maragata yacht charter day trip

We booked the boat for our family of 5 - kids aged 7, 10, 13. We plowed through the seas on the way over to the island to snorkel. While snorkeling the crewman guided us in the water and even took the younger kids back to the boat when they had enough so we could remain in the water. One the way back we threw some lines in the water. I have to say I had low expectations but we got 3 fish so each child could reel one in! Clean comfortable boat with a bathroom! It is obvious captain Matt takes pride in his service and equipment. Great operation and would highly recommend!

Thank you Captain Matt and crew for a great time for our two families. We booked a private tour and went to Vieques Island. We had a wonderful day with the excellent crew! We had two younger kids (11-12) and the crew was very good at watching and keeping track while we snorkeled. Extra eyes!Highly Recommend! Make your reservations early!

Booked Captain Matt's catamaran trip to Vieques on 1/31/15 for our group of 10 women. It was the highlight of our trip! Matt was very professional and a personable captain. Frank was our knowledgeable snorkeling guide who pointed out sea turtles, blowfish, lobsters, etc. Matt added to the fun by allowing the risk takers among us to jump off the upper deck while anchored. Enjoyed the return trip lounging on the bow and enjoying complimentary beer, soda & snacks. A great adventure enjoyed by all of us!

When you plan for 14 people of wide age range (18-73) and interests, you know it will be hard to satisfy everyone but this fit the bill! Capt. Matt and his first mate were great to work with. We chose to do a half-day private charter. We were staying at Palmas del Mar so had a short drive to the marina, for the 30 minute trip onboard the clean and safe catamaran (with restroom!) to Vieques. (I definitely recommend motion sickness pills if you are even slightly prone to nausea - just to be on the safe side!) We spent some time snorkeling - even though I have snorkeled many times, this was my first up close view of a sea turtle! Not everyone wanted to snorkel so some in the group spent time on the beach, others in the calm bay, and yet others just relaxing on board. We then did some trawl fishing on the way back - that wasn't as much fun because we didn't have any bites despite Matt and Frank's best attempts. It was a great morning adventure for all, at a reasonable price (under $100 pp incl tip)

I have chartered boats and taken day cruises all over the world. Matt Quintana is an excellent, safe, and fun filled boat captain whose main intent is for his charters to be an unforgettable experience. He surely made it so to my family and myself. At very reasonable prices, I strongly recommend Maragata Charters in particular their Catamaran for any boating you want to do out Palmas del Mar or Vieques. A very enthusiastic thumbs up for Matt and his Mate who made our Vieques experience top notch. Tony Quintana.

My wife and I went snorkeling on Matt's Cat (a 38' catamaran) while staying at Palmas del Mar. Capt. Matt and Frank provided us with a wonderful time. The trip to Vieques was very exciting (although a little too rough for a couple of the 19 guests.) The snorkeling at the island was great. Capt Matt was very personable and competent. From an 8-year-old girl to us seniors, a wonderful time was had by all.

Had a great time with Captain Matt and his mate, Frank. Both are very safety conscious -- are first scheduled time was too rough so we turned back after only a few minutes and went back the next morning. We saw sea turtles, sting rays and a lobster (plus lots of fish) snorkeling at Vieques. We also went to Monkey Island (with another charter) -- if you only have time for one snorkeling trip, go to Vieques.

We stayed at Palmas del Mar for a week for our honeymoon and went out with Captain Matt and Sebastian on a snorkeling tour. It was a great time. They were both very friendly and helpful. It was my first time snorkeling and I'm hooked now. We swam with sea turtles, saw a stingray that was bigger than I was, saw some silly looking blow-fish. I think what made it that much more special for us was that the part of Vieques that they took us to was completely quiet. We were the only people I saw there that day. Sebastian was also pretty helpful in recommending places to go eat at in the area. :) I would note that this is a family deal, so while we were celebrating our honeymoon, there were families with kids with us as well. They happened to be great, so we had no problem with it... I just want to point out that you should be prepared for the possibility of spending the day with kids.

Captain Matt and Frank provided our group of 8, ages 9 to 75, with an unforgettable afternoon on the reefs of Vieques. It was a little rough on the way out, but worth every bump. The boat was beautiful and very well maintained. The snorkeling equipment was great. Captain Matt and Frank were knowledgeable and respectful of the area, very professional and so friendly. A special thanks to Frank for letting Hannah be his shadow so she wouldn't miss anything! Our only disappointment was the lack of cooperation of the local sea turtles, who had moved on for the day.

Chartered the boat for 9 people. Fantastic. Professional but very relaxed and friendly. Went for an afternoon of snorkeling on Vieques. Frank the first mate took us all around and found some great stuff--stingrays, sea turtles. Great trip, reasonably priced. Highly recommended.

