Madeira East Island Tour and Levada Walk

East Madeira is a good place to get your bearings fast. This full-day tour strings together big viewpoints, the island’s misty interior, and the north-east coast in about 8 hours. I love the Pico do Arieiro stop for cloud-above mountain drama, and I really like the levada walk through the Laurissilva forest near Ribeiro Frio.

One thing to consider, though, is that the day is packed, so you get quick photo windows and then you move on.

A big plus is the people running it. In multiple trip accounts, guides such as Lucy, Gamma (often spelled as Mr. Gama), Tony, Carlos, Marco, and Michael earned praise for clear explanations and keeping the pace moving without killing the vibe. Just be ready for a lot of driving, plus cooler air at higher altitudes, even when Funchal feels warm.

Key things that make this East Madeira day work

• Cloud-level views at Pico do Arieiro (a high, dramatic photo stop around 1,818 meters)
• Laurissilva levada walking near Ribeiro Frio, with a short walk to Balcões and a calm forest feel
• Santana time for the A-framed cottages, plus a proper sit-down lunch with drinks on the shared option
• Faial Skywalk viewpoint plus multiple north and east coast lookouts
• Porto da Cruz rum tasting included, with free sampling right in the Porto Cruz village area
• Well-timed return to Funchal by 17:00, so this fits neatly into a day with other plans

East Madeira in one tight loop: why this itinerary is worth your time

This is the kind of day you book when you want highlights without renting a car, dealing with narrow roads, or trying to guess which viewpoint has the best light. The basic structure is simple: you climb above the clouds, slide into forest shade for the levada, then finish with northern and eastern coast scenery.

The route is built for variety. You start with a drive that looks out over Funchal and then heads into Madeira’s darker, wilder feel (people often call it the black forest area). After that you reach the island’s high point of the day at Pico do Arieiro. From there, you go down into Ribeiro Frio, where the Laurissilva forest makes everything feel cooler and greener. Then you bounce through Santana and the north coast, and finally you end up in the east with Faial, Porto da Cruz, Machico, and viewpoints over Ponta de São Lourenço.

Why that matters: Madeira can look like two different islands depending on altitude. A lower coastal day can feel sunny and breezy. Once you get above the cloud layer, everything changes, and so does what you can see. This tour is designed so you experience both moods.

One practical note. Even with a packed schedule, people consistently rate the stop times as long enough to admire and take photos, but short enough to keep energy up. You’re still in control of the walking you do on your own during free time, but you won’t have the luxury of lingering all day at a single spot.

Pico do Arieiro: the 1,818-meter viewpoint stop you’ll remember

If you only had time for one dramatic mountain moment, Pico do Arieiro would be the choice here. The tour treats it as a dedicated photo stop, roughly 35 minutes, which is enough time to move around, grab the angle you like, and feel that high-altitude exposure.

At about 1,818 meters, Pico do Arieiro sits high enough that conditions can shift quickly. Bring a jacket. Even in the season when Funchal can feel pleasantly mild, higher altitudes can feel windy and colder.

What makes this stop especially good on a guided day is timing. You’re not trying to drive and park while guessing whether the clouds will roll in. The guide and van are handling the logistics so you can just focus on standing still, looking out, and taking the kind of photos where your phone camera makes you look like a professional.

Potential drawback: Pico do Arieiro can be weather-dependent. The tour route can change due to traffic restrictions and weather, and mountain visibility is never guaranteed. The upside is that the tour is set up to keep you moving through other big-view moments even if conditions aren’t perfect.

Ribeiro Frio and the Laurissilva levada walk to Balcões

This is the tour moment that gives you a break from stop-and-go. The Ribeiro Frio area is known for its forest character, and the walk is in the Laurissilva environment, which is the island’s protected laurel forest region.

You’ll spend about an hour on the Levada dos Balcões section, plus some extra time associated with the approach, with a photo stop built in before the walk. That hour hits a sweet spot for most people. It’s long enough to feel like an actual walking experience, not a quick stroll, and short enough that you’re back for the next viewpoint without being wiped out.

There can be a small extra cost on the day for the levada walk. The details provided mention an additional fee of about 3.00€, and an entrance fee listed at 4.50€ as optional. Either way, it’s not the kind of surprise cost that should ruin your budget. Just plan a few euros for it.

How hard is it, realistically? You’re wearing comfortable shoes for a reason. The levada path can be wet or damp, and you’re walking beside (and sometimes under) the forest’s constant moisture. A jacket can still help because forest shade makes it feel cooler.

What I like about this stop in particular is that it teaches you how Madeira works beyond postcard views. The levadas are the island’s irrigation lifelines, carved into the landscape over time. On a good guide day, you come away understanding why this forest route matters, not just where to take a picture.

Miradouro do Guindaste, and the rhythm of quick viewpoint stops

Between the big anchor moments, you’ll hit a few smaller viewpoints that keep the day moving and the scenery changing. One named stop is Miradouro do Guindaste for a photo stop around 15 minutes.

This type of stop is easy to underestimate. But on Madeira, a lot of the wow factor comes from angles. You might see a valley where the clouds sit at different levels than you expected. Or you might notice how the coast folds and changes as you go east.

The practical win: even if you only spend 10 to 20 minutes at a viewpoint, that’s often enough to get oriented. A guide can point out what you’re actually looking at, not just give you time to stand there guessing. Several guides in past experiences, including Lucy and Tony, were praised for explaining what you’re seeing along the road, including fruit, plants, and local details.

When the tour feels fast, it’s usually because these stops are short by design. If you love slow travel, this might frustrate you. If you love making progress and seeing lots of different Madeira settings in one day, the timing works.

