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Ilha Deserta and Farol Island: A Small-Group Boat Trip in Ria Formosa from Faro
4.5
226 Ratings
Faro
Embark on a small-group boat trip to the stunning Ilha Deserta and Farol Island in Ria Formosa. Explore the natural beauty of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, spot diverse birdlife, and immerse yourself in the local fishing village. Limited to 11 people for an intimate experience.
Embark on a small-group boat trip to the stunning Ilha Deserta and Farol Island in Ria Formosa. Explore the natural beauty of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, spot diverse birdlife, and immerse yourself in the local fishing village. Limited to 11 people for an intimate experience.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Formosamar - Boat Tours in Ria Formosa - The tour begins at our office located on the ground floor of the Ginásio Clube Naval de Faro (Nautical Club of Faro) building. Kindly check in with our team at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure.
- Parque Natural da Ria Formosa - The tour starts at our office on the ground floor of the…
- Formosamar - Boat Tours in Ria Formosa - The tour begins at our office located on the ground floor of the Ginásio Clube Naval de Faro (Nautical Club of Faro) building. Kindly check in with our team at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure.
- Parque Natural da Ria Formosa - The tour starts at our office on the ground floor of the Ginásio Clube Naval de Faro (Nautical Club of Faro) building. Please ensure you check in with our team at least 10 minutes prior to departure.
- Barreta Island - Also known as Ilha Deserta, this stop offers the opportunity to explore the island’s flora and fauna on a leisurely walk or simply relax and swim in the clear beach waters.
- R. das Flores 119 - Enjoy a stroll through the charming streets of this welcoming community. As you pass the lighthouse, continue to the end to admire a vast beach of fine white sand and calm, warm waters, marking the southernmost point of Portugal - the Santa Maria Cape.
- Ria Formosa Natural Park - After two stops, on the return journey to Faro, be captivated by one of Portugal’s 7 Natural Wonders – the Ria Formosa.
- Muralhas de Faro - The tour concludes with breathtaking views of Faro’s old town along the route.
- Portas do Mar - If you wish to disembark here, kindly inform your skipper in advance.
- Marina de Faro - The final destination of your boat trip.
- Marina de Faro - The final destination of your boat trip.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Life vests
- Live commentary on board
- 3-hour catamaran boat trip (includes a stop of 1 hour in Farol and 20 up to 30 minutes in Deserta)
- Local guide
- Life vests
- Live commentary on board
- 3-hour catamaran boat trip (includes a stop of 1 hour in Farol and 20 up to 30 minutes in Deserta)
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Food and drinks
- Tips (Optional)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Food and drinks
- Tips (Optional)
Additional Information
Explore the unique natural beauty of Portugal on a 3-hour catamaran journey to Ria Formosa, departing from Faro. Join a small group and step aboard a cozy catamaran to discover the Ria Formosa Natural Park. Traverse the Deserta Island and the Farol Island, keeping an eye out for various bird species and observing the everyday activities of the…
Explore the unique natural beauty of Portugal on a 3-hour catamaran journey to Ria Formosa, departing from Faro. Join a small group and step aboard a cozy catamaran to discover the Ria Formosa Natural Park. Traverse the Deserta Island and the Farol Island, keeping an eye out for various bird species and observing the everyday activities of the inhabitants of a nearby fishing village.
This tour is designed for small groups of up to 11 people, ensuring a more personal and intimate exploration experience.
- A minimum of 2 adults per booking is required
- A maximum of 11 people per booking
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
Location
Formosamar - Boat Tours Passeios na Ria Formosa
The meeting point for your tour is at our offices: Boat Tours Store at the ground floor of the building of Ginásio Clube Naval de Faro (Nautical Club of Faro). Please be so kind and check in for your tour or activity with our team members at least 10 minutes before the departure time.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(226 Ratings)
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L969rosamanthaf
Sep 28, 2025
Beautiful, adventurous and informative - JC was a fantastic guide! Knowledgeable, friendly, funny and professional. Fantastic guy!
We learnt about the local birds, seahorse breeding grounds and oyster farms.
We could've spent more time on the lighthouse island, as it had restaurants and lovely beaches. We had some sangria and garlic butter prawns at one of the restaurants. Staff were friendly and welcoming.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scenic34552836613
Sep 19, 2025
Maravilhoso - It was a wonderful walk. Claudio was mt friendly and explained everything mt well. We went to the lighthouse island a small island but mt rotates. We had lunch at Culatra a sardine wonder. And we went on to take some dive on Desert Island. Just wonderful. To repeat without a doubt.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Parastoo_m
Sep 14, 2025
I had a great time. - Miguel, our guide, was very passionate about the lagoons and algarve and his job. He gave us a lot of info about the birds, the wildlife there, the locals, etc. It was an amazing experience.
Review provided by Viator
Christina
Aug 22, 2025
Island boat tour - Guide service was very professional. Nice well kept boats.
Our guide, Pedro, was friendly & very knowledgeable of the local ecosystems. The guide took time to explain local customs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q5922qppatriciao
Aug 19, 2025
Ria Formosa, Ilha deserta and Ilha do Farol - Interesting and pleasant. The guide explained understandably and sympathetically, and resolved our doubts. The boat goes gently over the water, without giving boats.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
584alinek
Jul 24, 2025
- Carlos our captain, was great. I was there with my 8-year-old daughter. It is friendly , explains everything in several languages. Very nice. The islands are beautiful. The cruise was great. What to do when you are in Faro.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brigittepe6017av
Jul 12, 2025
Unforgettable 3h excursion with Carlos on June 8, 2025 - On June 8, 2025, it was very sunny,
Pleasant excursion from Faro on the Ria de Formosa towards Desert Island and Farol Island, with this transparent and turquoise water, beautiful , unforgettable!
We were only 5 on board in this beautiful very comfortable boat, accompanied by Captain Carlos, thank you very much for his explanations on the Ria, islands, wildlife, fish.
Carlos a passionate of his region, very kind, very kind and humorous!
Looking forward to returning for a sea ride!
Carlos with our best memory, kisses
Brigitte and Magic
We recommend this superb excursion
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alex_c
Jun 25, 2025
Fun outing - Very good guide who was affable and knowledgeable. There was plenty of time to visit both islands. I would recommend to anybody visiting Faro.
Review provided by Viator
Edurne_p
Jun 20, 2025
The tour is beautiful... - The tour is beautiful and the explanations of our guide have been very good. Very nice and highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
703francoisem
Aug 25, 2025
Beautiful walk 3h discovery Ria Farmosa - We took the 3h discovery walk of Ria Formosa Park with the company Formosamar. We really liked the explanations of the guide and the stop on the desert islands. However we left practically 15 minutes late because we waited for a family, delay that we did not recover (return at 2pm as planned at the port of Faro). We made a stop of 1h10 on the Farol Islands and 30 minutes on the desert islands, which we found too short. We would have preferred the opposite: a longer stop on the desert islands.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
