Funchal marina

A sunset sail from Funchal, with a swim under Cabo Girão

4.8/5

About 2,600 reviews on GetYourGuide

Three hours on a sailing yacht with at most 20 guests: out along the cliffs to Cabo Girão for a swim, back to Funchal as the sun goes down, drinks included, from 50 euros. The evening sea trip we would book in summer. Dolphins are a bonus.

Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, with a full refund
Reserve now, pay laterHold your place today and pay nothing yet
Duration: 2.5 to 3 hoursStart times show in the calendar
Live guideEnglish
Small groupUp to 20 people

The trip leaves from Funchal marina, where Gavião Madeira asks guests to check in at its office 30 minutes before departure; the GetYourGuide listing directs you to the end of the Funchal quay. The boat is the Gavião Madeira, a sailing yacht of 13.65 metres that, the operator says, takes up to 20 passengers and two crew, with two toilets on board. Shoes come off before you step aboard.

It heads west along the south coast, under sail where the wind allows, with the crew watching for dolphins and whales on the way; the operator says it meets them often but cannot promise them. The stop is under Cabo Girão, which Visit Madeira, the regional tourist board, calls the highest promontory in Europe at 580 metres. There is time to swim and snorkel from the boat, with masks and snorkels provided, or to stay on deck and look up at the cliff and the small terraced fields at its foot.

Then the yacht turns back towards Funchal as the sun sets over the sea. Drinks are included for the whole trip, which the listing calls an open bar; food is not included.

The timetable follows the light. On its own site on 26 October 2026, Gavião Madeira gave the summer sailing as 18:30 to 21:30 and the winter one as 16:30 to 19:00, two and a half hours. In the weather data we looked at, the sun sets over Funchal at about 18:05 in December and about 21:15 in June, so both sailings are timed to be at sea for it.

Why this one

On GetYourGuide on 26 October 2026, this sail was rated 4.8 from about 2,600 reviews, from 50 euros, with guides scored 4.9. It is the evening trip among the boats sold from Funchal: smaller than the catamarans, with sails rather than only engines, and with the drinks in the price. The operator's own site sold the same sunset cruise at 55 euros that day, so GetYourGuide was the cheaper way to book an adult place; the operator lets under-5s sail free and halves the fare for children aged 5 to 11, which is worth checking against GetYourGuide's child price if you are booking for a family.

If whales are the point, book Whales, on a big catamaran: a daytime trip from the same marina, rated 4.6 from about 7,900 reviews from 35 euros, which also goes to Cabo Girão and stops for a swim in summer. The all-inclusive luxury catamaran from Funchal was rated 4.9 from about 3,100 reviews, from 79 euros, for a bigger, steadier boat with the same open-bar idea. For history rather than a swim, The tall ship sails on a replica of Columbus' Santa Maria from 45 euros. And if you want the swim without the sunset, Gavião sells a daytime Cabo Girão trip on the same yacht on its own site at 45 euros.

Good for

Couples and friends after an easy evening at sea
Swimmers who want a dip under the cliffs of Cabo Girão
Anyone staying in Funchal, a short walk or taxi from the marina

Not for

Anyone set on seeing whales: book a daytime whale trip
Guests prone to seasickness, especially from November to March
People with limited mobility, as the listing says

When to go

What the evening is like off Funchal, month by month. Sunset is for Funchal marina; clear sky is the share of days with little cloud at sunset there; calm sea is modelled for the open sea off Funchal between 16:00 and 20:00, when the sailings are out.

Month	Sunset	Clear sky	Calm sea	Water
Jan	18:24	19%	47%	20°C
Feb	18:52	28%	43%	19°C
Mar	19:23	28%	34%	19°C
Apr	20:37	30%	63%	20°C
May	20:59	29%	90%	21°C
Jun	21:16	39%	94%	22°C
Jul	21:15	54%	100%	24°C
Aug	20:52	51%	95%	25°C
Sept	20:15	36%	94%	24°C
Oct	19:29	26%	73%	24°C
Nov	18:08	28%	52%	23°C
Dec	18:05	26%	44%	21°C

Sunset is the local time at Funchal marina in the middle of the month. Clear sky is the share of days with little cloud at sunset. Calm sea is the share of days when the highest wave between 16:00 and 20:00 at sea off Funchal stays under 1.5 metres. Sea is the median sea temperature at midday.

Summer is the season for this trip

In the weather and sea data we looked at, July and August had the clearest sunsets, with little cloud on about half of evenings, and a calm sea on 95 to 100 days in 100, with the water at 23.8 to 24.7°C. From December to March the sea was calm on fewer than half of days and the sky clear at sunset on fewer than three evenings in ten.

From our Madeira hotels

Drive times are routed to Funchal marina, where Gavião Madeira checks guests in. On foot, Barceló Funchal Oldtown is 4 minutes away, Hotel Madeira 7, Savoy Palace 20 and Reid's Palace 25. Hotel pickup is not included: you make your own way to the marina.

