Whale watching by sailboat from Los Gigantes: is the €75 trip worth it?

In short: for couples who specifically want a sailing boat, the Whale Watching Cruise by Sailboat from Los Gigantes fits. If you mainly want to see whales and dolphins, the Dolphin & Whale Watching Cruise with Swim Stop gets you there for less money.

A sailing boat changes the setting of a whale-watching trip, but it does not buy a closer relationship with the animals. The useful question about the three-hour departure from Los Gigantes is whether you want to spend that time on this kind of vessel. “Quieter, more intimate, closer” are three separate claims, and the word “sailboat” does not establish all of them.

The sailboat trip costs from €75 per person for three hours, with 4.9 stars from 2,241 reviews. According to the booking page it departs from Los Gigantes and describes opportunities to see dolphins, pilot whales and turtles. Those are possible encounters, not a list that the crew is required to complete.

What the three hours are for

The specific sailboat offer centres the outing on wildlife off Tenerife’s southwest coast. Picture a trip that includes leaving the harbour, searching and returning, rather than three hours continuously watching an animal. The booking page does not divide that time into verified minutes under sail, minutes under engine and observation time.

That distinction is worth asking about if sailing is the main reason for paying more. Ask whether the trip is principally a wildlife cruise on a sailing vessel or an outing with a substantial sailing component when conditions allow. Neither answer is automatically wrong, but they suit different expectations.

If you simply want to see a whale and return, the vessel may be an expensive detail you do not value. If you enjoy the boat journey, the coastal setting and time away from a large excursion programme, it may be the part of the booking you value most. Confirm passenger numbers before assuming the group is small.

Compare €75 with €28 in the same harbour

The two-hour Dolphin & Whale Watching Cruise with Swim Stop starts at €28, with 4.7 stars from 5,427 reviews. At the starting rates, two adult places cost €56 on that cruise and €150 on the sailboat. The difference is €94 for the pair, with one additional advertised hour on the sailing option.

This is not a calculation of what an hour at sea is “worth”. It shows how large the extra spend is before transport, food or other unconfirmed extras. For a couple mainly interested in wildlife, that difference deserves a concrete reason. A different boat experience can be such a reason; a presumed guarantee of better sightings cannot.

Our review of the two-hour cruise explains the shorter programme. Both depart from Los Gigantes, so compare the precise meeting points and departures without adding an unnecessary change of resort to the decision.

The €70 sailing trip is another product

The Los Gigantes sailing excursion with swimming, drinks and tapas costs from €70 for three hours, with 4.8 stars from 536 reviews. Its description focuses on the bays, cliffs, snorkelling and refreshments. That is a different advertised emphasis from the wildlife-focused sailboat offer.

The €5 difference per person should not become the main decision before you have compared the purpose of the trips. If your ideal afternoon is a coastal sail and swim, investigate the swimming and tapas option. If pilot whales are the priority, start with the programme explicitly presented as whale watching.

Do not copy inclusions from one to the other because both are sailing trips from Los Gigantes. The snack, swim equipment or drink shown on one booking page does not establish what another ticket contains. Use the selected option’s own inclusions and exclusions.

Does a sailboat get closer or run silently?

According to the booking page, it is not confirmed that the sailboat trip runs without an engine throughout. A sailing vessel’s name is not a noise measurement. Ask the operator how propulsion is used if a quiet journey is essential to you, and accept that conditions can affect the answer for the day.

Nor does paying more confer a right to approach wildlife more closely. Tenerife Tourism publishes whale-watching rules; a premium ticket does not create an exemption. Ask how the crew handles encounters, rather than shopping for a promised position beside the animals.

Who should ask more before booking

If boarding steps, balance or moving around a deck are concerns, explain your needs to the operator. The booking page confirms no accessible boarding for the sailboat trip. Ask about the actual vessel, seating, shade and toilet before describing the outing as comfortable for your party.

Families should confirm minimum ages on the booking page and life jackets in the appropriate children’s sizes. For seasickness advice, speak with a pharmacist or doctor. Neither a sailboat nor a high review score can tell us how you will feel offshore.

Before payment, get the boat’s passenger arrangement and the selected inclusions confirmed. Then compare it with the other Los Gigantes departures.

Our recommendation

For most people who mainly want to see whales and dolphins, the Dolphin & Whale Watching Cruise with Swim Stop is enough: two hours from €28 per person, 4.7 stars from 5,427 reviews.

For couples and anyone who specifically wants time on a sailing boat, the Whale Watching Cruise by Sailboat is the right choice. The extra €94 for two adults is worth it only if you both want that experience, even on a day when the animals remain distant.

If you want an afternoon of coastline, swimming and tapas, choose the Sailing Excursion with Swimming, Drink & Tapas. It does not put its emphasis on wildlife.