Kayaking and snorkeling sea caves in Portugal

When I first started planning the hubby’s 30th birthday to Portugal one of the first pictures I stumbled across were the caves in Lagos. I started researching how to see these caves from the water and found a few different tour companies offering boat rides. We already had a boat trip planned and wanted to do something more adventurous. Enter Kayak Adventures!

Since this trip was a complete surprise for the hubs I didn’t tell him we were going kayaking in advance. I was certain he had been kayaking before and would love it. Word to the wise: Before signing your partner up for a 3 hours kayaking tour you should ask them if they have ever been kayaking.. #woops

As can be seen by this video (woohoo for my very first ever youtube video!) we managed with only bumping into a few things and saying a few bad words. 🙂 

Logistics

There are a few different tours you can do with Kayak Adventures. We opted for the 1:30 p.m. 3-hour tour which cost around €35/person. There is parking about 10 minutes away and the company provides you with a waterproof bag to keep all of your belongings in during the tour. You should bring sunscreen, water, your bathing suit (we all kayaked in just our suits), and sunglasses. I also brought water shoes but didn’t end up using them.

Kayaking with Kayak Adventures in Lagos, Portugal is the perfect way to see all of the awesome caves and rock structures dotted throughout the Algarve.

And we’re off!

Before we ever got into the boats the guides did a great job explaining to us the various safety rules and what to do if you got too tired to keep going. There is a boat that follows alongside in case anything goes wrong or they need to pull you due to fatigue.

Kayaking with Kayak Adventures in Lagos, Portugal is the perfect way to see all of the awesome caves and rock structures dotted throughout the Algarve.

After the briefing, we quickly started moving into the open sea. The water is super calm so you won’t need to be in a traditional sea kayak and we were never afraid of being tipped over due to the waves. The only thing that causes choppiness are the boats roaming around throughout the caves.

Kayaking with Kayak Adventures in Lagos, Portugal is the perfect way to see all of the awesome caves and rock structures dotted throughout the Algarve.

Kayaking through caves

After a bit of practice kayaking through the open sea it’s time to try maneuvering into your very first cave. We were really bad at this. I mean really bad. But, the paddles and the kayaks themselves are surprisingly sturdy and with a little pushing off from the rocks we managed just fine. Jump back to the fact that the hubs had never been kayaking and I am a novice at best and you can understand why we weren’t very good at this.

Kayaking with Kayak Adventures in Lagos, Portugal is the perfect way to see all of the awesome caves and rock structures dotted throughout the Algarve.

Despite being TERRIBLE at navigating through the caves they were absolutely amazing. The rocks had this perfect yellow color, the water was a mesmerizing turquoise, and we had the brightest blue skies. Ah, pure perfection. I mean you can’t make up the color of that water. Pure beauty.

Kayaking with Kayak Adventures in Lagos, Portugal is the perfect way to see all of the awesome caves and rock structures dotted throughout the Algarve.

Snorkeling at the beach

Kayaking with Kayak Adventures in Lagos, Portugal is the perfect way to see all of the awesome caves and rock structures dotted throughout the Algarve.

After kayaking around for about an hour and a half it was time to head over to our own private beach and enjoy some time relaxing and/or snorkeling. Pro Tip: Bring a towel with you so that you can lay out in the sun while here. The water is COLD and although I was pretty hot from kayaking, there was no way you could convince me to snorkel. However, if you are into snorkeling this water is ridiculously clear leading to perfect conditions for adventuring.

Since I was too afraid to snorkel, my husband thought it would be funny to throw me into the water. I got a cool shot of it from the GoPro though so I guess I can’t complain. It should be noted that there will be severe payback for this in the future when he least expects it.

Kayaking with Kayak Adventures in Lagos, Portugal is the perfect way to see all of the awesome caves and rock structures dotted throughout the Algarve.

After your time playing at the beach, it’s time to head back to the starting point. I thought this would be a leisurely paddle, but it felt rushed and if I did it all over again I would have opted to be pulled by the boat instead of paddling all of the ways back. After all we were on vacation, not in a fitness class. 🙂

Overall thoughts

Pros

  • Loved exploring these caves in an unconventional way. Felt more adventurous then just riding around in a boat adding to the appeal of this area.
  • While exhausting the length of the tour was perfect. 3 hours is just long enough to really get your money’s worth without dying.
  • The guides were super nice and provided a good sense of humor throughout the adventure.
  • Great location! After you’re done kayaking (or before) you’ll have plenty of options to lounge around on various beaches surrounding the area.

Cons

  • Timing for this was a bit stressful. Finding parking and then finding the place is a bit tricky. Give yourself plenty of time and bring a picnic or something to eat before you head out on the tour so you don’t stress trying to find parking and the location of the kayaks.

Overall we would highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for a different way of seeing the beautiful caves and grottoes of Lagos.

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Kayaking with Kayak Adventures in Lagos, Portugal is the perfect way to see all of the awesome caves and rock structures dotted throughout the Algarve.
Kayaking with Kayak Adventures in Lagos, Portugal is the perfect way to see all of the awesome caves and rock structures dotted throughout the Algarve.

****Special thanks to Kayak Adventures for hosting me on this adventure. As always, my opinions expressed are 100% my own.

What’s your favorite adventure you’ve been on? Comment below!