If you ask us, Lagos in Portugal is one of the most beautiful coastal cities in the entire country. You’ll find some of the best beaches in Portugal around Lagos and if you love the water, then this place is heaven for you.

From surfing to kayaking to all the different types of boat tours in Lagos you will never be bored here! During the summer months, pods of dolphins find their way to the coastline near Lagos. Sometimes even whales can be found roaming just south of the Lagos coast.

The Benagil Caves are nearby along the beautiful coast to the east, and to the west you have the world-famous Ponta de Piedade. With such a variety of things to see on boat tours in Lagos, the options are endless!

If you’re looking to get out on the water and go on a boat tour in Lagos we hope these 5 different options help you choose which one fits what you’re looking for. All 5 of the tours are quite unique and different and offer a totally different experience.

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The 5 best boat tours in Lagos, Portugal

Quick breakdown of your trip:

Pro tip: most boat tours book out in advance during the summer months in Lagos so it’s best to book in advance!

#1 Ponta de Piedade boat tour Lagos

  • ⛵️ Book your Ponta de Piedade boat tour on Viator
  • Time: Roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • 💸 Cost: €22.5

Ponta de Piedade is right next to Lagos and is a part of the famous coastline along the Atlantic Coast just south of Lagos. On this tour, you will get up real close to all of the fascinating rock formations!

The boats can actually navigate in and out of these tiny caves so you can really see the cave landscape near Ponta de Piedade. The trip itself doesn’t go far from Lagos but it really goes into all the little cracks along the coast so you can see the different inlets and caves.

The tour itself will give you an idea of how many beautiful beaches in Lagos there are. If you love the tour and the coastline we can recommend hiking the Lagos to Ponta de Piedade coastal trail as well which will give you a more aerial view of the caves and coastline.

Actually from the trail, you’ll have access to a lot of the beaches you’ll end up seeing on the boat tour. We did this tour with Lagos Grotto Trips and thought they were great! The owner, José, is a local and together with his Danish wife, Connie, they run a few different boat tours from Lagos.

We have a more detailed post about the Ponta de Piedade boat tour from Lagos here where you can find more information on the trip!

#2 Boat tour from Lagos to Benagil Caves

  • ⛵️ Book your Lagos to Benagil Caves boat tour on Viator
  • Time: Roughly 2 hours
  • 💸 Cost: €40

The Benagil Caves are probably the most iconic caves around the Algarve region. It’s where you’ll find the famous Grutas de Benagil Algarve and all the other sea caves. Lots of people tend to drive to Benagil and do the cave boat tours from there but it’s also possible to do a 2-hour speed boat tour from Lagos. 

The tour starts at the Lagos Marina and makes its way along the coast to Benagil while viewing the caves along the way. Similar to the Ponta de Piedade tour the boats can go into the most narrow caves where you can really get to experience the beauty of these caves firsthand. 

The boat tours to Benagil are on a speed boat so you will be cruising quite fast between the different caves (so maybe leave your hat at home). You’ll see some of the beautiful beaches in the area as well like Praia do Carvalho and Praia da Corredoura.

We also did this tour with Lagos Grotto Trips and loved this one even more than the boat tour to Ponta de Piedade.

PS: If you have the time, go on a day trip out to Benagil! There’s a beautiful coastal walk, kayak rental, and of course boat tours from Benagil as well.

#3 Dolphin and Sealife boat tour Lagos

  • ⛵️ Book your Lagos Dolphin and Sealife tour on GetYourGuide
  • Time: Roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • 💸 Cost: €40

Dolphin watching is a must-do activity when visiting the Algarve. Dolphins are often seen around the Algarve during the summer months when the Atlantic is nice and warm between June and October. There’s nothing quite like seeing dolphins in their natural habitat.

Usually when you see one the rest of the pod is somewhere nearby. Our favourite part about dolphin tours is the fact the dolphins usually quite like swimming next to the speed boats so you get to see and experience them up real close. The Algarve is known for its ocean wildlife and more often than not you will see beautiful sea animals! 

PS: There’s also a chance to see WHALES on the tours too! 😉 

#4 Algarve Golden Coast boat tour near Lagos

  • ⛵️ Book your Algarve Golden Coast boat tour on GetYourGuide
  • Time: Roughly 4 hours
  • 💸 Cost: €56

Most of the boat tours in Lagos go either to Ponta da Piedade (which is basically still in Lagos) or out east to the Benagil Caves and dolphin chasing.

But there is another boat tour from Lagos that goes as south-west as you can possibly go in mainland Europe. Yup, this catamaran cruises all the way to the most southwestern point of mainland Europe (it’s not too far from Lagos). 

This tour takes you to one of the most beautiful places in the Algarve which is near Burgau. There’s lunch on board and once the boat is “anchored” for a while you have the option to go swimming, snorkelling, and even paddleboarding in some of the clearest water imaginable. 

This makes an awesome family trip, date, or even an adventure with a friend. The 4 hours out on the water fly by. In our opinion, this is by far one of the best boat tours in Lagos you can do!

#5 Ponta de Piedade kayak tour 

  • ⛵️ Book your Ponta de Piedade kayak tour on GetYourGuide
  • Time: Roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes
  • 💸 Cost: €40

On this trip, you will firstly board one of the catamarans at the Lagos Marina. The catamaran will then take you out to Ponta de Piedade where you’ll start your kayak trip.

The kayak trip starts near the Ponta de Piedade cliffs where you’ll be able to kayak into all the grottos and caves and even have the chance to swim in one of the grottos. 

The combination of boat ride and kayak makes it a really fun trip and one of the best boat tours to do in Lagos if you’re looking for a bit of adventure and exercise! (You know we love that😉)

This is a fun trip to do as a couple or a group of friends to get out and see the Algarve Coast by kayak! 

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Recap of 5 Fun boat tours in Lagos

As you can see, there really is a huge variety of boat tours in Lagos and they all offer something unique. Ponta de Piedade and the Algarve Coast is incredible. Whether you decide to go on a boat tour to explore the caves or by kayak we’re sure you’ll have an amazing time. 

During the summer months when the dolphins are cruising around the Algarve a dolphin tour might be one of the best tours to do. In the winter, it might be better to go on a Benagil Caves boat tour.

At the end of the day though they’re all great tours and it just depends on what kind of trip you’re looking for! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions about the different boat tours in Lagos or anything else related to the Algarve and we’ll be happy to help you.

You can also DM us on Instagram @redwhiteadventures where we’re quite active and reply quickly most of the time! Enjoy the boat tours and have an amazing time here in Lagos!

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