Benagil Cave - Sunrise or Sunset Kayak Tour (Small groups)
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Portimao, Portugal
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Benagil Cave is one of Portugal’s most frequented spots in the Algarve and can get quite crowded. Beat the hoards of tourists during this early morning tour from Benagil Beach and take a small-group kayaking tour into this stunning cave, which is only accessible by water. Enjoy plenty of time to explore and take photos, with a small group of 20 or fewer, all before the tourists arrive.
- Take an early morning kayak tour to the Benagil Cave
- Avoid the tourist crowds who tend to arrive later in the day
- Enjoy ample time to explore the cave and take photos
- This tour is limited to 20 travelers for a personalized experience
What's Included
- Kayak
- Coletes
- Snacks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Estr. de Benagil 708x, 8400-427 Lagoa, Portugal
There´s a big parking on the top of the hill. Walk down the road to the left. There's a small road on the right. If you at the beach you went to far down. Meet us at the Secret Algarve office. Please check location in Google maps.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Algar de Benagil
2
Carvalho Beach
3
Praia da Marinha
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Idade minima 4 anos. Minimum age 4 years.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 21 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Allison_S
This kayak tour was amazing!!! Highly recommend doing it to see the caves from the water! Zach was our guide and he was incredible! Would do this tour again! Def take the sunrise tour! Well worth the 5am wake up!
Reviews
4.7
based on 324 reviews
Darren_G, Oct 2025
The tour operator did not turn up 6.45 Sunrise kayak tour. We arrived 20 minutes early. Rang no response. Messaged on Watsapp. No surprise they blamed Viator for the error and Viator blame the tour operator. No compenstion offered after we requested for the taxi ride early in the morning. Poor service no accountability. Don’t book with this operator
EmmaW, Sep 2025
A wonderful way to see the caves - sunrise was gorgeous and you beat the crowds! Wear something warm (at least in September) and flip flops!
Daniela_R, Aug 2025
Very organized experience to see Benagil Cave and surrounding area. Kayaking speed was good and allowed short breaks throughout. Would recommend going as early as possible (we did 7am-9am) to avoid the masses of people/ boats .
td4ppgvty2, Jul 2025
Amazing views, sunrise is best as not so crowded. Great guides really added to the experience. Good workout as well :-)
Allison_S, Jun 2025
This kayak tour was amazing!!! Highly recommend doing it to see the caves from the water! Zach was our guide and he was incredible! Would do this tour again! Def take the sunrise tour! Well worth the 5am wake up!
Victoria_S, May 2025
I really loved the experience. It made my whole trip! I’d definitely recommend to anyone who is down that way.
Lisa_L, Sep 2024
Beautiful- love the views, kayaking and caves but it was too long and more strenuous than we expected.
We have done calm lake kayaking but this was 2 hours of paddling wavy waters. A lot of work for us and for others in our group.
Really cool to kayak inside the caves but it was too long. We would have enjoyed a 45 minute excursion with one cave and back.
Glad we did sunrise. First kayaks out but coming back in was chaos. Zillions of kayaks all over the place. Loads of seaweed when you come in.
Also VERY hard to find the meeting point. Our Uber dropped us too far away and we had to walk. No signage.
Love the caves. Would recommend a motor boat tour since you cannot swim in caves and it’s restricted.
Tip: if you Uber, towel off or tell your driver cuz you will be full of sand and seaweed - no where to rinse off.
Arabinda_B, Sep 2024
Large, imposing caves, clear but choppy waters, sunny day, small group. Guide was able to help quickly when the kayak tipped over and we fell into water.
Cecilia_B, Sep 2024
Great tour. Super recommended to go early in the morning, since at noon the area gets super full, with other kayaks, speed boats, boats, etc.
We visited many caves and enjoyed the tour. It was a pity that we could not get off the kayak on the main cave with the big hole on top, but due to an overflow of tourists the government recently decided to prohibit the access to that small beach. You can only go inside with your kayak, as long as you stay on the water.
Haldon_B, Sep 2024
Sunrise kayak tour with Secret Algarve was amazing. We were fortunate to have calm waters and experience the sun rising from our kayaks. Parking was free and easy to find. The shop was small, with no shower/tap to rinse off afterwards (sand) and no bathrooms. Our guide Marcello was excellent. The kayaking is not strenuous but you will get your pants wet, bring change of clothing. The caves and coastline are beautiful. Since we were early in the day (7am) there were not too many groups out yet. Our group had 13 people. We had a short wait to enter Benagil cave, you cannot get out on that beach. Overall highly recommend the sunrise kayak trip with Secret Algarve.
Karli_M, Sep 2024
Such a beautiful sunrise tour!! We had a magical time exploring the caves, and got lucky with the weather and tides. We went into several caves and had plenty of time exploring around the rocks, 10 out of 10!!
andydrodriguez, Aug 2024
Marcel was an amazing tour guide. We really enjoyed the caves and the pace of the tour! Highly recommend the sunrise time.
