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Madeira East Coast: Off-Road Scenic Adventure
4.9
222 Ratings
Curral das Freiras
Embark on a full-day adventure in Madeira’s East region with a 4x4 tour. Explore Pico Do Areiro, Ribeiro Frio, and Santana, and experience dramatic views, rural areas, traditional houses, local cuisine, and wine or rum tasting. Perfect for those who love big views, culture, food, and fun!
Embark on a full-day adventure in Madeira’s East region with a 4x4 tour. Explore Pico Do Areiro, Ribeiro Frio, and Santana, and experience dramatic views, rural areas, traditional houses, local cuisine, and wine or rum tasting. Perfect for those who love big views, culture, food, and fun!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Valley of the Nuns - The tour begins at the stunning yet lesser-known Miradouro do Paradao. From this vantage point, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Funchal and the renowned Nun’s Valley. This spot is typically serene and remains largely “off the beaten path.”
- Pico do Arieiro - As the third highest peak in Madeira, Pico do Arieiro…
- Valley of the Nuns - The tour begins at the stunning yet lesser-known Miradouro do Paradao. From this vantage point, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Funchal and the renowned Nun’s Valley. This spot is typically serene and remains largely “off the beaten path.”
- Pico do Arieiro - As the third highest peak in Madeira, Pico do Arieiro offers breathtaking views. The aim is to arrive early to avoid crowds and hopefully witness the spectacular sights above the clouds. While specific times aren’t set, the usual stay is about 30 to 45 minutes, which is generally sufficient to take in the scenery.
- Ribeiro Frio - Known for its rainbow trout farm, Ribeiro Frio is bypassed to avoid the bustling tourist areas.
- Santana - The journey continues off-road to Santana, one of Madeira’s most iconic villages. Here, visitors can explore traditional A-frame houses and visit an authentic home to learn about historical living conditions in this part of Madeira. Lunch follows at the renowned Quinta do Furao restaurant, offering the best meal in Santana with excellent value and a stunning view.
- Miradouro do Guindaste - Post-lunch, a visit to a favored viewpoint on the island’s North East provides exclusive views of the coastline.
- Engenhos do Norte - A stop in the quaint village of Porto Da Cruz, famous for its sugar and rum history, includes a visit to the renowned rum factory to sample some of the world’s finest rum.
- Ponta de Sao Lourenco - The exploration concludes at Ponta de Sao Lourenço, the island’s easternmost peninsula, celebrated for its striking volcanic rock formations and vibrant colors.
- Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto - The final destination on the east tour showcases the peninsula in all its splendor.
What's Included
- Guided stops and scenic viewpoints
- Off-road 4x4 vehicle
- Local driver-guide
- Guided stops and scenic viewpoints
- Off-road 4x4 vehicle
- Local driver-guide
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Entrance Fees (if applicable)
- Personal Expenses
- Food and drinks
- Entrance Fees (if applicable)
- Personal Expenses
Additional Information
Embark on a full-day off-road journey to uncover the untamed beauty of Madeira’s eastern coastline. Traverse volcanic peaks, ancient laurel forests, and charming mountain villages while your knowledgeable local guide narrates tales of the island’s rich history and natural wonders. Relish breathtaking views of the Atlantic and discover secluded locations…
Embark on a full-day off-road journey to uncover the untamed beauty of Madeira’s eastern coastline. Traverse volcanic peaks, ancient laurel forests, and charming mountain villages while your knowledgeable local guide narrates tales of the island’s rich history and natural wonders. Relish breathtaking views of the Atlantic and discover secluded locations that remain unseen by most tourists. This tour is ideal for those seeking to explore the authentic Madeira beyond the usual routes.
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Minimum age is 5 years
Location
Valley of the Nuns
Caminho da Padaria
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(222 Ratings)
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Carolineb587
Mar 20, 2026
Excellent bespoke tour - Despite the storm and legal requirement not to enter the mountain roads Fabio adapted the tour to create a bespoke and unique experience, particularly visiting a real Madeiran santana house away from the tourist trail and a fabulous lunch over a wood fire in a fabulous setting. Memeries were made
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Venture42941218058
Mar 10, 2026
A nice, personalized trip :) - We had a great time with our guide Wilson. He was very helpful, patient, and showed us plenty of options so we could enjoy our day despite the weather. Local recommendations for eating were also super good! Very nice trip <3
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alf
Feb 3, 2026
A thoroughly enjoyable days out with a knowledgable guide - We toured the east of the island with a group of other people driven by an excellent and knowledgable guide, Vitor. We visited numerous sites including Ponta de Sao Lourenco, Machico, Santa Cruz, a local rum distillery (very tasty) and lunch at an excellent restaurant in Sao Jorge.
A really enjoyable day and I would recommend this company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ronaldkempson
Jan 27, 2026
Excellent company - Was the highlight of my trip,the tour guide was very friendly and helpful showing us lots of different places that one would not have seen,he was a safe driver on the steep slopes would highly recommended this company
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Knthomason
Jan 13, 2026
Amazing Sites and knowledge - These guys are the best. They offer great tours and are flexible. In our case, it was raining and cloudy, so we did not go up the highest peak, where we would not have been able to see anything. Instead, we stayed at lower levels and saw many other sites on the Island. The guides were knowledgeable about the island's flora, fauna, and history. We did the East.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
67sheiladas
Dec 9, 2025
Beautiful sites of Madeira Portugal! 🇵🇹 - Fabio the best! We love the beautiful sites he took to! Non touristy! Fabio very knowledgeable of the island!
We had great time! Fabio also took us to a very good restaurant for lunch! We didn’t feel like we were on an average tour! Great tour! Great island! Very friendly people!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A9753tjsuep
Nov 19, 2025
Great tour of the east of the island - Really enjoyable day, touring the east of the island in a classic 4 x 4. Vitor was very knowledgeable and knew all the short cuts and interesting roads. We were joined by a lovely couple from Holland and enjoyed an authentic Madeira lunch. The short walk after lunch was not for the faint hearted but enjoyable when we got to the bottom!! Overall I would definitely recommend this trip. A big thank you to Vitor
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J6249etsharonr
Nov 16, 2025
Day trip around Maderia - Definitely one of the best tours we have ever done. Experencing Maderia through the eyes of a local helped us fall in love with the - either that, or the local Poncha! Thank you Tiago for being such a wonderful guide, and for going above and beyond for us, to have a truly remarkable experience. Looking forward to our next trip already. Sharon and Mark
Review provided by Tripadvisor
M7697qsmelindag
Nov 4, 2025
Unforgettable Jeep Adventure with Vítor from Hit The Road - We had a fantastic experience with Hit The Road and our local guide Vítor. We left all the planning of our private Jeep tour in his hands, and he did an amazing job. He was incredibly informative and tirelessly answered all our questions – and we had loads!
The tour itself was wonderfully adventurous, taking us along extremely steep roads, through beautiful places, and to great spots for food and drinks. We felt like we got to see the real Madeira with a local friend rather than just a standard tour.
It was a brilliant day from start to finish. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
525sylvien
Oct 31, 2025
Nice experience - Thanks to Wilson our driver for this day. He gave details of what we are visiting and offered us an alternative to the walk to the top, impossible due to the rain.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
