Caves & dolphin watching tour from Albufeira with SeaBookings

Albufeira is a wonderful holiday destination. It boasts of beautiful, long stretches of beaches sheltered by stunning cliffs,countryside dotted with orange and fig trees, archaeological sites and a number of venues for nightlife. No wonder it is one of the most popular destinations for travellers heading to the Algarve region of Portugal.

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On our recent visit to Albufeira, we decided to explore the Algarve coastline on a speed boat tour - a tour that would take us close to the famed sea caves of the Algarve and then out into the open sea to spot wild dolphins.

Caves & dolphin watching tour in the Algarve

The ‘Caves & dolphin watching tour’ is one of the most popular tours departing from Albufeira as it combines the two most popular experiences in the Algarve – a dolphin watching trip and visiting the caves on the Algarve coast.

Like I mentioned earlier, the Algarve coastline is very beautiful, with the predominant feature in the landscape being the imposing cliffs. The coastline between Vale Centianes Beach to the Marinha Beach (which is the Seven Hanging Valleys Route) is a stunning unbroken line of cliffs interrupted only by water courses which flow from above into the sea creating the ‘hanging valleys’. The overground nature trail is one way to explore this natural beauty and the other way is via a boat tour which takes you along the coastline to several different caves.

Dolphin watching is also very popular in the Algarve as a number of dolphin species can be found near the Algarve coast like the Common Dolphin, the Bottlenose Dolphin and the Striped Dolphin to name a few.

And this tour is the ideal combination of the two most popular things to do in Albufeira. And that is why we decided to give this a go.

SeaBookings

SeaBookings, founded by two Dutch sisters - Bo and Femke Irik, is a website where you can search, compare and book the best water sports and boat tours. Starting off in Portugal at first, SeaBookings today offers authentic sea experiences in many different countries like Brazil, Croatia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain and more.

They work with the best of tour operators in each country and booking a tour with them is super easy. We booked the 'Caves & dolphin watching tour from Albufeira' and received an email confirmation with all the tour details. The booking email included details like - the location from where the tour would depart, the tour operator's contact details etc.

Our tour operator was Dream Wave. They have been in the business for over 20 years now and have a fleet of 11 boats, offering different tours that present the beauty of Portugal's coastline to visitors like us.

We were informed to check-in 15 minutes prior to our tour departure time to complete the security briefing etc.

On the day of the tour, we arrived 15 minutes early as suggested at the Albufeira Marina where Dream Wave have an office. 

The check-in was done quickly with just an ID proof and the booking reference number needed (there was no need to print the ticket/booking email).

At the time of check-in guests were asked if they had any back problems so that they could be allocated seats accordingly.

The Boat – Dreamer

The boat for our tour was the Dreamer. The Dreamer is a speed boat that is propelled by a jet rather than a propeller. What this meant was there was very less chance of hitting the rocks as the boat made its way close to the caves.

With a seating of 47 passengers, the boat was manned by a skipper and supported by two guides. The pleasant exterior deck had comfortable seating and all the guests could enjoy the stunning views equally.

The boat was equipped with safety gear like life jackets, rescue rafts and fire extinguishers to make the journey safe.

The Dreamer also had a toilet on board. And the staff had spare jackets for anyone who felt cold during the tour.

What to expect on the tour?

We had opted for a morning tour because the sea tends to get choppier as the day progresses and I think it was a good decision.

After the security briefing, the Dreamer set off. We first explored the coastline. There were two guides on board and they shared information about the caves, the beaches and the cities as we passed them.

At some places, the boat went very near to the caves and we were able to see the limestone cliffs and caves from a closer range. And luckily we were seated at the front of the boat, so we got some really lovely views of the caves.

Benagil (with its own ‘indoor’ beach) is the most popular cave on this part of the Portugal coastline but it is not the only one. There are numerous caves and inlets along the coastline and each one is unique and beautiful in its own way.

While the Benagil Cave was lovely, I equally loved the Paradise Cave and the Alfanzia Lighthouse Cave both of which are located near the Alfanzia Lighthouse.

The first half of the tour was spent exploring the coastline and the caves and then the skipper took us away from the coast insearch of the dolphins. We spent a good hour or more looking for the dolphins but sadly didn’t get to see any. But nonetheless, the trip was lovely.

The 2.5 hour excursion was perfectly timed to explore the coastline and go in search of the dolphins. Well-organised, comfortable and safe, the trip was good. We enjoyed it.

Our tips for this tour:

- Wear comfortable clothes and bring a jacket as it can be windy and cold when out in the sea.
- The sea is unpredictable and the waters can be choppy. Take a sea sickness pill, if necessary.
- Bring some water and snacks.
- Don't forget the sunscreen and sunglasses.
- Do arrive 15 minutes before departure as this ensures that the tour departs on time.

Book your tour with SeaBookings

The 'Caves & Dolphin Watching Tour from Albufeira’ is one among the many tours that SeaBookings offer from this part of the Algarve.

They have other interesting sea experiences departing from Albufeira like the BBQ Cruise, Jet Boat Tour, Benagil Boat Tour with Kayak, Albufeira Sunset Cruise and more.You can visit their website - www.seabookings.com – to check out all their tours and book your tour. 

SeaBookings offers tours in many other countries like this sailing, e-biking and vineyard tour in Barcelona which we immensely enjoyed.