Rent a boat in Madeira

Choose a route by what you want to see

Madeira rises steeply out of the Atlantic, so the best views are from the water. Funchal Marina sits inside the main harbour of Funchal bay, with 210 berths and a mooring area for tourist boats (Visit Madeira), and from there the south coast is on your doorstep. Most private charters follow one of four routes.

Dolphin and whale watching

The deep water off the south coast is a reliable place to see dolphins and whales. Sperm whales are seen regularly all year, short-finned pilot whales are frequent, and bottlenose dolphins live around the island. Atlantic spotted dolphins are most common from late spring to autumn, and common dolphins in winter and spring. A long-term survey off Madeira recorded cetaceans on 92% of survey days over eleven years, with the widest variety of species in June (Alves et al., Marine Ecology, 2018).

Sightings are still never guaranteed, because these are wild animals. Madeira regulates boat behaviour around them by law (Decreto Legislativo Regional 15/2013/M). Boats stay at least 50 m away, keep below 12 knots between 300 m and 100 m and below 8 knots between 100 m and 50 m, approach from behind at a shallow angle and never put the engine in reverse. A boat may stay in the observation zone for ten minutes, and swimming with marine mammals is not allowed. Your skipper follows these rules on every trip.

Cabo Girão and the south coast

West of Funchal, the fishing village of Câmara de Lobos leads to Cabo Girão, a sea cliff about 580 m high and widely described as the highest in Europe. It lies less than 2 km west of Câmara de Lobos. From the water you see the whole face of the cliff, which the viewing platform on top cannot show you. The swim stop is in a sheltered bay along the way, where the sea is about 20 °C in June and 23 to 24 °C in September.

Sunset cruise

Sunset over Funchal bay is around 18:00 in December and around 21:15 in late June, in local time. A sunset trip leaves early enough for you to be at sea when the light changes, and we stay out until the city lights are on. It gets noticeably cooler and windier on the water after the sun goes down, so bring a layer even in summer.

Desertas Islands

The Desertas are a chain of uninhabited islands south-east of Madeira: Deserta Grande, Bugio and Ilhéu Chão. They form the Reserva Natural das Ilhas Desertas, one of the last homes of the Mediterranean monk seal. The trip is a full day with a long open-sea crossing. In the strictly protected zone, boats and people may not enter except at the anchorage in Doca bay, so we stay at sea and use that anchorage. Chasing or feeding wildlife is prohibited, and so is diving when a monk seal is present. Snorkelling is allowed elsewhere in the partial reserve.

Choose the right boat

The boat sets the character of the day. A few rules of thumb:

• Speedboat (RIB): fastest and best for wildlife and small groups. Little shade and no toilet.
• Motor yacht: comfortable for families and couples, with shade and a toilet on board.
• Sailing catamaran: most space for a group, with a wide deck. Slower under sail.
• Sailing yacht: quiet and relaxed. Best when the journey matters more than the distance.

Think about the group as well as the route. Up to six guests suit a sailing yacht or a speedboat with plenty of room to move. Eight to ten guests are most comfortable on a motor yacht, and a group of twelve fits the sailing catamaran. If you are travelling with young children, older relatives or anyone who finds the sea hard, choose the motor yacht or the catamaran, which are steadier and have more shade than a speedboat.

Skipper, licence and safety

You do not need a boat licence. Every charter comes with a licensed skipper who handles the boat, the route and the safety briefing. The boat carries a life jacket for every guest, including child sizes, and a working marine radio. In an emergency at sea, call 112.

We do not rent boats without a skipper. Self-drive hire is a different service: whether you may drive yourself depends on the size of the boat and its engine power, so ask the rental company before you book.

The skipper decides whether to sail, and the decision is not up for negotiation. We read the IPMA marine forecast and the harbour authority’s warnings the evening before and again on the morning of the trip. Wind and swell on the north coast of Madeira are often much stronger than on the south coast, and the forecast for the open sea can differ from the forecast for Funchal bay, so we look at both. If the conditions are not safe for your route, we offer a calmer route first, then another day, then a full refund.

Best time to rent a boat in Madeira

Madeira has a mild climate and boats run in every month. The sea is coolest in March at about 18 °C and warmest in September at about 23–24 °C. Funchal’s average air temperature is about 17 °C in January and 23–24 °C in August and September (IPMA, 1991–2020).

June to September is the warmest and usually the calmest period, and also the busiest. Winter and spring days are cooler and the swell is higher, and the north coast takes the heaviest swell, so from Funchal we sail the south coast. Wildlife is good all year: common dolphins are most frequent in winter and spring, spotted dolphins from late spring to autumn. For July and August weekends, ask for a date two to three weeks ahead.

What affects the price

A charter is priced per boat, not per person. The final price depends on:

• the type of boat
• the length of the trip
• the number of guests
• the season and the day of the week
• extras such as catering, snorkel gear or a photographer

For comparison, private trips from Funchal are listed at around €420 to €550 per boat for about 2.5 hours on a RIB, about €490 for three hours on a sailing yacht, and from €2,600 for four hours on a large luxury motor yacht. Our starting prices are on the trip and boat cards above. Send your date and group size and you get a fixed price before you pay anything.

Our terms are short. The quote lists the boat, the route, the hours and the total, and it does not change after you approve it. A 30% deposit by card holds the date and you pay the rest on the day. Cancel up to 72 hours before departure and you pay nothing. If we cancel because of the weather, you choose a new date or a full refund.

What to bring

• sun cream, a hat and sunglasses
• a light jacket, because it is cooler and windier at sea
• swimwear and a towel if you plan to swim
• a camera or phone in a waterproof pouch
• a photo ID for each guest, because tourist boat operators in Portugal record the number of passengers on board before departure

If you are prone to seasickness, sit in the middle of the boat, look at the horizon, get fresh air and avoid heavy meals and alcohol before the trip. Ginger can help, and a pharmacist can advise on tablets or patches (NHS guidance).