East Madeira: Pico do Arieiro, Santana & Ponta de São Lourenço

Six stops across East Madeira in one day, from mountain peak to volcanic cliffs

You're picked up from your hotel and driven through five distinct landscapes (mountain peak, ancient forest, traditional village, coastal cliffs, and historic town) with a local guide explaining the geology, history and culture as you go. Lunch is included if you choose it, and the small-group format means the van doesn't feel crowded. You're back in Funchal by evening, having covered the east side of the island without arranging transport or timing it yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Pico do Arieiro15m
2. Santana2h
3. Portela Viewpoint15m
4. Ponta de São Lourenço15m

Explore East Madeira's key sights

• Climb Pico do Areeiro mountain
• Visit Ribeiro Frio laurel forest
• Explore Santana traditional houses
• Enjoy views in Faial village
• Admire Portela viewpoint scenery
• Walk Ponta de São Lourenço cliffs
• Discover historic Machico town

The experience

The van pulls up to Pico do Arieiro at 1,818 meters, and the air hits differently up there: thinner, cooler, the kind of quiet you don't expect on an island. Your guide points out the peaks rolling toward the Atlantic, and you realize the whole eastern half of Madeira is spread below you. This is where the day starts, and it sets the pace: not rushed, but moving through landscape like you're reading a map with your eyes. From here you drop down into Ribeiro Frio, where the laurel forest closes in around you. This is UNESCO-protected woodland that's been here since before recorded time, and the trout ponds tucked into the green feel like something from another era.

Santana comes next, and this is the moment most people reach for their camera. The triangular houses with thatched roofs aren't a museum exhibit. They're still lived in, still maintained as part of how the village works. Your guide explains the design (the steep pitch sheds rain, the thatch keeps things cool), and suddenly they're not just pretty, they're practical. You move through Faial after that, quieter, with a cross on the hill overlooking the north coast cliffs, then to Portela, where the viewpoint opens up over Porto da Cruz and the Eagle Rock formation. The landscape shifts as you drive: green valleys, then drier terrain, then the volcanic rock of Ponta de São Lourenço at the island's eastern tip, where the cliffs drop straight into the sea and the air tastes salt.

The tour wraps in Machico, the first place Portuguese explorers landed in the 1400s, and there's a 15th-century church if you want to step inside, or a beach if you'd rather just sit. The whole day runs with a local guide and driver in an air-conditioned vehicle, which matters more than it sounds. The roads wind, the stops are timed so you're not standing around, and someone who actually knows the island is explaining what you're looking at instead of reading from a script. Lunch is optional but worth taking if you're not on a tight schedule. It gives you time to settle into the rhythm instead of rushing between viewpoints.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Funchal.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the full day.
• local guide and driver.
• lunch (if selected at booking).
• entry to viewpoints and villages including Pico do Arieiro, Ribeiro Frio, Santana, Faial, Portela, Ponta de São Lourenço, and Machico.

Options for this experience

2 options

Tour OnlyGuide in English · 09:00Full-day East Madeira tour without lunch; pickup is included

Tour & LunchGuide in English · 09:00Full-day East Madeira tour with lunch included; pickup is included

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Child (3 to 9 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 16 · max 8 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Intertours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the contrasting landscapes of East Madeira (mountains, forest, villages, and coastal cliffs) in a single day without renting a car or planning the route yourself. The small-group format and local guide mean you get context for what you're seeing instead of just passing through.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 9 years); Infant (under 3).

How long is the full day tour?

The itinerary spans the full day from morning pickup to return in the evening, with stops at six locations across East Madeira.

What's the highest point on this tour?

Pico do Arieiro, at 1,818 meters above sea level, is the island's third-highest mountain and the first stop on the itinerary.

Is lunch included in the price?

Lunch is optional. You can select it when booking, and it's included if you do.

What's the Laurissilva forest?

It's a UNESCO-protected ancient laurel forest at Ribeiro Frio, dating back to prehistoric times, with much of Madeira's original plant life still preserved there.

Are the triangular houses in Santana still lived in?

Yes, the traditional thatched-roof houses in Santana are still maintained and inhabited as part of the village.

What's included in the tour?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, an air-conditioned vehicle, a local guide/driver, and lunch if you select that option.

Is this tour suitable for people with limited fitness?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. It involves stops at viewpoints and walking through villages, but no strenuous hiking is required.

Do infants need their own seat?

No, infants are required to sit on an adult's lap during the journey.