Departing from Key West’s Historic Seaport, the Appledore Star’s sails are raised for an authentic sail experience on the way to Key West’s backcountry.
Your day is spent exploring Key West’s uninhabited mangrove islands in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge. Keep an eye out for dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays and many other wildlife that call the Refuge home. Your captain knows where dolphins are frequently seen and will let you know if he spots any.
Upon reaching the mangrove islands, the schooner anchors and your exploration begins. Your day is divided between guided kayaking tours and guided snorkeling tours. The warm, shallow water is calm, sheltered by the uninhabited mangroves, making kayaking a breeze.
After your tours, come back aboard and wash off with our fresh water rinse, and relax on deck. Choose from plenty of complimentary cold drinks – frosty cold beer, wine, homemade sangria, chilled sodas and filtered water. This is the best of laid-back island living.
Posted By : Tyler_D
Tour was canceled, no notice given until we arrived at the dock then we had to get a refund and rebook through another company.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-31 09:28:03 
Posted By : michaelmD8368VE
We had a lot of fun today on our trip, however, lunch was advertised as fried chicken, deli sandwiches and assorted breads. This was not the case! We had pork slider sandwiches, macaroni salad and Cole slaw. Also, this was not a buffet, as advertised. It was a small portion of food, most of which I did not like. You really should provide what you say you are going to provide for lunch.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-24 21:52:03 
Posted By : Jody_B
A great experience with a friendly and capable cree. The mangrove swamps were like something out of jurassic park and the live coral reefs were covered in fish.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-17 09:08:38
Posted By : SarahLiane
Great experience! My husband and I went on the Appledore schooner trip. It was a 5 hour trip that included snorkeling and kayaking through the mangroves. It was a small group on this trip just us and 3 other ladies. It was a fun time. We got out to the area for snorkeling and although I didn’t do the snorkeling because the waves were to rough my husband enjoyed it. The kayaking was really neat. Once you paddle over to the mangroves it’s super calm. You can see the bottom and even though you are out there in the ocean it’s only like 4-5 ft deep. You see a lot of birds and fish and it’s really neat. I would definitely recommend it. On the trip back they serve you lunch and use the sails to actually sail back to the harbor. Oh and it’s open bar. I recommend the homemade sangria! Worth the price and the captain and first mate are awesome! They answered any questions I had and really took the time to tell you about the boat and the area we were visiting. Bradley guided us on the kayak tour it was very interesting. Definitely recommend!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-12 22:20:50
Posted By : Sightseer546076
Our trip with Appledore on the schooner to go snorkeling and kayaking and return to harbor under sail was fantastic. The captain Jared and crew Mario and Renee were very knowledgeable, attentive, and patient. Their instructions were clear, the gear provided was clean and in good shape. The lunch and beverages that were served were delicious. The kayaking through some mangrove tunnels was particularly special. We would highly recommend the Appledore experience as a highlight of a Key West Florida trip. The only thing that might need some improvement is the in person check in process for the schooner, as we went to three different places to check in, with each location instructing us to go somewhere else to do the check in.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-03 19:56:38
Posted By : Gaby_D
Sailing was great. The crew, Brad and Joe, were excellent at taking care of passengers. The drinks kept coming and the views were fantastic.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-01 18:28:46
Posted By : Gina_T
The best excursion ever. The crew -captain Jared, Mario, Renee are top notch, super friendly and safety focused. The small 20 passenger size was perfect, relaxing. My 15 yo son loved it, had a chance to learn how to steer the ship, learned so much about mariner credentials, and life. It was the first time seeing him genuinely excited smiling this entire trip. Thank you all so much. Sign up for this. You will be grateful you did! Thanks for the tunes Mario! I want that sangria recipe :)
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-03-27 09:27:39
Posted By : Rosemary_O
The captain and first mate were very accommodating. We enjoyed snorkeling, kayaking and a lovely sail. Altogether a really great day!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-03-16 09:13:40
Posted By : Jill_A
Bradley and Joe were great! Great day on the water and highly recommend this crew and boat! Kayaking was my favorite, the mangroves were amazing and Bradley was great explaining the ecosystem. Amazing day! Good food and plenty of drinks.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-03-15 09:45:03
Posted By : Margaret Z
Boat ride was great. Crew very friendly. Kayaking shorter than expected, but great to see all the pelicans. Snorkeling fun but didn’t see many fish. Food very good, but not as described. No snacks offered. Just describe it correctly. Sangria was fabulous.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-03-08 13:50:31
>
