Madeira: Santana Typical Houses & Pico do Arieiro Full Day

Six stops across Madeira in one day: from cloud-level peaks to painted village houses

You visit five distinct landscapes in one day: a wicker-making village, a peak above the clouds, a UNESCO forest with a trout farm, a village of painted triangular houses where you stop for lunch, and a dramatic eastern coastline. The driver handles all the navigation and timing, the vehicle is climate-controlled, and every entrance fee is already paid. You leave Funchal in the morning and return by evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Santana1h 30m
2. Pico do Arieiro30m

Explore Madeira's villages and landscapes

• Visit Camacha village and wicker industry
• See views from Pico do Areeiro peak
• Explore Ribeiro Frio laurel forest and trout farm
• View Penha de Águia rock at Faial
• Lunch and see typical houses in Santana
• Observe landscape at Ponta São Lourenço
• Visit Machico city, first Portuguese landing

The experience

You're standing in Funchal with a free day and no rental car, wondering if you can actually see the whole island in one go. Turns out you can. The tour picks up from your hotel and heads north through Camacha first, a village where wicker-making has been the backbone of the economy for generations. You'll see workshops with cane pieces stacked everywhere, and it's the kind of place that feels like it hasn't changed much in decades. After that the road climbs.

Pico do Arieiro sits at 1,818 meters and on a clear day you get 360-degree views that make the whole island shrink below you. The thing nobody tells you is that you might drive into cloud cover halfway up, and then break through it again at the top: rock formations poking through white mist, the kind of light that makes your phone camera feel useless. From there the route drops into Ribeiro Frio, a small village tucked inside the Laurissilva forest, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest surviving laurel forest on earth. The air changes there. You'll see a trout farm built into stone channels fed by fresh water from the levada system, and the forest around it is dense enough that you forget you're on an island.

The long stop is Santana, and it's the reason most people book this tour. The village is famous for its triangular thatched houses painted in primary colors (bright red, blue, yellow), and they're real houses people live in, not a museum recreation. You get time to walk around, grab lunch, and actually stand in front of them instead of snapping from a moving bus. Before heading back toward Funchal, the route takes you to Faial to see Penha de Águia, a rock formation that dominates the coastline, and then finishes at Ponta de São Lourenço on the eastern tip of the island, where the landscape is all jagged rocks and sea meeting in ways that feel almost abstract.

The vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters because the elevation changes are real and the sun at the peaks is direct. All entry fees and taxes are included, so there's no stopping to pay at gates. If you're traveling with small children, infant seats are available and the pace suits families. It's a full day but not rushed, and you're sitting most of it.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle with pickup from your Funchal hotel.
• visits to Camacha village (wicker and cane production workshops).
• Pico do Arieiro peak at 1,818m with panoramic island views.
• Ribeiro Frio village and Laurissilva forest (UNESCO World Heritage Site) with trout farm.
• Faial and Penha de Águia rock formation.
• long stop in Santana to see the iconic triangular thatched houses and have lunch at a local restaurant.
• Ponta de São Lourenço on the eastern coast.
• all entrance fees and taxes.
• return transport to your hotel in the evening.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday, Friday and SundayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Child (under 7)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Feeling Madeira - Tours & Walks

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the main landscapes of Madeira in one day without arranging your own transport or paying entrance fees separately: the fixed itinerary and included vehicle mean you cover six distinct stops without navigating or timing yourself.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 7).

Is lunch included?

Lunch is not listed as included in the tour package. You have a long stop in Santana where you can eat at local restaurants, but you'll need to pay separately for your meal.

What's the altitude of Pico do Arieiro?

Pico do Arieiro is 1,818 meters high, the third-highest peak on Madeira. On clear days it offers 360-degree views of the island.

What is Laurissilva forest?

Laurissilva is the largest surviving laurel forest in the world and is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour stops in Ribeiro Frio, a village within this forest, where you can see native plants and a traditional trout farm.

Is the vehicle air-conditioned?

Yes, the tour includes an air-conditioned vehicle, which is useful given the elevation changes and sun exposure at the peaks.

What are the typical houses in Santana?

Santana is known for its distinctive triangular thatched houses painted in bright primary colors. These are real residences, not tourist attractions, and you have time to walk around the village and photograph them during the long stop.

Are all fees included?

Yes. All entrance fees and taxes are included in the tour price. There are no additional charges at attractions.