Ria Formosa Boat Trip Guides: Islands, Ports, Ferries
Which Ria Formosa island to choose, Faro or Olhão, the Ilha Deserta trip, sunset boats, ferry or tour, and whether a boat tour is worth it.
Ilha Deserta by Boat: The Island, the Cape and Your Time Ashore
Ilha Deserta (Barreta) has no village, one restaurant, a 2 km boardwalk and the southernmost point of mainland Portugal. Which boat gives you how long there.
Read guide →Is Ria Formosa Worth Visiting? The Answer from the Water
Yes, for car-free sand islands, a fishing village and the southernmost tip of mainland Portugal. Which boat suits whom, why mornings win, and who should ferry.
Read guide →Faro or Olhão? Where the Ria Formosa Boats Leave From
Seven of our nine boats leave Faro, from the Porta Nova pier or the marina; two leave Olhão, beside the island ferries. Which port reaches which island.
Read guide →Public Ferry or Boat Tour in the Ria Formosa?
Olhão's public ferries cost about €2 each way (2026) and run all year; the Faro–Deserta return is from $11. What a tour adds, and when the ferry is better.
Read guide →How to Visit the Ria Formosa Islands
Five sand islands and two peninsulas: what Deserta, Culatra, Armona, Tavira and Cabanas are like, which boats land on each, and for how long.
Read guide →The Ria Formosa Sunset Boat Trip: What It Is and When It Sails
Formosamar's one-hour sunset trip leaves Faro marina at a time set by the sun, which goes down about 20:55 in late June and about 17:20 in December.
Read guide →Want the Faro islands tour booked first? See dates and prices →