West Madeira in one day
A private west tour of Madeira by car, from Cabo Girão to the Porto Moniz pools and the Fanal forest.
€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, for the whole day
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West Madeira day
Book: West Madeira day, €220 per car8 h
- 1–4 people
- €220
- 5–6 people
- €260
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.
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
Not in the price
- Entry tickets, meals and SIMplifica trail fees are not included.
West Madeira: Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal for 6 people: about €43 each.
Your driver checks the mountain forecast the evening before. If cloud is forecast over the west, we swap east and west, stay on the south coast, or move the day, at no cost.
Pickup in Calheta, Ponta do Sol or São Vicente adds €45 for the car, 1 to 6 people. Pickup in Porto Moniz, Seixal or Ponta do Pargo adds €80 for 1 to 4 people or €85 for 5 or 6.
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 09:15
Câmara de Lobos
A coffee by the fishing harbour, where the painted boats are pulled up on the stones.
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about 09:45
Cabo Girão skywalk
A glass floor at the top of a sea cliff, with the terraced fields of the fajã straight below your feet.
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about 10:20
Ribeira Brava
We drive through by the seafront and follow the river up the valley towards the north side.
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about 10:40
Encumeada pass
The pass between the south and the north of the island. On a clear day the viewpoint looks down both valleys.
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about 11:05
São Vicente
The old village by the river mouth, with a small chapel built into a rock. If you want to walk through the lava caves and the volcano centre, add about 45 minutes and a ticket. Skip the cable car later and the day still fits in the 8 hours.
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about 11:35
Seixal
On the coast road we pass the Véu da Noiva waterfall viewpoint. In Seixal, a black sand beach lies below green cliffs, with vines on the slopes above.
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about 12:05
Porto Moniz pools and lunch
About 90 minutes for a swim in the lava rock pools and lunch wherever you choose. Several restaurants look over the pools, and wine with lunch is fine because nobody in your group is driving.
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about 13:55
Achadas da Cruz cable car Optional
A steep ride down the cliff to the small fields of Fajã da Quebrada Nova, and back up. Skip it and we go straight on to Fanal.
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about 15:15
Fanal
Old til trees standing in open grass, often in fog. You have about 30 minutes to walk among them.
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about 15:55
Paul da Serra
The high, flat moor between the two coasts. We cross it, and stop for a few minutes if the view is clear.
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about 17:00
Back at your hotel
Down to the south coast at Ponta do Sol, then the VR1 expressway from Ribeira Brava to Funchal.
On your own route and island days you can change the plan on the day, and waiting at your stops is included.
The west loop
- Start Funchal
- Câmara de Lobos
- Cabo Girão
- Ribeira Brava
- Encumeada
- São Vicente
- Seixal
- Porto Moniz
- Achadas da Cruz
- Fanal
- Paul da Serra
- Ponta do Sol
- Back to Funchal
Three stops that need a plan
Achadas da Cruz cable car
The Achadas da Cruz cable car drops from the clifftop village almost straight down to Fajã da Quebrada Nova. The fajã is a strip of small fields and stone houses at the foot of the cliff. The ride is short and steep. The cabin is small, so at busy times you wait for the next one.
Allow about 45 minutes for the ride down, a walk along the fajã and the ride back up. The ticket isn't included in the price. If someone in your group doesn't like heights, they can wait at the top with your driver. If the cable car isn't running that day, we go straight on to Fanal.
Fanal forest and the fog
Fanal is a stretch of old laurel forest on the high ground above the north-west coast. The til trees have wide, twisted trunks and stand apart in open grass, with cows grazing between them. On many days cloud comes up from the north coast and fills the trees with fog. On other days the grass is in full sun.
The grass is often wet and it's colder than on the coast, so bring shoes that can get muddy and a warm layer.
Swimming at Porto Moniz
The Porto Moniz pools are basins in the black lava rock, and the sea washes over the rocks to fill them. The main pool complex has changing rooms and charges an entry fee. The older pools by the Cachalote restaurant are free.
The water is the open Atlantic, so it's cool even in August. When the sea is rough the pools close, and you can spend the time over a longer lunch instead. Pack swimwear and a towel in the morning, because the car doesn't pass your hotel again until the evening.
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 west day
How long is the day?
The west day is about 8 hours from your pickup, so with a 09:00 pickup in Funchal you're back at about 17:00. 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.
Can we swim at Porto Moniz?
Yes, you can swim in the natural lava rock pools at Porto Moniz, and the west day stops there for about 90 minutes with lunch. The main pool complex charges entry, the older pools by the Cachalote restaurant are free, and all of them close in rough seas.
When is Fanal foggy?
Fanal can be in fog on any day of the year, because it sits at the height where cloud from the north coast settles. If fog or sun there matters to you, tell us when you book. We check the forecast the evening before, and if the morning looks clearer up there, the day starts at Fanal and the coast comes after.
Can we add Rabaçal?
Rabaçal doesn't fit into the west day, because the PR6 walk to 25 Fontes and back takes about half a day on its own. The Rabaçal drop and collect is a separate trip at €160 for the car, 1 to 6 people, timed to the SIMplifica slot you book. Or book your own route and build the day around the walk and a few west stops.
Other days out
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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
€220 per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €260
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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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6–7 hOctober to April Cruise day
Met at the cruise terminal, out to the north-west coast or the east, and back 60 minutes before all-aboard.
- Cruise terminal, Pontinha pier
- Cabo Girão, Seixal and Porto Moniz
- Back at the pier before all-aboard
6–7 hours
€180 per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €210
Send us a date for the west day
The price is for the whole car, for up to 6 people, and your driver picks you up at your hotel. Booking is on request: we confirm your date and reply within 60 minutes, 07:00–22:00.
West Madeira: Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal €220 per car for 1 to 4 people, €260 for 5 or 6