The Best Boat Trips in Portugal

With a long Atlantic coast, two great rivers and two island archipelagos, Portugal is made for boat trips. Here are the best boat trips in Portugal, from sea caves and dolphins to river cruises and whale watching.

Quick answer: the top boat trips are the Benagil cave and sea caves in the Algarve, whale watching in the Azores, a Douro river cruise from Porto, a sunset sail on the Tagus in Lisbon, the ferry to the Berlengas islands, and dolphin watching on the Sado near Setúbal.

The Algarve

• Benagil and the sea caves: by boat or kayak. See Benagil tours.
• Ponta da Piedade: small boats through the grottos near Lagos. See trips.
• Dolphin watching from Lagos. See trips.
• Ria Formosa: lagoon islands and birdlife. See tours.
• The Arade river from Portimão to Silves. See cruises.

See the best Algarve boat trips.

Lisbon and around

• Sunset sailing on the Tagus. See Lisbon sunset cruises.
• Dolphins on the Sado from Setúbal. See trips.
• Kayaking along the Arrábida coast at Sesimbra. See tours.
• The Berlengas by ferry from Peniche. See trips. See Berlengas.

Porto and the Douro

• The Six Bridges Cruise. See the Six Bridges Cruise.
• Douro river cruises from Porto into the wine valley. See Douro river cruises.
• Boat trips in the Douro Valley from Pinhão. See the Douro itinerary.
• Aveiro’s moliceiro boats on the canals. Book a ride.

The islands

• Whale watching in the Azores: world-class. See São Miguel trips and Pico trips.
• Dolphins and whales in Madeira. See trips.
• The ferry to Porto Santo from Funchal. See Porto Santo.

Tips

• Book early in summer, especially small boats and kayaks.
• Sea conditions: ocean trips may be cancelled in rough weather. Plan them early in your stay.
• Seasickness: take tablets before Atlantic crossings like the Berlengas.

More: wildlife in Portugal and the Portugal bucket list.

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