Viking boat in Tenerife: sail on the Ragnarok and go looking for whales
A wooden longship leaving Los Cristianos harbour, pilot whales and dolphins half an hour off the coast, a stop to jump straight into the Atlantic, and a crew who won’t take the helmet off even for breakfast. Two trips, two lengths, and the same look on your face on the way back.
The Ragnarok is about as close to a real longship as anything floating in the Atlantic: wooden hull, mast, shields along the gunwale and a crew who commit to the part completely. It leaves Los Cristianos harbour several times a day and, before the engine has properly warmed up, it’s already in the stretch of sea where the pilot whales live.
On this page you’ll find the two trips the ship runs, properly compared: how long they last, what each one includes, which one suits your family and what they cost. Both are booked online, with instant confirmation and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
What makes the Viking boat in Los Cristianos different
The harbour is full of catamarans, yachts and schooners. This is the only one that comes back with a soundtrack, blunt swords and children shouting from the bow.
A longship, not a stage set
Timber, mast, oars and shields down the side. Kids climb aboard thinking it’s a theme park ride and ten minutes later they’re convinced they’re off to raid La Gomera.
The whales live here, they don’t just pass through
Between Tenerife and La Gomera there’s a colony of short-finned pilot whales that doesn’t migrate: they’re there in January and in August. That’s why sightings off the south coast are so reliable.
The show comes with the ticket
Sword fights, tales from the north, games, helmets and cloaks for photos, and a drinking-horn contest for anyone brave enough. None of it costs extra.
Built so nobody has a bad time
Toilets on board, shaded areas, a wide deck, a bar and access for manual wheelchairs. You board right by the beach, with no transfers and no impossible stairs.
The Ragnarok’s two trips, compared without the sales pitch
Same ship, same crew, same harbour. What changes is how long you’re at sea, how far the boat goes and what you get on board. Choose by what you want to do, not by the price.
2 hours
2-hour Viking cruise: whales, dolphins and a swim
The concentrated version. You leave the harbour, you’re in pilot whale territory within half an hour, there’s a stop for a swim, and you’re back with the rest of the day ahead of you. It’s the one most people book and the one that works best with little ones who tire quickly.
- Whale and dolphin watching in their natural habitat
- Swim stop in the open Atlantic
- Snacks and a drink on board
- Photos with the Viking crew
- Live guide in English, Spanish and Polish
- Manual wheelchair access · toilets on board
- No snorkelling and no unlimited drinks
Pick this one if… you’ve got half a morning free, you’re travelling with small children, or you want to see whales without writing off the whole day.
4.7 ★ · more than 3,600 reviews · free cancellation 24 h
3 hours
3-hour trip: whales, snorkelling and drinks included
The same search for whales, but the ship carries on along the coast to Playa de Las Américas and Adeje, drops anchor below the cliffs with Mount Teide behind you, and gives you time to swim and snorkel. Beer, wine and soft drinks are included throughout.
- Pilot whale and dolphin watching
- Anchored stop for swimming and snorkelling
- Drinks included: beer, wine and soft drinks
- Viking show, games and optional war paint
- Longer route: Las Américas, Adeje and Teide views
- Live guide in English and Spanish · toilets on board
- Food is bought separately at the on-board bar
Pick this one if… you want to swim in open water, you’ve got the whole afternoon, and you’d rather the trip was the day’s plan than a gap between two others.
4.7 ★ · almost 1,000 reviews · free cancellation 24 h
The differences between the two trips, point by point
| 2-hour trip | 3-hour trip | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 2 hours | 3 hours |
| Price from | €28 per person | €39 per person |
| Whale watching | Yes, with live commentary | Yes, with live commentary |
| Swim stop | Yes | Yes, longer and at anchor |
| Snorkelling | No | Yes |
| Drinks | Snacks and a drink included; bar on board | Beer, wine and soft drinks included |
| Food | Optional, at the on-board bar | Optional, at the on-board bar |
| Route | The waters off Los Cristianos | On to Las Américas and Adeje, with Teide views |
| Viking entertainment | Atmosphere, storytelling and photos with the crew | Full show, games and war paint |
| Guide languages | English, Spanish and Polish | English and Spanish |
| Accessibility | Manual wheelchair · toilets on board | Manual wheelchair · toilets on board |
| Best for | Families with young children and tight schedules | Anyone who wants to swim, snorkel and take their time |
Guide prices per adult. The final price, departure times and availability are confirmed when you pick a date.
What the trip is like, hour by hour
So you know exactly what you’re signing up for before you reach for your card.
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15 minutes before
Boarding, right by the beach
Boarding gate Excursion Zone A, in Los Cristianos harbour, a few steps from the sand. Show the voucher on your phone and you’re aboard.
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Minute 0
Lines off and the horn sounds
Music, a welcome from the crew and a safety briefing delivered like a saga. The harbour is behind you within two minutes.
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Minute 15 – 40
Into pilot whale territory
The ship reaches the stretch of sea between Tenerife and La Gomera. This is usually where the fins appear: the guide explains what you’re looking at and why the boat keeps its distance.
