Monte Cristo Sunset Catamaran: 3-Hour Whale and Dolphin Cruise with Tapas and Open Bar from Puerto Colón, Tenerife

Monte Cristo Catamaran

Sunset Catamaran Tour with Transfer, Buff & Drinks

★ 4.7 (969) · from $72

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. This page contains affiliate links; I earn a commission if you book.

The Monte Cristo sunset catamaran is a 3-hour evening sail from Puerto Colón marina in Costa Adeje, run by Monte Cristo Catamaran. It costs $72 per person, about €64 at the 2026-10-16 rate, and includes a hotel transfer, local tapas, fruit and sweets, and unlimited alcoholic and soft drinks.

The detail that changes the decision is timing. The listing gives no fixed departure time, and a reviewer says the start was shifted so the group caught the sunset. Sunset in Tenerife moves from 21:06 in June to 18:14 in December, so the same product leaves at different hours across the year, and you confirm yours after booking.

I have not sailed with this operator. Everything below comes from the listing, its reviews, free APIs and the sources linked inline. For other boats on this coast see my catamaran tours in Tenerife and the full Tenerife boat tours guide, or return to the harbouradvisor.com home page.

What is the Monte Cristo sunset catamaran tour and what do you see?

The Monte Cristo sunset catamaran is a three-hour evening cruise that spends the first half looking for pilot whales and dolphins off the south coast and the second half drifting back at sunset.

The operator says the animals live in these waters all year, which is why it sells the search as reliable. Reviewers back that up: they report whales close to the boat, and one counts baleen whales at two different spots. I'd treat any sighting as wild-animal luck, but the track record here is good.

• Whales and dolphins: the first stretch of the trip, with an English and Spanish guide explaining what you see.
• Sunset: the boat heads back slowly as the sun goes down over the south coast.
• Snack table: a tapas buffet, fruit and sweets, plus an open bar.
• Swim: reviewers mention getting out of the sea, so there is a water stop, although the listing does not describe it.

The title says "Buff", which is the truncated word buffet; the includes list says buffet, and I found no neck buff in the listing.

Where does the Monte Cristo sunset catamaran leave from?

It leaves from Puerto Colón, the marina in Playa de las Américas, and you find the exact spot after booking or through your hotel transfer.

The marina is mapped here: Puerto Colón. The operator has a Google Maps entry at Monte Cristo Catamaran, and the small beach by the marina is Playa La Pinta. The listing does not give a pier number, and I would not trust a number from a reseller page, so ask the operator when it confirms your time.

Hotel transfer is shown in the listing's features line and its includes list, with details at checkout. The pickup zones are not published in the listing, so check that your hotel in Costa Adeje or Las Américas is covered. A reviewer praised the pickup, and another said the driver met them at the hotel.

What is the route and timeline?

The route is simple: Puerto Colón out to the whale and dolphin zone on the south-west coast, a slow return, and the sunset on the way in.

1. Pickup: the transfer collects you from your hotel and takes you to Puerto Colón marina.
2. Boarding: three crew run the boat, and life vests and other safety gear are included.
3. Whale and dolphin search: the catamaran heads out to find pilot whales and dolphins, with drinks and snacks served throughout.
4. Sea stop: reviewers describe getting out of the water and finding much of the food gone, so eat before you swim.
5. Sunset sail: the boat slows down for the return to port as the sun sets.

The listing does not list stops with times, so I cannot give a minute-by-minute plan. A reviewer who saw whales at two locations suggests the boat moves between spots rather than staying put.

When does the boat sail compared with sunset?

The listing does not publish a departure time, so the best way to judge your evening is to compare the sunset time on your date with the 3-hour length.

If the boat is back at the dock around sunset, it leaves roughly three hours before. That is only my arithmetic, not a stated schedule, but it fits the reviewer who says the start was adjusted to catch the sunset. These are the sunset times for the 15th of each month in 2026.

The gap between June and December is 2 hours 52 minutes. A winter sailing therefore finishes in the dark, while a June sailing can stay on the water until after 21:00. Ask the operator for the exact time when it confirms the pickup.