Santana Centre: A-framed houses, real lunch, and time to wander

Santana is a strong mid-day reset. The tour gives around 1.5 hours for Santana, including sightseeing of the famous A-framed cottages plus free time and regional food. On the shared tour option, lunch is included as a 3-course meal with drinks.

The A-frame cottages are not just a photo op. You get a chance to see how local architecture evolved for the island’s weather and life. And because the tour provides a chunk of time, you can do more than just walk past the front of a shop. You can take a slow lap and actually look at the details.

Lunch is part of the value calculation for this tour. People consistently describe the included meals as delicious and well worth the price, especially for a day when you’re also paying for the guide and all the driving. If you choose a shared option, you get that sit-down meal with drinks. If you book a private group, lunch is not included, so you’ll want to plan where you’ll eat.

One caution from real-world experience: lunch locations can change. There was at least one mention of a cave restaurant expectation that did not match what happened during a specific period. So if cave dining is a big part of your mental checklist, treat it as a possibility, not a guarantee.

Either way, Santana gives you a Madeira cultural hit, not just scenery. It’s where the day turns from “views, views, views” into “here’s how people live here.”

Faial Skywalk, Porto da Cruz rum tasting, and São Lourenço viewpoints

After Santana, the tour shifts toward the north-east and east coast.

Faial is where the Skywalk enters the picture. It’s one of those stops that makes you feel the drop and then forces you to take photos with your best posture. The tour keeps this as a dedicated photo and sightseeing moment, roughly 25 minutes, so you get enough time to enjoy it without losing half the day to a single viewpoint.

Then you move toward Porto da Cruz. The highlight here is a rum tasting in the Porto Cruz village area, with free tasting included. The stop is about 35 minutes, which is enough time to sample, walk around, and do a quick coast scan after you’ve had your little pour.

And then you reach the eastern coastal viewpoints. The tour specifically mentions lookouts over Ponta de São Lourenço, plus views of Machico, and on a good day you can see the Desertas Islands and Porto Santo in the distance. That last part is weather-dependent, of course. Clear visibility on Madeira is never a given, but the route is set up so you have multiple chances to see the coastline in good conditions.

If you’re a person who likes finishing a day with something fun, this is it. The rum tasting adds personality. And the São Lourenço viewpoints give you that strong final contrast, where the island feels more rugged and exposed compared to the forest section.

Machico and the scenic ride back to Funchal by 17:00

Machico is a calm close to the day. You’ll get a photo stop there, then the return drive to Funchal, with scenic driving time built in.

This matters because Madeira is full of “one more stop” energy. By the time you reach Machico, you’ve already seen the mountain and forest sides, so you can enjoy this last coastal moment without feeling like you need to cram in even more.

The tour is designed to bring you back by 17:00, which is a big practical point. You’re not stuck on island time all evening. You can still have dinner plans, or you can head back to your hotel without the sense that the day swallowed your entire vacation.

One more practical angle: your drop-off locations are listed as two Funchal points, so you might not end up exactly outside your hotel. It’s not unusual for shared tours, and the good news is that you still get two drop options in Funchal plus additional pickup options depending on where you started.

Price, value, and who this tour fits best

The price is listed at $64 per person for an 8-hour day. That is a good value when you compare what you’re getting: pick-up in Funchal and Caniço, a full guide experience with multiple languages, a lunch included on the shared option, rum tasting, and access to the levada walk area.

The value comes from how the tour reduces your effort. You’re not paying for fuel, you’re not paying for parking stress, and you’re not trying to assemble your own day that hits Pico do Arieiro, Laurissilva levada walking, Santana architecture, and the east coast viewpoints.

This tour is especially good for:

• People on a first visit who want a guided “greatest hits” route
• Anyone who wants a mix of mountains and forest without turning the day into a hike-fest
• Food lovers who want a 3-course lunch with drinks on the shared option
• Travelers who like learning things along the way, since guides such as Gamma/Mr. Gama and Lucy were praised for explanations and small nature stops

Who should consider another style of day:

• Anyone with mobility impairments, because the tour is not suitable for mobility impairments
• People who hate schedule pressure, since the day has short stop windows and can feel rushed at times

If you’re the type who likes to plan one “big guided day” and then spend the rest of your trip wandering on your own, this is a smart choice. You come away with a mental map of where to return later.

Should you book Madeira’s East Island Tour and Levada Walk?

Book it if you want a well-structured, single-day sampler of Pico do Arieiro, Ribeiro Frio, Santana, and the east coast viewpoints, all with a guide driving the route and explaining what you’re seeing.

I’d also book it if you like walking just enough. The levada walk to Balcões is short enough to feel doable, but it’s still a real experience, not a token moment.

Skip or rethink if you want a slow pace, or if your schedule needs lots of flexibility for weather. The route can change due to conditions, and the day has a steady rhythm.

If you decide to go, wear comfortable shoes and pack a jacket. That simple duo helps you enjoy every altitude, from cloud-level heights to shaded forest walking.

FAQ

What time is pickup, and when will I be back in Funchal?

Pickup starts between 8:00 and 9:00, depending on where you’re picked up. The tour returns to Funchal by 17:00. For cruise ship days, ship timing is noted, and pickup timing can be reconfirmed after booking.

Is lunch included?

Lunch is included for the shared tour as a 3-course meal with drinks. For private tours, lunch is not included.

Is there a fee for the levada walk?

Yes, there is an additional fee for the levada walk. The information provided lists a small cost paid on the day (with figures mentioned as 3.00€ and also an entrance fee option of 4.50€).

Is rum tasting included?

Yes. The tour includes a visit to the rum factory with free rum tasting at Porto Cruz Village.

What languages are the guides?

Live tour guides are available in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Is the tour suitable for people with mobility impairments?

No. The activity is not suitable for people with mobility impairments.