Tenerife: Los Gigantes Whale Watching Sailboat & Snorkel

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Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/14

Duration3h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN · DE +2

Mobile ticketAccepted

Dolphins & Cliffs: A Morning Under Sail at Los Gigantes

You sail past the towering Los Gigantes cliffs hunting for dolphins, pilot whales and turtles in the Atlantic, with a stop to snorkel at a quiet cove. The 45-foot sailboat carries a small group with a professional captain and crew, fresh food and drinks included throughout the morning. You're not guaranteed wildlife sightings, but the boat goes where they've been spotted, and the pace is set by the water, not a schedule.

Step-by-step itinerary

Sail and explore Los Gigantes cliffs

Sail around Los Gigantes cliffs
Look for dolphins, whales, turtles
Stop to swim and snorkel
Enjoy drinks and fresh fruit

The Experience

You meet the captain and crew at the marina, and within minutes you're hearing about the water conditions from someone who knows it — not a script, just a quick rundown of where the whales have been spotted that week. The boat is a 45-foot Bavaria, which means you're not crammed in with fifty other people; there's actual room to move, to sit on the sunbeds up front, to breathe. You push off and the cliffs start rising up in front of you, and yeah, they're massive — Los Gigantes doesn't mess around with the name. The sails go up and the engine cuts, and suddenly it's quiet except for the water and the wind.

The crew keeps watch while you're sailing, pointing out when something moves in the water. Pilot whales show up most days, dolphins too if you're lucky, and sometimes turtles. You're not guaranteed anything — that's the honest part — but the boat goes where the sightings have been, and the captain knows the Atlantic around Tenerife well enough that you're not just drifting. When they spot something, there's a real moment of it: the crew cuts the engine, everyone goes quiet, and you watch. It's not a zoo. It's not controlled. It just happens or it doesn't, and that's what makes it feel real.

Around midday you drop anchor at a small cove and the crew sets out snacks — fresh-cut fruit, sandwiches made that morning (they do vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free without making it weird), and then the drinks come out. Cava, wine, beer, soft drinks, whatever you want. You can jump in and snorkel if the water's calm enough, or just float and eat and watch the cliffs from sea level, which is a completely different angle than from the shore. The crew stays on board, keeping an eye on things, and there's no rush. You're not being herded to the next stop.

One thing to know: the German guide isn't available Sundays and Mondays, so if you're planning around a specific day, check that first. The boat holds a manageable group, and the whole thing runs on the water's schedule, not a clock, so if conditions are rough or the swell picks up, that shapes the day. But if you're looking for a whale-watching trip that doesn't feel like a factory tour, where you're actually on a sailboat with a working crew and not just passengers on a ferry, this is it. Book through the marina directly if you can — they'll tell you exactly what's been seen that week.

What’s included

Professional captain and crew on a 45-foot Bavaria sailboat, freshly cut fruit, custom-made sandwiches (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free options available), bottled water, complimentary drinks including cava, wine, beer and soft drinks, snorkel stop at a coastal cove, and comfortable sunbeds on the bow.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Third Element S.L.

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to sail rather than sit on a crowded ferry, and you're comfortable with the fact that whale sightings depend on the ocean that day, not a guarantee — that unpredictability is exactly what keeps it from feeling like a tour.