Whale watching in Tenerife: compare trips, harbours and boats

A three-hour trip from Puerto Colón on a boat with underwater viewing windows, with lunch, drinks and a swim stop included. The operator lists German among its guide languages and takes manual wheelchairs on the main deck. It sells directly, not through the big booking platforms.

Guide

The operator lists Spanish, English, German and French; it does not say whether all are used on every tripConfirmed

Pickup

Los Gigantes, El Médano, Golf del Sur, Costa del Silencio, Other areas (days vary by area)Conditional

Starts

Puerto Colón (Adeje), pontoon 12; departs at 10:30 on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Arrive at least 30 minutes before boardingConfirmed

Duration

3 hoursConfirmed

Included

Lunch, drinks, a swim stop at Diego Hernández beach and viewing through 16 underwater windowsConfirmed

Ages

Children 3-11 pay a reduced fare; under-3s free. Manual wheelchairs up to 68 cm wide on the main deck only; no electric wheelchairs or fully accessible toilet. Wheelchair users must travel independently to Puerto Colón. Pregnancy not mentionedConfirmed

Cancellation

Full refund more than 24 hours before; within 24 hours, only for documented force majeure. Operator cancellations are refunded. Book at least 48 hours aheadConfirmed

Boat

ROYAL DELFIN (TE-1-8-00), based at Puerto Colón, is on the MITECO listConfirmed

A short whale and dolphin trip from Puerto Colón on a rigid inflatable with about ten guests, led by marine biologists who use a hydrophone. There is no food or swim stop (toilet not stated), and the operator offers a free repeat trip if no animals are seen.

Guide

Marine biologist guides; English and SpanishConfirmed

Pickup

No hotel pickup: you make your own way to the startConfirmed

Starts

Puerto Colón (Adeje), blue entrance to pontoon 3; departures at 9:30, 12:00 and 14:30. Meet 15 minutes beforehandConfirmed

Duration

2 hoursConfirmed

Included

Hydrophone, photos and a sighting guarantee (free repeat trip if nothing is seen). No food or swim stop. Toilet availability not statedConditional

Ages

No under-3s except on private trips, pregnant travellers, people over 130 kg, or anyone with reduced mobility, recent surgery, neck or back problems. Children 3-11 pay a reduced fareChild fare per the tour page: https://whalewatchtenerife.org/whale-watching-tour/Confirmed

Group size

Maximum 10 guestsConfirmed

Cancellation

Changes need 24 hours' notice. No refund for missing departure or refusal under the stated restrictions. Other customer-cancellation refund deadlines and percentages are not statedConditional

Boat

The operator names its 8 m boat Globy and describes it as Blue Flag certified. Registration number and current MITECO listing not independently verifiedConditional

A three-hour whale and dolphin watching trip on a large catamaran from Puerto Colón, with a sandwich, drinks and a swim stop included. Pickup is included, but pickups in the south zone run only on certain weekdays.

Guide

Whale guide in English; occasionally commentary in two languages (English and Spanish). No German mentionedConditional

Pickup

Los Gigantes, Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas, Golf del Sur (days vary by area)Confirmed

Starts

Puerto Colón marina (Adeje), pontoon 10 or 15Confirmed

Duration

3 hours on board; total time including transfers not publishedConfirmed

Included

Whale guide, pickup and return, sandwich (vegetarian or gluten-free on request), soft drinks, beer, water and a swim stop. Extra cost: sunbed (€15 for two), photo (€10), ice cream (€3)Confirmed

Ages

Children 4-11 pay a reduced fare; under-4s free. No wheelchairs on board; guests with reduced mobility must board unaided and contact the operator before booking. Seasickness: ask a doctor or pharmacist. Pregnancy not mentionedConditional

Group size

Not published. The Freebird One is 28 m long, but the site gives no capacity and does not say which boat runs this tripUnknown

Cancellation

Full refund up to 24 hours before; no refund within 24 hours or for no-shows. If the operator cancels for weather or too few passengers: new date or full refundConfirmed

Boat

FREEBIRD ONE (TE-1-20-01) and FUNCAT (TE-1-13-98), both based at Puerto Colón, are on the MITECO list. The operator also names catamarans F13 and F24 and does not say which boat runs this tripConditional

A three-hour trip on a large schooner-style boat from Los Gigantes harbour, with whale and dolphin watching, a swim stop with a zip line, chicken paella and drinks. There is no hotel transport, so you need to reach the harbour yourself.

