The 3 Wildlife Trips in Portugal That Earn Their Price

1.Dolphin and Wildlife Watching in the Atlantic Ocean

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 637 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $76Our pick

From Faro marina, you’ll cross Ria Formosa with marine biologists and head into the Atlantic to seek dolphins, whales, porpoises, seabirds, sharks, turtles, and sunfish. Guides such as Miguel, Pedro, Ines, and Alfredo explain the wildlife and follow strict viewing rules. Bring water, sunscreen, and a warm jacket.

“Brilliant trip. Our guides were very professional and very knowledgeable, you can tell they love what they do.”

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2.Small Group Dolphin and Wildlife Watching Tour in Faro

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 578 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $66Top rated

Join Ocean Vibes Algarve in Faro for a 2.5-hour RIB boat trip led by marine biologists. Cruise through Ria Formosa Natural Park into the Atlantic, looking for bottlenose and common dolphins, whales, seabirds, turtles, tuna, and sunfish. Groups are limited to nine people.

“The staff is awesome, really friendly and super knowledgeable, we got to see quite a few dolphins (some were very close to the boat), lots of birds and a moon fish. It's a team of scientists so they're not just disturbing wildlife for tourists but collecting data which makes it much more meaningful, and they actually respect the rules of wildlife protection. I 100% recommend!”

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3.Wildlife and Dolphin-Watching Speedboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 41 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $58Best value

From Faro, you’ll ride a small speedboat through Ria Formosa to Cape Santa Maria and the Atlantic, searching for dolphins, seabirds, turtles, and small sharks. The skipper explains the wildlife in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese. Morning departures offer the best chance of finding dolphins.

“Lorsqu'on a pu voir un groupe d'adultes accompagner un bébé dauphin j'ai été très émue, c'était vraiment une expérience exceptionnelle et inoubliable. On aurait dit que les dauphins se donnaient en spectacle en nageant ensemble de façon synchronisée et en sautant hors de l'eau à la verticale ou à l'horizontale. Vraiment je recommande cette activité à tous les amoureux de la faune.”

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