What else can I say. Captain Matt is wonderful, knowledgeable and professional. We made an appointment to go out early the day we had to leave a little nervous we wouldn't have time to snorkel, fish and get to the plane but Matt assured us all would be fine :) Frank made us feel safe and comfortable in the water even when I had changed my mind about the idea of snorkeling. My children (11,13) and my mom got to see many fish, stingray and turtles while snorkeling with Frank and they LOVED it. My husband and son each got to catch a fish on the way back. It was an unforgettable experience that we will never forget and Matt got us back EXACTLY on time. The price of the trip was better and more inclusive than any other I found searching and searching online. I can't wait to do this again next time we go back to Puerto Rico. Thank you SOOO much for the amazing experience!

We went on a snorkeling trip to Monkey Island. Captain Matt and first mate Frank were amazing tour guides. Short boat ride with several hours of snorkeling. We saw a starfish and several fish. It was a nice size boat, first quality gear and excellent instruction. I would suggest that you book ahead of time as there were no opening for the fishing trips while we were there.

Our family of 5 adults and 3 children recently sailed with Capt. Matt and his first mate, Frank. I made our arrangements ahead of time through the website, http://www.maragatacharters.com and then I talked with Capt. Matt. He was very easy to contact and he quickly answered my questions. It was great to have this trip confirmed ahead of time because of the size of our group. If we had waiting until arriving in Humacao there would not have been any available times. There were a total of 18 people the day of our trip but we had plenty of room on the boat and the equipment was available for all of us without any problems.When at our destination, Capt. Matt stayed with the boat and kept track of the groups in the water. Frank lead our group down the beach to where we could safely enter the water. This allowed people who had difficulty or were nervous about snorkeling to stay very close to the shore.The youngest of our group, a 6 year old, was very nervous and had difficulty with her fins and mask initially. Frank was very patient with her and quickly had her feeling comfortable. She soon was at ease in the water and had a wonderful experience. She loved seeing the schools of fish and even spotted a sea turtle for the rest of us.We had the opportunity to snorkel in two different locations. The majority of the group felt that one reef was sufficient, but those who had enough energy left really enjoyed the second reef. We sent out 13 year old off with Frank on the second excursion and he stayed with Frank the whole time.Snacks and beverages were provided. This was a very positive experience for all of us.

Our family (parents, kids 13,10,6, grandma, aunt and uncle) had a great afternoon snorkeling at Vieques with Captain Matt.Directions to find him were perfect. Matt was very easy to contact via phone and email arranging our trip. Both Matt and his mate Frank spoke very good English. We went out on his boat with several other families but the 18 people on our trip was not too crowded on the boat. We got lucky with a calm day. Float belts provided for those who wanted. Masks and snorkels were new and in good condition. Better than equipment I've used on other snorkel trips elsewhere.Frank who went into the water with us was great with our kids especially our 6YO who took a little while to get a hang of the snorkeling. It is of course still a parents responsibility to keep track of your kids. You are swimming in the ocean after all. We had one adult keep trAck of each of our kids.We saw two huge sea turtles, Coral, schools of fish, stingray. Trip done close to the shore so if someone tires or panics they can swim to shore and walk back to boat. Matt provided drinks (soda, water, beer) and snacks (cookies, crackers, nuts)Boat we'll equipped with a good bathroom, important for families. Boat was in immaculate shape. Safety briefing done at beginning to make sure everyone knew where life jackets and fire extinguishers were. Overall extremely professional and a local business man I can definitely suggest you support.

We had a great snorkeling trip with Matt. I spotted Matt's boat on my early morning walk from our condo on the harbour in Palmas and called to reserve the Vieques snorkeling trip. Matt answered his phone on first try, explained that he had four ready to go and he needed a minimum of 7. I gave him my phone number and he promised to call as soon as he filled the boat. Sure enough, later that night he calls to say we would go the next day, 4 hour trip leaving at 1pm, $75 per person. Matt docks his 38 ft boat on the southside of the harbor at Palmas, near Chez Daniel. For our trip, there are 11 of us plus Matt and his mate Frank. The boat looks fairly new, very clean with plenty of room for all of us. Matt takes the helm on the flying bridge. The ride to Vieques takes about 30 min through fairly rough seas, the boat heaving over the waves and dropping on the other side with force. Matt explains the ride back will be much easier as we will be moving with the waves instead. I think these are typical seas for Palmas and Matt doesn't have any problem. As we close in on Vieques the water calms.We anchor in the area known as Green Beach, on the west coast of Vieques. There are 2 or 3 other boats anchored and no sight of any people or structures on the beach. With the mountain rising in the background, the location is stunning. Matt explains we will stay here for 3 hours. We can snorkel around the boat in the shallow reefs, or follow Frank who will take us a few hundred feet up the beach to better reefs. We follow Frank, he knows where to go. Sure enough, we swim in reefs in 8-10 feet of water, stunning coral and fish. Matt provides great gear, latest mask and snorkel plus fins. After an hour, we take a break back on the boat. Matt provides Medella and snacks. Then time for another swim to the opposite side of boat. Frank finds a turtle and we swim with it for a few minutes. Sure enough, the ride back was smoother. All in all, a great trip, we will certainly be back.