Boat tours in the Algarve - our top pick!
A boat trip is one of those things most of our guests get around to during their stay. The Algarve coastline is something you need to see from the water. Cliffs, sea caves you can't reach any other way, water that changes colour depending on the light. Most of our guests do at least one boat trip and a fair few come back wanting to book a second before the week is out.
Nearly all the tours leave from Vilamoura Marina. It's about 10 minutes from the Golden Triangle by car. There are a lot of operators down there and it can get confusing. We've tried most of what's on offer down there. Here's what we'd actually book.
Still looking for a villa? Worth sorting that first.
Benagil Caves
The one everyone does. And fairly so. You've probably seen photos of the Benagil Cave: big circular opening in the roof, a beach inside. It's one of those rare things where the real version is better than the photo. You're floating in it, looking up. It hits differently.
From Vilamoura it's 2 to 2.5 hours heading west. Past Albufeira, along the cliffs. The boat goes into the cave if the sea allows it. Most tours stop at other caves along the way. Some include a swim.
Algarve Cave Tours departs daily from Vilamoura on smaller boats, which means you get inside the caves rather than looking in from a distance. Cruzeiros da Oura does a longer catamaran version, about 4 hours, more relaxed.
Worth knowing: on busy summer days there's a queue of boats waiting to enter Benagil. Smaller boats have an easier time of it.
Dolphin watching
Dolphins are around the Algarve coast all year. You're more likely to see them between May and October when the water's calmer, and most operators say they have about a 90% hit rate in summer. Some guests come back raving. Others saw nothing. Wildlife doesn't do guarantees.
From Vilamoura the boats head south then west. About 2 hours. Vilamoura Watersports Centre has been running a dedicated dolphin safari for over 30 years. Some Benagil cave tours include a dolphin route on the return leg, which gives you both in one outing.
If you've got younger children, this is probably the trip to pick. It's shorter, and the excitement when dolphins actually show up keeps them going. Two hours of cliff scenery on its own can be a harder sell with under-8s.
Full-day BBQ cruise
Several of us have done this one personally. You leave Vilamoura in the morning, cruise the coast, stop at caves, eat a BBQ on a beach somewhere, swim, and roll back into the marina late afternoon. About 7 hours. Drinks included.
Condor de Vilamoura runs this on a 34-metre schooner. Grilled fish, meat, salads, fruit. The pace is slow. You're not rushing. It fills a whole day and you come back tired and sunburnt and content.
Ilha Deserta
This one's different. A boat to Ilha Deserta, which is actually deserted. Southernmost point of mainland Portugal. One restaurant on the whole island (Estaminé), no roads, no cars. You eat fish, look at the Ria Formosa, swim, walk about. That's it.
Cruzeiros da Oura does the trip from Vilamoura. Or go direct from Faro with Animaris, who run Estaminé and the boat service. It shouldn't exist 40 minutes from a resort. But it does. One of the best day trips in the Algarve.
Parasailing
Leaves from a boat, so we're counting it. You launch from Vilamoura Marina, go up for 10 minutes, see the coast from above. Solo or up to three. The views are mad.
Vilamoura Watersports Centre runs this daily in summer.
Sunset cruises
Most operators do evening sailings from May through September. Couple of hours along the coast, drinks on board, the sun going down. Low-key. Nice end to a day.
The Condor does a 2.5-hour version with a welcome drink and appetisers included.
Before you book
Season. Most trips run daily April to October. Winter schedules are reduced. Bad sea conditions can cancel at short notice.
Summer availability. July and August, the popular ones sell out. The BBQ cruise goes especially fast.
Boat size. Smaller boats get inside the caves. Larger catamarans are more comfortable but sometimes can't enter. If Benagil is the priority, pick a speedboat or RIB.
Sea sickness. The crossing to Benagil from Vilamoura can be choppy. Take tablets before you board, not after.
Kids. The dolphin trips are probably the best bet for families with young ones. The BBQ cruise works too because the beach stop breaks up the day. Parasailing has a minimum age (usually around 6). Ilha Deserta is more of a grown-up day out, though older kids who are happy to sit and eat fish would enjoy it.
Our Guest Services team can arrange any of these. Email guestservices@sandyblue.com and they'll connect you with the right operator.
If you haven't booked your villa yet, have a look. The Golden Triangle is the best base for all of these.
