Boat tours in Ria Formosa!

Island Tours
Birdwatching
Private Boat Rental

Nature & Islands Tour

deserta island faro seen from a drone

Boat tours in ria formosa, ALL YEAR ROUND

deserta island faro drone view during a boat trip

Explore Ria Formosa with a biologist guide on a boat trip to the islands! Learn more about the local fauna on board and visit 2 barrier islands – Deserta & Culatra

ria formosa island boat tours from drone perspective
deserta island in ria formosa faro portugal
chameleon in deserta island found during a ria formosa boat tour

Tour details

Duration & Departure: 3h

Our island boat tours in Ria Formosa depart from Faro harbour every day at 12:30.

Participants

The tour runs with a minimum of 2 adults and a maximum of 10 people including children.

Itinerary

Join a guided boat tour to visit the islands and learn about the Ria Formosa Natural Park and its inhabitants. The boat will cruise through the salt marshland channels where you can spot some of the 223 different species of birds. We'll head towards the barrier islands and make our first stop in Deserta island - where you'll have 30 minutes to explore or just go for a swim in crystalline waters. Deserta is home to the iconic chameleons - and once you are there you can try to look for them but remember: do not touch wild animals! After leaving Deserta we move on to Culatra Island - specifically Farol village stopping for 1 hour for you to visit, have a drink or a snack in one of the local bars & restaurants, or enjoy the beautiful beach on the ocean side. After the last stop, we return to Faro while enjoying the views over Ria Formosa.

Birdwatching

stork in faro spotted during a boat trip with ocean vibes

October to April only

osprey flying over Ria formosa channels during a birdwatching tour

Join a boat ride in search of birds in Ria Formosa! Home to over 223 different species of birds, the lagoon is the ideal place for those who enjoy birdwatching!

redshank flying over the boat during a birdwatching tour in faro
osprey in Ria Formosa spotted while cruising by boat during a birdwatching tour in the algarve
kentish plover in Faro spotted while birdwatching by boat in Ria Formosa

Tour details

Duration & Departure: 2h

We have birdwatching boat tours available from Faro between October and April .

Participants

The tour runs with a minimum of 2 adults and a maximum of 10 people including children.

Itinerary

This is a non-stop slow paced guided boat tour in the lagoon.

Private boat rental

Customize your own boat tours in Ria Formosa by renting a boat (with a skipper) for yourself and your group while choosing the places you want to visit within the Natural Park. 

  • 80 per hour (up to 4h) and 70€ per hour afterwards
  • Customize your own route
  • Up to 10 people
  • Skipper included
Contact Us
boat for rental in faro ria formosa

Our clients say

"It was a beautiful and interesting tour with lots of information about dolphins and birds. We saw a lot of dolphins. It was super relaxed because its off season and there were no other boats out there for dolphin watching. Thank you for this beautiful experience :)"
Monana TripAdvisor
"Nous avons participé à cette excursion avec mon conjoint et nous n’avons pas été déçus! Nous étions seulement 5 visiteurs sur le bateau, nous avons vu énormément de dauphins de très près et avons pu bénéficier d’explications en français sur les espèces peuplant les environs. Je vous recommande de choisir cette excursion qui s’éloigne du tourisme de masse et vous fait profiter d’un moment de magie"
Emmanuelle TripAdvisor
"Definitely worth to book a tour here. The guides are very nice and have a lot to tell you about the marine life. And they are very enthusiastic, a big plus. We also saw a lot of dolphins and birds."
Melissa TripAdvisor
"Highlight of our holiday was the boat trip out to sea with our 2 very amendable, friendly and knowledgable guides. Very excited to see Dolphins in their natural habitat for the first time. Also inspiring to sense the passion for Dolphins and wildlife from our guides. Highly recommended"
CharlesYVT TripAdvisor