Madeira Discovery - Premium Adventure

Begin your adventure at our Premium hotel in Funchal, which has views overlooking the capital and surrounding bay from its rooftop. Around 6pm, say olá to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a warm Portuguese welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want to explore Funchal further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

The day starts with a guided tour around the hillside village of Monte. The highlight is our look around the Monte Palace Gardens, home to an exotic collection of plants gathered from across the globe. We also take a short stop at the Pico dos Barcelos Viewpoint for a panorama over Funchal to the Atlantic. Next, we have a guided tour around Câmara de Lobos, exploring the history of the storied fishing village and espada (black scabbard) fish. Our adventure includes the chance to sample poncha, a local alcoholic drink made with aguardiente de cana. Our first full day ends with a group dinner at PVP – that’s Pão, Vinho e Petiscos (Bread, Wine and Snacks) – a traditional restaurant serving regional dishes.

Experience the natural beauty of Madeira with a 1.9mi (3km) walk through the Laurissilva Forest, a 20m-year-old subtropical rainforest and World Heritage site. This round-trip route takes us to the Balcões Viewpoint where we can gaze over the Ribeira da Metade valley, where rippling hills are covered in endemic tree species. Next stop is Santana, a traditional village with curious A-framed houses. We have free time to explore, before a picnic lunch with Madeiran food. After, we head to the fishing village of Porto da Cruz for a guided tour of Engenhos do Norte, a renowned rum distillery that still uses original production methods. Here, we learn from the experts and enjoy a tasting. Finally, we have a guided tour of Machico, where we visit the church, one of the largest on the island, and explore the historic centre.

We leave the main island this morning and catch a ferry from Funchal harbour to the small island of Porto Santo. Arriving around 10.30am, we then have a half-day tour with a local expert. Stops include the Casa Colombo, a museum in what is thought to have been the home of Christopher Columbus, and free time in Vila Baleira, where you can enjoy the 7.5mi (12km) sandy beach. After, we return to Funchal and catch a transfer to our hotel.

Today we explore the western side of the island. It starts at the Cabo Girão Skywalk, a suspended glass platform with views over the coastline, Câmara de Lobos and Funchal. We then have a guided tour of Madeira Ethnographic Museum for an insight into the archipelago’s social, cultural and economic history, before joining a local specialist at the Centro da Banana da Madeira, to learn about banana growing in Madeira. We also have a guided tour of Porto Moniz with the option of swimming in natural pools (€3 entrance fee not included). After lunch, we join a local guide on a tour of the Quinta do Barbusano winery, enjoying wonderful views and the chance to sample six of their wines.

Today we embark on a sightseeing tour of Funchal. Joining a local guide, we hit the landmarks, including Santa Catarina Park, Arriaga Avenue, Funchal Cathedral, a farmers’ market, and Santa Maria Street in the Old Town. Lunch is at Restaurante O Regional, which specialises in Madeiran cuisine. After, we visit the Quinta das Cruzes Museum, home to local and international works of art, furniture, jewellery and more. We then have free time in the afternoon to explore further, before dinner, during which we enjoy a performance of local folk dancing and singing.

Head into the countryside for a picturesque 3mi (5km) walk alongside the Levada do Caniçal, an aqueduct-style waterway. Our scenic journey should take around two hours, depending on the group’s pace. We then visit the Ponta do Rosto Viewpoint, where we can see both the north and south coasts of the island. That’s followed by lunch in the fishing village of Caniçal, before a guided visit to the Whaling Museum, where we can learn about the whale-hunting history of the island and the modern conservation initiatives. We end tonight with a group dinner, enjoying Mediterranean cuisine at Il Vivaldi restaurant and a chance to relive our adventures together.