Barceló Funchal OldtownFunchal4 min by carWalk, taxi or drive
Hotel MadeiraFunchal4 min by carWalk, taxi or drive
Savoy PalaceFunchal5 min by carWalk, taxi or drive
Reid's Palace, A Belmond HotelFunchal6 min by carWalk, taxi or drive
The Cliff BayFunchal7 min by carWalk, taxi or drive
VidaMar Resort Hotel MadeiraLido7 min by carWalk, taxi or drive
Casa Velha do PalheiroSão Gonçalo12 min by carWalk, taxi or drive
Sentido GalomarCaniço de Baixo15 min by carWalk, taxi or drive
Estalagem da Ponta do SolPonta do Sol29 min by carWalk, taxi or drive
Hotel Quinta do FurãoSantana46 min by carWalk, taxi or drive

The facts

Duration: 3 hours on GetYourGuide; the operator gives 18:30 to 21:30 in summer and 16:30 to 19:00 in winter
Language: English
Group: Up to 20 guests and 2 crew
Meeting point: Gavião Madeira, Funchal marina, 30 minutes before departure
Included: Sunset sail with a guide, open bar, snorkelling equipment, a swim stop at Cabo Girão
Not allowed: Shoes on board, smoking (electronic cigarettes excepted), pets, oversized luggage
Bring: Swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a jacket for the way back
Children: On the operator's own site, under-5s sail free and children aged 5 to 11 pay half
Weather: Cancelled for bad weather: another date or a full refund
Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours before; reserve now and pay later
Price: From 50 euros on GetYourGuide on 26 October 2026; the calendar shows today's price
Run by: Gavião Madeira, Funchal (RNAAT 341/2019)

What guests keep saying

Recurring themes in the tour’s reviews, in our words, never quoted.

Praised

A friendly, attentive crew who talk about the island and keep the drinks coming
A small boat and a relaxed atmosphere, rather than a crowded catamaran
The swim under the cliffs, and Funchal lit up on the way back

Complaints

A choppy sea on some evenings, which unsettled guests prone to seasickness

The catch

Dolphins are a bonus, not the plan
The trip makes time for a swim at Cabo Girão and the sunset, so it does not go far out looking for animals. The operator says sightings are frequent but not guaranteed.
What to do. Book it for the sail and the swim. If whales are the reason, add a daytime whale trip such as Whales, on a big catamaran.
Winter evenings can be lively
It is a sailing yacht, not a big catamaran. In the four years of sea data we looked at, the evening sea off Funchal was calm on 90 to 100 days in 100 from May to September, but on fewer than half of days from December to March.
What to do. If you are prone to seasickness, take a remedy before boarding, and outside summer book early in your stay so a cancelled or rough evening leaves time for another.
A clear sunset is never certain
Funchal's evenings are often cloudy. In the five years of weather we looked at, the sky was clear at sunset on about half of evenings in July and August and on one in five in January.
What to do. Choose a summer evening if the sunset itself matters most, and look at the forecast before your date: free cancellation runs to 24 hours before.
Check the departure time against the sunset
The operator runs a summer timetable, 18:30 to 21:30, and a winter one, 16:30 to 19:00, and the sunset moves from about 18:05 in December to about 21:15 in June.
What to do. Confirm your sailing time when you book, especially in spring and autumn when the clocks and the timetable change.
Bring a jacket, and leave your shoes
The listing asks guests to bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a jacket, and shoes are not allowed on board.
What to do. Wear shoes you can slip off, and pack a warm layer for the sail home.
Make your own way to the marina
Hotel pickup is not included. The meeting point is at the end of the Funchal quay, and the operator asks guests to check in at the marina 30 minutes early.
What to do. From central Funchal, walking or a short taxi ride is simplest.

Questions people ask

Good questions about A sunset sail from Funchal, with a swim under Cabo Girão

Is the Funchal sunset sailing tour worth it?

For an easy evening at sea with a swim, yes: three hours on a yacht of at most 20 guests, drinks included, from 50 euros on GetYourGuide on 26 October 2026, rated 4.8 from about 2,600 reviews. Book a daytime whale trip instead if seeing whales is the point.

What time does the sunset cruise leave Funchal?

On the operator's own site on 26 October 2026, the summer sailing ran from 18:30 to 21:30 and the winter one from 16:30 to 19:00. Check the time on your booking, since it moves with the season.

Will I see dolphins or whales?

Possibly. The operator says it meets dolphins and whales often, but sightings are not guaranteed, and this trip stops for a swim rather than spending its time searching.

Can you swim at Cabo Girão?

Yes. The yacht stops below the cliff for a swim and snorkel, with equipment provided, and guests who would rather not can stay on board. In the data we looked at, the sea off Funchal was about 24 to 25°C in August and September and about 19 to 20°C from January to April.

How high is Cabo Girão?

580 metres. Visit Madeira, the regional tourist board, calls it the highest promontory in Europe.

Are drinks included on the sunset sail?

Yes. The listing includes an open bar for the whole trip. Food is not included, so eat before or after.

Is there hotel pickup?

No. Hotel pickup is not included: you check in at the Gavião Madeira office at Funchal marina 30 minutes before departure. From central Funchal hotels it is a short walk.

The sunset sail

See dates and prices

If you book through our links we may earn a commission from GetYourGuide. It never affects which experiences we include. Operators cannot pay to be here. · Last checked: October 2026