Full-Day Madeira Farm Tour with Local Tastings and Lunch
Walk the land, meet the farmers, and taste Madeira from its very source.
This Madeira farm tour takes you off the tourist trail and into the working heart of the island, where traditional agriculture, levada walks, and authentic local flavours come together in one immersive full day.
Starting from Funchal, the journey moves through banana plantations, family-run vegetable farms, and a cattle operation that supplies milk for the island's celebrated requeijao cheese. Guides with formal training in agriculture and mountain knowledge walk you through each site, answering questions and providing context that no guidebook offers.
The route continues through the sugarcane belt of northern Madeira, including a visit to the only steam-powered rum distillery in Europe, before finishing with a stop at a beehive region where three distinct local honeys are presented for tasting. Every stop is chosen to reflect a different layer of Madeiran rural life.
Tour Highlights
Walk through a working banana plantation near Funchal and receive bananas directly from the land alongside a local liqueur.
Visit a family vegetable and fruit farm that supplies a major Portuguese supermarket chain and sample seasonal fruits on site.
Taste three distinct Madeiran cheeses, including the famous requeijao, and learn about traditional cattle farming and old milking techniques.
Enjoy a full three-course lunch with wine and drinks in the picturesque village of Santana, followed by a walk through Laurisilva laurel forest.
Tour the only steam-operated rum factory in Europe and take part in a rum and Poncha tasting in the sugarcane heartland of Madeira.
Visit the island's beehive region and compare three varieties of local honey produced in the wild landscapes of northern Madeira.
Walk a section of Madeira's iconic levada irrigation network and move through private agricultural terraces rarely seen by visitors.
Itinerary
The tour begins at a banana farm in Funchal, where the farmer explains cultivation methods and traditional techniques. A short levada walk follows, concluding with a tasting of bananas from the land and a local liqueur.
Travelling the old road, the group visits a family-run fruit and vegetable farm that supplies major supermarkets in Portugal. The adjacent cattle farm demonstrates traditional milking methods and offers three types of Madeiran cheese for tasting.
A three-course Madeiran meal with wine and drinks is served in a small restaurant in the village of Santana. After lunch, the group walks through a section of the ancient Laurisilva laurel forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The route enters the sugarcane-growing area of northern Madeira and visits the only rum factory in Europe still operating with steam power. Guests participate in a tasting of rum and the traditional Madeiran Poncha.
The final stop focuses on the production of requeijao cheese and a visit to the surrounding beehive area. Three varieties of local honey are presented and available for tasting before the return to Funchal.
What Is Included and Excluded
Included
- Guided tours through all farms
- Three-course lunch with dessert, wine and drinks
- Qualified agriculture-trained guide
- Bananas from the plantation and local liqueur
- Three types of Madeiran honey tasting
- Three types of Madeiran cheese tasting
- Seasonal fruit selection
- Rum and Poncha tasting at the distillery
- Hotel pick-up between Machico and Funchal
Not Included
- Food and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
- Hotel transfers outside the Machico to Funchal corridor (additional cost per person applies)
- Personal expenses and gratuities
Important Information
Reserve Your Place on This Farm Tour
Spaces are limited to keep the experience personal and authentic. Secure your spot today and prepare to discover the agricultural soul of Madeira Island.
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