A half day on a motor yacht
from €399 per boatas of October 2026
Swim stops under the cliffs, paddle boards off the back, lunch ashore or on board.
Yacht charters on the Algarve coast
Crewed motor yachts, catamarans and sailing yachts from Vilamoura, Lagos, Portimão and Albufeira. The whole boat for your group, with a skipper, from €399 for a couple of hours.
- Half day, per boatfrom €399
- Sunset, per yachtfrom €650
- Largest groupsup to 18
Shared or private?
The same cliffs and caves, two very different days.
A shared boat is a seat: fixed departures, other guests, a set route, priced per adult. A private charter is the whole boat: your time, your route, a skipper who stops where you want to swim, priced per boat.
For six or more people a private boat to the caves often costs less per head than it sounds: the operators below sell both ways.
| Question | Shared | Private |
|---|---|---|
| Who is aboard | Other guests on the same departure | Your group only |
| Timing | Fixed departures | Your choice, including sunrise and sunset |
| Route and stops | Set by the operator | Agreed with your skipper |
| Caves trip, from | €19 to €37 per adult | €294 to €518 per boat |
| Motor yacht, half day | Not sold by the seat | from €399 per boat |
Checked October 2026: the operators’ own websites
Private charters with published prices
Price bands from the charter companies' own published “from” prices for the whole boat, read twice. Your quote confirms the price for your date and boat.
| Charter | Marina | Duration | Guests | Price | Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crewed motor yacht, half day | Vilamoura | 2 to 4 h | up to 8 to 12, by boat | €709 to €900 per boat | Captain and crew; cava and soft drinks, snorkel gear and a paddle board on some boats |
| Motor or sailing boat, short trip or day | Lagos | 2 to 7 h | up to 7 to 12, by boat | €399 to €875 per boat | Skipper; drinks and tapas-style snacks, paddle boards and snorkel gear on some boats |
| Sunset champagne cruise | Vilamoura | about 2 h | by boat | from €650 per boat | Captain and crew, champagne and refreshments |
| Large luxury motor yacht with a dedicated skipper | Vilamoura | by arrangement | by boat | from €2,300 per boat | Skipper; details in the quote |
| Crewed motor yacht by the hour | Vilamoura | by the hour | by boat | from €300 per hour | Captain and crew |
| Day catamaran | Albufeira, Vilamoura, Portimão | 3 h to a full day | up to 18 | €800 to €850 per boat | Crew; details in the quote |
| Sailing yacht | Portimão | 2 h 30 | up to 12 | from €369 per boat | Skipper |
| Motor yacht or catamaran in the lagoon | Faro (Ria Formosa) | half day, full day or sunset | up to 8 (yacht) or 16 (catamaran) | €400 to €590 per boat | Skipper; details in the quote |
Four kinds of charter
Pick by the shape of the day, then we find the boat.
A sunset cruise
from €650 per yachtas of October 2026
Champagne cruises are the classic for proposals and birthdays.
A catamaran or sailing yacht
from €369 per boatas of October 2026
Day catamarans for bigger groups run €590 to €850 per boat.
The caves, privately
from €294 per boatas of October 2026
A small private boat to Benagil and Praia da Marinha, sold by the same operators as the shared trips.
Where charters leave from
Pick the marina by where you are staying and what you want to see.
Vilamoura
The largest charter fleet on the coast: Sunseekers, Azimuts, Princess and Fairline motor yachts with crew, plus catamarans.
Lagos
Smaller, faster boats and sailing yachts for the Ponta da Piedade arches, a few minutes out of the marina. Good for a short private trip before lunch.
Portimão
The closest marina to the Benagil caves and the Carvoeiro coast. Private speedboats, sailing yachts and day catamarans.
Albufeira and Faro
Albufeira marina is the base for the large day catamarans. In Faro, private yachts and catamarans cruise the Ria Formosa lagoon.
How a private quote works
Tell us four things and we do the asking.
- The date, or a few dates that would work
- How many of you, and any children
- Morning, afternoon, sunset or a full day
- A budget band for the boat, if you have one
For a feel for prices: hourly rates start at €300 per hour for a crewed 47-foot motor yacht in Vilamoura (October 2026).
Your request
Two minutes on one form. Free, no account.
Boats that are free
We ask the charter companies that fit your date, group and marina, and reply with options and prices.
You book the boat
You confirm with the yacht company and pay them directly.
Inside the Benagil cave
The harbour master in Portimão limits motor boats inside the Benagil cave: a visit lasts 2 minutes, landing on the sand and swimming in are banned. Private skippers follow the same rules as the shared boats.
Checked October 2026: Capitania do Porto de Portimão, Edital 019/2024 and amendment 009/2025
Questions people ask
What is included in a private yacht charter?
It depends on the boat. In Vilamoura, half-day charters typically list captain and crew, cava and refreshments, snorkel gear and a paddle board; in Lagos, several boats include drinks, tapas-style snacks, paddle boards and snorkel gear. Fuel, catering and the VAT basis are confirmed in the quote for your date.
How many people fit on a charter yacht?
From up to 7 guests on the smaller Lagos boats to up to 18 on the larger catamarans out of Albufeira and Vilamoura. The price is per boat, so a full boat costs the same as a half-empty one.
Can a private yacht go into the Benagil cave?
Motor boats may enter the cave only within the limits set by the harbour master in Portimão: a visit by a motor boat lasts 2 minutes, landing on the sand is banned and so is swimming in. Your skipper says whether your boat goes in; some yachts carry a small tender. See the Benagil rules.
When is the best time of year for a charter?
Charters run all year when the sea allows. Summer is the dry season: in Faro the long-term average high is 29.4 °C in July, and September still averages 26.4 °C with little rain (IPMA, 1991 to 2020). For a sunset cruise, ask for the last two hours of daylight.
Do I pay you or the yacht company?
The yacht company. Asking for a quote is free; you confirm and pay the operator directly.
Request a private quote
The date, the group and the kind of day. We ask the charter companies and come back with boats that are free.