Central Madeira in one day
Over the mountains to São Vicente and Santana on the north coast, the Balcões walk in the laurel forest, Pico do Arieiro when it's clear, and the Nuns Valley from Eira do Serrado.
€240 per car for 1 to 4 people, €280 for 5 or 6 about 7.5 hours from Funchal.
- Up to 6 passengers in our 7-seat car
- 09:00–16:30 a usual day from Funchal
- Weather check the evening before
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The price for the car
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Central Madeira day
Book: Central Madeira day, €240 per car7.5 h
- 1–4 people
- €240
- 5–6 people
- €280
Extra time €40 an hour for 1 to 4 people, €45 for 5 or 6, charged for each full hour over.
In the price
- Pickup in Funchal, Caniço, Santa Cruz, Machico, Câmara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava
- Fuel and parking
- Waiting at every stop, with no kilometre count
- Child seats, free on request
- A new route or a new date if the peaks are in cloud
Not in the price
- Entry tickets, meals and SIMplifica trail fees are not included.
Central Madeira: the north coast, the laurel forest and the peaks for 6 people: about €47 each.
Pickup in Calheta, Ponta do Sol or São Vicente adds €45 for the car, 1 to 6 people. Pickup in Santana, Porto da Cruz or Faial adds €55 for 1 to 4 people or €60 for 5 or 6. The day then starts on the north side.
Pickup at the cruise terminal adds €25. If your ship leaves the same day, the cruise day is planned around your all-aboard time and includes the terminal pickup.
The day, stop by stop
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09:00
Pickup at your hotel
Anywhere in Funchal, Caniço, Santa Cruz, Machico, Câmara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava. West on the VR1 expressway to Ribeira Brava, then through the Encumeada tunnel to the north coast.
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about 09:50
São Vicente
A north-coast village at a river mouth, with a 1692 chapel built inside a basalt rock; its lava caves are closed.
About 15 minutes by the chapel in the rock at the river mouth and in the old streets of the village.
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about 10:45
Santana and lunch
A north-coast town known for its small triangular houses with thatched roofs and colourful fronts.
East along the north coast through Ponta Delgada and São Jorge. About 30 minutes for the thatched houses in the town centre, then about an hour for lunch here or nearby.
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about 12:40
Ribeiro Frio and the Balcões walk
A forest hamlet with a trout hatchery, where the short, level PR11 levada walk leads to the Balcões viewpoint.
Down past Faial and up through the forest. The walk to the viewpoint and back takes about 1 h 30 there and back, and each walker needs a SIMplifica slot.
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about 14:30
Pico do Arieiro Optional
A 1,818 m peak you can drive to, where the PR1 starts and the sun often rises above a sea of cloud.
Up to 1,818 m if the summit is clear, about 30 minutes at the viewpoint. If it's in cloud, we skip it and give the time to the last stop.
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about 15:30
Eira do Serrado, over the Nuns Valley
A village at the bottom of a deep valley ringed by peaks, and the Eira do Serrado viewpoint high above it.
By the forest road across the hills above Funchal. Then a short footpath up from the car park by the Estalagem da Eira do Serrado to the viewpoint, with the village of Curral das Freiras far below.
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about 16:30
Back at your hotel
From Eira do Serrado it's about 30 minutes down to Funchal.
On your own route and island days you can change the plan on the day, and waiting at your stops is included.
Over the middle of the island and back
- Start Funchal
- São Vicente
- São Jorge
- Santana
- Ribeiro Frio
- Pico do Arieiro
- Eira do Serrado
- Back to Funchal
Cloud on the peaks, and the Balcões walk
Weather in the mountains
The north coast and the mountains get more wind, rain and fog than the south, and Pico do Arieiro can be in cloud while Funchal is in sun. On this loop the summit comes in the afternoon, when it is more often in cloud than in the morning. Your driver checks it on the way up from Ribeiro Frio, and if the top is grey we go straight on to Eira do Serrado. The Pico do Arieiro guide has more on the summit.