What is included and what is not?

The price covers the transfer, the tapas buffet, fruit and sweets, unlimited drinks, safety gear and three crew, and nothing in the listing mentions extra charges on board.

How does the Monte Cristo sunset catamaran compare with other Tenerife cruises?

It is the most expensive of the three catamaran or whale cruises on this site, and the only one built around sunset with transfer and an open bar.

The price gap is mostly food, drink and the transfer. If you only want the whales, the shorter boats cost half as much and are listed in my whale watching in Tenerife guide. For sunsets with a drink in hand, this is the one I'd pick.

Is a sunset catamaran cruise in Tenerife worth it against a daytime whale watch?

For a couple or small group who want a relaxed evening, I'd say yes: the $72 covers transfer, unlimited drinks and food, which a $34 daytime safari does not.

Reviewers rate the crew and the atmosphere highly, and one says the boat was not crowded. The weak spot is the food: GetYourGuide's summary of recent reviews says tapas run out fast, and two reviewers who swam before eating found little left. Eat first if hunger matters.

The daytime alternatives win on price and on brevity, and some are cheaper per booked hour. At $24 per hour this trip is above the island median of $21.7, but it includes an open bar. If you do not drink, the value case is thinner.

When is the best time to go?

The driest and calmest window is June to October, when Open-Meteo recorded no day of 1 mm or more of rain and the highest daily waves sat between 1.05 and 1.28 m.

The sea is 21.9 to 24.2°C offshore then. Winter is still mild, at 21.5 to 21.6°C highs, but the highest daily waves reach 1.71 m in December, and sunset is as early as 18:14, so the cruise ends in the dark. Evening on deck is cooler than the daytime highs below, so bring a jacket.

7.56 million tourists entered Tenerife in 2025, up 2.4% on 2024, which is why sunset sailings fill early.

Spanish public holidays that add crowds are 6 December, 8 December and 25 December, according to the Nager.Date API. The Spanish weather service AEMET publishes coastal warnings if you want to check the evening before. For the species you may see, the Spanish ministry's sheet for the Teno-Rasca marine site lists bottlenose dolphins and two turtle species among its species of interest: MITECO's Teno-Rasca sheet.

What do passengers say?

Passengers mention whales close to the boat, friendly crew and flowing drinks, and the one repeated complaint is that tapas run short after the swim.

• Whales: several reviewers saw pilot whales or baleen whales, one at two different spots.
• Crew: described as friendly, informative and attentive; a hostess topped up drinks.
• Crowding: one reviewer found it less busy than other boat trips they had taken.
• Food: two reviewers say most of the food had gone after the swim.
• Motion: one person felt unsteady walking around to the buffet, so pick a seat near the food.

All 10 reviews I could read are five stars, so the sample is positive-only. GetYourGuide's summary of 132 verified reviews from the past year says the same: whales, crew and atmosphere are strong, and food replenishment is the weakness.

Who should skip it?

Skip this cruise if you do not drink, get seasick easily, want a fixed early-evening time, or want a guaranteed swim and snorkel.

• Non-drinkers: the open bar is the main value over cheaper whale cruises.
• Seasickness-prone passengers: the boat moves between whale spots, and one reviewer felt unsteady.
• Strict schedulers: the start time is set after booking and moves with sunset.
• Snorkel fans: the listing does not include snorkel gear; the Coover Canarias catamaran does.

If you want more choices, see the Tenerife boat tours hub or the dolphin watching in Tenerife page for shorter options.

How do you book the Monte Cristo sunset catamaran?

Choose a date on GetYourGuide, add your hotel for the transfer, and book at least a day ahead, since cancellation is free until 24 hours before.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: GetYourGuide listing and reviews for product 404663 (checked 2026-10-17); sunrise-sunset.org API; Open-Meteo APIs; Frankfurter; Nager.Date; AEMET; MITECO Teno-Rasca sheet; Turismo de Tenerife 2025 balance.