Portimão: Sunset Cruise

• Comfortable clothes and a light jacket — it cools down at sea late in the day
• A camera

For safety reasons, there is no landing and no swimming inside the caves.

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.

The trip runs on the Melhor do Mar sailing catamaran, which has a lounge, a bar that takes card payments and two toilets. The activity is free for children under 2 years old. Bookings for more than 5 people are subject to a short questionnaire and to the supplier's confirmation, for safety and capacity reasons.

On a catamaran, normally not. You will get wet if you go in at the swim stop, where there is one.

The crew or guide speak Portuguese and English.

Honestly: not in summer. The Algarve coast faces south and the sunset point swings with the season — in June the sun sets to the north-west, some 35 to 45 degrees beyond the point where the land runs out, which is Cape St Vincent. So it goes down over the western coast and the hills, not over the water. What you do see is the whole sea lit up ahead of the boat and the light shifting on the cliffs, which is the photograph people take home. The sun touching the sea horizon is a winter thing, from late October to March. And the sky is not to order: with low cloud it fades earlier.

Bringing your own food or drink on board is not allowed, with the exception of food for small children. Boats with a bar sell drinks and snacks, and trips with a meal included bring everything you need.

This is not a dolphin-watching trip: the route follows the coast and the caves. Dolphins do turn up now and then, and when they do the boat slows down — but that is not what the trip goes looking for. For that we have dedicated dolphin trips, with their own route.

Yes, for adults and children, and the crew shows you where they are before departure. Wearing one at all times is only mandatory on the boats and routes where the law requires it — you are told at boarding.

Nearly always, and the right answer is given before you book, not on the quay. As a rule a pregnant passenger can go, with the final word resting with the skipper depending on the sea that day. Anyone with a sensitive back will feel the impact far more on a small fast boat than on a catamaran, which is stable and has proper seating. For a wheelchair or a pushchair, some boats have a boarding ramp and on others boarding requires you to be steady on your feet, and the toilets on board may not be adapted. Tell us the specifics and the date you want: we confirm with the operator which departure works, and only then do you pay.

The decision to sail is always the skipper’s, for safety. If a departure is cancelled because of the sea or the weather, you choose: a new date or a full refund — the booking is not lost.

As a rule no, with the exception of guide dogs with proper documentation. Some operators will consider it case by case — if you want to bring yours, tell us before booking and we will check with the boat operator.

You can, as long as it fits on your lap. Bring only the essentials.

Every operator follows safety protocols and has maritime support. If it happens, tell the crew straight away — that is what they are there for.