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Halfway
Coastline, cliffs and Teide behind it all
3-hour trip only: the ship carries on to Playa de Las Américas and Adeje, with the volcano rising over the island.
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At anchor
Into the water
The anchor goes down and it’s time for a swim. On the longer trip there’s time to snorkel and, if you’re lucky, watch a loggerhead turtle glide past underneath.
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The way back
Swords, games and the drinking horn
The return leg is the loud part: a Viking fight on deck, games for every age and the helmet-and-cloak photos that will end up in the family group chat.
Who lives in the water between Tenerife and La Gomera
Twenty-six of the world’s 79 cetacean species pass through the Canaries, and this patch of Atlantic is one of the best places on earth to see them. That isn’t marketing: in 2021 this stretch of the south-west coast was recognised as Europe’s first Whale Heritage Site.
The pilot whale, the neighbour who never moves out
Globicephala macrorhynchusThis is the local star and the reason whales are seen here 365 days a year. The colony living between Tenerife and La Gomera is resident: it doesn’t migrate, it breeds here, and researchers have spent more than a decade identifying individuals by their dorsal fins.
They grow to five metres, travel in family groups and have a habit of resting motionless at the surface. When the engines drop to idle and those curved fins appear a few metres away, an odd silence falls over the deck.
Bottlenose and common dolphins, the ones that come to play
Tursiops truncatus · Delphinus delphisDolphins are nowhere near as discreet as pilot whales. They tend to find the bow wave and ride along in front of the ship for a good while, leaping and rolling and leaving every child glued to the rail.
They show up in small groups or in pods of dozens, depending on the day and the season. This is the moment every phone on board runs out of battery.
And the jackpot, if the sea is in the mood
Turtles, Bryde’s whales, sperm whales and the occasional rarityBesides the residents, Bryde’s whales and sperm whales pass through, and now and then a migratory species turns up that leaves the guide as stunned as the passengers. On the swim stop it’s not unusual to meet a loggerhead turtle.
Whether they show up depends on the day, the current and plain luck. Nobody on board can promise you a particular species, and anyone who does is selling you smoke.
Let’s be straight: this isn’t an aquarium
Whales and dolphins are wild animals and there’s no script. Sightings here are reliable precisely because there’s a resident population, but no honest boat trip can guarantee you’ll see whales. Canarian law also sets how close a boat may come and for how long: if the pod dives and the encounter is over, that’s that. They were here first.
Boat trip in Tenerife with kids: why this one works
Anyone who has ever put a seven-year-old on a boat knows how it goes: the first twenty minutes are magic, and after that it’s “are we nearly back yet?”. That doesn’t happen here, and it isn’t an accident.
While the adults scan the horizon for fins, the children have an enormous Viking telling them stories, a helmet to wear, a wooden sword and a fight on deck that heads off any hint of boredom. By the time the dolphins turn up, they’re completely sold.
- Pushchairs come aboard. Babies and toddlers can stay in a buggy or pram.
- There are toilets and shade. Two things that sound trivial until you’re in the middle of the Atlantic with a three-year-old.
- Dressing up and photos. Helmets, cloaks and war paint on the longer trip. The fridge-door photo is guaranteed.
- They learn without noticing. The guide explains which species is which and why the boat keeps its distance. They come off knowing more than most adults.
- With very small babies, take the 2-hour trip. Three hours of sun and engine noise is a long stretch for the littlest ones.
The Ragnarok, inside and out
Real photos of the crew, the deck and what you see over the rail. No stock images.
What to pack (and what to leave behind)
Advice from people who have watched a lot of passengers board in brand-new flip-flops with no sun cream.
Bring it with you
- Sun cream and a hat. There isn’t shade everywhere on deck, and the glare off the water doubles the sun.
- Sunglasses. Spotting fins means staring at the sea for a long time.
- Swimwear and a towel. Essential on the 3-hour trip and well worth it on the 2-hour one.
- A light layer. There’s a breeze once the ship is moving, even when it’s 28 degrees ashore.
- A charged phone. And a waterproof case if you plan to take it in the water.
Leave it at the hotel
- Suitcases and large bags. They don’t fit and they aren’t allowed on board.
- Pets. Registered assistance animals aside.
- Any plan to go barefoot. Wooden deck, sun and salt: wear something on your feet.
- The rush. Parking near the harbour in high season is a competitive sport: leave early and arrive 15 minutes before.
- Seasickness, if you can. If you’re prone to it, take a tablet an hour before, eat something light and stay on deck watching the horizon.
4.7 out of 5 from more than 4,500 verified reviews
We’re not making it up: it’s the average of the ratings left by verified travellers on both trips.
01 The crew really commit
By some distance, the thing reviews mention most is the people working on board: they never drop the act, they switch between languages, and they make sure nobody is left out of the fun.
02 It works for kids and grandparents
The same point comes up again and again: it’s one of the few outings where three generations enjoy themselves at once and none of them gets bored.