Guide

An on-board guide explains 'in your own language', but the operator does not say which languagesConditional

Pickup

No hotel pickup: you make your own way to the startConditional

Starts

Los Gigantes harbour; present your voucher at the harbour-entrance office at least 30 minutes before departure. Product page lists unit 25, terms unit 20; confirm the officeUnit 20 per the terms: https://flipperuno.com/condiciones-de-compra-y-anulacion/Conditional

Duration

3 hours for the trip with lunchConfirmed

Included

Cetacean watching with an official guide, swim stop (ladder or zip line), chicken and vegetable paella with fruit, and drinks: red wine, beer, soft drinks and waterConfirmed

Ages

Child fare listed for ages 2-11, with a conflicting free infant band of 0-2; terms mention age checks for 2-12. Confirm boundary ages. Pregnancy and accessibility restrictions not statedAge checks for 2-12 per the terms: https://flipperuno.com/condiciones-de-compra-y-anulacion/Conditional

Group size

Not published for regular trips (the 91-passenger maximum refers to private charters)Unknown

Cancellation

Full refund with at least 24 hours' notice; nothing back within 24 hours. Bad weather: new date, or full refund if you cannot make the new date. Date changes with 24 hours' notice, subject to availabilityConfirmed

Boat

FLIPPER UNO (TE-1-9-96), based at Los Gigantes, is on the MITECO list (area: south of Tenerife between Arona, Adeje and Guía de Isora)Confirmed

A three-hour shared trip on a sailing yacht from Los Gigantes marina with no more than nine guests, a light snack with a drink and a snorkel stop when the sea allows. Transport to the harbour is not included; the operator offers paid transfers from some areas on request.

Guide

The company lists Spanish, English, French, German and Italian as its languages, but no language is guaranteed for a given departureConditional

Pickup

Not stated by the operatorUnknown

Starts

Los Gigantes marina, pontoon 1, berth 152Confirmed

Duration

3 hoursConfirmed

Included

Skipper and guide, cetacean watching, light snack with a drink, and a swim and snorkel stop (gear on board) if the sea allowsConfirmed

Ages

Age 3 needs confirmation: FAQ says over 3, terms exclude under-3s. No guests over 130 kg, reduced mobility, recent surgery or serious back/neck problems; refusal without refund possible. Child fare and pregnancy rules not statedUnder-3 exclusion and boarding rules per the terms: https://www.picarussailingclub.com/politica-de-reserva-y-cancelacion/Conditional

Group size

Maximum 9 passengers, including children and babiesConfirmed

Cancellation

Date changes with at least 48 hours' notice. No refund terms published for cancellations by the customer. If the operator cancels (weather or minimum numbers): new date or refund. Arriving more than 5 minutes late: no refundConditional

Boat

The operator names its yachts Ayla and Aemón. MITECO lists AEMON (GC-3-9-06) based at Los Gigantes and AYLA (TE-1-30-15) based at Marina del Sur, Las Galletas. Which yacht runs the shared trip is not statedConditional

A longer catamaran trip from Puerto Colón towards Los Gigantes and Masca, sold with pickup from hotels in Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Úrsula on four days a week. No whale-watching boats are based in northern ports, so this is one of the few ways to join a trip from the north without driving.

Guide

English-speaking whale guide; commentary may occasionally be in English and SpanishConditional

Pickup

Puerto de la Cruz, Other areas (days vary by area)Confirmed

Starts

Pickup from the main hotels in Puerto de la Cruz and Hotel La Quinta (Santa Úrsula) between 10:30 and 12:30; the boat leaves from Puerto Colón (Adeje)Confirmed

Duration

4.5 hours on board; total time with the coach transfer not statedConfirmed

Included

Whale guide, north transfers, chicken meatballs with rice, bread and banana, beer, soft drinks, water and a Masca swim stop. Vegan/coeliac meals on request. Extras: sunbed €25 for two, photo €10, ice cream €3Conditional

Ages

Child fare 4-11; under-4s free. Guests with reduced mobility must board unaided and contact the operator before booking. Pregnancy restrictions not statedConditional

Cancellation

Full refund with at least 24 hours' notice; none for later cancellation or no-shows. Weather or insufficient passengers: alternative date/experience or full refundConfirmed

Boat

FREEBIRD ONE (TE-1-20-01) and FUNCAT (TE-1-13-98), both based at Puerto Colón, are on the MITECO list. The operator does not say which boat runs this tripConditional