Faro or Olhão? Where the Ria Formosa Boats Leave From

Both work, and the choice decides which islands are easy. Seven of the nine boats on this site leave from Faro and two from Olhão, the next town east along the lagoon. From Faro, the island on the doorstep is Ilha Deserta. From Olhão it’s Culatra and Armona, and that’s where the public ferries run all year.

If you want a long day on the islands, with lunch on Culatra, the boat to book leaves from Olhão. The full day run by Odyssey Traditional Boat Tours is from $51 on the booking platform when we checked and rated 4.8 from 2,072 reviews, the highest rating of the nine. A morning run gives you an hour at Farol, two hours at Culatra and an hour at Armona, or in summer at a quiet beach reached only by boat.

Faro has two departure points

Faro’s island boats leave from two spots a five-to-seven-minute walk apart, so check which one your booking names. The Porta Nova pier (Cais da Porta Nova, also called Cais das Portas do Mar) sits under the old-town walls, and the public boats to Farol, Culatra and Praia de Faro leave from it. The marina, the Doca de Recreio, is round the corner. By the listings’ own map points, the pier is about 350 m from Formosamar’s store and about 460 m from the Islands 4 you meeting point.

The solar boat’s listing talks of the Marina of Faro, but its meeting point is the Lands kiosk on the Porta Nova pier. Go by the meeting point.

Olhão: next to the ferry terminal

In Olhão the island boats leave from the waterfront at the end of Avenida 5 de Outubro, between the market and the old harbour. The public ferries to Armona, Culatra and Farol go from the terminal there, and Odyssey’s stand, at Cais T, is near the ferry ticket office. Odyssey’s listings show “2 starting location options” without naming them, so read your confirmation.

Odyssey runs both Olhão boats on this site. Besides the full day, Armona and Culatra in three hours is from $39 and rated 4.7 from 664 reviews: an hour at Culatra, then 45 minutes to an hour at Armona, or at the quiet beach in summer. Both use a boat with shade, and both can be booked shared or as a private boat. Lunch isn’t included; bring a picnic or book a Culatra restaurant in summer.

Odyssey describes Olhão as 10 to 15 minutes from Faro, and its meeting-point page points walkers to Olhão’s railway station. We haven’t timed the trip.

Which islands each port reaches best

From Faro, the easy island is Deserta. Animaris’s ferry crosses from the Porta Nova pier every day of the year, 45 minutes each way, and four of the Faro boats stop there as well as at Farol. Tours from Faro also reach Farol and Culatra, but the public boat to them from Faro is mainly a summer service. Praia de Faro needs no boat: it’s on a peninsula with a road bridge.

From Olhão, it’s Culatra, Farol and Armona. The public ferries run all year, with more boats in summer. Armona is 15 to 20 minutes away, and the Culatra boat reaches Culatra within about half an hour before going on to Farol. For Deserta itself, Faro is the port. Odyssey’s summer stop is a quiet beach reached only by boat, which its own website lists separately from Ilha Deserta.

So stay with the town you’re sleeping in, unless an island decides it for you. For Deserta and Farol in one morning, Faro is simpler. For a long day on Culatra with time for lunch, go to Olhão.

Check dates for the Olhão full day

Tavira and the eastern lagoon

None of the nine boats here leaves from Tavira, Fuseta or Santa Luzia. Tavira’s own island, Ilha de Tavira, has boats from Quatro Águas, the town centre and Santa Luzia, and Barril beach on the same island can be reached on foot or by a mini-train. If you’re staying in Tavira and want one of these boats, Olhão is the nearer of the two ports.

Pick by where you’re staying

Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; operators use seasonal pricing, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.

The Ria Formosa islands guide says what each island is like, Ilha Deserta by boat covers the empty island off Faro, and ferry or boat tour has the public fares. All nine boats are compared on the homepage.

Meeting points and stop times from the nine listings; piers and ferry routes from Faro council, the Turismo do Algarve beach guide and local guides. Checked October 2026.