Whale watching in Tenerife works just as well in January as in August. Short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live off the south-west coast all year round, and Turismo de Tenerife reckons boats can get out to sea eight days out of ten. A 90-minute trip from Los Cristianos is enough to see them; paying more only makes sense if you want something extra: the Los Gigantes cliffs, a swim in a cove, lunch on board, or a boat with ten people on it rather than a hundred.
The short version: if you're staying in Los Cristianos or Las Américas, go for 1.5 h from Los Cristianos. If you're in the west or want cliffs, 2 h from Los Gigantes. For a day on the water with lunch and transfers, a 3- to 4.5-hour catamaran from Puerto Colón. The rules around the animals are the same for everyone; what changes is the boat, the time at sea and how far you are from the pilot whales.
Our picks
1
The best-selling short trip
Travelin' Lady: a yacht from Los Cristianos, 1.5 h with a swim by Montaña de Guaza. From €27.90 on its own website; drinks aren't included.
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Travelin' Lady: Eco Yacht Whale & Dolphin Safari + Swim
4.7 (19,421 reviews)
from €29.90Check availability
2
If you'd rather stay dry
Mar de Ons catamaran with underwater viewing areas, 1.5 h from Los Cristianos. No swimming here: the company itself doesn't allow it.
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Tenerife: Eco No-Chase Respectful Whale & Dolphin Encounter
4.6 (15,400 reviews)
from €28Check availability
3
The pick from Los Gigantes
Flipper Uno: 2 h with whales and dolphins, cliffs and a swim at Masca, Barranco Seco or Juan López, depending on the sea.
GetYourGuide2 hours
Los Gigantes: Dolphin & Whale Watching Cruise with Swim Stop
4.7 (5,807 reviews)
from €28Check availability
4
A genuinely small group
Third Element's yacht Mugen, 10 people at most, 3 h with food, cava and snorkelling gear. Pricey, but a different experience.
GetYourGuide3 hours
Tenerife: Los Gigantes Whale Watching Cruise by Sailboat
4.9 (2,275 reviews)
from €75Check availability
5
Catamaran from Puerto Colón
Eden: up to 50 people with drinks included; the 3-hour version adds a snorkelling stop.
GetYourGuide2 - 3 hours
Costa Adeje: Whale-Watching Catamaran Tour with Drinks
4.7 (4,210 reviews)
from €31.50Check availability
Which species you'll see, and when
Turismo de Tenerife counts up to 21 species of whale and dolphin in the island's waters (the World Cetacean Alliance says 23). On an ordinary trip you'll usually see one or both of the two resident species. The short-finned pilot whale, well over 5 metres long and weighing 900 to 1,800 kg, is the easiest to find. The bottlenose dolphin travels in groups of 10 to 30 animals of about 2.5 metres.
Everything else is down to luck and the season: the Atlantic spotted dolphin, mostly from autumn to late spring; the common dolphin, in winter; the sperm whale, in spring. Bryde's whale, the striped dolphin and Risso's dolphin turn up now and again in any month. According to Turismo de Tenerife, May and June are the best months for adding species to your list.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-finned pilot whale | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal |
| Bottlenose dolphin | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal |
| Atlantic spotted dolphin | likely | likely | likely | likely | likely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | likely | likely | likely |
| Common dolphin | likely | likely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | likely |
| Sperm whale | unlikely | unlikely | likely | likely | likely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely |
| Rorquals and other occasional visitors | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | likely | likely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely |
unlikelylikelyideal
The residents live inside the Franja marina de Teno-Rasca Special Area of Conservation (ES7020017): 69,489.68 hectares of sea off Buenavista del Norte, Santiago del Teide, Guía de Isora, Adeje and Arona. The shelf is narrow: very close to shore the water is already more than 500 metres deep. Since January 2021 the waters off western Tenerife and La Gomera have been Europe's first Whale Heritage Area, an accreditation from the World Cetacean Alliance. It isn't a UNESCO title, whatever some adverts say.
Which port to choose, depending on where you're staying
Choose by how close it is to your hotel and by what you'd like on top of the whales and dolphins.
| Port | Best if you're staying in | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Cristianos | Los Cristianos, Las Américas, Las Galletas | About 12 min to deep water; 1.5-hour trips | Paid car park that fills up; also a ferry port |
| Puerto Colón | Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas | The island's biggest fleet; catamarans with lunch and transfers | Longer run out to the pilot whales |
| Los Gigantes | Los Gigantes, Puerto de Santiago, Playa San Juan | Cliffs, a swim in a cove and whales in 2 h | Little parking: get there 1 h early |
One comparison website puts the run to deep water at about 12 minutes from Los Cristianos, 36 from Costa Adeje and 9 from Los Gigantes. It's an estimate, but it explains why 1.5-hour trips work from Los Cristianos while 2- to 4.5-hour trips are the norm in Puerto Colón. From Los Gigantes you can fit in cliffs, a swim and whales in two hours; from Puerto Colón, the same takes the 4.5-hour excursion.
