East and north Madeira in one day
A private east Madeira tour from Funchal: Pico do Arieiro when it's clear, Santana on the north coast, and Ponta de São Lourenço.
€220 per car for 1 to 4 people, €260 for 5 or 6 about 8 hours from Funchal.
- Up to 6 passengers in our 7-seat car
- 09:00–17:00 a usual day from Funchal
- Weather check the evening before
Your driver speaks EnglishPortuguêsРусский
The price for the car
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East and north day
Book: East and north day, €220 per car8 h
- 1–4 people
- €220
- 5–6 people
- €260
Extra time €40 an hour for 1 to 4 people, €45 for 5 or 6, charged per started 15 minutes.
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.
East Madeira: Santana and Ponta de São Lourenço for 6 people: about €43 each.
A pickup in Santana, Porto da Cruz or Faial adds €55 for 1 to 4 people or €60 for 5 or 6. A pickup in São Jorge, Boaventura or Ponta Delgada adds €65 for 1 to 4 people or €70 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. The 8 hours start here.
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about 09:45
Pico do Arieiro Optional
The road climbs from Funchal to 1,818 m in about 40–45 min. We go up only if the summit is clear that morning, and from the viewpoint you look across the central peaks.
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about 10:30
Ribeiro Frio and the Balcões walk
A hamlet in the laurel forest on the road down to the north coast, with a café. The Balcões walk (PR11) to a viewpoint over the valley takes about an hour there and back, with a SIMplifica booking.
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about 12:00
Santana
The thatched A-frame houses in the town centre, white with red and blue trim. About 30 minutes is enough to see them.
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about 12:40
São Jorge coast
Viewpoints over the cliffs of the north coast, a few minutes west of Santana. Lunch here or in Santana, wherever you like.
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about 14:15
Porto da Cruz
Back east past Faial to the harbour and the sea pools, under the tall Penha d'Águia headland.
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about 15:00
Machico
The bay where the first Portuguese settlers came ashore, with a sand beach and cafés along the front.
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about 15:40
Ponta de São Lourenço
Viewpoints on the road to Baía d'Abra, above the red cliffs of the eastern tip. Walking the PR8 trail itself needs a SIMplifica booking and a few more hours.
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about 16:30
Garajau
The Cristo Rei statue on the cliff, with the view back along the coast to Funchal.
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about 17:00
Back at your hotel
From Garajau it's about 15 minutes to Funchal on the VR1 expressway.
On your own route and island days you can change the plan on the day, and waiting at your stops is included.
The east and north coast loop
- Start Funchal
- Pico do Arieiro
- Ribeiro Frio
- Santana
- São Jorge
- Porto da Cruz
- Machico
- Ponta de São Lourenço
- Garajau
- Back to Funchal
Cloud on the peaks, and the Balcões walk
North and south weather
The north coast and the mountains get more wind, rain and fog than the south. Pico do Arieiro can be in cloud while Funchal is in sun. The summit is often clearer early in the day, which is why it comes first on this route.
We check the mountain forecast the evening before and send you the plan. On a grey day we leave out the summit and Ribeiro Frio, take the VR1 east to Machico and cross to Porto da Cruz for the north coast. The extra time goes to the eastern tip, where it tends to be drier.
Pico do Arieiro is 1,818 m high. Even in August the weather station below the summit averages 14.8 °C, so bring a warm layer for everyone. If you want the summit at first light, the Pico do Arieiro sunrise can start the same day. Ask us for the price of the two together.
Adding the Balcões walk
At Ribeiro Frio, the Balcões walk (PR11) follows a levada through the laurel forest. It ends at a viewpoint over the valley that runs down to Faial, with the central peaks behind it. The path is short and mostly level, and the sample day gives it an hour.
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 around 10:30 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 or move the 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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Time beyond the booked hours costs €40 an hour for 1 to 4 people or €45 for 5 or 6, charged per started 15 minutes.
- 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 east day
What if the peaks are in cloud?
We check the mountain forecast the evening before, and if the peaks are in cloud we swap the route or move the day at no cost. On this route we then skip Pico do Arieiro and Ribeiro Frio and spend the time on the coast around Machico and the eastern tip. If the east is wet as well, you can swap east and west, stay on the south coast, or move the day.
Can we walk at Ponta de São Lourenço?
Yes, you can walk the PR8 trail from the Baía d'Abra car park once you've booked a SIMplifica slot yourself, at €4.50 a person. The walk along the headland and back takes a few hours, so on the east day it takes the place of other stops or runs into extra time. For the walk on its own, the São Lourenço drop and collect costs €100 per car for 1 to 4 people or €120 for 5 or 6.
Is Santana worth it?
Santana is worth about 30 minutes, enough to see the thatched A-frame houses in the town centre on the way along the north coast. If you'd rather spend the time by the sea, we skip it and stay longer at São Jorge or Porto da Cruz.
Can we bring children?
Yes, children are welcome on the east and north 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. If a full day is long for small children, a half-day hire covers Garajau, Machico and the eastern tip.
Other days out
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4 h Sunrise at Pico do Arieiro
Dropped at the top before sunrise, with no hunting for a parking space in the dark.
- Pico do Arieiro viewpoint
- Coffee at the top or on the way down
- Back in Funchal by mid-morning
About 4 hours, starting before dawn
€140 per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €160
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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
€220 per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €260
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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
- Anywhere else you name
By the hour, a half day or a full day
€40/h per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €45/h
Send us a date for the east 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.
East Madeira: Santana and Ponta de São Lourenço €220 per car for 1 to 4 people, €260 for 5 or 6