Whale and dolphin watching by catamaran on Tenerife: which tour is worth it?
Updated October 12, 2026 · 5 min read
For most people: the Costa Adeje Whale Watching Catamaran Tour with Drinks from Puerto Colón – €35 per person, 2 to 3 hours, 4.7 stars from 4,121 reviews, and free drinks on board. If you would pay more for a small boat: the Whale and Dolphin Watching Catamaran Cruise from Las Galletas at €75, limited to 12 guests – but it has one review so far, so it is a bet, not a record.
Side by side
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Adeje: Whale Watching Catamaran Tour with Drinks | 2 – 3 hours | €35 per person | 4.7 (4,121) | most visitors in the south-west; the proven choice |
| Tenerife: Whale and Dolphin Watching Catamaran Cruise | 3 hours | €75 per person | 5.0 (1) | small groups, with a light lunch and wine on the menu |
The €35 catamaran: two hours or three
The operator, Eden Catamaran, sails from Puerto Colón two to three miles out, to where the booking page says pilot whales live permanently, and passes a fish farm, where dolphins look for an easy meal. Water, soft drinks and beer are free on board, and the crew, who work in English and Spanish, share facts about the marine life. The page also mentions the giant squid said to live in the deep water between Tenerife and La Gomera – a talking point, not something you will see.
The duration is the choice you make when booking. The two-hour option is the whale search. The three-hour option adds a swim and snorkel stop in the bay of Playa Espagueti, with snorkel gear included – about 30 minutes in the water, which can shrink when the search takes longer. The review summary on the booking page notes that some guests felt the advertised time was not always fully reached, so book the longer option only if the swim matters to you.
Two points on the booking page worth knowing: the boat holds a maximum of 50 people, and, to protect the animals, it may spend no more than 15 minutes with the same group of whales and must keep a distance. Expect to see them, not to be next to them. The page also advertises free rebooking: a guaranteed whale or dolphin sighting “or another ticket for free”. Read that condition on your own booking before relying on it.
Check availability and prices for the Costa Adeje catamaran with drinks
The €75 Lagoon 450 from Las Galletas
This one leaves from the harbour of Las Galletas in Arona, not from Puerto Colón, on a Lagoon 450 with at most 12 guests. The itinerary on the page runs: a ten-minute safety briefing, 30 minutes of scenery on the way past the Punta Rasca lighthouse, an hour of whale watching, 30 minutes for swimming and snorkelling, then 45 minutes back. Included are a light lunch, soft drinks and water, beer, wine and cava, and snorkel gear.
It costs €40 more per person than the Puerto Colón catamaran, and for that you get fewer people on board and food. What you do not get yet is a track record: one review, a good one. The listing says sightings are highly likely but cannot be guaranteed, and that the captain may change the route for safety or wildlife protection.
It is also stricter about who it suits. The booking page’s “not suitable for” list names children under 2, babies under 1, people with mobility impairments, wheelchair users and people prone to seasickness.
Check availability and prices for the Lagoon 450 catamaran cruise
When a catamaran is the wrong boat
- You want the cliffs of Los Gigantes: that is the west coast, and the better comparison is the speedboat trips.
- You want an operator’s no-chase approach spelled out: read what “No Chase” means.
- You get seasick easily: a catamaran is generally steadier than a rigid inflatable, but neither is a promise. Ask a pharmacist or doctor, and read when boat trips are cancelled for sea conditions.
The pick
Book the Costa Adeje catamaran with drinks – the two-hour option if you want whales, the three-hour one if you also want to swim. The €75 cruise is worth it only if a boat for twelve is exactly what you are after; browse everything else under whale and dolphin watching.
