Two-Day Guided Island Tour Madeira

Cabo Girão and the villages of the south-west

The west-side day starts along the south coast, with Câmara de Lobos, a colourful fishing village once loved by Winston Churchill, then Ribeira Brava with its 15th-century church and promenade, and Madalena do Mar among banana plantations. The highlight is Cabo Girão, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe at about 580 metres, with a glass-floored skywalk.

Visitors often ask whether the Cabo Girão skywalk is worth visiting on an island tour. The answer is yes: the view straight down to the terraced fields and the sea is one of Madeira's signature scenes, and it fits naturally into a west Madeira day trip.

Porto Moniz, Seixal and São Vicente

The route crosses the Fonte do Bispo plateau, the island's largest highland, which is also the gateway to the ancient Laurissilva forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Porto Moniz then follows, famous for its volcanic natural pools, the largest on the island, where there is time for swimming if the weather allows, lunch and free time of around an hour and a half to two hours.

On the north coast, Seixal offers a striking waterfall known as the Bridal Veil and a black sand beach framed by cliffs, and São Vicente is a valley village with a 17th-century church and a short walk. The natural pools of Porto Moniz are a common search for visitors, and this is a convenient way to reach them.

Cristo Rei, Machico and Ponta de São Lourenço

The east-side day begins with the Cristo Rei statue at Garajau, a viewpoint above the Atlantic, before Machico, Madeira's first capital in the 15th century and the landing place of the island's discoverers. It combines history with a lively modern atmosphere.

Further east, Ponta de São Lourenço is the island's easternmost point, a protected peninsula with volcanic cliffs and dry, sweeping views, and one of the best places on Madeira for photographs. It looks very different from the green interior, which makes the east day a useful contrast to the west.

Porto da Cruz, Santana and the mountains

In Porto da Cruz the tour visits a traditional sugar cane mill still powered by old steam engines, a living reminder of the island's history, then continues to Santana, known for its triangular thatched houses, where there is lunch and free time of around an hour and a half to two hours.

The day continues into the mountains: Ribeiro Frio is a quiet nature park with trout pools, laurel forest walks and endemic birds, while Pico do Arieiro rises to 1,818 metres, the third highest peak, with ridges and clouds beneath your feet. On clear days you can even see Porto Santo, and nearby lies the Poço da Neve, once used to store snow.

How the two-day tour works

The order of the two days may vary, either west on day one and east on day two or the other way round. Pickup is in Funchal city centre and the main tourist hotel area at around 09:00, and if your accommodation is in a pedestrian zone or a restricted-access street, we will give you the nearest meeting point.

Groups are usually around 16 people, although in peak season the type of vehicle and group size can change with availability. Overnight accommodation, meals and drinks are not included, so you keep your own hotel in Funchal and pay for lunches and dinners yourself.