Benagil: Kayak Tour at the Caves
Highlights
- ✓A small group — 17 people on board at most
- ✓Two experienced guides for the whole route
- ✓The boat follows the group: you are picked up at the end, no paddling back
- ✓The seacret spots — places only their team knows
- ✓The caves and coves of the Benagil coastline, by kayak
About this activity
A catamaran from Marina de Albufeira out to Benagil and kayaking through the coastal caves and coves, in a small group with two guides — and the boat follows you, so you never paddle back.
With Seacret you leave Marina de Albufeira by boat for the Benagil coast. Once there you get into the kayak and follow the golden cliffs, among coves, caves and hidden beaches.
Two things set this apart from the rest: there are 17 people at most, with two guides — not a line of kayaks behind one instructor — and the boat follows you the whole way. At the end, instead of paddling back against the wind, you climb aboard and ride back sitting down.
And then there are the *seacret spots*: the places their team knows by heart and that are on nobody's itinerary.
Itinerary
- 1Check-in at the operator's shop, in Marina de Albufeira, 30 minutes before departure
- 2Departure by catamaran from Marina de Albufeira
- 3Arrival at Benagil and transfer onto the kayaks
- 4Kayaking among caves, coves and the team's seacret spots
- 5A swim stop, depending on sea conditions
- 6Picked up on board and back to the marina by boat
What's included
- ✓A 3h30 trip, by catamaran from Marina de Albufeira to Benagil and back
- ✓Kayak and all the sea kit
- ✓Two experienced guides alongside the group
- ✓Experienced crew on board
- ✓Visiting the caves and the coast's seacret spots, depending on sea conditions
- ✓A support boat alongside throughout — you head back on board
- ✓A swim stop, if conditions allow
- ✓Guiding in Portuguese and English
- ✓Life jacket
- ✓The insurance required by law
Stops and access may be adjusted on the day, depending on sea or weather conditions.
Location
Where this activity starts
Marina de Albufeira
Marina de Albufeira, Passeio dos Oceanos, Lote 3, Loja 7, 8200-394 Albufeira
Important information
What to bring
- Swimwear and a towel
- Water-resistant sunscreen and a hat
- Sunglasses with a strap
- Dry clothes for afterwards
Not recommended for
Not recommended for children under 5 or for pregnant women. Whether the trip runs, whether the caves are visited and whether there is a swim stop always depend on the sea and the weather.
Cancellation policy
Cancellations or changes less than 24 hours before the activity, and failure to show up by departure time, are not refundable.
This deadline is the operator’s and applies to bookings made online. If you book with us on request, our own booking conditions apply. Booking conditions for direct requests.
More information
Since September 2023 no one is allowed inside the Benagil Cave — not by kayak, not by boat, not swimming. You see it from the sea, and the caves you paddle into are the other ones along the coast. The trip runs in small groups, with a maximum of 17 people and always two guides. There is a minimum number of participants. If the departure does not happen — because that number is not reached, or because the sea will not allow it — Seacret refunds the full amount paid. The decision to return to port early because of the weather is always the skipper's.
Frequently Asked Questions
What languages is the activity in?
The crew or guide speak Portuguese and English.
What if I get tired halfway?
You climb onto the boat. The support catamaran stays with the group from start to finish — you never paddle back to the starting point, and at the end it picks everyone up. There are always two guides on the water and the group is small, so nobody is left behind unnoticed.
Do we need a helmet?
At the Benagil caves, yes — and it is not the operator being over-careful. The Portimão Harbour Master’s edict requires a life jacket for the whole visit and a helmet (standard CE EN 1385) near the rock-fall risk strips of the cliffs, caves and blowholes. The gear is provided by the operator; you do not need to bring it.
I am bringing children of different ages. Can they all come?
Generally yes, and what decides it is not age alone — it is where each of them sits. Anyone old enough to count as an adult on that departure paddles their own kayak; younger ones go with a responsible adult, who sets the pace, and on departures with double kayaks that is where they ride. There are always guides with the group and a support boat behind, and nobody has to paddle back. The accepted ages change from departure to departure and are in the quick facts on this page — if your case is borderline, tell us when you book and we confirm with the operator before any payment.
Do I need experience for kayak or SUP?
No. The guides give the instructions and the safety briefing before you set off, and the pace is the group’s — beginners manage it fine. What matters more than experience is being comfortable in the water: you wear a life jacket the whole way, and it is the jacket that keeps you afloat. Falling in is possible, and on a SUP board it is likely — what is needed then is to stay calm until the guide reaches you, and a guide is always close. If that worries you, talk to us before booking.
Is a life jacket mandatory?
It is. The life jacket is handed to you at the start and worn throughout the activity — it is not optional, and it does not depend on how well you swim.
When is the best time, and what is worth bringing?
The good season runs from April to October, with warmer water and a calmer sea; outside it, tours still go out whenever conditions allow. As for what to bring, nothing is compulsory — what usually helps is arriving in your swimwear, sunscreen and shoes that can get wet. Leave the towel and dry clothes ashore or in the guide’s dry bag: there is nowhere to put them on a kayak, and even less on a board. In the colder months a thermal top makes a difference.
From €50