Lagos: Kayak at Ponta da Piedade
Before you book
- You need to be able to swim
- Not suitable for babies or small children — the recommended minimum age is around 5 to 6 years, always accompanied by an adult
- Not suitable for pregnant women
Highlights
- ✓A support catamaran out to Ponta da Piedade — no paddling from the marina
- ✓A guided kayak tour through the caves and natural arches
- ✓Tired? You can climb back onto the boat at any moment
- ✓A swim stop after the kayaks
- ✓The way back on the Top Deck of the Descobertas I catamaran
About this activity
Two hours at Ponta da Piedade with a support catamaran: you sail out to the caves, paddle through them with a guide, then climb back on board for a swim.
From Lagos, glide by kayak along the Algarve's most photogenic cliffs, slipping into caves and coves that boats can't reach.
And there is one detail that makes the difference: you do not paddle from the marina. A catamaran takes the group out to Ponta da Piedade, the kayaks go in the water there, and the boat stays alongside the whole time — if anyone gets tired, they climb aboard. After the kayaks there is a swim stop, and the way back is spent on the upper deck, in the sun.
Itinerary
- 1Check-in at the operator's desk, 30 minutes before departure
- 2Boarding at Marina de Lagos
- 3Sailing out to Ponta da Piedade, with the briefing on how to use the paddle and the kayak
- 4A guided kayak tour through the caves and natural arches
- 5A swim stop beside the boat
- 6Back to Lagos, with time on the Top Deck
What's included
- ✓Kayak and all the equipment
- ✓Catamaran transfer from Lagos out to Ponta da Piedade and back
- ✓A briefing on how to paddle before you get in the water
- ✓A guided kayak tour of the caves, arches and hidden beaches
- ✓A support boat alongside the group for the whole route
- ✓A swim stop, with the crew keeping watch
- ✓Time to relax on the Top Deck on the way back
- ✓Life jackets
Stops and access may be adjusted on the day, depending on sea or weather conditions.
Location
Where this activity starts
Marina de Lagos
Marina de Lagos, Loja n.º 13, 8600-780 Lagos
Important information
What to bring
- Clothes and shoes that can get wet
- Swimwear and a towel
- Water-resistant sunscreen and a hat
- Sunglasses with a strap
Not recommended for
For safety reasons, there is no landing inside the caves.
Cancellation policy
Full refund up to 12 hours before for bookings of up to 9 people, and up to 24 hours before for bookings of 10 or more.
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
The trip runs on the Descobertas I catamaran, which has an upper deck (Top Deck), seating and one toilet. No previous kayak experience is needed: there is a briefing before you get in the water and the support boat follows the group the whole time. This experience is also available for private hire.
Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
What languages is the activity in?
The crew or guide speak Portuguese and English.
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 €35