Travelin' Lady whale and dolphin trip
4.7 from about 19,300 reviews on GetYourGuide
Ninety minutes from Los Cristianos looking for pilot whales and dolphins, then a swim stop if the sea allows, from 29.90 euros. The swim is short and not guaranteed, and the music is loud on some sailings.
- Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, with a full refund
- Reserve now, pay laterHold your place today and pay nothing yet
- Duration: 1.5 hoursStart times show in the calendar
- Live guideEnglish, French, Spanish and Italian
The sea between Tenerife and La Gomera is a Special Area of Conservation, the Franja marina Teno-Rasca, where short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live all year. Every boat that watches them is bound by a Canary Islands decree of 2000: no closer than 60 metres, no faster than 4 knots within 500 metres, no more than 30 minutes within 100 metres, and no chasing. Travelin' Lady is on the Canary Islands government's register of whale watching boats at Los Cristianos, and its listing describes a no-chase approach.
The trip leaves Los Cristianos harbour and runs along the coast towards Palm-Mar, with a photo stop at the sea cave called the Cave of Love, while the crew watch for pilot whales, dolphins and, at times, turtles. GetYourGuide's listing says it is the only boat on Tenerife built for whale watching rather than adapted to it, with a low centre of gravity to reduce seasickness and low-emission engines; those are the operator's claims. Tripadvisor's listing for the trip gives departures at 11:00 and 13:00, Monday to Saturday.
Then, if the weather and the sea allow, the boat stops for a swim in open water. A reseller of the same trip, Civitatis, gives the stop as 15 minutes. Snorkel gear can be hired on board, and a bar sells snacks and drinks; neither is in the ticket, and nor are towels. There is a toilet on board, and the trip is not suitable for wheelchair users.
Why this one
Three whale watching trips on our list leave from the south coast. On GetYourGuide, Travelin' Lady was rated 4.7 from about 19,300 reviews, from 29.90 euros, for 90 minutes with a swim stop. The no-chase trip from the same harbour was 4.6 from about 15,300 reviews, from 28 euros, for 90 minutes with no swimming at all. Royal Ocean's small yacht from Las Galletas was 4.9 from about 510 reviews, from 95 euros, for three hours with snacks, drinks and snorkel gear included.
Book Travelin' Lady for whales and a swim in one short, cheap trip. For a quieter boat and children who would rather watch, the no-chase trip is the one; for a longer afternoon on a small boat with the food included, Royal Ocean.
Good for
- Anyone who wants whales and a swim in one short trip
- Families with confident swimmers
- A cheap first whale trip from the Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos hotels
Not for
- Anyone who needs the swim guaranteed
- Anyone who wants a quiet wildlife trip without music
- Anyone prone to seasickness on a stationary boat
When to go
What the sea off Los Cristianos is like month by month: the waves during the day, how often the sea is calm, the water for the swim, and the air temperature at 13:00.
| Month | Waves | Calm sea | Water | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.3 m | 69% | 21°C | 21°C / 18°C |
| Feb | 1.2 m | 72% | 20°C | 20°C / 18°C |
| Mar | 1.5 m | 52% | 21°C | 20°C / 18°C |
| Apr | 1.2 m | 74% | 21°C | 21°C / 19°C |
| May | 1 m | 96% | 21°C | 22°C / 20°C |
| Jun | 1 m | 97% | 22°C | 23°C / 21°C |
| Jul | 1.1 m | 94% | 23°C | 25°C / 21°C |
| Aug | 1.2 m | 90% | 24°C | 26°C / 23°C |
| Sept | 1 m | 96% | 24°C | 26°C / 24°C |
| Oct | 1.1 m | 85% | 24°C | 25°C / 23°C |
| Nov | 1.1 m | 80% | 23°C | 23°C / 21°C |
| Dec | 1.3 m | 69% | 22°C | 22°C / 20°C |
Waves are the median of each day's highest wave between 10:00 and 17:00 at sea off the harbour; calm sea, the share of days when they stay under 1.5 metres; water, the median sea temperature at midday. Air is the median temperature at 13:00, with the coldest day in ten after it.
The water for the swim
The sea off Los Cristianos is coolest in February, at about 20°C, and warmest in September, at about 24°C, in the sea data we looked at. Summer is also the calmest season, with the waves under 1.5 metres on nine days in ten or more from May to September.
From our Tenerife hotels
Drive times are routed to Los Cristianos harbour, where the trip leaves. There is no hotel pickup.
