Captain Andy and his Island Tales Charter was definitely one of the highlights of our Key West birthday trip. My husband and I booked him for a private half day (4hrs) charter, but because on that particular day he didn't have another scheduled charter he actually let us spend 5+ hours on his boat. He took us out to the "back country" of the keys through cool mangroves and we stopped at 3 sand bars where we anchored and enjoyed the clear shallow waters. We saw tons of little fish and a stingray. Since we hadn't booked for the whole day it didn't technically include lunch, but he was kind enough to stop at the grocery store before our trip began and he purchased a nice array of deli meats and cheeses and made us a lovely charcuterie board to snack on. He even shared the goodies with another boat that was anchored near us. His hospitality was awesome. He told great stories along the way and even made me a rum runner cocktail! We had packed a small ice chest since we had only booked the half day trip but he had loads of drinks for us anyway. I highly recommended booking him for a nice day on the shallows around the keys. read more

Bottom line: Island Tales is the best (and best value for your dollar) charter in the lower keys. We've been out with Andy twice now and my family who live in Key West have been out much more than that, and can't recommend him highly enough. The boat ("Queenie") is pristine, clean, safe and fast! Andy knows all the ins and outs, and can easily put together an itinerary for you or take you where you want to go. We've had kids aged 7-10 and they had an absolute BLAST at Mud Key and Marvin. Andy is amazing--expert captain, patient, kind, great stories, knowledgeable about so many things, and takes great care of us while still seeming to be having as much fun as we are! And of course the lunches--these seriously are the most delicious tacos, and it's a great way to break the ice to meet fellow boaters when there are tacos! If you haven't stood in crystal water eating a freshly made taco with friends and family, you are missing out! We consider him a friend and even though our family has a boat we will still make a charter with Andy part of our weekends in the Keys! Book with Island Tales, you will not regret it! read more

We came to Key West to celebrate our daughter's college graduation and heard from others that a sandbar cruise was a must do. After some quick searching, I landed on the Island Tales Charters site and I immediately liked the laid back feeling it gave me, so I booked a 1/2 day charter. The impression I had was spot on. Andy could not have been nicer or more accommodating. With a family of 4, you have 4 different opinions on what the charter should include and he made sure that each of us experienced what we desired. We fished, did an eco tour, we set up the chairs and an umbrella on an isolated sandbar, and 30 minutes later we were eating Andy's homemade tacos. (Which, by the way, are better than a lot of restaurants I've frequented!) If you want a personalized cruise, go with Island Tales Charters. Andy will guarantee that you have a memorable experience and will not be looking at his watch to cut short your time on the water. We've done many boat cruises, including some in the Caribbean, and this one was hands down the best! Thanks for the memories Andy! Dee S Richmond, VA read more

My wife and I visited Key West for a few days in mid July 2021. We are from South Carolina and had visited a number of times by boat via the intracoastal waterway. This time, we flew down and wanted to spend a little "easy" time on the water--a little riding, a little fishing, a little sitting in the sand. No effort--no stress, not to structured. We stumbled across Andy's charter at a downtown kiosk. The whole experience was outstanding and exceeded anything we expected. He followed up with us before the trip to make sure logistics were clear, met us on time, clean boat, had plenty of beverages, caught some nice fish, stopped on a sandbar where he made fish tocos (enough for inviting several other boats over to sample), took us on a nice tour of the area and he provided us transportation back to our hotel. We had scheduled a half day trip, but, because of his scheduling, we ended up spending the entire day with him. He wasn't regimented in his schedule as we have experienced with others. We will definitely be calling him on our next trip down. read more

My husband and I had an amazing day with Andy & his dogs, Lily & Sophie. We went through mangroves and to sandbars. Andy did some fancy driving. Took us to the Gulf of Mexico to feel the difference. He provided a table and chairs so we could eat lunch and hang out on the sandbar. Being a dog lover and missing our own fur babies, we felt right at home. Andy even went as far as making sure it was a good weather day to go. The original date was not going to be good so he checked the weather and picked another day that turned out to be perfect. He even brought the anniversary cake he had ordered for us and the lunch we had ordered for him to pick up to us at our hotel on the original date. Then he provided us with a snack and lunch since we didn't have the means to order our own! We're lucky to have met such a super great guy! Definitely an experience you do not want to miss when visiting Key West! Don't think twice! Book with Andy, Island Tales Charters! read more

Our day began with a fresh cup of Cuban Café con leche we purchased at the marina, and the day only got better from there.  Captain Andrew Baldwin arrived with his fully outfitted shallow draft boat and proceeded to show us what the Florida Keys were really all about.  With the sun on our faces we left the marina and headed out through the shallow warm water mazes into Mangroves and sand bars amongst the smaller islands.  The salty breeze of the ride reminding us how much we  love and miss the sea, our home.  We lounged at sand bar anchorages, listening to the sounds of the sea and birds, swimming and snorkeling in the warm water, white sand at our feet.  As the tides came and went we enjoyed the excellent Tacos prepared by the Captain (I want to say Chef) on the boat, the fish and birds feasting on scraps that fell into the water.  Stings Rays gracefully reminding us how diverse life is.  We were in the best of company. read more

While celebrating our anniversary in Key West, we booked a day with Captain Andy and it was AWESOME! He is able to take up to six people, but we elected a private charter. I enjoyed some much-needed relaxation on the boat while my husband fished, we enjoyed a beautiful and peaceful ride through the mangroves where we saw huge stingrays, the dolphins we saw put on quite a show, we went to two beautiful sandbars (one had a swing, which was my favorite part), Captain Andy made us a DELICIOUS Caribbean cocktail which we absolutely loved and enjoyed drinking them from our Island Tales Charters cups, and he also had a cake for our anniversary! Snorkeling is also offered, although we elected not to. Oh...and his boat even as a bathroom which we had not found while searching charters. If you are looking for an awesome day, a fun time and a captain who clearly loves what he does, contact Captain Andy! read more