Monika_S, Aug 2024
BOOK THIS EXPERIENCE! Secret Algarve is wonderful and made this such a memorable experience. Marco was so nice and knowledgeable. Jt was my first time kayaking and I felt so safe and had the best time!
Leani_B, Aug 2024
Incredible experience overall. Great guide and beautiful views. Best experience of our entire Algarve trip.
Camden_M, Aug 2024
Incredible expierence!! Our tour guide was knowledgeable and we were grateful to get this opportunity while we still could :) 10/10
EmilieSofie_K, Aug 2024
Easy to find, however no greetings. You should go inside the office to find the staff. A nice introduction on how to kayak in the begnining. Our guide Konrad was very polite and did a small talk about the history of the cave. We also got to see another smaller cave nearby. Be aware that it is very dark in the smaller cave. It is possible to leave your bag in a locker at the office and they also provide dry bags. We went at 7.00 AM which was very good as it was’nt that crowded with people. All in all a very good experience and beautiful sights in the cave.
Tamia_W, Aug 2024
Absolutely recommendable, we took the 7:30am tour and really loved it. They have free lockers and dry bags so perfect to take your phone as well. The caves are stunning and the guide super nice, even taking pictures of us in our kayak! The earlier you go, the less people :)
Tufik_A, Jul 2024
We had a wonderful morning exploring Benagil and nearby caves with Francisco. There were a few separate groups, less than 10 people, along with our guide. My wife and I each kayaked with one of our kids (7 and 9) which was totally doable. We went at 7:30AM, and I highly recommend the earlier times. It was a blast and we’d definitely do it again!
Tricia_R, Jun 2024
It was so beautiful to see without crowds of people. Our guide, Conrad was amazing! Super sweet and very informative. Very good lesson prior to taking us out on the water.
Michelle_B, May 2024
Seeing the caves in the early morning and by kayak is the best way to enjoy the beauty of this special place. Secret Algarve does a great job getting small groups in and out. I highly recommend the first in tour time.
Wendy_J, May 2024
The kayaking into the cave was lovely and calm before so many more kayakers came later in the day.
The negatives - no details on getting to the office to get started, as the sign leading to the entry is for a completely separate company. Maybe some photos would be helpful. And all the warnings of “if you are late there will be no refunds”. We got there early - to the wrong place with several others - and then called at 06:50, and noone answered. Also, no restrooms are available (they are there, but locked). Also no water available at beachside to wash feet off from sand and put shoes on - before the hike back up the hill.
Lastly - no towel provided, which is fine - but in the confirmation, suggest you say “bring a towel - we will provide dry sacks”. And that lockers are provided if needed. Because you will immediately sit in water when you start, and it is VERY cold at 7:30am at 50• F/ 10*C
So again, the kayaking first thing is lovely - all the (lack of) organization from this company would have me look to another option.
Swetha_V, May 2024
The guides were great hosts and as beginner kayakers, we were able to easily follow along the exploration route. Highly recommend!
Camilo_P, May 2024
Great experience, good explanations of the cave, overall very entertaining morning. It was easy to kayak back and forth.
Terry_L, Apr 2024
We had a great tour of the Benagil cave and others in the area. The first out tour was really nice as the areas were not crowded with people.
Francisco was an amazing guide and shared lots of information about the area.
One word of caution…. The water is cold and you will get wet.
Esther_H, Apr 2024
Great guide, one of the first few inside the cave around 745am-8am, the views were insane and beautiful!
Jennifer_R, Aug 2023
It really is worth going first thing in the morning for the sunrise tour, as the crowds get big even by 8am. Marco was a great tour guide and made sure everyone had a great experience.
Adriana_U, Aug 2023
Our family of 4 with 2 teen girls had an amazing time! we went for the 7am session, and it was the best choice! We had a small group, and Benagil was almost entirely empty except for us. the guides were extremely helpful in teaching the best kayaking techniques and guiding us in the caves. we spent 30 minutes in Benagil, and the rest of the tour exploring other caves nearby. would definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested in exploring the algarve and caves!
Mikael_L, Jul 2023
The group did an amazing job with ou 8 and 5 year old boys. Everything felt safe despite the wind and waves. We had ample time at 6pm in the cave. Highly recommended.
Emma_O, Jul 2023
This was a very good tour. It’s DEFINITELY beneficial to be one of the first ones there because it gets very crowded! Our guides were very friendly and fun. It was a great tour because it finishes early in the day and because it is short, you still feel like you have the whole day ahead of you!
Katherine_H, Jul 2023
Marco and team were terrific. The tour ran very smoothly and the caves are amazing. The tour is definitely not a kayak trip if that’s what you want, you only kayak a very short way to get to the caves.I recommend the first inside. It was getting very crowded by the time we left.
Likely to Sell Out
From $47.81
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Likely to Sell Out
Benagil Cave - Sunrise or Sunset Kayak Tour (Small groups)
324
1 hour 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$47.81
