Faro Island Hopping: Explore Ria Formosa’s Barrier Islands at Your Leisure
4.6
45 Ratings
Faro
Experience the freedom of exploring Ria Formosa's barrier islands at your own pace with Faro Island Hopping. Hop on and off the boat circuit, visit multiple islands, and choose your own schedule. Discover the beauty of the Natural Park on your own terms!
Duration: 1 day
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Animaris Ilha Deserta Boat Tours - Ilha Deserta is one of the 5 barrier islands in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, and the only uninhabited.

The shape of Deserta looks like an arrow pointing south, between the Atlantic Ocean and Ria Formosa. The island has been kept pristine for many years, and today still surprises. From birds, to plants and flowers, crustacean, chameleons and others still to be found, Ilha Deserta is a hotspot of biodiversity.

On island you’ll find Estaminé Restaurant surrounded by the tranquility, it offers an authentic gastronomy experience, a quality service and spectacular panoramic views.

  • R. das Flores 119 - Ilha do Farol gets the name from the iconic lighthouse ‘Santa Maria’. It is a mark among fisherman as safe haven and it has a small community on holidays and weekends.
  • Ilha da Culatra - Culatra is the only island with residency all year long. The highlights is the fisherman port, church, island school and community itself.

To reach the beach it requires a 30 minute walk.

What's Included
  • All applicable fees and taxes included
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Embark on a self-guided tour of the barrier islands in Ria Formosa. Starting from Faro, enjoy the boat route taking you to the islands within the Natural Park. Traverse between these islands freely, utilizing any of the scheduled trips. Your ticket is good for 24 hours, lasting until your return trip to Faro.

What is the process of the Hop On Hop Off Islands?

There are several pickup times on the three islands (on an hourly basis), allowing you the freedom to explore all of them at your own desired pace. Our boat captains will be present to direct you and offer any information necessary during your trip.

Start your day in Faro, dedicate your time wandering and moving between the islands, and decide when you’re ready to head back.

Location
Cais das Portas do Mar
Rua da Porta Nova
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(45 Ratings)
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Laryssa_m
Dec 8, 2023
Such a beautiful... - Such a beautiful experience. Very friendly and helpful staffs. A good way to go to all the three islands.
Review provided by Viator
Desiree_a
Sep 14, 2023
Worth it for the beaches - The boat drivers made every effort for persons to get on and off the boat with ease even with the changing tides They were excellent and helpful drivers Of course the beaches were the favourite Ille Desert Island Ilha Deserta Walk to the Beach on Cultura
Review provided by Viator
Hannahwa7855py
Apr 3, 2023
Great day trip to the beaches of Faro - We did the hop-on-hop-off experience with three girls to see the beaches of Faro. My preferred spot was the first island (Ilha Deserta), you can spent half day there. It has a wooden pathway to go for a 2 km mini hike and a looong sandbeach on the other side. We spent 1 hour there and there were very few people. We had a coffee and oysters in the restaurant before leaving, the restaurant and bar are fancy and very nice for a short stay. The second stop (Farol) I would recommend to skip, it is a holiday park for portuguese families and some low quality bars. You cannot do much there. The third stop (Ilha Culatra) has a beautiful fishermen harbour. We had an intensive 2-hours-lunch at the restaurant "O Rui" with prawns, claws, fish and sides, plus water and two bottles of wine (total 75 Euros). It was delicious and relaxing. We took the wooden bridge to the other side of the island to the beach (15 min walking) and had a nice swim in the ocean, there is also a bar for snacks and drinks. Very much recommended. It took us all day to return as we liked it so much (from 10.30 to 7pm) but you can also choose to go with the other boats and return earlier. The team is great, they give safety advice and make you feel safe and comfortable at any time. there were also few kids, I can recommend to go with kids as well as the speed boats are safe and you get life vests. You can book the tickets at the harbour area (book 1-2 days in advance).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amali-aix
Apr 3, 2023
Excellent Experience and Amazing Team - We really enjoyed the Hop-on-Hop-off! Thanks for the team: always caring, safety first and super friendly! We recommend staying two slots at Deserta and doing the round walking tour and ending with oysters at the bar. As we came off-season Farol was deserted (its rather a holiday park) but Culatra was an excellent experience again. We had fish and seafood at O Rui and LOVED IT! We left in the morning with the first boat and came back with the last 🤣
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shan
Apr 2, 2023
Absolutely incredible. Definitely worth it - would recommend going to all 3 islands ! - 3 girls - we all did the hop on hop off all day ferry boat to the 3 islands and it is SO worth it. Absolutely incredible, definitely go for it. Remember the team all wear yellow shirts and are in yellow boats so just make sure it’s ilha Deserta boat tours We paid I think around £30 each and it is so worth it. It’s a full day tour and you can hop on hop off the boats on any island you want and they are all worth it. The first one is 15 minutes away on the boat and the experience is surreal. It feels like you’re floating and it’s not bumpy at all - this is to Deserta where this a restaurant and you can walk around the whole island to a beach. The second one was around 7/8 mins away with is called Farol and is a tourist island apparently so in summer it would be buzzing. But in March it wasn’t, you can walk to the other side and there is a light house and a lovely beach to lie on (this was our favourite). There are also two bars but they were closed when we went in March. Then the last island is 5 minutes away in the boat, and this is the fisherman island so this is lots of locals and it’s lovely. Very small but quaint. They have a bar open with ice creams and drinks etc… you can walk around the island too and if you go to the other side there is a beach too which is lovely ! Boats are always on time and lovely to sit on. They provide life jackets too and prioritise safety. Definitely worth it if you are in Portugal! Just take a photo of the boat times:)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shaoquan_l
Mar 23, 2024
A easy transportation from Faro to its nearby islands. - This gives you a easy way to visit the different islands spots near Faro. You just plan your time yourself, follow the time schedule of the shuttle boat and visit 3 spots and return back to Faro. You can decide which place you would like to say longer. You have the freedom.
Review provided by Viator
Ashlin
Jun 3, 2023
Good experience - It was a good experience. The boats came on time and you could easily island hop. I would say to bring lots of snacks and your swimsuit. It’s fun to walk around the islands, but it doesn’t take much time. So spending time at the beach or a restaurant is fun.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_w
Jul 17, 2023
Ok if you want to spend your time on a beach. Otherwise, forget it. - This was not an interesting trip for me. I am not a sun-lover and this would be a great trip for those who want to sit on the beach and maybe bring a picnic lunch. That is pretty much all there was to do.
Review provided by Viator
Fiona_l
Jun 4, 2023
Flexible timings for an island hopping experience - This is a shuttle service between the islands which means you can stay as long as you like on the island or as little as you like. Each island has its own charm and unique character but the ultimate island was ilha deserta which had one amazing restaurant and great facilities on the island plus plenty of beach to enjoy or a hike if you prefer.
Review provided by Viator
Jaymac123
Sep 3, 2023
AVOID IF YOU ARE ENGLISH - I went on this boat 3x and booked 3 separate trips. First two through trip advisor, last one I booked at the desk. The lady lied about being able to return earlier, the ticket I had was not acknowledged by two of the staff. Luckily the one guy had seen me prior and I got along with him, he allowed me on but advised, I had been advised incorrectly. I addressed this when I got back and advised I’d make a complaint as my flight back is today and this would’ve made me late if the skipper didn’t see me previously. It was pretty clear they had tried to exploit the fact that I had spoken in clear English about returning early and still sold me the ticket which was false.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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May 2024
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