Madeira East Tour: Pico do Areeiro, Santana & North Coast

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/12

Duration8h

GroupUp to 55

LanguagesEN · DE +2

PickupAt your hotel

What makes those Santana houses so different? A full day finding out.

You climb to Madeira's third-highest peak, walk through a UNESCO forest, see the iconic A-frame houses of Santana up close, and drive the dramatic north coast with stops at Porto da Cruz and Ponta de São Lourenço. Lunch is included in the village, and your guide handles all the timing and route so you don't have to piece together five different stops yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Madeira's East Coast Highlights

Depart from Funchal
Visit Pico do Areeiro viewpoint
Stop at Ribeiro Frio trout hatchery
Explore Santana traditional houses
Lunch break in Santana
Drive along North Coast to Porto da Cruz
Enjoy views of Penha d'Águia rock formation
Visit Ponta de São Lourenço peninsula
Return to hotel

The Experience

What makes those Santana houses so different? A full day finding out. You start early from Funchal and climb straight to Pico do Areeiro at 1,818 meters — the third-highest point on the island — where on a clear day you can see all the way to Porto Santo. The air thins out, the view opens up, and you get a sense of how much island is packed into this small place. Your guide stops here long enough to let it sink in, then you head down toward the coast.

The drive down takes you through Madeira's Laurisilva Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999, and you stop at Ribeiro Frio to see the trout hatchery tucked into a garden of rare trees and endemic plants. It's quiet there, a bit removed from the main road. Then you reach Santana itself — the village famous for those distinctive A-frame houses with their steep roofs and painted wooden shutters. They're not just photo subjects; they're built that way because of the rain and the wind that comes off the Atlantic. You have time to walk around, and lunch is included, so you eat somewhere in the village and actually sit with the place instead of rushing through.

After lunch, the tour swings around the north coast. You stop at Porto da Cruz to look out at Penha d'Águia, a rock formation that rises straight out of the water and dominates the whole view. Then comes Ponta de São Lourenço at the eastern tip — a volcanic peninsula with a semi-arid landscape that looks almost lunar, nothing like the green you've seen all day. The cliffs drop away on both sides, and the wind is real. On the way back to Funchal, you pass through Machico, the oldest settlement on the island, and return to your hotel as the afternoon light starts to change. The whole day is about six to seven hours of driving and stopping, with an in-person guide the whole way.

What’s included

In-person guide throughout the day.
hotel pickup and drop-off (or nearby location if hotel pickup unavailable).
lunch in Santana.
free stops at Pico do Areeiro, Ribeiro Frio, Porto da Cruz, Ponta de São Lourenço, and Machico.
transportation in a vehicle suitable for all fitness levels.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by MTS Globe Portugal

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Madeira's most distinctive landmarks — the mountain, the forest, the famous houses — in one organized day without arranging five separate trips and timing them yourself. The fixed itinerary and included lunch mean you show up at your hotel and the rest is handled.