Funchal Trip Overview
Direct to Ponta do Sol, avoiding the crowds at Ribeira Brava, for the morning coffee stop and south coast views.
Old roads only the Land Rover can deal with, ascending through the rural areas of Ponta do Sol.
45 minute off-road track to Paul da Serra, the largest Plateau of the island, 1494m above sea level!
Descending towards the North side of the island to Ribeira da Janela with large landscape views of the protected UNESCO forest
Lunch at the Aqua Natura hotel in Porto Moniz, with a view over the volcanic rock pools
After a walk around the village of Porto Moniz, we head South through the village of Seixal (rock pools, swimming)
Through Sao Vicente and Serra de Agua (poncha)
And finally ending at the Cabo Girao glass bottom viewpoint
Additional Info
* Duration: 8 hours
* Starts: Funchal, Portugal
* Trip Category: Outdoor Activities >> 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Funchal, Madeira Islands, Portugal
Direct to Ponta do Sol, avoiding the crowds at Ribeira Brava, for the morning coffee stop and south coast views.
Old roads only the Land Rover can deal with, ascending through the rural areas of Ponta do Sol.
45 minute off-road track to Paul da Serra, the largest Plateau of the island, 1494m above sea level!
Descending towards the North side of the island to Ribeira da Janela with large landscape views of the protected UNESCO forest
Lunch at the Aqua Natura hotel in Porto Moniz, with a view over the volcanic rock pools
After a walk around the village of Porto Moniz, we head South through the village of Seixal (rock pools, swimming)
Through Sao Vicente and Serra de Agua (poncha)
And finally ending at the Cabo Girao glass bottom viewpoint
Mother nature at it’s finest!
The west is full of cliffs and valleys, I find that on the west we see less people and more nature.
The morning is usually spent exploring the south western coastline, one or two villages, some history and some great photo stops.
According to the weather, we will at some point start climbing to one of the west tour’s main attraction, the plateau, Paul Da Serra.
If the weather is good we will spend a fair amount of time up here taking in the unbelievable views, the volcanic valleys formed during the 3rd phase of eruptions that created Madeira, the small villages of the South West from up above, clouds formed below us, laurel forests, cows, and much more….
It’s then time to descend to Porto Moniz, the second main event of our tour.
For lunch, we stop at the Aqua Natura Hotel which is simply, for us, the best place in Porto Moniz for lunch (optional extra, not included in price)
After all that we make our way back to Funchal, stoping at various attractions along the way including waterfalls, local bars, churches, volcanic caves (extra), volcanic sand beaches, lagoons for swimming in (weather permitting)
This trip is highly improvised, making it a real adventure every time!
Great for families, nature lovers and those who like being away from the crowds.
