PORTUGAL · ISLAND HOPPING TOURS
The Ria Formosa lagoon behind Faro is a chain of sand islands you can only reach by boat. These 15 compare the hop-on ferries, the four-stop tours and the Berlengas crossing, with tide notes and prices.
Explore three Ria Formosa islands from Faro by catamaran, with birdlife, beaches, oyster farms, and an optional Culatra lunch.
“What a lovely day out to see the water eco park surrounding Faro- a step back in time to a basic way of living The beach on the ocean side of Culatra was spectacular”
Review of Faro’s Ria Formosa boat tour, with island stops, wildlife, swimming, guides, practical tips, pricing, and honest advice.
“We had a lovely afternoon exploring the Ria Formosa by boat. Our guide was knowledgeable and clearly passionate about area, sharing lots of interesting facts along the way. The kids especially loved collecting shells on the beautiful Barreta Island, and we had enough time to enjoy a relaxed lunch on Farol Island. It was great way to experience a unique part of the Algarve.”
Review of Faro’s Ria Formosa boat trip to Farol, Culatra, and Armona, with honest advice on stops, guides, lunch, value, and planning.
“Our wonderful captain was great and told us lots of information about the islands and Portugal which was very informative, but he also made it funny and enjoyable as well. He spoke in many languages to accommodate everyone there. A very relaxing day trip and a must do!”
Explore Farol, Culatra, and Armona from Olhão on a five-hour Ria Formosa boat tour with beaches, seafood, wildlife, and local stories.
“I took this tour last year when I was travelling solo and was determined to do it again this year with my 3 friends. We had a great time exploring the diffeent islands, swimming and having some amazing food at the local restaurants on the islands. We changed our trip to the sunset one and we are so glad we did. To be on the water with unobstructive views of the sunset was something really special.”
Review of Faro’s Ria Formosa boat cruise, with island beaches, birdlife, local guides, swimming stops, price, tips, and honest drawbacks.
“Amazing experience and perfectly timed in each stop. Antonio made the whole trip very enjoyable and fun, thank you.”
Review of Faro’s 5-hour Ria Formosa catamaran tour, with three islands, swimming, oysters, wildlife, lunch, and practical tips.
“Excellent!!!! Everything was great! I was driving this boat :)”
Explore Deserta and Farol islands from Faro on a small catamaran tour through Ria Formosa, with swimming, birdlife, and free snorkeling masks.
“The amount of time spent at each location was perfect. Our train arrived in the afternoon so a 4pm departure met our schedule perfectly. Pudding, our Captain, expand everything in 3 languages. The water was clear and beautiful for a swim or a walk along the beach.”
Explore Ria Formosa from Olhão on a 4-hour boat tour with stops at Culatra and Farol, local guides, lighthouse views, and strong value.
“Such an amazing tour. The tour guide was so friendly and made it all the better. The islands were absolutely gorgeous!”
Review of the Berlengas boat tour from Peniche, with clear-water views, island walks, fort access, sea caves, costs, and practical tips.
“Really worth it. The hike on the island is easy enough to be accessible for most, and the views are stunning!”
Review of Faro’s 4-hour dolphin and two-island boat tour, with wildlife tips, itinerary details, price, practical advice, and honest drawbacks.
“Saw only 1 dolphin. Boat trip was lovely with very good English speaking guide. But after searching for dolphins, they simply dropped us off at 2 different islands for 45 minutes at each. Just enough time to get a quick look. Seeing the 1 dolphin was exciting, but the islands part was a waste of time.”
Explore Faro’s Ria Formosa islands by flexible hop-on hop-off boat, with beaches, fishing villages, wildlife, and practical tips for a full day.
“This activity is a must when in Faro! Super activity if you enjoy exploring! Faro has some amazing islands and this activity made it super easy to access them all! The staff were always super friendly and the boats were well maintained! The jamantha party boat was also excellent and worth the €5 upgrade! Excellent value for money! :)”
Explore Armona, Culatra, and Farol from Olhão, with a fisherman's-house lunch, local guide, and Ria Formosa boat cruise.
“The tour was super informative, our guide James had an obvious passion for the landscape and wildlife that was infectious. The lunch at the fisherman’s house was delicious, we felt very welcome. It also gave us a nice opportunity to get to know the other people on the tour. There are a few opportunities to swim which we happily took advantage of! I would definitely recommend this tour”
Review of Faro’s four-hour Ria Formosa cruise, with Culatra and Farol stops, guide notes, value, comfort, timing, and practical tips.
“Goede boot, allerlei informatie over gebied. Stop bij Armanda had langer gemogen. De gids heeft weinig inbreng / toegevoegde waarde. Chatfunctie wordt te laat op gereageerd, vroegtijdig een bericht gestuurd en werd tijdens de toer pas op geantwoord… Terwijl de meiden op kantoor, voor de toer, wel tijd hebben om met elkaar te ‘chatten’”
Explore Armona, Culatra, and Farol by boat from Olhão, with local stories, birdlife, oyster farms, swimming, and sunset views.
“Jaime was a fantastic, relaxed Tourguide. He showed us around his beautiful estuary and told us lots of intersting facts and stories in french and english about the places we visited. I liked being on the sandbank at low water and the fish in vila culetras Aqua Chill Restaurant best, but the rest of the tour was also splendid. highly recommended!!! Thank you, Jaime!”
Review of Faro’s Ria Formosa sunset boat tour, with island stops, local guides, practical tips, pricing, and who will enjoy it most.
“Je pense qu'il faut visiter une autre île que l'île déserte a cette heure ci. Ce n'est plus vraiment l'heure pour se baigner ou faire de la plongée comme suggéré par le guide.”
Every kind of island day we have been out on.
