Rissalena
About
The Rissalena Catamaran offers 3 hour seasonal whale watching, snorkeling, and evening sunset cruises in Cabo San Lucas, Baja Sur. We are located in the Marina, Dock D, in front of El Paraiso Luxury Mall. Enjoy a cruise on our beautiful catamaran which includes a light meal and drinks. Our luxury cruise takes you to the highlighted sights of Baja Sur. Our boat is owned and run by experienced boat builders Manuel and Captain Eduardo Padilla. We trained our crew to be exceptional in service which is why we remain the first and top tour in Cabo for over 27 years! From movies being filmed on our boat to private cruises with movie stars, we make sure everyone gets the 5-star treatment. We can’t wait to welcome you aboard!
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023

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(33 reviews)
(9 reviews)
(9 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles338 reviews
Excellent
323
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SANsna
San Diego253 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
My brother's family and I were looking for a boat cruise during our stay in Cabo that could accommodate our the various ages in our group (2 very young kids and a senior). After some research, we reached out to Laura and her crew of the Rissalena.

I reached Laura via email from the address on their website. She responded the next day and was able to quickly describe the cruise that they would plan for our group of 7. We agreed on a private cruise that covers whale watching, a cruise around the bay that includes viewing of the arch, and an hour of snorkeling. Lunch and drinks were included in the package. The flexibility that Laura was able to provide is amazing.

Getting to the Rissalena is quite easy. Laura provided the dock that they were at which is very close to the mall (Paradiso?). Make sure you ask your taxi to take you to the mall and not to the Marina. We made that mistake and ended up having to take another taxi to the right location. Once you get to the mall, you can easily walk through the mall and the dock that the Rissalena is located at is right there.

We arrived a bit early on a slightly overcast day but Laura and her crew was already there waiting for us. We boarded and quickly headed out. Drinks started almost immediately as Laura and her team went out of their way to make us comfortable.

With some incredible luck, we ended up catching a flotilla of boat that were following 2 whales that then proceeded to put on an acrobatic show for us. We followed the whales for almost an hour. Although the sea was quite rough, the skill of the captain showed as he did everything he could to keep the boat stable. We were able to give our full attention to the show the whales were giving us. This was definitely the highlight of the cruise for me.

Laura was also quite happy to take care of the 9 month old that was with us. Her entire team played with him and kept him occupied while we were looking at the sights or snorkeling. This was definitely a very nice bonus that they were very good with small children!

I would be remiss not to mention the delicious lunch that they prepared. The roast chicken, salsa, and guacamole were delicious. It was probably even more delicious because we were in a beautiful environment watching the incredible scenery of Cabo.

I would definitely recommend going out on a cruise with Laura and her crew on the Rissalena. They definitely went out of their way to make sure that we all enjoyed the cruise!
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so happy that you enjoyed your private cruise aboard The Rissalena Catamaran. Laura and our crew are truly exceptional and they take pride in giving our guests the five star treatment. Thank you for booking with us and we hope to see you again on your next trip to Cabo San Lucas!
Written January 24, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

GetmeouttaMN
MN59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Found out about Rissalena last-minute on this site and rearranged our vacation schedule to fit the sunset cruise in. So glad I did! The staff is amazing and attentive, the food is really, really good, we found and watched whales for a while, but the attention to the details is what sets this cruise apart. Just before sunset, the captain positioned the boat perfectly, pressed the play button on O Mio Babbino Caro and we all sat in stunned awe as the sun set just as the opera ended. I was breathless, and it was perfect! Thanks so much, Laura and family. I recommend this cruise wholeheartedly and without reservation, but get your reservation early!
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are so happy that you enjoyed your trip with us onboard The Rissalena Catamaran. We take pride in offering a magical cruise to our guests. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Written January 19, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

wendyandtom2017
Troy, MI14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
We recently went to Cabo and went out on the Rissalena. It is a beautiful catamaran and we had a wonderful dinner of chicken, ribs, salad, rice, guacamole, and chips. Drinks flowed freely. It was very family oriented and the crew was absolutely wonderful. We did the afternoon sunset dinner cruise and even got to see some whales.This is very well priced and we highly recommend it! Laura and her crew are fantastic!!!!
Written April 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for joining us on board! We are so glad you had an amazing time with Laura and our crew. We look forward to seeing you again!
Written October 2, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Diane from Brooklyn
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
I booked a sunset cruise with Rissalena after extensive research on reviews and prices of all the available cruises. Rissalena always had the best reviews and people specifically commented on the meal prepared by the host, Laura. Usually the food and drinks on cruises like this are nothing to comment on, but with Rissalena, the food was excellent! I can't eat cilantro and when I asked if it was in the guacamole, Laura had special guacamole prepared for me, without cilantro! The drinks, whether alcoholic or non were excellent and generous. Rissalena is a family business, providing tours for 22 years. The catamaran was super-clean and the whole crew was friendly and gracious. The captain even shared his own private videos from his phone of whales when I asked about seeing them. The sunset cruise to El Arco was a highlight of my trip to Cabo and I will definitely book with them again when I return. I can't recommend them highly enough!
Written October 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your mind review of our cruise. We are so happy that you enjoyed your trip with us and we hope to see you on your next visit to Cabo San Lucas!
Written October 8, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