03 The swim is the highlight
People who take the longer trip usually single out the anchored stop and the time in the water as the best part of the three hours.
04 Some days there are no whales
They say that too: some saw dolphins but no large whales. Almost all of them add that the trip was worth it anyway, because nature is a lottery and the boat isn’t.
Where you board: Los Cristianos harbour
South Tenerife, in the municipality of Arona. A short hop from Playa de Las Américas and under 20 minutes from Tenerife South airport.
Viking boat trips in Tenerife: frequently asked questions
Everything people ask before booking: price, children, seasickness, languages and what happens if the sea turns nasty.
Where does the Viking boat leave from in Tenerife?
From Los Cristianos harbour, in the municipality of Arona, south Tenerife. The meeting point is the boarding gate in Excursion Zone A, right beside Los Cristianos beach. It’s about 15–20 minutes’ drive from Tenerife South airport and very close to Playa de Las Américas and Costa Adeje.
Aim to be there 15 minutes before departure. In summer, parking near the harbour is hard work, so leave the hotel with time to spare.
Which trip should I choose, the 2-hour or the 3-hour?
The 2-hour trip is the practical option: the same whale and dolphin watching, a swim stop, a snack and a drink, and you’re back in the harbour with half a day left. It’s the best fit for young children and the cheaper of the two.
The 3-hour trip adds what a lot of people come to Tenerife for: snorkelling, a longer stop at anchor below the cliffs with Mount Teide in view, a route out to Las Américas and Adeje, and beer, wine and soft drinks included throughout. If you want the trip to be the day’s plan, this is the one.
Am I guaranteed to see whales?
Guaranteed, no. Nobody can promise that with wild animals, and be wary of anyone who does. That said, the odds here are very high: a resident colony of short-finned pilot whales lives between Tenerife and La Gomera and doesn’t migrate, so there are cetaceans a few miles offshore all year round.
Dolphins appear very often and tend to come right up to the boat. Quiet days do happen: most people who don’t see large whales still rate the trip highly for the coastline, the swim and the atmosphere on board.
What animals might I see from the boat?
Most commonly short-finned pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins. Less often you’ll see Bryde’s whales, sperm whales and loggerhead turtles, especially during the swim stop.
Twenty-six of the world’s 79 cetacean species pass through Canarian waters, and in 2021 the marine strip off south-west Tenerife was declared Europe’s first Whale Heritage Site.
Is it suitable for children? And for babies?
It’s one of the most family-friendly trips you can do in south Tenerife: there’s entertainment, games, dressing up and sword fights designed so children never look at the clock. You can bring a buggy or pram on board.
With very small babies the 2-hour trip is usually easier going: three hours of sun, engine noise and movement is a long stretch. Bear in mind that shade on deck is limited, so hats and sun cream from minute one.
I get seasick. Is this a good idea?
Both trips state clearly that they are not recommended for people prone to motion sickness. The Atlantic isn’t a lake: south Tenerife is usually calm, but there’s almost always a bit of swell.
If you only get mildly queasy and want to give it a go: take a tablet an hour before, eat something light, stay out on deck and keep your eyes on the horizon, never on your phone. If you’re badly affected, the 2-hour trip is over sooner.
Do I need to be able to swim for the swim stop?
The swim is optional: nobody makes you go in. It happens with the ship at anchor and the crew keeping watch, but it is open water, so you should be comfortable swimming. If you’d rather not, staying on deck is no less enjoyable.
The stop always depends on sea conditions and the captain’s decision.
What’s included in the price and what costs extra?
On the 2-hour trip: the sailing, guided whale watching, the swim stop, snacks and a drink, and photos with the Viking crew. There’s a bar on board with drinks and special food you pay for separately.
On the 3-hour trip: the sailing, the whale watching, the anchored stop with swimming and snorkelling, and beer, wine and soft drinks included throughout the cruise. Food is optional and bought on board. The Viking war paint is optional too.
What language is the trip in?
The 2-hour trip has a live guide in English, Spanish and Polish. The 3-hour trip runs in English and Spanish. The crew are multilingual and in practice manage several more languages, which is one of the things reviewers mention most.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes, both trips are wheelchair accessible, although for safety reasons guests are asked to use a manual rather than an electric chair. There are toilets on board and you board in the harbour itself, with no transfers.
Can I cancel if the weather or my plans change?
Yes. Both trips offer free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance with a full refund, and you can book now and pay later, so you hold the place without being charged today. Confirmation is instant and the voucher lives on your phone.
If sea conditions make it unsafe to sail, the departure is rescheduled or cancelled by the ship.
How far ahead should I book?
As early as you can, especially from June to September and over Christmas and Easter: these are two of the most booked trips in Los Cristianos and the morning departures go quickly. Since cancellation is free up to 24 hours before, there’s nothing to lose by locking in the date as soon as you know it.
As for the time of day, morning departures usually get the flattest sea.
The ship sails either way, with you or without you
Two hours or three, whales or dolphins, beer or juice. Pick your trip, hold the place and decide later: you’ve got until 24 hours before to change your mind without paying a penny.