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Which boat trip from Funchal suits you?
Four questions. The answer turns on what you want from the sea, the kind of boat, young children and seasickness.
Answer all four and the tool names the trip that fits.
Whales from a big eco-catamaranThe most reviewed trip from Funchal
Three hours offshore on a custom-built eco-catamaran with an upper deck, a nets area, indoor and outdoor seating and bars, then a visit to Cabo Girão. It is the most reviewed boat trip from Funchal, 4.55 from 10,022 reviews, and a big boat is the steadier choice for young children and anyone who gets seasick.
- Make your own way to the meeting point at the marina: there is no hotel pickup.
- Drinks and snacks are sold on board.
From Funchal: Ecological Catamaran Dolphin Whale Watching
★ 4.6 · 10,022 reviewsClose to the water on a small, fast boatSmall group, marine biologist guides
Two hours on a fast boat for a small group, with naturalists or marine biologists as guides and land-based spotters who direct the boat to the animals. It is rated 4.91 from 1,851 reviews.
- Meet at the speed boat in the new marina, in front of door 4.
- Food and drinks are not included.
Not suitable for children under 6, during pregnancy or for people with back problems.
Madeira: Responsible Whales and/or Dolphins Watching Tour
★ 4.9 · 1,851 reviewsWhale watching with an open barAll drinks and snacks included
Three hours on a luxury catamaran with all drinks, alcohol included, a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, local snacks, a swimming stop and free snorkels. It is rated 4.91 from 2,885 reviews.
- Meet at the VipDolphins kiosk between Praça do Povo and the sea.
- There is no hotel pickup.
Not suitable for children under 3, during pregnancy or for people prone to seasickness.
All Inclusive Whale and Dolphin Watching Luxury Tour
★ 4.9 · 2,885 reviewsThe Santa Maria de ColomboA replica of Columbus's ship
Three hours along the coast aboard a replica of Christopher Columbus's flagship, with a taste of Madeira wine and honey cake. It is rated 4.55 from 2,066 reviews.
- Board at Praça do Povo, Funchal marina.
Not suitable for wheelchair users.
Madeira: Flag Ship Tour aboard Santa Maria de Colombo
★ 4.6 · 2,066 reviewsSunset on a traditional Madeiran boatThe top-rated sunset trip
Three hours on a traditional Madeiran boat to the cliffs of Cabo Girão at sunset, with drinks included, music and snorkelling gear for a swim. It is rated 4.85 from 928 reviews.
- Meet at store 2 in Funchal marina.
- Bring a jacket for the evening wind.
Funchal: Sunset Tour on Traditional Madeiran Boat w/ Drinks
★ 4.9 · 928 reviewsA full day to the Desertas IslandsNine hours with lunch
A full day of about 9 hours by catamaran to the Desertas Islands, a nature reserve, with a short guided visit, a swim and lunch included. It is rated 4.35 from 216 reviews.
- Check in 30 minutes before departure at the VMT kiosk, pier 8, below Praça do Povo.
- Tell the operator in advance about any diet or allergy.
Not suitable for people with mobility impairments or wheelchair users. Choose a calm day: the crossing is long.
Desertas Islands Full-Day Catamaran Trip from Funchal by VMT
★ 4.4 · 216 reviewsA private boat for up to 11Only your group
Three hours on a private boat with a skipper, for up to 11 people, with a paddle board, masks and snorkels, fruit and a bottle of wine; you choose the spots with the crew. It is rated 4.86 from 16 reviews.
- Meet at the boat on Funchal marina, pier 8, door 1.
- Bring your own snacks and drinks; there is no toilet on board.
Not suitable during pregnancy, for people with mobility impairments or for people over 70.
Funchal: Private Boat Tour w/Snorkel & Paddle up 11 people
★ 4.9 · 16 reviewsA jet ski circuitThirty minutes of speed
A 30-minute jet ski circuit off the Lido, with life jackets provided, rated 4.52 from 195 reviews.
- The kiosk is on the Praia do Gorgulho, off the Lido promenade.
- Bring a towel and swimwear.
Not suitable during pregnancy or for people with heart problems.
Ratings, lengths, inclusions and limits are the partners' own, read on 22 September 2026; check the listing before you book.
The tool's answer turns on four things, and each of them changes the trip more than the price does. What you want decides the kind of trip: whales and dolphins, a sunset along the cliffs, the old ship, a whole day or a quick ride. The boat decides the experience: a big catamaran is steadier and has space to move, a small fast boat gets closer to the animals. Young children and seasickness rule some trips out altogether, because the operators set their own limits.
That is why the tool sends a family with a child under 6, or anyone who gets seasick, to the big eco-catamaran whatever else they chose, and keeps the small boats and the open-bar cruise for adults and older children who are steady at sea.
More than 70 boat and whale trips leave from Funchal marina, and most last 2 to 3 hours.
Three more trips that answer the same questions.
CatamaranFunchal: Dolphin and Whale Watching Catamaran Cruise
A big catamaran with 6,772 reviews
ShorterFrom Funchal: Whale and Dolphin Watching
A shorter whale trip, 4.69 from 2,070 reviews
SunsetWhy the big catamaran is the default
The common mistake is to book the fastest boat because it sounds most exciting. For most groups, the big boat is the better day.
The eco-catamaran that most answers lead to is the most reviewed boat trip from Funchal, 4.55 from 10,022 reviews. It stays out for 3 hours, has an upper deck, a nets area at the front, indoor and outdoor seating and bars, and after the search for dolphins and whales it visits the cliffs of Cabo Girão. Guests can move around the whole boat.
A big catamaran moves less in a swell than a small boat, and it has indoor and outdoor seating: that is what makes it the answer for young children and for anyone prone to seasickness. The trade is distance: the animals are seen from higher up and further off.
