Ria Formosa National Park: Half Day Island-Cruise with Village and Beach Exploration
4.3
120 Ratings
Olhão
Embark on a half-day island cruise in Ria Formosa National Park. Explore charming villages, pristine beaches, and enjoy a delicious lunch of fresh fish. Book now!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Ilha Do Farol - The travelers will pass through the island and see the lighthouse.
- Ilha da Culatra - Stop for the clients to get to know the island and visit the local restaurants.
- Ilha de Armona - Get to know the island
What's Included
- Local guide
- Tour escort/host
- Live commentary on board
What's Not Included
- Drinks
- Food and drinks
- Lunch
Additional Information
Explore and appreciate the variety of islands, hamlets, and shorelines that the Ria Formosa Natural Park in Olhão has to offer.
Our journey begins at 13:00h from Olhão, travelling across canals situated in the vicinity of Olhão and proceeding to the Barrier Islands, which serve as a bulwark to the Ria Formosa.
Upon following our laid-out path, we’ll pause for a midday meal at Culatra, which is home to fishermen and houses nearly a thousand occupants whose primary source of income is fishing. The island is fully-equipped with all the amenities expected in a conventional town; namely stores, eateries, a school, a church, a medical facility, etc. During the break, indulge in a delectable lunch of freshly caught fish at an authentic eatery or enjoy a relaxed picnic at the beach. After the break, we’ll resume our adventure and proceed to the Armona bay and island for another halt. Our return journey to Olhão will take us past several tuna factories and to the fishing port.
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
Location
Av. 5 de Outubro 249
Avenida 5 de Outubro
In Front of the Hotel Real Marina, stand number 5
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(120 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Tracys28
Sep 27, 2023
Fantastic trip - This is the second time we have been on the islands tour, we had a great time ,we had lunch on Culatra which was lovely, we also stopped on the island of Armona which is quaint and beautiful, met some lovely people and have to mention Joao (John) he made it fun and we all had a laugh what a star.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daytrip31028747353
Sep 22, 2023
Barcelona Girls on a boattrip - We had a wonderful cruise in the Ria Formosa National Park.
The guide Joao was very kind and gave a lot of information and he was also very funny ! We would recommend this cruise to everybody !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
780vincentn
Jul 31, 2023
Fun - Very informative and fun.Best way to see the islands and get a feel for what Ria Formosa is all about. Definitely use this company for other excursions..
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gaz3701
May 22, 2023
Excellent day out - Excellent boat tour, guide was informative and helpful, boat was comfortable,thoroughly enjoyable experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Afshin
Apr 13, 2022
A very good experience, and we learned a few things too - We had a lovely time. We took the 4 hour tour to the islands and around Ria Formosa. The boat’s tour guide Joao was not only informative but also very passionate and a good actor! We really enjoyed his show!
The boat was clean and comfortable with plenty of space and felt safe. You could sit inside or outside.
We stopped at two of the islands, first Culatra where we had a 1.5 hour break for lunch and then Armona where we stopped for only 30 minutes. We found Armona a more interesting place than Culatra. I wish we had a shorter stop e.g. 45 minutes in Culatra so we could spend more time in Armona. Overall, a very good experience, and we learned a few things too. Thanks.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fpv_triper
Oct 31, 2020
Island Tour 4h - Despite of seemingly long, the time just flies by! Amazing tour at a great cost (only 20€). Guides on board very knowledgable and helpful. All and all i highly recommend it. A very well spent afternoon visiting the beautiful Ria Formosa.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tommy645jm
Sep 13, 2023
Very good one off trip - This tour was ok and much like many tours I guess. Joao our guide was very good and very helpful in all regards.
If I’m honest I wouldn’t do it again as although we learnt about the area and that was worth doing once, you get very little time to explore the islands or even have lunch as the service at the restaurant we were recommended was slower than tree beard.
All in all a good trip to do once then just use the ferries to bc the island you prefer….ours was Armona.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paula
May 7, 2022
Nothing special - Dissapointment. Cruise to Ria Formosa was just stopping for lunch/short coffee at two of islands. I expected to see flamingos or some other interesting things, that I read about natura reserva, but all we saw was fisherman village full of restaurants of medium quality, nothing interesting from natural perspective. It was difficult to understand our guide, he spoke like he was drunk since the beginning. I would not go again and would not recommend to people who are looking for some natural/flora/fauna experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathlyn171
Mar 15, 2022
Wouldn't do it again - We were last did this cruise 10 years ago and it was good. Two weeks ago whilst holidaying in Olhao we decided we'd do it again. They still use the same boat which is in very poor condition. Our lunch stop on Culatra was at a restaurant where the toilets didn't work and there was no toilet paper in the ladies or the gents. Would you consider the implications of hygeine standards in the food preparation areas with this scenario?? We wandered round the island whilst some of the passengers risked their lives eating the food. The commenrty was difficult to understand probably because of the equipment used. Most people sat inside the boat and no masks were being worn. No mention of wearing them was made. In the local shops etc it is mandatory to wear them. Luckily we sat outside in the fresh air.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Krisbuta
Mar 3, 2024
Ferry services at the price of the tour - The tour was very disappointing. It was just going to the islands, but then it's better to take the ferry (both in terms of price and time). We were hoping to hear information about Ria Farmosa, the islands, get recommendations on what to see in them. During the tour up to the first island, the guide was in no mood and did not give any information, after leaving the island he was like drunk and we heard a few sentences that we had already read while choosing the tour with a few jokes.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
More activities from this operator
