Great for birdwatchers - This was the best thing we did on a recent visit to Faro. Our guide was Andrei and he was very knowledgeable and informative. The boat is very quiet and the water calm. There were only seven of us on the trip so we could easily hear everything he said. We went at low tide so there were lots of landing sites for the birds. Everyone was offered good quality binoculars and a chart of birds we might see. We were thrilled to see flamingos, spoonbills, even an osprey and storks flying past ,as well as lots of other more common birds. We had a short stop on the beach to stretch our legs but two and half hours just flew past! A highly recommended trip if you enjoy birdwatching.

Great birdwatching tour with a fantastic guide! - Fantastic tour, relaxing and so peaceful! Our guide had a soft voice and was pointing out all the various birds along the way! Would definitely recommend!

Rewarding, Delightful, and Easy - My wife and I were delighted with Birdwatching in Ria Formosa -- a 2.5-hour excursion by solar boat. It was arranged by "Lands - Eco Boat Tours". A birdwatching outing is not a trip to the zoo: you make an effort to get to an area where birds feel relatively secure, and you hope that there will actually be some birds there. During our excursion, we were very lucky with respect to seeing birds: not only did we see a wide range of birds, but we saw them well. Moreover, "Lands - Eco Boat Tours" provided each participant with quality binoculars, a laminated map of the area, and a chart showing the species of birds often seen in the area. All those items were very helpful. Also important is that our guide, Luis, provided relevant information about each species -- in particular, information about its migration patterns and its preferences with respect to habitat. Almost as rewarding as seeing multiple species of birds was the pleasure of gliding very quietly through some of the very numerous channels of Ria Formosa. Thanks to its electric power system (partly recharged by solar panels), the boat was silent, and there was no vibration. Indeed it seemed that we were not intruding on the birds but simply sharing with them the space, the water and the sunshine. In any event the section of the Ria Formosa near Faro is not isolated: there are oyster beds, fishing boats, airplanes over head, and Faro is always in sight. It is, in principle and in practice, a shared environment. At the furthest point from Faro, Luis gave us an opportunity to walk for 20 minutes or so along the sand bank that separates Ria Formosa from the Atlantic. That too was very nice. However, it was not quiet: the waves pounding the surf made a lot of noise! In sum, we liked the "Birdwatching in Ria Formosa" excursion. We found it stimulating yet comfortable, and we recommend it to others.

Great Tour, Great Guide! Thanks Manuel! - Manuel was an excellent guide on our eco tour of Ria Formosa! He was very knowledgeable, friendly and humorous- you could also tell he is passionate about nature and the natural park! The electric boat really made this boat a special trip as the birds were undisturbed. I would definitely recommend this trip!☀️🦅

Definitely worth it! - Discovering the area with a guide was excellent, educational. He knew a lot, was open to all questions and had a lot of humor!

Great bird watching boat tour in the Ria Formosa! - The birdwatching tour with Lands Eco Boat Tour was great! We got to see some amazing birds including an osprey, flamingoes, spoonbills and much more. They provide binoculars and a picture book of all the birds in the area. The guide was very knowledgable about the Ria Formosa and other things about Portugal. And the boat has solar panels so it is definitely eco friendly.

Eco-aware but not biologist - We are very impressed with the use of solar-powered boats. We enjoyed the trip, saw some interesting birds, and got a sense of the Ria Formosa ecosystem. We also enjoyed meeting our interesting fellow passengers. Our guide was upbeat and reasonably knowledgeable – but he was not a "trained and qualified biologist," as the website claims. I was expecting something a little more serious and a little less touristic. It was still worth going, getting out on the water and close to the sandbanks and marshes, but adjust your expectations.

Luis is an excellent... - Luis is an excellent guide, with a sharp eye for birds, and thoughtful and careful with his guests. He clearly loves the marshes and the islands.

Nice "Eco" boat trip - My wife and i went on this "eco" solar powered boat trip during our holiday to the Algarve region of Portugal. The guide (and skipper) of the vessel, "Luis", was quite knowledgable regarding the various species of birdlife in the Ria Formosa natural park area. We had some good views of Egret, Spoonbill and a distant Osprey. It is a relaxing way to spend 2.5 hours but there is a strange juxtaposition of the otherwise peaceful natural park neighbouring the 'very' busy Faro International Airport. The jet noise levels can be super loud depending on the wind and take-off direction.

A lovely time on the water! - We really enjoyed our time in this super quiet boat. It was a perfect way to spend a hot afternoon. Our guide was considerate and kept us entertained with stories and information about the area.