- Bahía del DuqueCosta Adeje13 min by carMake your own way
- Royal Garden Villas & SpaGolf Costa Adeje, Costa Adeje15 min by carMake your own way
- Royal Hideaway Corales BeachLa Caleta, Costa Adeje16 min by carMake your own way
- Royal River Luxury HotelGolf Costa Adeje, Costa Adeje17 min by carMake your own way
- The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, AbamaGuía de Isora25 min by carMake your own way
- Gran Meliá Palacio de IsoraAlcalá, Guía de Isora25 min by carMake your own way
- Hacienda del CondeBuenavista del Norte57 min by carMake your own way
- Hotel San RoqueGarachico58 min by carMake your own way
- Gran Hotel TaoroPuerto de la Cruz75 min by carMake your own way
- Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa GardenPuerto de la Cruz75 min by carMake your own way
The facts
- Duration
- 1.5 hours
- Departures
- 11:00 and 13:00, Monday to Saturday, as Tripadvisor lists them
- Language
- Spanish, English, French and Italian, as listed
- Group
- A shared boat; listings give its capacity as 46 to 60
- Included
- Captain, crew and guide, life jackets, a toilet, port fees, time to swim if the sea allows
- Not included
- Hotel pickup, snorkel gear, towels, snacks and drinks from the bar
- Not suitable for
- Wheelchair users
- Price
- From 29.90 euros on GetYourGuide; the calendar shows today's price
- Run by
- Travelin' Lady Tenerife, Los Cristianos
What guests keep saying
Recurring themes in the tour’s reviews, in our words, never quoted.
Praised
- Whales and dolphins right beside the boat on many trips
- The crew's energy and humour
- The swim stop, when the sea allows it
- A short, cheap trip that fits into a beach day
Complaints
- Distant sightings on some trips
The catch
Some sightings are far away
Low-rated reviews describe whales and dolphins seen only as distant fins on some trips, and occasionally none at all. The animals range across the strait, and the law keeps every boat at least 60 metres away.
What to do. Book early in your stay, so a quiet day leaves time to try again.
The swim is short and depends on the sea
The swim stop happens only if the weather and the sea allow. A reseller gives it as 15 minutes, and low-rated reviews describe a wet, crowded deck as everyone gets in and out in that time.
What to do. Wear your swimsuit under your clothes and be ready to go in as soon as the crew say so.
It can feel like a party boat
Several low-rated reviews describe loud music and a party atmosphere, which some guests love and others found wrong for a wildlife trip.
What to do. For a quieter trip, book the no-chase boat from the same harbour.
Seasickness while the boat sits still
The operator says the boat's low centre of gravity reduces seasickness, but several reviewers felt sick while it was stopped, and the sea off Los Cristianos stayed under 1.5 metres on only about half the days in March in the sea data we looked at.
What to do. If you are prone to it, take a remedy before you board, and prefer May to October.
Commentary, card machines and a request for stars
Low-rated reviews describe commentary mostly in Spanish, a card machine that failed on board, and crew handing out a card asking for a five-star review at the end.
What to do. Bring cash for the bar, and read the low-rated reviews as well as the score.
Questions people ask
Good questions about Travelin' Lady whale and dolphin trip
Is Travelin' Lady worth it?
For whales and a swim in 90 minutes at 29.90 euros, yes: it was rated 4.7 from about 19,300 reviews on GetYourGuide. Book it for the whales first; the swim is short and depends on the sea.
Is the swim stop guaranteed?
No. It happens only if the weather and the sea allow, and a reseller gives it as 15 minutes.
What time does Travelin' Lady leave?
Tripadvisor lists departures at 11:00 and 13:00, Monday to Saturday, from Los Cristianos harbour.
Is Travelin' Lady a no-chase boat?
Its listing describes a no-chase approach, and it is on the Canary Islands register of whale watching boats. The law sets the limits for every boat: no closer than 60 metres, no faster than 4 knots within 500 metres.
What will I see?
Most likely short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins, which live off this coast all year; turtles appear at times.
Travelin' Lady or the no-chase boat?
Travelin' Lady for a swim; the no-chase boat from the same harbour, 28 euros, for a quieter trip with no swimming.
How warm is the water for the swim?
About 20°C in February and 24°C in September, in the sea data we looked at.
Whales, then a swim
Ninety minutes from Los Cristianos looking for pilot whales and dolphins, then a swim stop if the sea allows, from 29.90 euros. The swim is short and not guaranteed, and the music is loud on some sailings.
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: September 2026
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Image credits: GetYourGuide · ahisgett, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)