Madeira Land Tour: A Day of 4x4 Adventure Exploring Ponta Do Sol and Unesco Forest
5.0
94 Ratings
Ponta Do Sol
Embark on a thrilling 4x4 adventure in Madeira, exploring Ponta Do Sol and the UNESCO Forest. Ascend through rural areas, visit the largest plateau, enjoy stunning views, and indulge in a delicious lunch. End the day at the famous Cabo Girao glass bottom viewpoint.
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

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.

Points of Interest

  • The Views Monumental
What's Included
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off convenience
  • Optional short 45-minute Levada walk
  • Insightful introduction to the island’s culture and history
  • Expert guidance from a qualified, friendly guide and driver
  • Exclusive small group experience with a maximum of 6 passengers
  • Flexible itinerary with a relaxed attitude to timings
  • All-weather comfortable Land Rover Discovery transport
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Pick up fees (outside of Funchal)
Additional Information

Take a direct route to Ponta do Sol, bypassing the rush at Ribeira Brava, to enjoy the morning coffee break and the stunning views of the southern coast.

Travel on old roads that only the Land Rover can manage, climbing through the pastoral settings of Ponta do Sol.

Embark on a 45-minute off-road journey to Paul da Serra, the island’s biggest plateau, towering 1494m above sea level!

Head downwards toward the northern side of the island to Ribeira da Janela, offering widespread scenic views of the UNESCO-protected forest.

Savor lunch at the Aqua Natura hotel in Porto Moniz, while overlooking the volcanic rock pools.

Post a stroll around the village of Porto Moniz, we set course southward through the village of Seixal (notable for rock pools, swimming).

Pass through Sao Vicente and Serra de Agua (famous for poncha).

And ultimately conclude at the Cabo Girao glass-bottom viewpoint.

  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Minimum age is 5 years
Location
Ponta Do Sol
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(94 Ratings)
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Cggrimm07
Mar 9, 2024
Brilliant tour , fantastic guide and a great day out. - We had a fantastic day touring the west of Madeira with Hit the road team our guide for the day was Nuno , he was genuine, funny informative and really helped to make the day rememberable. We visited a lot of places in a day had some nice poncha stops with the locals the islands beauty speaks for it self but it is increased when you have guides that know where and what to show you. I’d 100% recommend the hit the road team if you are looking for a great day out.
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Flyer01164424934
Mar 5, 2024
An amazing day on the west side of Madeira - Nuno was a super guide as we explored the Western side of Madeira. His love for the island is contagious and he had so many interesting stories and fun facts, so there was never a dull moment! The tour was timed perfectly, with a balance of sightseeing and relaxing with a local drink or fantastic meal. At our first stop for coffee ( and Poncha 😀), we savored homemade banana cake, still warm from the oven. We will take home amazing photos from the trip, along with memories that will last a lifetime.
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Habitualmurph
Mar 1, 2024
The amazing West - Arrived in Madeira as a solo travler and messaged Hit the road to see if they could fit me in anywhere during the week, Jaki got back very quickly, really helpfully. I'm a photographer so it was gret to get a tour around to see the sights on my first trip there. really friendly guid Nuno brought us to some of the middle of nowwhere pubs for a drink/ Poncha and some homemade cake great crack. I'll be back for sure
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Nerowoof
Feb 24, 2024
Nuno, Naty's and Poncha !!! - So many things to recap. From the pick up to drop off it was truly amazing. To see all the houses high up in the hills is one thing but to actually drive up to them and see how they get there and live is another! You will see places that are breath taking, not only from the view but from the roads you take to get there. Learned a lot about the local culture and Nuno welcomed questions. Videos are great but to experience this is another level. I don't like heights and there were times I felt uncomfortable but I never felt not safe, some of those roads... well DAMN! but to get where you got to see spectacular views I don't think would be achievable without the journey. The stop at Naty's was amazing! The interaction between Nuno and Naty was so fun to see. I know some Portuguese but you could see the welcoming nature by the smiles and interaction without needing to know a word. I hope you get lucky enough to have Naty share her homemade cakes and special shots with you. Maybe it's common but it made our group feel special. The stop to climb the hill to be greeted with a view of what I can describe as the opening scene from, "the sound of music" but with an ocean view was awe inspiring. A herd of cattle live there and there were many calves that were lovable, yes you could pet them and they could be affectionate like a puppy, so sweet! Poncha! POTENT! But one of our last stops was on our way back to Funchal just outside of Seixal. Nuno called it fisherman's Poncha (I think) as it was very basic and made with 3 ingredients. Lemon, honey, rum and I think it was the best I had in my stay in Madeira. I really can't recommend this tour enough and if you get Nuno as your guide you are in for a wonderful day!
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Cheesycomestibles
Feb 23, 2024
A great day from start to finish - What a great day! Communication before the tour was excellent (thanks, Elisa) and Fabio was the perfect guide: chatty, knowledgeable and an expert driver. All of the stops were great and we were given plenty of time to explore on our own: the short levada walk, the cake stop, the forest at Fanal, to name only a few. Lunch on a balcony overlooking the waves crashing into the natural pools was delicious, and our final stop, for poncha with stunning views, rounded off a perfect day. Can’t recommend Hit the Road, and Fabio, highly enough and wouldn’t hesitate to book another tour with them on our next visit.
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D368temichaell
Feb 17, 2024
Best tour guide ever! - Nuno took us to places we would never have experienced alone. He was the best tour guide we have ever had. Can’t wait to return to Madeira to book more tours with Hit the road!
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I6087vtrayd
Nov 8, 2023
Great Day on the West Coast Tour!! - This was a very full 9 hour day and was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. The communication from Elisa and Jaki before the trip was very good and on the day, our guide was Tiago who was very likeable, friendly and knowledgeable of the areas we visited. He made sure we had plenty of time at all the locations and the driving was a very gentle pace which made the day so much better. Some of the steep narrow roads were a little crazy but this added to the feeling of exploration and we always felt safe with Tiago's driving. Overall a great day and we would highly recommend this company and this particular tour as a good way to see the West of the Island. We will be back to see more of the island and will definitely seek another tour with Hit The Road and Tiago. :O)
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Kurta423
Nov 3, 2023
Amazing Time! - We had an amazing time! Seen lots of sites and hidden gems. Guide was amazing. Highly recommend!!!!!
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247marianneh
Mar 2, 2024
Fun day out - Fun day tour of west side of Madeira. Hugo our guide was great, knew some good off road shortcuts and plenty of info about the island and the places we visited Plenty of time at each place of interest , Loved toeocal coffee stop on the morning .
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Kirstya2014
Nov 19, 2023
A great day out - We had a great day out with Hit the Road, Madeira, when we took the full day West tour. Our driver, Nuno, was knowledgeable, interesting, informative and easy to talk to. He took us up some ‘interesting’ Madeiran roads and made a point of tailoring the day to suit specific requests, whilst still taking us to all the places the tour advertised, including Ponto do sol, Porto Moniz, the forest at Fanal, a traditional poncha bar and Cabo Girao. One of the reasons for picking Hit the Road was that they had a maximum of six customers in each vehicle - and when we got to some of the locations and saw how people were crammed in on other 4x4 tours, we were very glad we’d picked this one! Hit the Road were communicative and helpful both before and after our tour.
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