I couldn't have asked for a better trip for me and my family than the one we had with Captain Andy. He was extremely knowledgeable and made sure we all had a great trip (even my wife who gets bad motion sickness and our 9 month old baby). Our other 4 kids absolutely loved it too. He surely delivered a memory they will never forget. Let's put it this way... The day before our boat trip I took the kids to go swimming with the dolphins and they said it was their best trip ever. The next day we had our boat trip with Island Tale Charters and once we got back I asked them which day they liked better and they really couldn't decide. We got to see a celebrity's mansion, hang out in paradise on a gorgeous sandbar, swing from a rope into the water, and much more. My kids are still talking about you "Uncle Andy". Thank you so much Captain. Hope to set sail with you again in the future read more

Captain Andy is not only a great captain who wants to provide great experiences for his guest, he also is super knowledgeable on how to get it done. I recommend the sandbar experience. Spending the day in the crystal clear water with friends was amazing. Plenty of cooler space so bring all the drinks you want. The tacos that Captain Andy prepared were off the charts but the experience was equally as good. He set up a canopy, small table, and beach chairs in the water and we had lunch. Those who wanted shade had it available. Not sure what was better the tacos or watching Lilly swim and socialize all day. Lots of little touches made the difference. Great experience and highly recommend Captain Andy and Island Tales.... I should also mention that we caught a good about of fish and a really big shark on a separate trip with Island Tales.. read more

This is something you should go for! Make sure you book a day or at least half a day with Andy if you are in the Key's area! Our Family chose a full day and we had a fantastic day. The set up was super friendly, private, authentic, full of experience, seeing small sharks, fishing, exploring nature at close range, bathing at private beach in the nature with all the convenience you need and the day was perfect! Andy as a captain was Safe, full of stories, making superb tacos and we had a bonus of meeting his two women, Cathy and the dog Lily :) all three of them made a huge impression on us and increased our experience of the Key's ten times. read more

The highlight of our trip in Key West! Captain Andy is absolutely amazing. Since he is a local he gave us great recommendations of where to eat/drink at a reasonable price and knew hidden gems of the backcountry side (ex: sand bars with the swings - snipe point). He tells you stories on the way to different destinations so it's never a dull moment. He cleans the boat before and after every party and very engaged in all activities (he will take your pictures). The best part of the trip was his tacos, very delicious!! Our family will definitely be back, thank you captain andy! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! read more

Capt Andy (CA) treated Jeff, Pat, Al & Janice to a fantastic experience on Key West!! We enjoyed a little fishing, cruising around the channels, getting out on the sandbars and he kept us entertainment on the boat with his music and life experiences. The water was a bit too cold for snorkeling due to the time of year but it didn't take away from our enjoyment. We chose to bring our own lunch but CA had drinks and as a bonus, took us to a nice bar & restaurant on Boca Chica Navy Marina. This was a truly fun experience and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a fun day trip. read more

Thank you Andy, Cathy and Lily!! We had such a great day. Captain Andy and family were so friendly and knowledgeable about the area. On time to pick us up on the dock with a great attitude. This excursion was well worth the money. It was very reasonably priced compared to other companies. Along with driving us around the Gulf and Atlantic, we fished and then Andy cooked that fish at a beautiful sandbar. Those tacos were the best ever!! This was such a memorable experience. Our family will always remember your graciousness and kindness. 5++++++ stars!!!!! read more

Captain Andy and his Taco Boat was likely one of the best days of my life! I celebrated my birthday out with some friends and he made it incredibly special. He picked up a cake for us, flew a birthday flag and ensured I didn't have to worry or think about anything!. He took us to some of the most beautiful sand bars in Key West and proceeded to hand fry taco shells in his boat for our taco lunch. He was friendly and has the cutest boat dog named Lily. I highly recommend him and would visit him again when we return. read more

All my son wanted to do when we were visiting the Keys was fish. That's exactly what we did. We were getting one right after the other. Andy and Mark were great with my kids. Every time we had a fish on our line, Mark was right there to help us identify it, and toss it back. If he wasn't, Andy was. It was the perfect day to end our vacation in the Keys. We've already given his name to family headed that way in the next few months. Thank you for a great day. Next time we're in the Keys, we'll look you up. read more

We had the most awesome time chartering a boat with Captain Andy. He took us fishing, snorkeling and swimming in the best "back country" areas. We spent time in the most beautiful place where Captain Andy made us delicious tacos for lunch! We were staying at Boyd's campground and he picked us up and dropped us off at the dock there. This adventure was the highlight of our trip. Thank you so much for a great day out! read more

We booked with Captain Andy for May 6, 2024, while in Key West. Great time! He took us to (3) different spots, and all were beautiful for sitting, drinking, sunning, swimming or just hanging out. A lot of good conversation, good music, and well worth the money. Wonderful time was had by all. I strongly recommend this trip!!! Thanks again Captain Andy. See ya next trip down. Louis Gay read more

Andy Baldwin is a prince of a guy. He is personable interesting to talk to and provided much more than we expected for in an evening tour. The boat was spotless, he provided food and conversation that made a tour of the waters around Key West an incredible experience. He went above and beyond to make our 2 hour tour the highlight of our Key West trip. read more

This was the best part of our trip. After a fun boat ride, Captain Andy took us through the mangroves. We popped out to this incredible spot. Views were amazing. We sat in the shallows while drinking cold beers while Chef Andy cooked freash handmade tacos including the hard shells. Sooooo good. You will be very happy with this Key West charter. read more