From Golf del Sur or Costa del Silencio there are a few licensed boats in Las Galletas and at Amarilla Marina (formerly Marina San Miguel), but most of what's on offer is in the three big ports; to reach Los Cristianos, take the 470 bus from Golf del Sur or the 467 from Costa del Silencio.
Types of boat: from a 6-seat RIB to a catamaran with a disco
What really changes the experience is the size of the boat: licensed vessels range from 6 passengers to more than a hundred.
| Type | Examples | Capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| RIB or speedboat | Bonadea II–Diomedea, Gladiator U, Masca Express | 6–36 | Small groups, getting there fast |
| Whale-watching yacht | Travelin' Lady | not published | A short, no-frills trip |
| Large catamaran | Freebird, Eden, Royal Delfin | 50 on Eden; the others don't publish it | Families, lunch and transfers |
| Sailing ship or wooden schooner | Peter Pan (60), Flipper Uno (91) | 60–91 | Day-trip atmosphere, swimming from the boat |
| Themed boat | Ragnarok, the Viking ship | nearly 100 | Children: swords, costumes and a photo on the throne |
| Small sailing yacht | Third Element's Mugen (10), Pecazul (11) | 10–11 | Couples and groups paying for space |
The catamarans with "underwater vision" (Royal Delfin, Nashira Uno, the Mar de Ons boat) are surface boats with windows or glass floors; the real submarine leaves from Amarilla Marina and doesn't look for whales. And on the small sailing yachts, don't count on the sails: Third Element admits there's often not enough wind in the south.
If you get seasick
The Mar de Ons catamaran is sold as big and stable for people who'd like a smooth ride, and Travelin' Lady makes a point of its low centre of gravity, which means less rolling. At the other end of the scale, the listing for Tenerife Sailing Charters' yacht in Puerto Colón says it isn't suitable for people prone to seasickness, and the Peter Pan's warns that the sea can sometimes be choppy. If in doubt, choose the short trip: 1.5 h on the water rather than 3. And take your seasickness remedy before you board.
Prices: how much whale watching in Tenerife costs
The basic 1.5- to 2-hour trip costs €25 to €33 per adult, depending on the port. These are the prices published by the operators themselves:
| Trip | Port | Duration | Adult / child |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar de Ons (online rate) | Los Cristianos | 1.5–2 h | €25 / €12 (ages 1–10) |
| Travelin' Lady | Los Cristianos | 1.5 h | from €27.90 |
| Freebird | Puerto Colón | 2 h | €30 / €15 (ages 4–11) |
| Royal Delfin | Puerto Colón | 2 h | €33 / €20 |
| Masca Express | Los Gigantes | 2 h | €28 / €18 |
| Flipper Uno | Los Gigantes | 2 h / 3 h with paella | €33 / €23 · €40 / €25 |
| Third Element (yacht, max. 10) | Los Gigantes | 3 h | €75 / €60 |
| Freebird Masca and Los Gigantes | Puerto Colón | 4.5 h | €62 / €31 |
On the booking platforms the price is similar or a couple of euros higher: Travelin' Lady starts at €29.90 on GetYourGuide against €27.90 on its own website; the Mar de Ons catamaran, from €28 against €25. Travelin' Lady offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before on its website just as it does on the platform; what the platform adds is verified reviews and a single place to compare. Don't trust the crossed-out price (€38 or €50): Mar de Ons advertises a €50 rate on its own website and sells online at €25.
| Platform | Product | Rating | Price | Where to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | Tenerife: Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise with Swim Stop | 4.7 (3,717) | €28 | See on GetYourGuide |
| Tiqets | Los Cristianos: Viking Tenerife Ragnarok Cruise | 4.5 (23) | €28 | See on Tiqets |
Adult prices checked on 2 October 2026. They can change with the date; each platform confirms the final price.
The Ragnarok Viking ship costs the same on GetYourGuide as on Tiqets, €28, so decide on the terms. On GetYourGuide the general rule is free cancellation up to 24 h before; on Tiqets it depends on each provider, so read the cancellation section before you pay. On the 2-hour trip drinks cost €3 each (bottled water is free); on the 3-hour trip they're included.
The law: 60 metres, 30 minutes and no swimming with dolphins
Tourist whale watching in the Canary Islands is governed by Decree 178/2000, together with the Spanish national rules in Royal Decree 1727/2007. Every boat needs an authorisation from the Canary Islands Government lasting a year at most, and must carry a guide who specialises in whales and dolphins. What this means for what you'll see from the deck:
- No boat may come within 60 metres of a whale or dolphin. If the animals approach, the engine goes into neutral.
- Within 500 metres it's forbidden to chase them, circle them, cut across their path, feed them or go faster than 4 knots.
- There can be no more than two boats within 100 metres, and no boat may enter the 500-metre radius if three are already there.
- No boat may spend more than 30 minutes within 100 metres of the animals.
- Swimming or diving within 500 metres of whales or dolphins is forbidden. The swim stops on excursions are always made well away from the animals, close to the shore.
You can't swim with wild dolphins in Tenerife, and anyone offering it is breaking the law. Turismo de Tenerife sums it up on its whale-watching rules page. If you see an injured or stranded animal, call 112.
