Deserta, Farol, Culatra and Armona: which Ria Formosa island, and which boat from Faro or Olhão?

The beaches people photograph around Faro are not on the mainland. They are on a chain of low sandy islands that shelter the Ria Formosa lagoon from the Atlantic, and you reach them by boat. The names on the booking pages (Deserta, Farol, Culatra, Armona) sound like four versions of the same thing. They are not, and which one you land on decides what your day looks like.

The islands in one paragraph each

The Ria Formosa is protected by a row of barrier islands and peninsulas. The ones that matter for a boat trip are four.

Deserta (Ilha Deserta, also known as Barreta) is the one nearest to Faro and the usual first stop of the trips that start there. One operator describes a lunch at an eco-friendly restaurant on the island, the Estaminé, and a beach to relax on.

Farol is the second stop on most Faro trips. The catamaran tour that calls at Deserta and Farol also passes Cabo de Santa Maria, which the operator describes as the southernmost point of mainland Portugal.

Culatra is the island with a village. One operator calls it the fishermen’s island and stops there for lunch, and several Olhão trips mention visiting the village. If you want to see people living here, rather than just a beach, pick a trip that stops at Culatra.

Armona appears in the Olhão trips. The three-hour trip to Armona and Culatra stops at two islands and gives time to explore the villages.

Facilities differ from island to island, and the booking page says what a trip includes. Do not assume a beach has what the next one has.

From Faro

The Faro trips mostly head for Deserta and Farol first.

• The Ria Formosa Faro islands boat tour is three hours, €42.26 per person, with a guide on board. It is the most reviewed island trip of all (4.7 stars, 2,995 reviews).
• The catamaran trip to Deserta and Farol is also three hours at €42.40 (4.7 stars, 1,077 reviews), with swimming and a walk on the beaches.
• A two-stop catamaran tour to the same two islands costs €35 for three hours (4.6 stars, 113 reviews).
• The four-stop catamaran tour to three islands takes five hours, costs €45 (4.6 stars, 1,532 reviews) and adds Culatra, with swim stops, seafood and a look at oyster farming.
• The hop-on hop-off cruise to three islands (€40, 4.6 stars, 299 reviews) lets you move between islands at your own pace and see a fishing village.
• The catamaran trip to Deserta Island is listed at €10 for 45 minutes (4.6 stars, 782 reviews), with lunch at the Estaminé restaurant. It is the cheapest way onto an island, but read the booking page: 45 minutes is the listed duration, so check how long you can stay on the island and what the €10 covers before you rely on it as a day out.

From Olhão

Olhão is a short distance east of Faro, and it is the departure point for Armona and Culatra.

• The full-day trip to three islands (Farol, Culatra and Armona or the Deserta beach) takes five hours and costs €45. It has the best rating of the big trips (4.8 stars, 2,100 reviews).
• The Armona and Culatra trip takes three hours at €35 (4.6 stars, 683 reviews).
• The four-hour trip to Farol is €25, but its rating is the lowest of the group: 3.9 stars from 723 reviews. Read the recent reviews before you decide on price alone.
• The guided three-island tour with lunch is the expensive one: €75 for 5.5 hours (4.8 stars, 212 reviews).

Side by side

Trip	Starts	Islands	Duration	Price per person
Faro islands boat tour	Faro	Faro islands	3 hours	€42.26
Catamaran to Deserta and Farol	Faro	Deserta, Farol	3 hours	€42.40
Four stops, three islands	Faro	Deserta, Farol, Culatra	5 hours	€45
Full day to three islands	Olhão	Farol, Culatra, Armona or Deserta	5 hours	€45
Armona and Culatra	Olhão	Armona, Culatra	3 hours	€35

Which one for whom

If you are staying in Faro and want one islands trip, take the three-hour boat tour from Faro with a guide. It has the most reviews, it starts where you are, and three hours is easy on a hot day. If you want a full day with lunch and to see Culatra village, take the full-day Olhão trip, and allow time to get to Olhão. If you want the quiet beach of Deserta and a restaurant meal, look at the catamaran trip that calls at Deserta.

Islands are not a rainy-day option. Beaches and boats depend on the weather; every trip lists its cancellation terms, so check them before you book. Bring sun protection and water; what you can buy on an island depends on the island.

If you only want an hour on the lagoon rather than a day on a beach, see Ria Formosa boat trips from Faro. If you are weighing the islands against the Algarve coast to the west, read Benagil from Faro. The full list of island trips is under boat tours to the Faro islands.