The cruises compared here
The four trips split into two groups. The two 90-minute boat rides start at € 17.50, and the two 2.5-hour trips start at € 40. All four can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, and none of the listings describes the boat.
What changes is the time of day, the length and what you do: sit on a speedboat, watch for dolphins or paddle a kayak. Prices are starting prices per adult.
1The 90-minute ride or the sunrise or sunset ride
Both cost from € 17.50 and last 90 minutes. The standard ride has 9 out of 10 from 4,067 reviews. The sunrise or sunset ride has 9 out of 10 from 1,113 reviews and lists a life jacket among its inclusions. Choose the standard ride for the simplest booking, and the other one if the light matters to you.
The meeting points differ: the standard ride and the sunset departure leave from Doca de São Francisco, the sunrise one from the Porto Comercial access. Neither lets you swim or leave the boat inside the caves.
2Dolphin watching or kayak, both from € 40
Both last 2.5 hours, can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before and are rated 9.4 out of 10: 555 reviews for the dolphin cruise, 449 for the kayak trip. The dolphin cruise is the only one tagged as wheelchair accessible. On the kayak trip you paddle, kayak equipment is included, and you cannot get out of the kayak in the caves.
On the dolphin cruise the listing says entering the caves and the swimming stop depend on the maritime authorities or the sea, and that it is not for people with back problems or pregnant women. Both trips meet 30 minutes early at the marina.
3How the prices compare
Going from a 90-minute ride to a 2.5-hour trip adds € 22.50 to the starting price and 60 minutes to the time on the water, based on the listed durations. The price is per adult, so a group of four pays the difference four times.
Check the booking page for prices for children.