About this tour
When Charlie from our team booked onto this two-hour sailing experience off Tenerife, we found ourselves aboard one of the island's last wooden Portuguese schooners — a genuine working vessel, not a party boat. The whole setup feels properly authorised for marine wildlife spotting, which matters when you're out looking for whales and dolphins in the Atlantic. The boat itself is the drawcard: all timber and rigging, sailing properly rather than motoring. You're scanning the ocean with a crew that actually knows these waters, and the vibe is calm, observational — less 'cheesy tourist snap' and more 'genuine encounter with wild animals'.
Highlights
- Authentic wooden Portuguese schooner, genuinely rare sight in Tenerife
- Licensed cetacean-observation boat with proper credentials and expertise
- Two hours under sail, not a motorised floating bar
- Soft drinks, beer, and lunch included throughout the trip
- Open ocean setting means real wildlife encounters, not aquarium tanks
- Accessible for all fitness levels, no need to be athletic
- Smaller crew reduces chaotic tourist-herd dynamics
What to expect
You'll arrive at the dock and board a working wooden schooner that actually looks like a boat, not a carnival rig. The crew raises sails and heads out into open water — this isn't a short harbour loop. The first hour is spent sailing while crew and passengers scan for cetacean activity. If whales or dolphins are about, you'll spot them; if not, you're still getting a genuine sailing experience in proper Atlantic conditions. Lunch appears mid-journey: simple fare, nothing fancy, but real food alongside beer, soft drinks, and water. The second hour continues sailing, with wildlife spotting as the priority rather than a set itinerary. The pace is deliberate rather than rushed, and the boat feels stable even in moderate swells.
What surprised Charlie was how unselfconscious the whole thing felt. No scripted commentary, no staged moments — just crew and passengers genuinely looking for animals. The schooner's authenticity means you're sailing with history, which adds an unexpected layer to what could've been just another tour.
What travellers say
- Genuine wooden schooner sailing, not a motorised tourist vessel
- Licensed for cetacean observation with knowledgeable crew
- Lunch and drinks included, genuine value
- Works for all fitness levels, no training required
- Unhurried vibe — wildlife spotting, not timetabled theatre
- No guarantee of whale or dolphin sightings
- Two hours feels short once travel to open water factored in
- Ocean conditions unpredictable; seasickness risk
- Typical groups run 40–60 people, reducing intimacy
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This works brilliantly if you want a proper sailing experience paired with real wildlife spotting. No need to be fit or experienced — crew handles everything. Lunch and drinks included take the sting out of pricing. The wooden schooner is genuinely beautiful and a rare thing to sail on in Tenerife.
You're relying on wildlife turning up; there's no guarantee of sightings, so manage expectations. Two hours is tighter than you might think once you factor in getting out to open water and back to port. Ocean swells can be unpredictable, so pack seasickness tablets if you're prone. The boat carries a fair number of passengers on typical runs, so it's not intimate despite the intimate-feeling vessel. Peak season (summer months) gets busier. Bring layers — ocean wind cools things fast.
Lunch, soft drinks, and beer are included; bring nothing extra to eat. Wear non-slip shoes; wooden decks get damp. Sunscreen essential. Group sizes typically run 40–60 people, kept manageable by the open-ocean setting rather than cramped seating.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.