Funchal to Vila Baleira
The Porto Santo day cruise, and why one day is not enough
The short answer
The Porto Santo one-day cruise is a packaged return sailing on the Lobo Marinho, leaving Funchal in the morning and returning at the end of the day. Optional add-ons cover transfers, bicycle hire, a two-hour island excursion, golf, or an off-road tour. Sailings are weather-dependent.
One-day cruise, from
€72.02
The operator’s lowest advertised fare.
Porto Santo Line, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Funchal to Vila Baleira |
|---|---|
| Type | Boats and tours |
| How long | A full day |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Cost | From €72.02 |
| Best season | Summer, for beach weather and the extra afternoon sailings |
| Permit | No permit recorded |
What is on offer
The operator advertises the one-day cruise from €72.02, source: Porto Santo Line, 2026, read August 26, 2026, the day cruise with transfers from €77.90, source: Porto Santo Line, 2026, read August 26, 2026, and trip-plus-hotel packages from €93.02, source: Porto Santo Line, 2026, read August 26, 2026 to €104.02, source: Porto Santo Line, 2026, read August 26, 2026. A bicycle add-on requires a refundable deposit of €25.00, source: Porto Santo Line, 2026, read August 26, 2026.
Those are lowest advertised fares. The word from is doing real work in all of them.
The schedule, and what it does not say
In August 2026 the operator listed Funchal departures at 08:00 every day, with additional sailings on some days at 16:00, 16:30 or 19:00, and Porto Santo departures at 20:00 every day with extras at 12:00, 13:00 or 22:30.
What the timetable does not give is a crossing duration. It lists departure times only, in two columns, with no arrival times, so no journey length is stated here. Ferry aggregators quote one; the operator does not.
Why an overnight is better
On a day cruise the return sailing fixes how long you have. Porto Santo is a separate island with a beach running most of its south side, and a fixed afternoon departure is the constraint on the whole visit.
Trip-plus-hotel packages exist for that reason and are priced accordingly.
What is not perfect about it
The advertised fares are the operator’s lowest, not a fixed rate. Time ashore is decided by the return sailing rather than by you, and Porto Santo deserves longer than that allows. Sailings are re-timed or cancelled in heavy seas.
Questions people actually ask
How long is the ferry from Funchal to Porto Santo?
The operator does not publish a crossing duration. Its timetable lists departure times only, with no arrival times, so no figure is given here.
How much is the Porto Santo day cruise?
Advertised from €72.02, source: Porto Santo Line, 2026, read August 26, 2026, or from €77.90, source: Porto Santo Line, 2026, read August 26, 2026 with transfers. Those are lowest advertised fares rather than a fixed price.
Can the sailing be cancelled?
Yes. Sailings are weather-dependent and the operator re-times or cancels them in heavy seas.
Where this came from
- Porto Santo Line: Porto Santo Line — cruises and fares. portosantoline.pt/en/ Read August 26, 2026.
- Porto Santo Line: Timetables — August 2026. reservasc.portosantoline.pt/en/timetables-august-2026/ Read August 26, 2026.