Tenerife: Whale Watching Pirate Ship & Swimming Stop Cruise

Whale watching cruise on a Portuguese gulet with swimming stop

You’ll set sail from Los Cristianos on an old-style pirate ship with crew guiding you to find whales and dolphins along Tenerife’s coast. There’s time to swim in open sea (floats for kids), drinks onboard, and plenty of space to relax on deck or chat with locals. Expect real moments: wind in your hair, laughter over language slips, maybe even silence when those whales appear.

Step-by-step itinerary

Whale watching and snorkeling cruise

• Meet at port or bus pickup
• Board authentic Portuguese schooner
• Purchase drink at the bar
• Relax on main and upper decks
• Watch dolphins and pilot whales
• Swim in the sea with crew supervision
• Return to Los Cristianos port
• Bus transfer to original meeting point

The experience

“Did you just see that fin?” someone shouted, and for a second I thought I’d missed it, but then the pilot whale surfaced again, slow and calm, right off the side of our old wooden ship. The Peter Pan (yep, that’s really the name) creaked gently as we drifted out from Los Cristianos. Our guide (I think his name was Marta?) pointed out how to spot dolphins by their splashes, but honestly I was still distracted by the salty smell and the way the deck boards felt warm under my feet. There’s something about being on an actual Portuguese schooner that makes you want to pretend you’re in some old adventure story.

I grabbed a drink from the bar (just a soda for me, though some folks went straight for beer) and found a spot near the rail. You could hear kids giggling over at the bow, waving at seagulls like they were old friends. At one point Marta told us about how these waters off southern Tenerife are famous for resident whales. She even knew which ones had calves this season. It’s not loud out there, just wind and water and sometimes laughter echoing across the deck. The crew moved around checking everyone was okay. They handed out floats for little kids before we anchored up for a swim.

The swimming stop surprised me. The water looked colder than it felt: kind of silky, with sunlight flickering down through blue-green layers. I’m not much of a snorkeler but just floating there, hearing muffled voices from above and feeling tiny fish brush past my ankles… yeah, I didn’t expect to feel so relaxed. Afterward we all sat around this big table on deck, dripping seawater everywhere (no one cared), swapping stories about what we’d seen under the surface or which whale was our favorite. Someone tried to order in Spanish and got gently corrected by one of the crew. Everyone laughed, including him.

We headed back toward port with faces sticky from salt spray and hair tangled up in knots. I kept thinking about that first glimpse of the whales: how quiet it got when they appeared. If you’re looking for a whale watching tour in Tenerife that doesn’t feel rushed or too polished, this is probably it.

What’s included

Your day includes an option for pickup by air-conditioned bus from several meeting points around Tenerife’s south coast before boarding at Los Cristianos port. Onboard you’ll have bottled water available, access to drinks at the bar, use of two restrooms below deck, swimming floats for children during your supervised swim stop, plus guidance throughout from multilingual crew and captain before returning to shore together.

Options for this experience

3 options

Guide in 4 languages10:00

Guide in 4 languages12:00

Guide in 4 languages14:00

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesDaily · 3 departure times, from 10:00 to 14:00

AgesAges 12+ · 2 to 11 years · Under 2

Meeting point and pickupNo pickup · ends where it startsMeeting point, per the operator: “Port of Los Cristianos: Excursion Pier, Zone A. Boarding: 15 min before departure. NOTICE: No free parking; paid lot is usually full. Arrive early to find othe…”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Neptuno Whale Experience Tenerife

Traveler reviews

4.70★★★★★★★★★★

351 verified traveler reviews

5 ★296

4 ★30

3 ★9

2 ★7

1 ★9

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Can children come?

2 to 11 years; under 2.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

Is hotel pickup included for this Tenerife whale watching tour?

You can choose optional pickup by air-conditioned bus from La Caleta, Playa de Las Américas, or Los Cristianos meeting points.

Where does the cruise depart from?

The tour departs from Los Cristianos port in southern Tenerife.

Is there food or drink available onboard?

You can purchase drinks at the bar onboard. Bottled water is included.

Are restrooms available on the boat?

Yes, there are two restrooms below deck for passenger use.

Is this whale watching cruise wheelchair accessible?

Wheelchair access is possible if guests can walk onto the boat themselves.

How long is the Peter Pan ship?

The Peter Pan schooner is 18 meters long with a 5 meter beam.