Exploring the Stunning Sandbars of Key West: A Visitor’s Guide

Key West Sandbars

The word is out! 

Visiting a Key West Sandbar is considered a local’s favorite pastime and now sandbar tours in Key West are becoming one of the popular things to do for visitors.

What Are Sandbars?

But first, if you have no idea- what is a sandbar? Basically, a sandbar can be thought of as an underwater beach, some of them can become exposed at low tide during certain times of year while some of them just get super shallow. They can be located miles from Key West, and they can shift seasonally or after storms. To put it succinctly, they are awesome! 

Key West Sandbars, just like beaches, are coastal features that are created by wave action and currents, the way they are formed means that not every sandbar location is a good spot for relaxing on any given day. And weather, not just tide, is the major factor to consider when it comes time to go to a sandbar. 

When is the Best Time for Sandbar Tours in Key West?

While you can hope to go on a sandbar tour in the Key West winter season, there is a higher risk that due to weather it won’t work out during this time of year.

I would consider Summer to be “Sandbar Season” the weather is calmer, and the water is warmer. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to enjoy a Key West sandbar excursion in the winter. 

Top Sandbars in Key West

Similar to a beach, there are stark differences in the atmosphere you can expect depending on the day. Some of the best sandbars in Key West sandbars are:

• Boca Grande
• Snipe Point sandbar (aka Snipes)
• Marvin Key sandbar
• Woman Key
• Boca Chica
• Jewfish Basin

However, while these locations can be some of the most beautiful places you could visit during the week, on the weekend or on holidays instead of a natural landscape they can transform into more of a Key West sandbar party that looks and feels like a NFL tailgate party. This is great for some, but maybe not for all.

Now that I am a grumpy old Dad, I get more typical by the day, and I prefer to avoid these spots when they are busy, but to each their own! In fact, on the map below I omitted one of my favorite spots. Not that I expect this post to go viral or that it’s even a secret, but hey some things are for friends, family and guests!

Key West Sandbar Map

Boca Grande

Boca Grande is a beach and a sandbar that is located in the middle of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge and at what you might think of as the end of the Lakes Passage that is a shallow water passage through the Mule Keys. Boca Grande has a beach that is formed on the side of the island that is in the lee from the prevailing easterly winds and from the Northerly winds that come in during cold fronts. This makes for a great spot to go in the winter. The Picture below is SQUID at Boca Grande.

Snipe Point

On the right day, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. But you won’t find me here on a weekend!

Snipes is shallow water for as far as the eye can see, as long as you are sitting in the water, and you will often see stingrays or small sharks cruise by.

You wouldn’t want to go to Snipes on a day when there is a North wind because it won’t be protected, but the North wind days are when the sea shells get ground up and deposited onto the sandbar to be enjoyed on easterly or southerly wind days.

The route to get to Snipes can be tricky, so if you are going the inside route, make sure your boat is shallow draft and you have locals knowlege. It is not marked by the Coast Guard and the route only has “Bubba Sticks” which are unofficial Aids to Navigation.

Marvin Key

Marvin Key is the Northeast neighbor to Snipes. Often those coming from Key West wind up at Snipes, and those coming from up the Keys wind up at Marvin. Both locations are similar and great and serve a big role in the beauty of the area.

Woman Key

Right next to Ballast Key, which is the only island in the wildlife refuge with a house on it (now under care of The Nature Conservancy), is a long island that runs east to west with a beach on the south side.

Another great spot to hide from a North wind in the winter you can also walk the beach and maybe even take some trash home with your. One of the interesting discoveries is that the islands that we visit in the refuge are cleaner due to people removing some of the litter. Just be careful not to damage anything!

The naming lore is that there was a slave ship that sank and they separated the women from the men on different neighboring islands. So you have Man Key to the East of Woman Key. But with any naming stories, I wouldn’t expect you to believe it. I probably don’t?

The girls are building a sandcastle at Woman Key, a stop often featured on our Key West catamaran tour, with a catamaran, kayak, and seaplane in the background.

Sandbars and Islands with Beaches

When visiting these local spots, please do not go above the high water tide mark on any beaches, the reason is because sea turtles and some birds nest on the ground in these areas which puts future generations at risk. For the same reason, especially, please do not allow your dogs onto the beach where they will sniff out the nests and damage the nests in the wildlife refuge. While it is illegal to go above the high water mark, we all know we often bend or violate rules and roll stop signs or go a little over the speed limit, but on this one, it’s not about a ticket, it’s about being knowledgeable on the why and doing the right thing for the right reasons! Thank you, we appreciate you!

Boca Chica

Boca Chica sandbar is the closest to civilization, but don’t go ashore unless you are a member of the military! Boca Chica is a Naval Air Station so you will also get views and sounds of Naval Jets taking off and landing. It is quite the site to see. Boca Chica is the only sandbar mentioned that is not a part of a National Wildlife Refuge, so this means you could be subjected to visits from Jet Skiers, it’s not the end of the world, but truthfully one of the many things that makes the wildlife refuges nice is that Jet Skis aren’t allowed in them. If you head out on a trip with us, be sure to ask your captain to explain the difference between a jet ski and a vacuum cleaner. By the way I grew up riding jet skis and having tons of fun on lakes in Kentucky, so I believe that gives me permission to joke about them.

