Ria Formosa: Breathtaking Islands & Coastal Escape Cruise
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Discover and enjoy the diversity of islands, villages and beaches of the Ria Formosa Natural Park in Olhão. Departing at 13:00h from Olhão, this tour goes through the canals in front of Olhão and to the Barrier Islands that protect the Ria Formosa. Following our course we´ll make a stop for lunch in Culatra, a fisherman's vilage with nearly 1000 residents whose main economic activity is fishing. The Island has all the infrastructures you would expect in a normal town; shops, restaurants, school, church, medical office and so on. During the break you can go for a nice lunch of fresh fish in one of the typical restaurants or go for a nice pic-nic at the beach. Afterwards we'll continue the tour and go to Farol island where we'll do another stop. Then return to Olhão passing close to several tuna factories and to the fishing harbour.
Reviews
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Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
D1293POruthm, 12/10/2025 12:25:30 PM
A very pleasant way to spend 4 hours, interesting places to visit and our guide was very informative. We were well looked after !
Maria João G, 11/29/2025 4:10:51 PM
We’ve done the tour to ilha Formosa as a side event of a conference. The tour was amazing and our guide Silvia was super kind and explained to us the context of the people who live in the islands and the diference between them. If you do the tour ask to do it with her and mestre Gonçalves for a complete and amazing experience! Thank you Silvia!
blV611KG, 9/13/2025 3:26:46 AM
We really enjoyed our boat trip. Rita our guide spoke in Portuguese and English. The boat is spacious and we got a great view sitting on one of the open sides at the back. We learned about the island life and the communities that live there. We stopped on Culatra island for 1,5h, this was enough to have a lunch and little walk around. The second stop was short but we got to dip our toes in the beautifully clear water which was very very cold though. Overall an eyeopener on the village life and the fisherman community. Great tour.
Paula81, 8/29/2025 12:42:12 PM
Great 4 hour boat trip costing €25 per adult. The boat stops at Culatra for lunch (lunch is not included in cost of trip), and there are many cafes and restaurants near to where boat moors. The boat has a covered seating area as well as some open seating. There is a toilet on board but no refreshments available to purchase. The guide on the boat is friendly, helpful and informative. There is a desk inside the Real Marina Hotel, opposite the Marina where you can purchase tickets, we found the person on duty on the afternoon 28th August to be in need of lessons in customer service. She had ' can't be bothered attitude ' Tickets can also be purchased on-line or at a kiosk along the promenade. We would recommend the trip, beautiful scenery with lots of interesting things to see and learn.
rbT3374IC, 4/10/2025 11:54:45 AM
Informative experience thanks to the captain and our guide Camilla. Camilla was both helpful and knowledgeable of the marina, the islands we stopped and the surroundings. Best euro spent in Portugal for an excursion. Well worth the price. Highly recommend.
chembryl, 4/9/2025 4:05:57 AM
Lovely day. Camilla very informative from booking to the trip itself. Good value for money. Highly recommend this excursion
pauleL8866ST, 9/28/2024 8:18:34 PM
Wonderful trip and such good value. Everything was as advertised. Joao, out tour guide, was brilliant. He was informative, entertaining and great fun. His little tour around the alleys and gardens on Fisherman Island was lovely. Will go again next year.
whitedeb, 9/28/2024 4:38:37 AM
An enjoyable way to see the bay and islands - Joao was an ethusuastic guide and very friendly - a cheap way to spend an afternoon
KH_London_UK, 9/9/2024 12:17:04 PM
It’s a nice enough boat trip and João was an enthusiastic guide but they should really swap the time on the islands. You spend 90 minutes on an unremarkable island with not much to do ( few restaurants) but only 30 minutes on the second island that has a nice beach, swimming area with a couple of good beach bars. Swap the times and it would be much better.
O1568LRmarieh, 9/8/2024 8:36:18 AM
It was a nice Tour through Ria Formosa. We liked the Islands and enjoyed the trip. While on the boat there was an audio (provided in five languages) that gave information about Ria Formosa and its inhabitants. Especially considering the price I can recommend the tour. The four hours flew by.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
Departure point
In Front of the Hotel Real Marina, stand number 5Return details
Discover and enjoy the diversity of islands, villages and beaches of the Ria Formosa Natural Park in Olhão. Departing at 13:00h from Olhão, this tour goes through the canals in front of Olhão and to the Barrier Islands that protect the Ria Formosa. Following our course we´ll make a stop for lunch in Culatra, a fisherman's vilage with nearly 1000 residents whose main economic activity is fishing. The Island has all the infrastructures you would expect in a normal town; shops, restaurants, school, church, medical office and so on. During the break you can go for a nice lunch of fresh fish in one of the typical restaurants or go for a nice pic-nic at the beach. Afterwards we'll continue the tour and go to Farol island where we'll do another stop. Then return to Olhão passing close to several tuna factories and to the fishing harbour.Redemption
• Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund All flight times are approximate and subject to change due to weather conditions and weight restrictions.24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund