Madeira 4x4 Off-Road Tours: Private Adventures Santana Porto Moniz

Drive mountain passes and forest trails to reach villages and natural pools most visitors miss.

Madeira off-road tours are private 4x4 excursions led by local guides through mountain terrain, UNESCO-protected forest and coastal roads to named stops like Santana and Porto Moniz. You climb to Pico do Areeiro at 1,818 meters, descend through Laurissilva Forest, visit traditional thatched-roof houses, and stop at natural volcanic swimming pools and waterfalls. Tours run as full-day routes or half-day options, with private transportation and a guide throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Santana7h · entry included
2. Porto Moniz7h

Day 1: Explore Madeira's mountains and coast

• Depart from Funchal
• Visit Pico do Areeiro mountain
• Descend through Ribeiro Frio and Cruzinhas
• Explore Laurissilva Forest UNESCO site
• Arrive at Santana and see traditional houses
• Stop for lunch in Santana
• Return via eastern coast
• Stop at Ponta de São Lourenço

Day 2: Southwest coast to northern coast adventure

• Depart from Funchal via Câmara de Lobos
• Travel old roads to Ribeira Brava
• Stop for a drink
• Ascend to plateau at 1500m altitude
• Cross Paúl da Serra plateau off-road
• Arrive at Porto Moniz
• Lunch and swim in volcanic pools
• Drive along northern coast villages
• View sea cliffs and waterfalls

The experience

The route starts in Funchal and splits into two main paths depending on which option you choose. The Santana route heads toward the highest mountains, climbing to Pico do Areeiro where the altitude gives you views across the island. From there you descend through Ribeiro Frio and Cruzinhas into Laurissilva Forest, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site since 1999, before reaching Santana to see the original thatched-roof houses that define the village. The return follows the eastern coast to Ponta de São Lourenço, the easternmost point of Madeira. The Porto Moniz route takes the southwestern coast through Câmara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava on old roads, climbing to a 1,500-meter plateau where you drive above the clouds across Paúl da Serra on off-road terrain. Porto Moniz itself sits on the northern coast, where you stop to swim in natural volcanic pools and eat lunch before driving back along the coast past waterfalls and sea cliffs.

Your guide is born and raised in Madeira, which shapes what you see and how long you spend at each stop. Private transportation means the itinerary moves at your pace, not a group schedule. The full-day tours run roughly 17 hours from Funchal, though the half-day Nun's Valley option compresses the experience into a morning or afternoon. Lunch is included on the full-day routes at either Santana or Porto Moniz, depending on which direction you travel.

Service animals are welcome, and children from age 4 can join. Specialized infant seats are available if you're traveling with younger children. The terrain is rough in places (especially the off-road sections across Paúl da Serra), but the tour suits all fitness levels because you're riding, not hiking.

What’s included

• Private transportation in a 4x4 vehicle.
• a live guide fluent in English, Portuguese, French or German.
• lunch on full-day tours.

Options for this experience

4 options

Nun's Valley (half day)Up to 15 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 09:00Lasts 3 hours, using a Land Rover Discovery or an open classic Portuguese vehicle; pickup is included.

Porto Moniz (West)Up to 15 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 09:00Full-day west tour lasting 7 hours by 4WD, using a Land Rover Discovery or an open classic Portuguese vehicle; pickup is included.

Santana (East)Up to 15 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 09:00Lasts 7 hours, using a Land Rover Discovery or an open classic Portuguese vehicle; includes pickup.

Private tourUp to 7 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 09:00Includes pickup.

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to22h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French, German and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Madeira Off Road Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the Santana route if you want to see traditional village architecture and UNESCO forest in a single day. Pick Porto Moniz if swimming in volcanic pools and driving off-road across a high plateau appeal to you more. The half-day Nun's Valley option works if you're splitting your day between this tour and other plans in Madeira.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

80 verified traveler reviews

5 ★80

4 ★0

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French, German and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Pico do Areeiro and why does the Santana route climb there?

Pico do Areeiro is Madeira's third-highest mountain at 1,818 meters altitude. The Santana route climbs there at the start because the elevation gives you panoramic views across the island before you descend into the forest and villages below.

Can I swim in the volcanic pools at Porto Moniz, or is that just a photo stop?

Porto Moniz's natural volcanic swimming pools are a lunch stop on the full-day west route, so you have time to bathe in them. The pools are fed by the ocean and warmed naturally.

What makes Laurissilva Forest worth the detour on the Santana route?

Laurissilva Forest was designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 1999 and is indigenous to Madeira. The Santana route passes through it on the descent from Pico do Areeiro, so you see the forest's scale and vegetation as part of the day's landscape.

How does the half-day Nun's Valley option differ from the full-day tours?

The half-day Nun's Valley tour compresses the experience into a morning or afternoon, while the full-day Santana and Porto Moniz routes run the full 17-hour itinerary from Funchal with lunch included. Half-day tours let you combine the drive with other activities in your schedule.

Are the off-road sections difficult to drive, or is it smooth terrain most of the way?

The Porto Moniz route includes off-road driving across Paúl da Serra plateau at 1,500 meters, especially after you leave the main roads. The Santana route uses older roads but is less rough. Both are navigable in a 4x4 with a local guide who knows the terrain.