We check the mountain forecast the evening before and send you the plan. If the morning looks clearer than the afternoon, we can drive the loop the other way round, with the peaks first and the north coast after lunch.
The Balcões walk
At Ribeiro Frio, the Balcões walk (PR11) follows a levada through the laurel forest to a viewpoint over the valley that runs down to Faial, with the central peaks behind it. The path is short and nearly level, and the day gives it the official time.
PR11 is a classified trail, so every walker needs a SIMplifica booking, at €4.50 a person. IFCN charges nothing to residents of Madeira, children aged 12 or under, and people with a disability of 60% or more plus one companion, who still book a slot. You book the slot yourself, and a slot from 12:30 fits the times above. If the forecast looks doubtful, wait for our message the evening before, because SIMplifica doesn't refund a slot for rain.
The rules for a tour day
- Weather
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We check the mountain forecast the evening before, and if the peaks are in cloud we swap the route at no cost, or you go as planned, or move once to another free day at no cost.
- What's in the price
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The price is for the whole car and includes fuel, parking and child seats, and on your own route and tours also waiting at your stops, with no kilometre count.
- How long a tour day is
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A tour's hours count from your pickup, and inside them you stop wherever and for as long as you like.
- Extra time
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We don't count minutes: a day that ends up to an hour past the booked time costs nothing more, and beyond that each full extra hour costs €40 for 1 to 4 people or €45 for 5 or 6.
- Pickup area for your own route, tours and hiking
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Your own route, tours and hiking transfers include pickup anywhere from Ribeira Brava to Caniçal, including Funchal and the hills above it, and a pickup further out adds the fixed amount shown for your area.
Terms reviewed on 25 September 2026
Questions about the central day
Which SIMplifica slot do we book for the Balcões walk?
Book the slot from 12:30 for every walker, on the day of your tour. Each slot lasts 30 min minutes with about 15 min minutes' tolerance, and children 12 or under go free but still need a booking. If we change the order of the day, we tell you the new time the evening before.
What if Pico do Arieiro is in cloud?
We skip the summit and drive on to Eira do Serrado, which is lower. We check the mountain forecast the evening before, and if the peaks are in cloud we swap the route at no cost, or you go as planned, or move once to another free day at no cost. On a clear morning forecast we can also run the loop the other way round, with the peaks first.
Where do we have lunch?
Lunch comes early on this day, from about 11:15, in Santana or on the north coast nearby. If you'd rather eat later, the cafés by the road at Ribeiro Frio, where walkers stop, are there after the Balcões walk. Meals aren't in the price, and wine is fine, since nobody in your group is driving.
Do we go down into Curral das Freiras?
The day stops at the Eira do Serrado viewpoint above the village. The village is a separate drive down through a tunnel, so it needs extra time on the day, or fits a half day with a driver on another day.
Can we bring children?
Yes, children are welcome on the central day, and every child counts as one of the 6 passengers. Child seats are free, so tell us each child's age when you book and we fit the right seat. The Balcões walk is nearly flat, so most children manage it with good shoes.
Other days out
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8 h West Madeira
The longer drive, out to the north-west coast and back over the Paul da Serra plateau.
- Cabo Girão
- Porto Moniz pools
- Fanal forest
About 8 hours from pickup
€250 per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €290
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8 h East and north
The peaks when they're clear, the villages of the north coast and the island's eastern tip.
- Pico do Arieiro, if clear
- Santana houses
- Ponta de São Lourenço
About 8 hours from pickup
€250 per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €290
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2 h min Your own route
Your own route is priced by the hour, as a half day or as a full day, whichever is cheaper for your plan.
- Monte and its gardens
- Curral das Freiras village
- Anywhere else you name
By the hour, a half day or a full day
€50/h per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €70/h
Send us a date for the central day
Our car takes up to 6 passengers, and your driver picks you up at your hotel. Booking is on request, so message us and we'll confirm your date. We reply within 60 minutes during messaging hours (07:00–22:00), and we answer overnight requests by 08:00.
Central Madeira: the north coast, the laurel forest and the peaks €240 per car for 1 to 4 people, €280 for 5 or 6