Are you one of the lucky ones who are visiting the Algarve this summer? Be prepared. Your holidays will be awesome! To enjoy the stunning white sanded beaches and impressive rock formations to the fullest, let us share the best of the Algarve boat tours with you.
In fact, the boat trips in the Algarve are a must whilst enjoying your holidays in the South of Portugal.
The best of Algarve boat tours
As you probably already know, the Algarve is the southernmost province of continental Portugal. The Algarve is the southwest point of the European continent too.
Its geographical location in the South of Europe and being surrounded by the Atlantic gives the Algarve one of the best climates in Europe. Very mild all year round and with a lot of sunny days per year.
Surrounded by the deep blue Atlantic on its South and West, the Algarve also includes some very pretty islands and islets. The region with most islands is near Faro. It’s called the Ria Formosa lagoon.
This nature reserve has over 170 square kilometres and is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna. The Ria Formosa is a stopping place for hundreds of different birds.
Given its enormous richness in nature, the Ria Formosa Lagoon near Faro is a popular destination for nature lovers.
Some people choose the Algarve as their holiday destination for a very particular reason: bird watching. In fact, bird watching is one of the most popular boat tours in the Algarve.
The bird-watching boat trip in the Algarve allows you to discover the broad diversity of the permanent and migratory birds of the Ria Formosa Natural Park.
This Algarve boat trip has a very special skipper. The skipper of this boat tour in the Algarve is a biologist and he will be your guide, teaching you about the species you’ll encounter.
The Ria Formosa is an important spot for migrant birds from or to Africa which can be nicely observed from this boat tour in the Algarve. More than 200 bird species can be found on one unique day.
For nature lovers who prefer mammals rather than birds, the dolphin watching boat tours in the Algarve are one of the best things to do in the Algarve.
The Atlantic, surrounding the coast of the Algarve, is home to several species of wild dolphins.
Common dolphins and Bottlenose dolphins are most frequently spotted on these boat tours in the Algarve. If you’re lucky you may even encounter other species like whales and sea turtles.
The dolphin watching boat tours in the Algarve are very popular among the families. Both the parents and children will surely be amazed about these special encounters with these magical mammals.
The dolphins are totally wild and not fed which means that these boat tours in the Algarve are a true adventure as you’ll never know in advance what species you’ll encounter.
Dolphins and other mammals are spotted on almost all trips as the skippers of these boat tours in the Algarve are very experienced.
Please bear in mind that there’s always a small chance of having tough luck and not finding any. If this happens, the boat trip is worth it anyway as it’s fun itself and the sights are amazing!
The length of the Algarve coastline is approximately 155 kilometres. Beyond the westernmost point of Sagres, more precisely the Cape St. Vincent, it stretches a further 50 kilometres to the north. These 50km of west coast are very popular for watersports like surfing and windsurfing. The southern coastline is notable for picturesque caves and grottoes. The regions around Benagil and Lagos are the most popular for their impressive marine caves and rock formations. These grottoes and caves are best accessible by doing one of the many boat tours in the Algarve.
There are several types of boat tours that go to the Benagil marine cave. Benagil is a beach near Lagoa and it’s famous for its cave which is only accessible by boat.
Regarding the Algarve boat tours to Benagil, there are small fishermen boats but also big catamarans.
What’s best depends on your own preferences. The typical cave boat tour in the Algarve takes you to over 20 stunning Algarve caves.
The boat tour will take you in and out of the most impressive caves. As you get into a grotto, the sun illuminates the ocean water, creating amazing effects of different tones of blue.
We’re sure you will love it. In the most famous caves, the skipper will shut down the engine of the boat. Like that you can admire the cave calmly with no noise and take great pictures.
In the region of Lagos, the caves of Ponta da Piedade are the most popular ones to visit on a boat tour. Ponta da Piedade is a place where high rock cliffs of over 20m reach into the deep blue Atlantic.
Ponta da Piedade is a magical setting of light brown rock sculptures that meet the blue waters of the ocean below, being one of the main attractions of Lagos.
By boat tour is the most popular way to visit Ponta da Piedade in Lagos. The grotto boat tours in the Algarve to Ponta da Piedade are the most popular boat tours in Lagos.
These Algarve boat tours depart from several beaches and the Marina of Lagos. The grotto boat tours in the Algarve are an inexpensive and fun way to enjoy the colossal rock formations and coastline of Lagos with your family and friends.
Prices start at only 10€ per person. On these Algarve boat trips experienced fishermen will maneuver their way through the amazing caves whilst telling their names and secrets.
In fact, across time, local fishermen have given names to some of these rock sculptures. The most popular ones are the Chimney and the Grotto of Love.
For those who are in love or curious about the Portuguese cuisine, there are the BBQ boat trips in the Algarve.
The BBQ boat trips in the Algarve take between 4 and 6 hours, departing from Lagos, Portimão and Albufeira.
These boat tours in the Algarve are ideal for families and groups of friends. On most of the tours, you’ll depart on a big boat, a sailing boat or a catamaran, and cruise along the coast.
Once you’ve reached a nice spot, the boat will anchor. Depending on the boat tour, you can either jump onto a smaller boat to explore the caves and then go to a private beach to enjoy a BBQ lunch or simply enjoy your meal on the big boat.
On the longer boat tours, there is time for a swim, beach games and snorkeling.
The Algarve is a great holiday destination for ocean lovers and there are Algarve boat tours for every taste and preference.
If you’ve got any questions or suggestions about the boat trips in the Algarve, feel free to contact us.
If you’d like to book some of the Algarve boat tours, we recommend you to book ahead to ensure your spot and avoid fully booked boats.
Enjoy your holidays in the Algarve!
