The 15 Best Cruises & Boat Tours in Madeira

1.Madeira Dolphin and Whale Watching on a Ecological Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,957 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $42Our pick

Eco-catamaran dolphin and whale watching from Funchal, Madeira. Hybrid-electric sailing, shore spotters, and coastal sights on a 3-hour trip.

“This was a great trip with a friendly professional team, from boarding the catamaran we felt very comfortable and were kept informed throughout. The catamaran was spotlessly clean, well equipped and with plenty of of seats and viewing areas. As soon as any wildlife was spotted we stopped far enough away so as not to disturb anything which is really important. The dolphins actually came towards us and came up from under the catamaran and were a delight to see and then later we were informed that there was a pod of pilot whales just resting ahead of. We stopped and the captain gently turned the catamaran around so everyone…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Seaborn Catamaran trips

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 432 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $42

3-hour Seaborn catamaran from Funchal for Madeira wildlife spotting, Cabo Girao coastal views, and a swim stop in summer, with an onboard bar.

“Great day . Fantastic crew . Saw both Dolphins and Pilot Whales on the trip. We got a personal update on what we had just seen using a fantastic book Would recommend heartily”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Whales and Dolphins wooden boat excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 247 reviews · 3 hours · from $41Best value

3-hour wooden boat trip from Funchal to spot whales and dolphins, with Madeira wine and a Cabo Girão swim stop when seas allow.

“I loved the Dolphin watching trip on Bonita da Madeira, not as crowded as some of the other boats, the crew were excellent. Miguel, Oriana and Ana were so welcoming, friendly, informative and kind. We saw several Dolphins and to see them in thier natural environment is spectacular. All in all an unforgettable day and one I can highly recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Whale Watching and Swimming with Dolphins Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 111 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $94

A 2.5-hour Madeira sea cruise to spot whales and wild dolphins with a marine biologist, plus optional swimming in the right conditions.

“I couldn’t go as I had food poisoning the night before and was feeling to ill to go on the trip Contacted the tour 2 hours before the trip to say the situation and to see if I could change for a few days later but it was to short notice I thought they could of changed the date as I couldn’t help getting food poisoning”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Wooden Boat Excursion to Desertas Island

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 61 reviews · 8.5 hours · from $106

Wooden boat cruise from Funchal to Desertas Islands with Madeira wine, lunch, swimming, and a short island visit plus great odds for marine life.

“En ningún sitio indica que para desembarcar y ver la isla necesitas ir nadando, al llegar no tienes una toalla para secarte y dar un paseo. En la comida solo dieron una bebida y no dieron fruta. Es una excursión bonita pero hay que advertir que el barco se mueve mucho.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour and Catamaran Whale & Dolphin Watching

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 53 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $55

Hop-on hop-off bus and catamaran cruise in Funchal, with Madeira wine, embroidery stop, and a chance to spot whales and dolphins.

“Fantastic sunny day with yellow bus. I love it. The bus driver was excellent. The panoramic bus was great.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Hop-on Hop-off Bus & Whale & Dolphin boat Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 41 reviews · 2 days · from $54

A 2-day Madeira deal pairing a 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus, whale and dolphin catamaran, swim stop, wine tasting, and embroidery entry.

“communication needs to be clearer, we thought start time referred to start of 48 hours but apparently it was the catamaran, so we nearly missed it. but the catamaran trip was lovely and we saw lots of dolphins close up so that was a bonus”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Porto Santo 1-Day Cruise and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 28 reviews · 1 day · from $239

Ferry to Porto Santo from Funchal for a 2.5-hour guided tour, top viewpoints, and time near the 9 km beach.

“Vše bylo skvělě naplánované. Vyzvednutí v hotelu, přestup na loď, vyzvednutí u lodě, exkurze po ostrově, zpětný transfer k lodi, vyzvednutí u lodě a převoz k hotelu - to vše bylo naprosto přesné, bez jakýchkoliv zmatků. Samotná plavba a pobyt na ostrově Porto Santo byl nezapomenutelný zážitek. A za to vám vlemi děkujeme”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Porto Santo One-Day Cruise and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 20 reviews · 1 day (approx.) · from $243

Porto Santo day trip from Funchal with ferry, guided island tour, and Calheta beach time, including transfers and pickup.

“The beaches are beautiful, soft sand and clean. We had a nice tour around the island which took around an hour and 30 minutes.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.5 hour East Coast boat excursion

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 17 reviews · 5 hours · from $76

5-hour Madeira east coast boat trip with Madeira wine, lunch, swims, and cliff views from Funchal to Ponta de São Lourenço.

“Purtroppo non abbiamo potuto fare il tour dell'est come scelto a causa del forte vento ma la guida, accorgendosi della mia delusione per il cambio di piani, è stata semplicemente fantastica. Abbiamo parlato tutto il viaggio, mi ha spiegato perfettamente tutto ciò che vedevamo sulla costa e tutti i tipi di balene e delfini che vivono in queste acque e vengono avvistati. Si vede che è molto esperta d preparata, oltre al fatto che parla un inglese perfetto, cosa non scontata sull'isola. La barca è pulita e carina, il capitano molto bravo anche a non far sentire troppo il mare mosso. Se posso permettermi di dare un consiglio, suggerisco di…”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Surprise Madeira Highlights for Cruise Guests

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 7 reviews · 4 hours · from $64

4-hour 4x4 jeep safari from Funchal with surprise viewpoints, village stops, and forest scenery, guided in multiple languages for $64.

“A wonderful trip with the friendly guide Lino. We weren't entirely sure what we wanted to see, so we left it to Lino, and it was a great choice. We saw a bit of Madeira, from the beach to the mountain peaks, stunning views, and picturesque villages... We highly recommend it, and we'll definitely be back... Thank you, Lino 😀”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Sunset Cruise With a Swim and Drink

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 4 reviews · 3 hours · from $47

Madeira sunset cruise on a wooden schooner. Swim in the Atlantic, spot dolphins or whales, sail toward Cabo Girão, and sip Madeira wine.

“Péssima experiência, um dia antes queriam passar um atividade que consiste em ver o por do sol para uma atividade às 10h30. Não justificaram porque tinha de alterar apenas disseram que não dava. Tinha escolhido justamente aquele dia porque era o mais solarengo mas já que por motivos desconhecidos a minha marcação tinha sido cancelada aceitei outro dia que desse para ver o pôr do sol. Disseram que tinha de ser noutro barco, pedi mais instruções quanto à localizção (liguei inclusive) mas preferiram ignorar-me. Conclusão, como previsto, nesse dia choveu, o barco estava todo molhado, não dava para sentar de forma a fcar seco, fomos grande parte do caminho ainda…”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Private Ponta São Lourenço Walk and Boat Return

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $86Top rated

Private walk at Ponta de São Lourenço from Funchal, with hotel pickup and an included boat return for unbeatable sea views.

“Visitamos a Ilha da Madeira e numa pesquisa na Internet encontramos esta empresa. Que sorte tivemos!”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Fanal Forest and Cabo Girão for Cruise Ship

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1 reviews · 5 hours · from $70

Half-day Madeira cruise tour from Funchal to Fanal Forest, Ribeira da Janela and Cabo Girão Skywalk, with poncha and coffee.

Check availability →Read our full review

15.private sailboat tour for families, SUP, and snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $648

Private Madeira sailboat tour from Funchal Marina for families: SUP, snorkeling gear, drinks, snacks, and chances to spot dolphins and turtles.

Check availability →Read our full review