Sunset boat trips from Funchal: sailing yacht, catamaran or traditional boat?
Updated October 7, 2026 · 7 min read
The short answer: for most people, the sunset sailing trip (€55): a small sailing yacht, a maximum of twenty guests and an open bar. If you want to spend less, the Cabo Girão sunset catamaran trip (€35) covers the same stretch of coast. All of them leave from the marina, four take about three hours (the dinner cruise is longer), and the real differences are boat size, what is included and what happens at the actual moment of sunset.
Five evening boats compared
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset sailing tour | 3 hours | €55 | 4.8 (2,538) | Small groups who want drinks, food and a swim included |
| Sunset tour on a traditional Madeiran boat with drinks | 3 hours | €45 | 4.9 (960) | Anyone who wants wooden-boat atmosphere or needs step-free access |
| Funchal sunset catamaran tour | 3 hours | €40 | 4.4 (1,349) | Anyone who wants dolphins as well as the evening light |
| Cabo Girão sunset catamaran tour | 3 hours | €35 | 4.8 (211) | Budget-minded couples |
| Sunset dinner cruise | 4 hours | €65 | 4.8 (383) | An evening out with a buffet dinner |
The sailing yacht: the intimate one
This is the most-reviewed evening boat from Funchal, and the booking page explains why it sells. The trip runs up to three miles off the coast on a sailing yacht with a group of up to twenty. There is a stop at Cabo Girão to swim or snorkel – or simply to look up at the cliff, which the page puts at 580 metres – and on the way back you watch the sun go down. Open bar, food, snorkelling equipment and hotel pickup are all listed as included, with a live guide in English and Portuguese.
The booking page mentions dolphins and whales as a possibility. Treat that as a bonus; nobody can order wildlife. Bring a jacket as well as swimwear: the page lists both. The page lists the trip as not suitable for people with mobility impairments.
The traditional boat: the one with the best rating
A traditional Madeiran boat sails to the cliffs at Cabo Girão and has a snorkelling stop. It carries the highest rating on the list, and it is the only one of the five whose booking page lists wheelchair access, which makes it the obvious choice for anyone who cannot manage the yacht. The title says drinks are included; check on the page exactly how many.
See prices and dates for the traditional boat sunset tour
The two catamarans: size and a complaint worth knowing
The catamaran by VMT Madeira has toilets on board and a bar that serves snacks and drinks, and it is advertised for spotting dolphins and whales, with a swim in the warm water and the sunset. It has the lowest rating of the five, and the pattern in the reviews on the booking page is specific: travellers like the dolphins, the swim and the sunset views, but some wish the boat stopped at an open spot for the actual sunset instead of heading home early.
That is worth weighing. If the sunset itself is the reason you are booking, ask the operator when the boat turns back. Tours can also be cancelled after confirmation if there are not enough passengers or the weather is bad; in that case you are offered an alternative or a full refund.
The second catamaran, along the coast towards Cabo Girão, is cheaper and has a brief swim stop in good conditions, with the sunset on the way back to the marina. Snorkelling equipment and toilets are listed, and drinks come from the bar, so check what is included. It is not suitable for wheelchair users, and it has fewer reviews than the others, so the rating is less settled.
See availability for the Cabo Girão sunset catamaran tour
The dinner cruise: a different evening
The dinner cruise runs four hours, serves a buffet with traditional food and includes a swim at Calhau da Lapa. It is for people who want the evening to be dinner, not a sailing trip with drinks. The sunset is part of it, but the meal is the product.
What the water does to your plans
The boats do not leave on a promise of dolphins, and the weather at sea changes the evening more than any of the differences above. Swell can shorten the swim stop or cancel the trip. For how the weather works on this island, read Sun in Funchal, fog up top. If dolphins are the priority and the sunset the bonus, the whale and dolphin comparison is the better starting point – the boats there are chosen for sightings, not light.
Who should skip it
Anyone who needs full mobility support. Only one of the five lists wheelchair access, and two of the others explicitly list mobility impairment as unsuitable.
Anyone who wants a guaranteed sighting. Dolphins and whales are never promised.
Anyone who dislikes being on the water. If seasickness is a worry, speak to your pharmacist or doctor before you book; we can’t give medical advice.
Our recommendation
For most people: the sunset sailing tour, €55. Twenty guests at most, food and an open bar included, a swim stop under a very large cliff, and the most reviews of any evening boat.
See prices and dates for the sunset sailing tour
If wheelchair access matters, or you want the best rating: the traditional boat, €45.
If you want to spend as little as possible: the Cabo Girão sunset catamaran, €35 – the same coast for €20 less, with a shorter list of reviews behind it.
When the extra cost is not worth it: if a swim and snorkelling are not on your list and a drink at the marina would do, the sunset trips are an expensive way to see a sunset. In that case the boat tours in general are listed under boat trips, and the evening departures under sunrise and sunset tours.
