VERDICT: WE GAVE 5 OUT OF 5 TICKETS AND HERE’S WHY!
This guide forms part of our complete Portugal Travel Guide, featuring destination ideas, scenic road trips, practical travel advice and honest first-hand reviews from across the country.
Some travel experiences surprise you in the best possible way. What began as a simple morning boat tour from Albufeira Marina quickly turned into something unforgettable; pods of wild dolphins swimming around the boat, spectacular limestone cliffs rising from the Atlantic, and the chance to sail directly into the world-famous Benagil Cave. On a calm March morning with blue skies and perfect sea conditions, the Algarve truly delivered.
Our Unforgettable Boat Tour from Albufeira
We’ve been to Portugal before, a few years ago(2022), and we went on a boat tour to see what we could see. That trip was on a speed boat. It was a beautiful day, but the ocean was very choppy and so was the ride, albeit cool.
This time we decided to try a catamaran tour (complete with a bathroom on board) and it promised seeing the Benagil Cave, spectacular coastline views, and hopefully, dolphin sightings.
We left about 10am from the Albufeira Marina and proceeded to have the most incredible adventure with AlgarExperience. There were three staff on our boat who were excellent, and we discovered at the end that our guide was actually enjoying his very first day… We never would’ve known, he did an excellent job.
We Didn’t Expect THIS… Dolphins Took Over Our Benagil Cave Tour
When we left, we immediately went quite far out into the ocean and slowed the boat down to start looking for dolphins. The team clearly had an idea where they could be as we spotted a mama and baby almost right away. We did sail away from them though, so they wouldn’t feel threatened, but quickly found another spot with quite a few pods who happily raced the boat or breached to check us out. It was amazing.
We then went on to follow along the coastline, which was pretty cool as we’d seen it from land on our road trip, but it was quite something else to see it from the sea. The sky was the brightest blue, the water, the prettiest shades of sparkling teal, in contrast to the golden sands & orange-red of the massive cliffs.
We were on a fairly large boat, but were able to steer a little ways in, almost right up to the beach in Benagil Cave. We were able to float up to and around many other caves, beaches, and natural arches, one that definitely resembles an elephant, another a dragon & then a shark.
There is a beautiful whitewashed church on top of a cliff, where many weddings take place in the summer. There were quite a lot of walkers and hikers along the 7km trail above the cliffs.
We waved to other tour boats and many kayakers who were also manoeuvring into the stunning caves. We even spotted a very happy dog, enjoying paddle boarding with his owner! Another adventure that the same company offers is parasailing and we did glide right underneath a couple who were waving to us & having a blast with their bright red parachute. It was wonderful to see the dolphins in their natural habitat but even if we hadn’t, this trip was just gorgeous. We learned that all beaches in Portugal are open to the public, even if they’re below a private resort.
We learned another new fact: Blue Flag beaches in Portugal signify a prestigious international certification for high environmental standards, excellent water quality, safety, and amenities, with over 400 awarded in 2025. Managed by the FEE, these beaches feature lifeguards, clean facilities, and eco-friendly practices, often including accessible infrastructure.
There are two main prices for tickets: $29 for a regular ticket and $39 for a guaranteed ticket. The guaranteed ticket means if you aren’t able to spot any dolphins you could get your money back.
We felt the $29 each was well worth it and we would probably do it again on any future vacations to Albufeira.
- Easy start: Taxi from Albufeira Old Town to the marina – only €6 and 10 minutes
- Departure: Boat left 10:00am from Albufeira Marina
- Best seats: Elevated centre seats gave the best views of dolphins and coastline
- Wildlife encounter: Multiple pods of dolphins (20+ in each group) swimming beside the boat
- Natural wonders: Dramatic Algarve limestone cliffs and hidden sea caves
- Main highlight: Sailing inside the famous Benagil Cave
- Perspective: Seeing the cave from the water after previously viewing it from above
- Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours on the water
- Weather: Blue skies, calm winds, 15–16°C – perfect conditions
- Tour operator: Algar Experience – highly recommended
- My Return Ticket Rating: 5-Ticket Experience
Plan Your Benagil Cave Boat Tour
- Departure: Albufeira Marina
- Duration: ~2.5 hours
- Best months: March – October
- Wildlife: Dolphins frequently spotted
- Bookings: Available through Algar Tour Operators
Experiences like this are exactly why we travel; unexpected wildlife, spectacular scenery, and moments that stay with you long after the journey ends. This Algarve adventure easily earns our 5-Ticket rating. Watch more videos on this website. Go to the main menu.
Useful Visitor Information:
- Ultimate Guide to Algarve Beaches
- Castro Marim Medieval Castle
- Cost of Living Expenses
- Benagil Cave by Boat Adventure
- Two Very Different Parts of Albufeira
- Best things to do in and around Albufeira
Plan your next trip:
With every trip, we offer feedback to travel companies along with honest views for you, the reader. We rate adventures on a scale of one to five tickets, judged on quality, service, memorability, and price. A perfect ‘Ticket Rating’ of a five-ticket score means the experience was flawless and we’d eagerly return. Your desire to go back is the ultimate measure of a trip’s worth. Exclusive to My Return Ticket.