Jewfish Basin

There are lots of sandbars that have a chunkier sand and channels that are carved through them. This is a nice spot that is a little closer to Key West and is easier to get some privacy if you are headed out to the sandbar on a weekend. It is another spot that you wouldn’t want to go to in a North wind. It has some protection from East, West and South, but not a enough to make it calm on a very windy day.

Activities at the Sandbars

Snorkeling

Sandbar Snorkeling is not a main feature of a sandbar, though it can be fun to do and worthwhile, I would never tell someone I was taking them on a snorkeling trip and then take them to a sandbar.

With that in mind, I always think it’s fun when my guests do go out snorkeling the sandbar, it’s calm and shallow and probably more similar to underwater beach combing than snorkeling. The shallow, sandy-bottomed waters make it an excellent choice for Key West snorkeling for beginners. You can find seastars, shells, sea urchins, sea biscuits, sea cucumbers and sometimes fish will roam through, but as there isn’t structures created by sponges and corals, there aren’t fish that “live” there. 

As long as your expectations are not “snorkeling” then it actually can be quite fun to explore and swim with a mask and snorkel at the sandbar. Add this to your summer bucket list: snorkeling coral reefs, sailing through turquoise waters, and catching a Key West sunset with our sunset snorkeling tour in Key West.

FYI, when you book a private charter with us for a sandbar trip, we always include a snorkeling stop at a patch reef, reef, or sponge garden—where you’ll experience some of the best snorkeling in Key West, Florida. Of course, you can always customize a private boat charter however you like!

Other activities at the sandbar

For the most part, a sandbar is lounging, floating, enjoying your friends and family, maybe with a cold adult beverage or several, and tossing a ball or frisbee.

Kayaking

Kayaking a Key West Sandbar. One of my favorite ways to experience a Key West sandbar is through a mangrove kayak tour. We anchor at a sandbar so you can swim around for a bit while the crew prepares the kayaks. Then, you head out to explore a nearby mangrove island. Although this requires more equipment, it’s an incredibly beautiful experience. On our sailing catamaran, we can accommodate kayaks for this adventure, but we don’t carry kayaks on our smaller boats.

Planning Your Key West Sandbar charters

• What are the Best times to visit sandbars in Key West? While you can go year round, due to weather, your best bet for planning is in the summer. However as long as there is not a cold front visiting in the winter you can have a great time at the sandbar.
• Tides are another factor when planning a sandbar charter in Key West and can affect what routes you take to get there and where you want to anchor your boat to make sure you can leave when you would like! There are tide charts online, though those are for general areas and we adjust when we expect the tides at our destination to be low or high based on experience, each spot is a different due to how the areas drain and flood.

How to Get There

You pretty much have to take a boat. None of the locations are private or permit limited, and you can take a private boat, but if you are not a local with “local’s knowledge” then I would highly recommend looking for boat tours in Key West that can accommodate a Key West sandbar tour. Not all boats are shallow draft or fast enough to access the spots. For example, a sailboat, unless a catamaran, would not be fast enough, even if it is shallow draft enough to get there.

Family Adventures in Key West

If you’re planning a trip to Key West with your kids, be sure to check out our other blog post: Things to Do in Key West with Kids and Teenagers. It’s full of tips and ideas that can make your family vacation even more enjoyable, including activities that are perfect for younger explorers. This guide will help you make the most of your Key West trip with the whole family.

Recommended tour companies for Sandbar in Key West

• You’ll be surprised, but I would like to take this opportunity to nominate ourselves at the top of this list! Honest Eco Tours Sandbar Charter + Private Snorkeling.
• Island to Island charters with captain Ally. I’ve known Ally for longer than I care to mention and she’s very friendly and capable and can deliver an experience that you will enjoy.
• Renting a boat: Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend renting a boat for your Florida Keys Sandbar Adventure because of the shallow water navigational challenges I mentioned above. Even if I want to totally relax I’ll hire a captain to drive my group, but if you want to rent a boat on your own, then I can understand and I would then say you have to go with Spencer’s Boatyard.

Safety and Conservation Tips

• It sounds obvious and it is, but please make sure you drink a ton of water, maybe even bring some electrolyte packages. Drink water before you go, while you are out and when you get home.
• Sunshirts, Hats, Sunglasses. While I am not 100% serious when I say “Sunscreen doesn’t work” I also kind of am. I’ve been on the water in Key West for almost 20 years and I have seen lots of guests apply sunscreen and just as many interesting patterns of sunburn. I highly recommend sunshirts, hats and sarongs for a mechanical sun protection that is effective. We even sell them aboard our larger catamarans SQUID and our Sailing Catamaran.
• Anchoring at sandbars is low risk for the environment, but please be super careful with your personal items. While virtually everybody is aware not to litter, we can accidentally litter by putting things in trashcans that can blow out like celuphane, single use grocery bags and those type of items. Just be mindful of the wind and how it can wrap around a boat! It’s unsightly and it can be deadly to certain sealife.

Discover the Best of Key West!

Explore our handpicked destinations for sandbar tours, best sunset cruises in Key West, and much more with this interactive map. Save this page or bookmark it to easily come back and navigate during your trip.

Conclusion

Sandbars can be one of the most relaxing ways to experience the beauty of the Florida Keys, especially if you get a little bit lucky with the weather and tides!

If this sounds like something you’d love to do with your group, get in touch! We offer Sandbar private charters on our catamaran boats that range in size from 22′ -42′ and can host anywhere from one guest to 36 guests!