Another big catamaran, the Seaborn, has 6,772 reviews at 4.61, and the luxury catamaran of Atlantic Pearl 3,470 at 4.24. The eco-catamaran has no hotel pickup: it leaves from the marina, a walk from the centre.
Dolphins are the likeliest sighting in any month, since some are present all year; the whales vary with the season, and 28 cetacean species had been identified around the archipelago by 2013.
- Whale trips from Funchal
- 23
- Other boat trips
- 51
- Most reviewed
- Eco-catamaran, 10,022 reviews
- Usual length
- 2 to 3 hours
- Cetacean species recorded
- 28, by 2013
Small boats and the open bar
Visitors often expect every whale trip to be the same. The small boats and the luxury catamarans are different trips.
The small-boat answer is a 2-hour trip on a fast boat for a small group, rated 4.91 from 1,851 reviews, with naturalists or marine biologists as guides and spotters on land who direct the boat. It sits low on the water. Its limits are strict: it is not suitable for children under 6, during pregnancy or for people with back problems, so the tool offers it only when none of those apply.
Other small boats leave from the same marina: a RIB trip of 2 hours 30 minutes with an optional dolphin swim, 4.71 from 471 reviews, and a speed boat of 2 hours, 4.57 from 600.
The all-inclusive answer is a 3-hour luxury catamaran with all drinks, alcohol included, local snacks, a swimming stop and free snorkels, rated 4.91 from 2,885 reviews. It is not suitable for people prone to seasickness or during pregnancy, and not for children under 3, which is why the tool offers it only to steady adults on a big boat.
The answers at a glance
- Eco-catamaran
- 3 hours, 4.55 from 10,022
- Small fast boat
- 2 hours, 4.91 from 1,851
- All-inclusive catamaran
- 3 hours, 4.91 from 2,885
- Santa Maria de Colombo
- 3 hours, 4.55 from 2,066
- Desertas day
- About 9 hours, lunch included
The Santa Maria and the sunsets
People often see the old ship in the harbour and take it for a museum. It sails.
The Santa Maria de Colombo is a replica of Christopher Columbus's flagship, and its 3-hour trip along the coast, with a taste of Madeira wine and honey cake, has 2,066 reviews at 4.55. It boards at Praça do Povo in the marina. It is the answer for anyone who picks the historic ship, whatever the boat question, and it is not suitable for wheelchair users.
For a sunset, the answer is a traditional Madeiran boat to the cliffs of Cabo Girão, 3 hours with drinks included and snorkelling gear for a swim, rated 4.85 from 928 reviews, the top-rated sunset trip with many reviews. The Cabo Girão sunset catamaran, 4.79 from 184, is the big-boat alternative, and a Xavelha, a typical local boat, runs a sunset of 2 hours 30 minutes, 4.97 from 28.
Bring a jacket for the evening on any sunset trip.
Madeira: Whale Watching Excursion in a Traditional Vessel
★ 4.7 · 330 reviewsWhale watching in a traditional vessel, 2 hours 30 minutes, 4.67 from 330 reviews.
A whole day, or your own boat
The mistake is to book the Desertas day for a first trip. It is long, and the sea decides it.
The Desertas answer is a full day of about 9 hours by catamaran to the Desertas Islands, a nature reserve of 12,586 ha and a refuge of the Mediterranean monk seal, with a short guided visit, a swim and lunch included, rated 4.35 from 216 reviews. Check-in is 30 minutes before departure at the kiosk on pier 8. Choose a calm day: the crossing is long, and a rough sea makes it a hard day.
For a group, the private answer is a boat for up to 11 with a skipper, a paddle board, masks and snorkels, fruit and a bottle of wine, for 3 hours, rated 4.86 from 16 reviews; there is no toilet on board, and you bring your own snacks.
For a quick thrill, a jet ski circuit of 30 minutes off the Lido is rated 4.52 from 195 reviews; a parasailing flight of 30 minutes is the other short ride.
Private boat hires for groups offer flexibility and amenities like paddle boards and snorkels for a day out.Before you book
Visitors often book the first evening and hope for calm water. Leave a spare day.
Most trips can be cancelled free of charge within their window, so book early in the stay and keep a day free in case the sea is rough. For a sunset, check the time of sunset on your dates.
The meeting points are all in or near Funchal marina, a walk from the centre: the Santa Maria at Praça do Povo, the catamarans on the piers below it, and the small boats at the doors of the new marina. The eco-catamaran and the open-bar cruise list no hotel pickup.
Bring sun cream, a hat, water, a layer for the wind, and swimwear for the trips with a swimming stop. Visit Madeira lists the marine operators, and the 2026 Blue Flag list names the supervised bathing areas for a swim ashore.
The whale watching guide and the boat trips guide compare every trip in full.
Madeira: New Years Eve Fireworks Catamaran Cruise
★ 4.6 · 74 reviewsThe New Year's Eve fireworks from a catamaran in the bay of Funchal, 1 hour 30 minutes.
Common questions
Which boat trip in Madeira is best for families?
A big catamaran, such as the eco-catamaran with 10,022 reviews: it is steadier than a small boat and several small boats exclude children under 6.
Is a small boat better for seeing whales?
It gets closer and lower to the water, and the top small-boat trip uses land-based spotters; but it moves more and has strict age and health limits.
Do boat trips from Funchal pick up from hotels?
The trips on the tool meet at Funchal marina or the Lido, a walk or a bus ride from the centre; the eco-catamaran and the open-bar cruise list no hotel pickup.
What if the sea is rough on the day?
Most trips can be cancelled free of charge within their window; book early in the stay and keep a spare day.