One of the most underrated things to do when visiting the Algarve is to visit Ria Formosa Natural Park in the eastern Algarve. The best way to explore the wetlands and barrier islands is by joining one of the Ria Formosa boat tours from either Faro or Olhão.
There are many different kinds of boat trips in Ria Formosa visiting different islands, bird watching, sunset tours, guided tours, and individual travel options. I’ve done quite a lot of these different boat trips and loved them all!
You might look for a few hours on the water or have a tight schedule so you can only fit in a 1-hour excursion.
Don’t worry, there’s something for you in this roundup of the best boat tours of Ria Formosa and I’ve separated them so you can easily find the ones leaving from Faro and those leaving from Olhão.
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IN A HURRY? HERE ARE MY TOP RIA FORMOSA BOAT TOUR PICKS!
⭐Best Private Tour From Olhao: Private Boat Tour to Ria Formosa
⭐Best group tour From Faro: 4 Stops, 3 Islands in Ria Formosa Catamaran Tour
⭐Best Eco Tour From Faro: 2-Hour Guided Bird Watching Boat Trip
Best Ria Formosa boat trips from Olhão
Private Boat Tour to Ria Formosa
- Duration: 4 hours
- Explores: Ilha Deserta, Ilha Farol, Ilha Culatra, and Ilha Armona
- Included: life jackets, local guide, drinks
- Not included: hotel pickup and drop-off, food
- Wheelchair accessible: Yes
This is by far one of my favorite Ria Formosa boat tours as it takes you to so many of the islands including Armona Island which not many of the other trips include.
As a private tour, it’s only you and your own party on the boat which makes it a lot more adjustable if you want to skip an island, spend more time in one place, or spend less time in another place.
👉BOOK PRIVATE RIA FORMOSA CRUISE
Ria Formosa 3-Island Full-Day Tour
- Duration: 5 hours
- Explores: Ilha Farol, Ilha Culatra, and Ilha Armona
- Included: life jackets, local guide, water, map of Ria Formosa’s birds
- Not included: hotel pickup and drop-off, food
- Wheelchair accessible: N/A
This is an epic boat tour exploring several of Ria Formosa’s barrier islands. I really enjoyed this tour of Ria Formosa – it was the first one I ever took and it gave an excellent introduction to the Barrier Islands.
You can choose whether you prefer to have lunch at Culatra Island or head across the island to reach the beach.
If you’re looking for a full-day adventure this is a great option as it sometimes becomes longer than 5 hours too (we took 6 hours, but was also a very small group.)
Best Ria Formosa boat tours from Faro
Private Tour for Two: Sunset Boat Trip in Faro
- Duration: 1.5 hours
- Explores: Ria Natural Park at sunset
- Included: sparkling wine, life jackets, local guide
- Not included: hotel pickup and drop-off, food
- Wheelchair accessible: N/A
Tour Ria Formosa with your significant other on this romantic private boat tour. Ria Formosa turns into the most romantic sight at sunset when all the vibrant colors of the sky reflect in the water of the lagoons.
This is the ideal Faro boat tour for you if you plan to propose or if you’re on your honeymoon. But it can also just be an insanely romantic date!
👉BOOK PRIVATE SUNSET BOAT TRIP RIA FORMOSA
4 Stops, 3 Islands in Ria Formosa Catamaran Tour
- Duration: 4 hours
- Explores: Ilha Deserta, Ilha do Farol, and Ilha da Culatra
- Included: snorkeling gear, life jackets, local guide
- Not included: hotel pickup and drop-off, food and drinks
- Wheelchair accessible: No
This is a great Ria Formosa boat trip taking you to the mesmerizing Ilha Deserta, Ilha do Farol, and Ilha da Culatra.
On the way to the islands, you’ll cross the unique salt marshes of the natural park where you can see a magnitude of bird species. Once you reach Ilha Deserta, you can get in the water and go swimming and snorkeling.
Then you will visit both Ilha Farol and Ilha Culatra where you’ll get time to explore the fishing villages and stroll across the nature reserves to explore the sweeping beaches.
There’s enough time to have lunch at Culatra Island, but if you prefer, I highly recommend walking across the island to the beach and going for a dip.
👉BOOK 3 ISLANDS BOAT TRIP RIA FORMOSA
2-Hour Guided Bird Watching Boat Trip
- Duration: 2 hours
- Explores: Bird watching in Ria Formosa Natural Park
- Included: life jackets, local guide, binoculars
- Not included: hotel pickup and drop-off, food and drinks
- Wheelchair accessible: Yes
Ria Formosa is one of the most important resting spots in Europe for migrating birds and a busy hub for aquatic birds.
The place doesn’t need more introduction as a mecca for bird watchers and this Ria Formosa boat tour is exactly for you who love observing birds.
And even if you haven’t been bird watching before, I can say from experience that I found it extremely interesting and we saw heaps of cool birds hunting in the water which was nothing short of magical.
This tour is a hands-on spectacular nature experience that you won’t regret adding to your Algarve itinerary.
👉BOOK BIRD WATCHING EXCURSION RIA FORMOSA
Ria Formosa Hop-On Hop-Off Island Cruise
- Duration: 1 day
- Explores: Ilha Barreta, Ilha do Farol, and Ilha da Culatra
- Included: ferry shuttle service
- Not included: hotel pickup and drop-off, food and drinks, guide
- Wheelchair accessible: N/A
This is a great option for you if you prefer to visit the barrier islands individually. The ferry service goes between Barreta Island, Farol Island, and Culatra Island.
You can use the ticket the entire day so it gives you a lot more freedom to explore the different islands over a longer period of time as opposed to the regular Ria Formosa boat trips that usually just last 3-4 hours giving you limited time on each stop.
The downside with this option is that you miss out on a local guide to learn more about the natural park.
Make sure you bring your swimwear, snorkel, and sunscreen so that you get the most out of it!
👉BOOK HOP-ON-HOP-OFF RIA FORMOSA BOAT TRIP
Eco Boat Tour in the Ria Formosa Lagoon from Faro
- Duration: 1 hour
- Explores: Ria Formosa Natural Park and its wildlife
- Included: life jackets, local guide
- Not included: hotel pickup and drop-off, food and drinks
- Wheelchair accessible: No
If you’re looking for an eco-tour of Ria Formosa, this is the one for you. Take in the unique natural reserve from a solar-powered boat.
I love this tour as groups are small and it’s a sustainable option to see the protected area – so you know you’re not doing any harm while exploring it.
In this excursion, Ria Formosa’s unique ecosystem and wildlife are in focus allowing you to learn lots about this incredible natural space.
Since it’s a short tour of only an hour, it’s ideal even if you go on a day trip to Faro.
Ria Formosa Sunset Boat Trip
- Duration: 1 hour
- Explores: Ria Formosa Natural Park at sunset
- Included: life jackets, local guide
- Not included: hotel pickup and drop-off, food and drinks
- Wheelchair accessible: No
Going on a Ria Formosa cruise at sunset is hard to beat. I particularly enjoyed the reflections in the lagoons as the sun went down.
This is an affordable alternative to the private sunset tour I mentioned earlier. Yet, they only take small groups and in a solar-powered boat so it’s not too crowded taking away from the magic.
👉BOOK SUNSET RIA FORMOSA CRUISE
Conclusion: Boat tours in Ria Formosa
As you can tell, there is a wealth of boat tours to choose from when you want to explore Ria Formosa Natural Park.
I hope you found one or two that suits your itinerary and interests whether you’re based in Faro or Olhão. And no matter where you are, it’s actually just a 10-minute drive between the two.
Happy travels!