Northwest Madeira 4x4 Tour: Volcanic pools and levada walk
Volcanic pools, a levada walk, and the plateau that holds Madeira's oldest forest
A full-day 4x4 tour of northwest Madeira with a local guide, hotel or cruise pickup, and eight hours of driving through volcanic terrain, UNESCO-listed native forest, and non-touristic villages. The open-top vehicle lets you see the Paul da Serra plateau and the sea cliffs above Porto Moniz without a separate hiking commitment, and swimming at the volcanic lava pools depends on weather and daylight.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore northwest Madeira by 4x4
- Pass by Serra de Agua
- Pass by Encumeada
- Visit Ginjas for 10 minutes
- Pass by Estanquinhos
- Pass by Paul da Serra Plateau
- Pass by Paul da Serra again
- Visit Fanal for 10 minutes
- Pass by Ribeira da Janela
- Stop at Ribeira da Janela for 5 minutes
- Stop at Ribeira da Janela for 5 minutes
- Visit Porto Moniz for 45 minutes
- Swim at volcanic lava pools if weather allows
- Pass by Seixal
- Swim at volcanic lava pools if weather allows
- Visit Seixal for 5 minutes
- Serra de Agua passing by
- Caminho Real da Encumeada PR12 passing by
- Sao Vicente 10m
- Bica Da Cana passing by
- Paul da Serra Plateau passing by
- Levada do Paul da Serra passing by
- Vereda do Fanal 10m
- Ribeira da Janela passing by
- Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela 5m
- Miradouro Ribeira da Janela 5m
- Porto Moniz 45m
- Porto Moniz 45m
- Seixal passing by
- Poca Das Lesmas 45m
- Miradouro do Veu da Noiva 5m
What’s included
- Local guide in your chosen language.
- 4x4 vehicle with open-top roof.
- hotel or cruise dock pickup and drop-off.
- a 15-minute levada walk through native forest terrain.
- access to volcanic lava pools at Porto Moniz (weather dependent).
- stops in non-touristic villages and viewpoints across the Paul da Serra plateau and coastal cliffs.
- Every day 08:30
Information
Full-day 4x4 tour of northwest Madeira with local guide, hotel pickup and volcanic lava pools at Porto Moniz.
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The experience
You start from your hotel or the cruise dock and spend the day in a 4x4 with an open roof, which means the landscape stays visible and the air moves through as the route climbs. The guide is local and speaks your language (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or one of two others), so the stops and the history come with context instead of silence. The northwest side of Madeira is less crowded than the south, and the itinerary moves through Serra de Agua, the Encumeada pass, and then up to the Paul da Serra plateau, where the native laurel forest grows on high ground and the light changes as you climb.
The day includes a 15-minute levada walk, which is a canal walk on the gentle irrigation paths Madeira built centuries ago: no scrambling, just a flat stretch through the landscape. From there the route drops toward the coast at Ribeira da Janela and Porto Moniz, where the volcanic lava pools sit at sea level and the water is deep enough to swim if the weather holds and the tide is right. You also pass through Seixal and smaller villages where tourists rarely stop, and the cliffs above the water frame the whole northwestern edge of the island.
Eight hours is a full day, and the route covers ground: the Paul da Serra alone sits at elevation and takes time to cross. Lunch is not included, so you either bring food or eat in one of the villages the guide knows. The pickup is free from Funchal area hotels. Cruise passengers pay €5 per person for dock pickup. If you're arriving and have a full day before anything else, this fills it without you needing to rent a car or navigate the mountain roads yourself.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3).
What is the Paul da Serra plateau like, and how much time do we spend there?
The Paul da Serra is a high plateau on Madeira's northwest side, home to the island's UNESCO-listed native laurel forest. The route crosses it as part of the full day's drive, moving through the forest and the high terrain before descending toward the coast at Porto Moniz.
Can we actually swim in the volcanic pools at Porto Moniz, or is it just a photo stop?
Swimming at the volcanic lava pools at Porto Moniz is possible if the weather allows and daylight permits. The pools are real and deep enough, but the decision depends on conditions on the day you go. The guide will know whether it's safe and feasible when you arrive.
How difficult is the levada walk, and do I need hiking boots?
The levada walk is 15 minutes on a flat irrigation canal path: no scrambling or steep terrain. Regular shoes work fine. It's the gentlest part of the day and breaks up the driving without requiring hiking experience or special gear.
Is lunch included, and where do we eat?
Lunch is not included in the tour price. The guide knows the villages and can recommend places to eat, and you have time to stop in one of the smaller settlements along the route, but you choose where and what to buy.
Do we need to arrange our own transport to the meeting point?
Hotel pickup from the Funchal area is free and included. If you're arriving at the cruise dock, pickup costs €5 per person. Outside Funchal, pickup may carry an extra fuel tax. Confirm your location when booking.
Operated by Green Devil Safari. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Northwest Madeira 4x4 Tour: Volcanic pools and levada walk
8h · EN · ES · FR · DE · IT · PT · at your hotel
from € 69 per person
≈ US$ 78 in your currency
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