Lagos Ponta da Piedade: Kayak Grottos Tour with Support Boat

4.97

(724 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to laugh so much before even touching the water in Lagos. We met at this spot by the marina — right in front of Pizza Hut, which felt odd but somehow comforting (I guess you always know where you are if there’s pizza nearby). Our guide, João, handed us bright yellow life jackets and started explaining how not to end up spinning in circles. He had this way of making everyone relax, even the couple next to me who looked like they’d never seen a kayak before.

The first few strokes out of the marina were a bit clumsy — my paddle kept splashing cold drops onto my knees. You could smell salt and sunscreen mixed together, and the water was that glassy blue you see on postcards but never really believe is real until you’re floating on it. João kept close, pointing out little details about the cliffs and naming rock formations in Portuguese (I tried repeating one; he laughed and said I needed more practice). The support boat drifted nearby, which honestly made me feel better about drifting too far or getting tired.

Paddling into the grottoes of Ponta da Piedade was something else. It got quieter as we slipped under stone arches — just our paddles knocking softly against the kayak and João’s voice echoing off the walls. There was one spot he called “the Cathedral” that felt almost unreal with sunlight pouring down through a crack above us. I still think about how cool and damp it felt inside compared to the heat outside. At some point we stopped near a tiny beach only kayaks could reach; João tossed us bottles of water from his dry bag like some kind of picnic host.

The whole thing took just over two hours but honestly, time got weird out there — sometimes slow when we drifted under shadows, then suddenly fast when we raced back towards the marina with kids laughing behind us. I didn’t expect to feel so calm after all that paddling. If you’re looking for a day trip around Lagos that’s both mellow and a little wild (in a good way), this kayak tour is probably it.