How much does a private sunset yacht charter near Naples cost?

Aboard the 70-foot Athena out of Marco Island, the Sunset Charter runs $2,500 for 2.5 hours and includes the captain, first mate, fuel, and soft drinks. Half-day (4 hours) and full-day (7 hours) charters are also offered at higher rates. Pricing and availability change seasonally, so confirm the current rate directly with the charter.

How long is the Athena sunset cruise, and where does it go?

It's about 2.5 hours. You leave from the Marco River, cruise out into the Gulf of Mexico, head south toward South Marco Beach, and loop back up toward the southern tip of Keewaydin Island — timed so you're on open water as the sun sets. Dolphin sightings are common along the way.

Can you bring your own food and drinks on a Naples sunset charter?

On the Athena sunset charter, soft drinks are included; many Southwest Florida crewed charters let you bring your own food and drinks, but policies vary — ask when you book. We brought our own food and drinks, and it made the evening.

Is a sunset cruise worth it in Naples or Marco Island?

In my experience, absolutely — it's one of the best evenings you can have here. For a special occasion (we did it as a couple), a private crewed charter gives you the Gulf, the light, and the calm of being on the water without lifting a finger. It's the Southwest Florida lifestyle distilled into a couple of hours.

Sunset Cruise off Marco Island: Chartering Athena

There’s a version of Southwest Florida you only really understand from the water.

My fiancée and I had been meaning to do a sunset cruise for ages, and last season we finally booked a private charter aboard Athena, a 70-foot yacht based on Marco Island. I’ll save you the suspense: it was one of the best evenings we’ve had since moving here, and I’ve been recommending it to clients ever since. Here’s the honest rundown — what it’s actually like, what it costs, and why I think it belongs on every Naples-area bucket list.

Leaving the dock

You board at a private dock — no marina lines, no crowds — and ease out through the Marco River with no rush and no schedule but the sun’s. That slow exit is its own little ritual: the engines barely above idle, the wake folding behind you, the houses and mangroves sliding past. By the time Athena noses out into the Gulf of Mexico, the light has already started to turn gold.

From there the route runs south toward South Marco Beach, then loops back north toward the southern tip of Keewaydin Island — that long, undeveloped barrier island that’s basically Southwest Florida’s secret. The captain times the whole thing so you’re out on open water for the main event.

Cruising out toward the Gulf aboard the Athena, the Southwest Florida coastline sliding past Easing out toward open water — the coastline slips past from the aft deck.

The part nobody forgets

Two things happen on a Gulf sunset cruise that photos never quite capture.

The first is the dolphins. They show up more often than not, riding the wake or rolling alongside the hull, and there’s a collective gasp every single time, no matter how many times you’ve seen it.

The second is the light. Out here the horizon is uninterrupted — no buildings, no bridges, just the flat line where the Gulf meets the sky — and the sun doesn’t so much set as dissolve into the water. We poured a glass, stopped talking, and just watched. It’s the kind of quiet that’s hard to find on land in a busy season.

The Gulf of Mexico sky turning fiery orange and red at sunset, seen from the deck of the Athena off Marco Island The main event. Your phone won’t do these colors justice — mine didn’t, and I still keep this one on my lock screen.

The boat itself

Athena is a 70-foot Lazzara — a proper motor yacht, not a sightseeing party boat. Think wide, comfortable decks, a shaded salon when you want a break from the sun, sun loungers and a bow pad up front, and the kind of smooth ride that makes a glass of wine feel like a good idea instead of a hazard. It’s run by a family-owned operation with over a decade on the water, and you feel it — the whole evening is handled with zero fuss.

The crew (a captain and first mate) do everything. You show up, step aboard, and your only job is to enjoy it.

The salon of the 70-foot Athena — a shaded, comfortable interior lounge The salon, for when you want a break from the sun and the breeze.

The flybridge helm of the Athena, set high above the water with open Gulf views Up top at the flybridge helm — arguably the best seat on the boat.

What it costs and what’s included

Here’s the practical part, current as of 2026 (always confirm directly when you book, since rates and availability shift by season):

Sunset Charter — $2,500 · ~2.5 hours. Marco River out to the Gulf, south past South Marco Beach, back toward Keewaydin. Includes captain, first mate, fuel, and soft drinks.
Half-Day Charter — $4,000 · 4 hours. Up toward Keewaydin Island to anchor and swim — three sun loungers, a bow sun pad, and floaties. Captain, first mate, fuel, soft drinks, floaties.
Full-Day Charter — $7,000 · 7 hours. The full experience: private beaches, water toys, and complimentary hors d’oeuvres, plus captain, first mate, and fuel.
Overnight charters can be customized to the Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, or the Bahamas.

Split among a couple of couples, a sunset charter is a genuinely special night out that lands somewhere near a nice dinner-and-show — except the show is the Gulf of Mexico.

A few tips from our evening

Time it for the season. Summer sunsets over the Gulf are spectacular and the water’s calm and warm; just keep an eye on afternoon storms and stay flexible.
Ask about bringing your own. Soft drinks are included — we brought our own beverage and food. Confirm the BYO policy when you book.
Dress easy. Boat shoes or barefoot, a light layer for when the breeze picks up after sundown, and a real camera if you have one — your phone won’t do the colors justice.
Book ahead in season. A 70-foot private yacht with a great sunset slot books up; reserve early, especially November through April.

Why I send people here

I write a lot on this site about the numbers of living in Naples — fees, taxes, insurance, the honest cost of a community. This is the other side of that ledger: the reason people put up with hurricane season and summer humidity in the first place.

A sunset on the Gulf, dolphins off the bow, someone you love next to you — that’s the Southwest Florida lifestyle, and you don’t have to own a boat to have it. You just have to know who to call.

And if an evening like this leaves you dreaming about your own boat one day, I wrote about that too — boating in Southwest Florida, and the yacht broker I personally trust.

To book Athena: Athena Yacht Charter, Marco Island, FL — (262) 366-2658 · athenayachtcharter.com. (I paid for our charter myself and wasn’t compensated for this — I just loved it and think you will too.)

Thinking about trading the snow for evenings like this? That’s most of my clients. Start with the free Moving to Naples guide, or reach out and I’ll help you figure out where in the area actually fits your life — beach, boat, or both.

A Sunset Cruise off Marco Island: Chartering the 70-ft Athena (My Honest Take)