CSBM
Kansas City, MO485 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We went on the Risselena last week for a whale watching cruise for 3 hours. We were two families (party of 9). It was easy to book via the website (email) and we paid in USD in person on the boat. I prefer that sort of payment rather than credit card.
What a treat our trip was! This is a family run business and they were incredible. We had an open bar and they started service drinks as we got on the boat. They would make any drink you wanted. The captain was great at finding the whales. On the way back they served a delicious lunch!
This is a nice boat with a bathroom, sun, and shady areas! The boat was extremely comfortable and clean. There were only about 20 people on our cruise and I believe that is close to their limit. I like a smaller boat rather than a huge booze cruise.
If you are looking for a great whale watching cruise the Rissenlena is for you!!

CSBM
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind review of our boat. We are so happy that you enjoyed your trip aboard The Rissalena Catamaran. We hope to see you again soon!
Written January 19, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bond05r
Norwood, MA7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
Rissalena Catamaran and crew are an absolute must while visiting Cabo San Lucas!!!! It was our first time visiting and during my research stumbled upon Rissalena the reviews alone made me decide to book and after our experience I highly recommend the sunset cruise. Communication was extremely easy and they were nice enough to accommodate us changing days last minute. It was easy to find on Dock D at the marina. This sunset cruise is amazing, the crew is beyond friendly (their all family) and funny. 55 dollars cash per person gets you two hours of beautiful views, Arch included, as well as open bar and what they call a light dinner and I call a great, tasty, filling dinner. The staff made sure our hands were never empty with drinks, we had some of the best margaritas, they played great music and some of us danced a bit but this is definitely a more low key cruise which for us was perfect. I highly highly recommend this cruise and thank you to the family for making this one of our most memorable moments on our honeymoon!
Written October 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind review. We are so glad you enjoyed your tour with us and our crew. We hope to see you on your next trip to Cabo San Lucas!
Written October 28, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kim H
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022 • Friends
Always an amazing experience with this crew! A group of 17 of us booked the snorkeling tour and end up having the boat to ourselves. They had the best drinks, food and overall super friendly crew. If your looking for a snorkeling/sunset tour, I 100% recommend the rissalena! Clean boat that is well taken care of and doesn’t have a hundred passengers squished like the other boats in Cabo.
Written September 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind review. We pride ourselves on customer service and are so happy your group enjoyed your trip. We hope to see you on your next visit to Cabo!
Written October 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bashlee
Roeland Park, KS97 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Couples
We look forward to our sunset cruise on the Rissalena every time we are in Cabo. Anytime someone tells me they are going to Cabo, this is the one thing I tell them they have to do! If I had my way, we would do this at least twice on our trip. Laura and her staff are extremely friendly and extremely attentive. The boat is extremely clean and comfortable and the home cooked meal is to die for. This is also a great way to see the Arch, the Marina, whales and, of course, a beautiful sunset.

As far as price goes, this is the greatest value in Cabo. For $55/person you get all the drinks you want, a home cooked meal and an amazing experience.

Looking forward to our return trip in 2022.
Written March 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind review of The Rissalena Catamaran. We are so happy you enjoyed your trip. Laura and our crew are always here to provide a wonderful experience. We look forward to seeing you next year!
Written June 27, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Stephanie Hain
Dallas, TX6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
I have been coming on this boat for over 20 years... Laura and the crew are the absolute best! It's a highlight of our trip to take the sunset cruise - small children to grown adults all enjoy their time on the Rissalena. This is a gem!
Written May 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We love our long-time guests who are like family to us. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Written June 27, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Susan J
Euless, TX13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
This was a great day experience. The Rissalena Catamaran is the best way to go see the whales. We saw many smaller boats and with all the boats rushing to where the whales were it made it a bit rocky. We watched the people in the smaller boats trying to hang on. Ours was rocky but not to the point of hanging on to anything. I did get sea sick when we sat still to watch the whales. The crew tried to help me with bringing me cold water and also a cold rag to put on the back of my neck.

We looked around at several whale tours. We decided on this one mainly because there is no child age restriction. We were able to take my 2 year old grandson on this boat. It was very safe and clean. They even had a small life jacket to put on him. They made him Shirley Temple drinks, which he loved. And let him drive the boat for a bit.

We did get to see whales. And they took some great pictures with my camera for me. As I couldn't stand up.

The lunch was great and so were the drinks. (so my family said) I would definitely do this again when we go back. And I think I'd like to do the dinner cruise too. The crew was very friendly and helpful. It made for a great day. Thank you very much!!
Written February 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind review of our boat. The Rissalena Catamaran owners and crew pride themselves in offering exceptional services. We are so happy you enjoyed your time onboard. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Written June 27, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Rissalena - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)