With a full boat, a private sailing yacht works out cheaper per head than the same trip shared, and you get the boat, the route and the timing to yourselves. With six of you, you're already paying about €108 each, and below that number a shared trip on a small boat usually makes more sense. For large groups, the Flipper Uno schooner can be hired whole for up to 91 people, and Freebird organises private events on its catamarans.
Before you start looking, be clear that "boat hire" in Tenerife now means a boat with a skipper. Hire without a qualification has gone, and any website still offering it is out of date.
Our picks
1
Large yacht for families and groups
The "Neptuno", from Los Cristianos: the standard listing is a shared 3-hour trip for 20 people with a swim and lunch, and there's a private option for up to 22.
GetYourGuide3 hours
See whales in Tenerife: exclusive yacht tour with swim and lunch
4.7 (365 reviews)
from €51.85Check availability
2
Private boat with tapas and drinks
3 h just for your group, with food and drinks included; well rated by more than a hundred reviewers.
GetYourGuide3 hours
Tenerife: Private Boat Charter with Tapas & Drinks
4.7 (113 reviews)
from €450Check availability
3
Luxury motorboat
For anyone who wants speed and to choose the length: 2, 3 or 4 hours just for the group.
GetYourGuide2 - 4 hours
Tenerife: 2-, 3-, and 4-Hour Private Luxury Motorboat Charter
4.7 (84 reviews)
from €745Check availability
4
Exclusive but shared, adults only
White Tenerife, Puerto Colón: a catamaran for 12 adults with a glass floor and a hydrophone. It isn't private, but it comes very close.
GetYourGuide3 hours
Costa Adeje: Adults-Only 3-Hour Whale and Dolphin Catamaran
4.8 (58 reviews)
from €63Check availability
How much does a private boat trip cost?
Few operators publish their rates. The most transparent price is Third Element's, a 14 m sailing yacht based in Los Gigantes:
| Option | Duration | People | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private sailing yacht | 3 h | up to 10 | €650 |
| Private sailing yacht | 6 h | up to 10 | €1,100 |
| Extra hour | 1 h | up to 10 | €150 (subject to availability) |
| Private sunset | on request | up to 10 | €650 |
Do the maths: €650 split ten ways is €65 per person, less than the €75 the same trip costs shared. If there are five of you, it's €130 a head.
On the platforms, private boats range from about €350 (2 h) to almost €950 for 3.5- to 6-hour trips with extras such as slides and water sports. Motor yachts don't usually publish hourly rates, so always ask for a fixed total price in writing.
Other boats you can hire whole
- Bonadea – Diomedea (Puerto Colón, pontoon 4): a 7 m RIB for 6 people, 2-hour private trips. There's only a swim on private trips longer than 2 h, and no toilet on board. Price on request.
- Flipper Uno (Los Gigantes): the wooden schooner can be hired whole for up to 91 people.
- Freebird (Puerto Colón): private events on its three large catamarans, price on request.
- Eden (Puerto Colón): the "Blue Fin" takes up to 7 people on private trips and sport-fishing outings.
- Tenerife Sailing Charters (Puerto Colón): 6-hour private charter, no published rate; it also has a motorboat for 10.
- Lady Elsie (Los Gigantes): Marítima Acantilados' 50-foot sailing yacht, available for private hire.
- Submarine Safaris: the submarine can also be hired for groups; request it by email from the office.
If what you're after is fishing, there are dedicated trips on our fishing in Tenerife page.
What's included and what isn't
At Third Element the price includes drinks (cava, wine, beer, soft drinks), a tapas-style meal, and a snorkel mask and tube. It doesn't include towels, sun cream or seasickness tablets: bring your own. It's a good example of what to ask on any other boat before you pay the deposit.
Licences: self-drive boat hire without a qualification is over
Until that date you could hire motorboats of up to 5 m and under 11.26 kW, and sailing boats of up to 6 m, without a qualification. Royal Decree 1188/2025 amended article 10 of Royal Decree 875/2014 and removed that exemption. To hire a boat without a skipper you need one of these two things:
- A valid recreational boating qualification with sufficient entitlements for that boat. Qualifications issued by European Economic Area countries or by the countries in Annex IX of Royal Decree 875/2014 are accepted, provided it was issued by your country of nationality or residence.
- A valid STCW professional certificate.
If your qualification isn't from an EEA country (and a UK one no longer is), check that your country is listed in Annex IX before you book. Without a valid qualification, your only option is a boat with a skipper.
What doesn't change: skippered boats (every one on this page) and jet skis on a circuit or guided safari, which follow their own rules. If that's more your thing, see jet skis.
