Boat tour in the Algarve through the Ria Formosa Nature Park

Enjoy nature along the Algarve from Faro: with a 2-hour on board a confortable pontoon boat you will admire the flora and fauna of the Ria Formosa Nature Park. Through a local guide you will learn more about the natural wonders of Portugal and observe the bird life with binoculars.

  • Tour / activity duration: ~2 hours
  • Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
  • Transfer: no, not included
100 out of 100 based on 3 Reviews
  • The best insider tips
  • English-speaking service
  • Hassle-free booking change or cancellation
  • Usually cheaper than at site

Guided boat tour in the Algarve

On the guided boat tour through the breathtaking natural landscape of the Algarve, you can relax and enjoy the wonderful flora and fauna.

Price overview

  • Boat tour Algarve Ria Formosa - 2 h - per adult (age 9+) 35.-€
  • Boat tour Algarve Ria Formosa - 2 h - per child (ages 0-8) 20.-€
Exciting nature experience Ria Formosa

Booking option: Guided Boattour at the Algarve

On this guided boat tour in the Algarve through the nature park Ria Formosa with starting point in Faro you will explore the diverse flora and fauna of the reserve on a modern pontoon boat. Accompanied by a nature guide you will find out why the Ria Formosa was chosen as one of the 7 natural wonders of Portugal. The area is considered one of the most important wetlands for water birds in Portugal. During the tour we will observe, among others, white stork (Ciconia ciconia), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia).

The journey continues through the oyster and mussel farms of the nature park. Here you will have the opportunity to see one of the most important economic activities in the Algarve and also very interesting species such as the black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa), the oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) and many others. At the point where the lagoon meets the sea, we will visit the most important reproduction area for the Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) and the Little Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). During our return journey we will meet more species and return in peace and quiet through the channels of the nature park towards Faro.

Departure times:

  • 2 January - 29 February: daily at 3:30 pm
  • 1 March - 15 October: daily at 16:00
  • 16 October - 31 December: daily at 15:30

Overview

  • Minimum number of participants: 2 persons / max. 11 passengers
  • Duration: ~ 2 hours
  • Months: possible all-year
  • Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
  • Starting points: Faro

Included

  • Life jacket, professional guide
  • Use of binoculars
Important information

Please bring

Sun blocker, backpack, camera

Detailed description

Admire the rich bird life with a boat trip in the Algarve through the Ria Formosa Nature Park

The impressive boat trip through the Ria Formosa Nature Park in the Algarve has a lot to offer nature lovers: on board a confortable pontoon boat you will participate ecotouristically in the experience of bird watching. Starting point of the boat tour is Faro, which is preferably done at low tide and the type of boat is perfect for bird watching. You will be accompanied by an experienced nature guide, who will provide you with a wealth of information on one of Portugal's seven natural wonders. The particularity of this breathtaking flora and fauna is clearly the variety of birds on which this boat trip through the Ria Formosa Nature Park will draw attention. Included in the tour are binoculars, a guide to bird identification and a brochure so that you won't miss any important discovery and information.

During this boat trip in the Algarve, you will travel through one of the most important wetlands for birds in Portugal and observe marvellous birds, such as the white stork (Ciconia ciconia), the egretta (Egretta garzetta) and the spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia). The boat tour continues towards one of the islands of the nature park, passing the famous shellfish and oyster farms. During the winter you can find waders, such as the Phaeopian Pheasant (Numenius phaeopus), the stoneworm (Arenaria interpres) and the Plover's Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) all year round. A special treat awaits you during a stop at a lagoon: you will get to know an important breeding area of the Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) and the Kharadrius alexandrinus. On the return trip back to the Algarve, through the Rio Formosa Natural Park, you will have plenty of opportunities to admire other bird species, while the pontoon boat glides calmly through the home of the birds towards Faro. A true, unique experience of nature on the water through the Ria Formosa Nature Park!

Conditions

Valid on the reserved day or for 12 months after date of purchase if no date has been selected. You will receive the tour operator's details with the purchased ticket. Attention: reservation is required! The reservation can be made through sunbonoo as part of the booking process or later by contacting the tour operator directly via phone or email.

Customer Reviews Guided boat tour in the Algarve

Schwab wrote on Aug 2, 2021
Overall rating
100 von 100

Natural wonders in the truest sense of the word.

We were very emotional on this trip. The Algarve has so much to offer, this tour makes it clear again! Must do!

Naturwunder im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes.

Wir waren sehr emotional bei dieser Fahrt. Die Algarve hat so unendlich viel zu bieten, das macht diese Tour wieder deutlich! Must-Do!
Gertrud wrote on Sep 20, 2020
Overall rating
100 von 100

Probably one of the best offers for amateur ornithologists in the Algarve

Birds are my passion. I stopped “in transit” to take advantage of this offer from sunbonoo. The observation possibilities from the sea side on a pontoon boat are remarkable. I was able to photograph two feathered friends whose species I have never seen in the wild before.

Wohl einesder besten Angebote für Hobby-Ornithologen an der Algarve

Vögel sind meine Leidenschaft. „Auf der Durchreise“ habe ich gestoppt, um dieses Angebot von sunbonoo wahrzunehmen. Die Beobachtungsmöglichkeiten von der Seeseite auf einem Ponton Boot sind bemerkenswert. Ich konnte zwei gefiederte Freunde fotografieren, deren Gattung ich bisher noch nie in freier Wildbahn sah.
Mary79 wrote on Aug 30, 2019
Overall rating
100 von 100

Beautiful tour for the whole family

Since the boat is really small it felt almost like a private trip. There was just one more couple in addition to our family and we had a really good time. A big thank you to our great skipper!

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