How to check in a minute that your boat is licensed
- Look for the Blue Boat flag on the boat: yellow, 80 × 50 cm, with a red-and-white lifebuoy, two white pilot whales on a blue background and the words BARCO AZUL / BLUE BOAT.
- Look below the emblem: the authorisation period is printed in blue. It's renewed every year, so a faded flag with an old year on it is a bad sign.
- Search for the boat's name in the Canary Islands Government's official register of whale-watching boats. Each boat has a code along the lines of CT-38-4-0000xxx and a home port.
- If you're hiring a private boat to look for whales, ask for that code before you pay the deposit. A charter without the flag can't legally approach the animals.
When an English-language listing makes much of its "Blue Flag", it means this compulsory flag, not the Blue Flag eco-award for beaches.
"Eco", "no-chase" and "guaranteed sightings": what each one means
"No-chase" is the bare minimum the law requires of everyone: chasing whales and dolphins is forbidden for every boat. An operator advertising itself this way is telling you it obeys the rules, not that it does anything extra. No public body certifies anything as "eco" or "no-chase".
The only official scheme, and a voluntary one, is Turismo de Tenerife's whale-watching Sustainability Charter (Carta de Sostenibilidad), which assesses companies every year. Those currently listed include Flipper Uno, Freebird, Bonadea II, Marítima Acantilados, Tenerife Dolphin and Bahriyeli Experiencia (Mar de Ons). Travelin' Lady, Ragnarok and the Peter Pan aren't on the list. You can check it on the Charter page.
Incidentally, the best-selling "Eco No-Chase" trip from Los Cristianos isn't run by Bonadea but by Mar de Ons (Mar Borondon S.L.); Bonadea II–Diomedea is a 6-seat RIB in Puerto Colón (who's who).
Guaranteed sightings. No operator guarantees it in writing with a refund: Travelin' Lady, Mar de Ons and the Peter Pan say so plainly. Flipper Uno advertises "100% guaranteed depending on sea conditions" on its website, but its GetYourGuide listings admit it can't guarantee it. What is standard: free cancellation up to 24 hours before and, if the operator cancels because of the sea, another date or a full refund.
Practical tips and what to bring
- Leave plenty of time. Be there 15 to 30 minutes early, depending on the company; if you're late you lose your place with no refund. In Los Gigantes, an hour early because of the parking. Third Element waits 5 minutes at most.
- Bring a layer. It feels cooler out at sea. Take something warm, sun cream and binoculars if you have them.
- Check what's included. Travelin' Lady doesn't include drinks and the "No-Chase" catamaran doesn't allow swimming; Freebird includes drinks from the 2-hour trip upwards.
- Read your voucher. The boarding pontoon depends on the boat, especially in Puerto Colón.
Detailed reviews of each company are on our pages for Travelin' Lady, Freebird, Flipper Uno, Peter Pan and the Los Gigantes fleet.
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Travelin' Lady: Eco Yacht Whale & Dolphin Safari + Swim
4.7 (19,421 reviews)
from €29.90Check availability
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Tenerife: Eco No-Chase Respectful Whale & Dolphin Encounter
4.6 (15,400 reviews)
from €28Check availability
GetYourGuide2 hours
Los Gigantes: Dolphin & Whale Watching Cruise with Swim Stop
4.7 (5,807 reviews)
from €28Check availability
Tiqets03:00
Tenerife: 3-Hour Whale & Dolphin Watching Tour
4.1 (12 reviews)
from €47Check availability
GetYourGuide3 - 5 hours
Costa Adeje: Whale & Dolphin Eco-Cruise with Snacks & Drinks
4.6 (5,829 reviews)
from €47Check availability
GetYourGuide2 - 3 hours
Tenerife: Whale-Watching Cruise & Swim from Los Cristianos
4.7 (4,267 reviews)
from €27.81Check availability
See all options on GetYourGuide →
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for whale watching in Tenerife?
Any time: short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live off the south-west coast all year. If you want more species, Turismo de Tenerife points to May and June as the months with the most variety.
Can you swim with dolphins in Tenerife?
Not with wild dolphins. Canary Islands law forbids swimming or diving within 500 metres of any whale or dolphin, and the swim stops on excursions are made well away from the animals, close to the shore.
How much does a whale-watching trip in Tenerife cost?
Trips of 1.5 to 2 hours cost €25 to €33 per adult, depending on the port and the boat. Trips of 3 to 4.5 hours with lunch cost from about €40 to €63, and a sailing yacht for 10 people at most costs €75.
Which port is best to leave from?
From Los Cristianos the pilot whales are very close and 1.5 hours is enough. From Los Gigantes you also get the cliffs and a swim in a cove in 2 hours. Puerto Colón has the biggest fleet and the catamarans with lunch and transfers.
Can wheelchair users go?
It depends on the boat. The Ragnarok is advertised as adapted and the Royal Delfin takes wheelchairs on the main deck only; Travelin' Lady, the Peter Pan and the "No-Chase" catamaran aren't suitable for wheelchair users.
