman
Twin Yamaha 250s, an observation tower, a shaded cabin, and yes — a bathroom. Painted with a mouthful of shark teeth, because why not.
On board
- Bow & stern seating for six
- Private cabin with seating & shade
- Guest bathroom on board
- Observation tower
Gear & comfort
- Bluetooth speaker
- Cooler provided — bring your own food & drinks
- Rods, reels, tackle & bait included
- Snorkel & dive equipment available
Rates
One price for the whole boat
Two of you or six of you, it costs the same. All gear, bait, tackle and fish cleaning included.
All rates are flat per boat for up to 6 guests — never per person. Fuel is not included: consumption is tracked on every trip, and the fuel your charter uses is billed on top of the rate. This applies to every trip, inshore and offshore, with no exceptions. Gratuity is not included.
Good to know
Questions people ask before they book
How much does a Key West charter with Captain Rio cost?
Rates are flat per boat for up to 6 guests, never per person: $500 for a 2-hour quarter day, $500 for a 2-hour sunset cruise, $900 for a 4-hour half day and $1,700 for a full 8-hour day. Fuel is not included in those figures — consumption is tracked on every trip and the fuel your charter uses is billed on top of the rate, inshore or offshore. Gratuity is not included.
Where do Captain Rio's Charters depart from?
All trips leave from Hurricane Hole Marina at 5130 US-1, Key West, FL 33040. Captain Rio confirms your exact departure time and meeting spot when you book.
How do I book a charter?
Call or text Captain Rio directly on 305-394-1278, or book online. Because Rio runs every trip himself, calling is the fastest way to sort out timing, custom itineraries and questions about what's biting.
Are the charters private?
Yes — 100% private, every trip. It is only ever your group on the boat. You never share the rail with strangers and there is no fixed itinerary you have to fit into.
How many people can the boat take?
Up to 6 guests plus Captain Rio, aboard a 32 ft Stamas Sport Fisherman with bow and stern seating, a shaded cabin and a bathroom on board.
Do I need a fishing license?
No. The vessel's saltwater charter license covers every guest on board for fishing and recreational lobstering, so you don't need to buy your own.
What's included in the price?
All rods, reels, tackle and bait, snorkel and dive equipment, a USCG licensed and insured captain, a cabin with seating and shade, a bathroom, a cooler, and fish cleaning when you get back to the dock.
What should I bring?
Sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, non-marking soft-soled shoes, and your own food and drinks — there's a cooler on board and the boat is BYOB. Take seasickness medication the night before if you're going offshore.
Who will be captaining our trip?
Captain Rio, every time. There are no subcontractors and no rotating crew — when you book Captain Rio's Charters you get Rio himself, which is the whole point.
Do you run trips all year?
Yes, 7 days a week, year round. Winter brings calmer seas and excellent reef fishing; spring and summer bring mahi-mahi, sailfish and wahoo offshore.
From the log
Stories, tips & local history
The History and Legends of Key West Waters & the Florida Keys
Shipwrecks, pirates, buried treasure, ghost ships and Hemingway's fishing grounds — the stories behind the water you're about to go out on.
Read itFamily-Friendly Water Activities in Key West: Fun for All Ages
Dolphin watching, sandbar hopping, snorkelling, kayaking, family fishing and sunset cruises — six ways to get the whole family on the water in Key West.
Read itBoat Charter With an Amazing Local Captain in Key West
Snorkelling, fishing, sightseeing and good company aboard a private boat in Key West, Florida. Here's what a day with Captain Rio looks like.
Read itReady when you are
One boat. One captain. Your day.
Rio runs every trip himself, so the fastest way to sort out timing, a custom itinerary, or a question about what's biting is to just call him.
Departing Hurricane Hole Marina · Key West, FL · 7 days a week