Private whale watching: flag and register
A private charter that goes looking for whales and dolphins is still a whale-watching activity and needs the same authorisation as any excursion boat: the yellow "Barco Azul" (Blue Boat) flag with the authorisation period in blue. A cheap boat without the flag can't legally approach the animals.
Before you pay a deposit, ask for the boat's registration number (it looks like CT-38-4-…) and look it up in the Canary Islands Government register. And don't expect to get any closer because you're on a private boat: the rules of 60 m minimum distance and 30 minutes at most apply to everyone. All about species and seasons in whale watching.
Which port to choose
Los Gigantes is the port with the best setting for a private trip: cliffs up to 600 m high and coves for swimming. Parking is difficult; plan to arrive an hour early. Puerto Colón, in Costa Adeje, has the biggest fleet, with White Tenerife, Bonadea, Eden and Freebird. Los Cristianos is the ferry port, with yachts such as the Neptuno. In Las Galletas there are also private trips with lunch.
More details on each port in Los Gigantes and in the main boat trips guide.
"Exclusive" doesn't always mean private
Two boats sold with the word "exclusive" are actually shared trips:
- The "Neptuno" yacht in Los Cristianos: the standard trip is shared, 3 h long with a maximum of 20 passengers. The private option, for up to 22, is booked separately.
- White Tenerife's adults-only catamaran in Puerto Colón (pontoon 6): shared, 12 people at most, 3 h. They'll also do a tailor-made skippered charter if you ask.
Both are good trips for couples and small groups, but if you want the boat just for yourselves, check for the word "private" in the option you choose, not in the title.
GetYourGuide3 hours
See whales in Tenerife: exclusive yacht tour with swim and lunch
4.7 (365 reviews)
from €51.85Check availability
GetYourGuide3 hours
Costa Adeje: Adults-Only 3-Hour Whale and Dolphin Catamaran
4.8 (58 reviews)
from €63Check availability
GetYourGuide3 hours
Tenerife: Whales and Snorkelling Tour on a Luxury Yacht
4.9 (515 reviews)
from €95Check availability
Tiqets06:00
Tenerife: 6-Hour Private Sailing Tour to Los Gigantes with Swim, Drink & Tapas
no reviews yet
from €850Check availability
GetYourGuide3 hours
Whale-Watching Safari by Luxury Boat - Tenerife South
4.8 (142 reviews)
from €46.20Check availability
GetYourGuide3 hours
Tenerife: Private Boat Charter with Tapas & Drinks
4.7 (113 reviews)
from €450Check availability
See all options on GetYourGuide →
Tips for booking
- Work out how many of you there are and divide the total price between you: with few passengers, a shared trip on a small boat can work out better.
- Ask for a fixed price in writing that states what's included (drinks, food, snorkelling, transfer).
- If you're going whale watching, ask for the boat's registration number and check the flag.
- Read the terms: at Third Element, changes and cancellations need 24 h notice, the boat waits 5 minutes at most and, if a minimum occupancy of 50% isn't reached, they may move your date or refund you.
- If you get seasick, ask about the type of boat: a big catamaran is usually a safer bet than a sailing yacht, and bring your remedy.
For a celebration, sunset is the most requested time: you'll find month-by-month times under sunset cruises.
How much does it cost to hire a private boat in Tenerife?
A private sailing yacht for up to 10 people costs €650 for 3 hours and €1,100 for 6 hours in Los Gigantes. On the platforms there are private boats from about €350 for 2 hours; motor yachts don't publish hourly rates, so ask for a fixed price.
Can I hire a boat without a licence in Tenerife?
No. Since 1 October you can no longer hire any recreational boat without a boating qualification in Spanish waters. You can book a boat with a skipper or a jet ski on a guided safari.
What qualification do I need to hire a boat without a skipper?
A valid recreational boating qualification with sufficient entitlements, issued by your country of nationality or residence, if that country is in the European Economic Area or listed in Annex IX of Royal Decree 875/2014, or an STCW professional certificate.
What does a private skippered boat include?
It depends on the boat. On Third Element's sailing yacht, drinks, a tapas-style meal and snorkelling gear are included, but not towels, sun cream or seasickness tablets. Always ask what the price covers.
How many people fit on a private boat?
From 6 on Bonadea's RIB and 10 on Third Element's sailing yacht up to 22 on the Neptuno yacht and 91 on the Flipper Uno schooner.
Can a private boat get closer to the whales?
No. The rules are the same for everyone: a minimum distance of 60 m and 30 minutes at most near the animals. The boat must also hold a whale-watching authorisation and fly the Blue Boat flag.
