East Side of Madeira: Pico do Arieiro, Santana and More – Full Day Tour with Pickup
From mountain peaks to rugged coastlines, discover the wild east of Madeira at your own pace.
This East Madeira full day tour takes you across some of the island's most dramatic and diverse landscapes, from the clouds above Pico do Arieiro to the windswept cliffs of Ponta de Sao Lourenco. With a maximum of seven guests per vehicle, the experience is unhurried, personal, and genuinely immersive.
The tour operates in electric vehicles, keeping the journey quiet enough to hear birdsong in the laurel forest and waves breaking far below coastal viewpoints. The difference in how you experience a destination when the engine noise disappears is immediately noticeable. Your senses engage with the environment in a way that a conventional tour vehicle simply does not allow.
A local lunch in Santana, a levada walk through ancient Laurissilva forest, and a glass-floored viewpoint suspended above the Atlantic are among the stops that define this itinerary. The route balances well-known highlights with lesser-visited spots that most visitors never find. The group size cap ensures that your guide can adapt the pace and focus to what genuinely interests the people on the day.
Cruise ship passengers are advised to note that this is a scheduled group tour and is suitable only for guests staying overnight in Funchal, as the schedule is not structured around ship departure times. Private tour options are available for guests needing guaranteed returns.
Tour Highlights
Stand at 1,818 metres on Pico do Arieiro and take in panoramic views across Madeira's central mountain spine.
Walk a levada trail through Laurissilva forest at Ribeiro Frio, a UNESCO-recognised ancient woodland teeming with endemic birdlife.
Visit the village of Santana and see the famous triangular thatched houses that are unique to this part of Madeira.
Step onto the glass and steel balcony of Miradouro Guindaste for an unobstructed view directly above the ocean.
Explore Ponta de Sao Lourenco, the easternmost peninsula of Madeira, where volcanic cliffs drop sharply into vivid blue sea.
Travel in a quiet electric vehicle that reduces noise and emissions, enhancing the natural soundscape at every stop.
Benefit from a capped group size of seven guests, allowing for a relaxed, attentive, and flexible guided experience.
Itinerary
Your guide collects you directly from your hotel or accommodation in Funchal, so there is no need to find a central meeting point. The journey east begins as soon as the group is assembled.
The route winds up to one of Madeira's highest accessible peaks, where the views extend across ridgelines, valleys, and often above the cloud layer. Time is given to explore, photograph, and simply take in the scale of the landscape.
The descent leads to a small mountain village where a leisurely levada walk passes through ancient laurel forest. The area is known for endemic bird species including the Madeiran firecrest and chaffinch.
Lunch is taken in Santana, a town recognised for its distinctive triangular thatched-roof houses that reflect a vernacular building tradition specific to northern Madeira. Time is available to explore the village on foot.
A cantilevered glass and steel viewing platform extends over the cliffside, providing an uninterrupted view of the coastline below. It is one of the more striking viewpoints on the island.
The tour concludes at Madeira's easternmost point, where bare volcanic rock and dramatic sea cliffs contrast with the green interior. After exploring, the group returns to Funchal with hotel drop-off.
What Is Included
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Funchal
- Transport in a quiet electric vehicle
- Professional licensed guide throughout
- Local lunch in Santana
- Levada walk at Ribeiro Frio
- All entrance fees to viewpoints on the itinerary
Not Included
- Personal travel insurance
- Drinks and snacks outside of lunch
- Gratuities for the guide
- Any optional purchases in villages
Important Information
Reserve Your Place on This Tour
With only seven seats available per departure, this tour fills quickly. Secure your spot and experience the east side of Madeira the way it deserves to be seen.
Book Now
