East of Madeira: Full Day Adventure in 4x4 covering Pico Do Areiro, Ribeiro Frio, and Santana

Embark on a full-day adventure in Madeira’s East region with a 4x4 tour. Explore Pico Do Areiro, Ribeiro Frio, and Santana, and experience dramatic views, rural areas, traditional houses, local cuisine, and wine or rum tasting. Perfect for those who love big views, culture, food, and fun!

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Valley of the Nuns - The first stop of the tour is the not so famous but very beautiful Miradouro do Paradao. From this viewpoint you will see Funchal from above as well as the famous Nun´s Valley. It´s usually very quiet up here and very much “off the beaten path”
What's Included
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off for your convenience
  • An optional brief 45-minute Levada walk
  • Insights into the island’s culture and history
  • Expert guide and driver providing a fun and informative experience
  • Exclusive small-group tour with a maximum of 6 passengers
  • A relaxed experience without strict time constraints
  • Travel in comfort with a closed top Land Rover Discovery suitable for any weather
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Pick up fees (outside of Funchal)
Additional Information

The East 4x4 tour has a little bit of everything and is suitable for everyone!
The First stop is Pico Do Areiro, the 3rd highest peak on the island, 1811m above sea level.
There are usually very dramatic views and we tend to spend a fair amount of time up there.
After that, we venture to the North side of the island, into the more rural areas such as…

Location
Valley of the Nuns
Caminho da Padaria
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(165 Ratings)
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Anngoldsby
May 9, 2025
A most amazing, memorable day - Hit the road Madeira 4x4 tours are absolutely amazing. Fabio took us on the East 8 hour tour today and it was like being driven around by a real friend. We were taken to " off the beaten track " places that we would never have seen. We stopped for coffee, looked around the rum factory, had the most wonderful lunch and topped this off with poncha at a little restaurant with the most fabulous views imaginable. Thanks so much and we will see you again when we are next in Madeira.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sorayar915
May 7, 2025
A perfect day in eastern Madeira – thank you, Tiago! - We did a 4x4 tour of eastern Madeira with Hit the Road Madeira and are still very excited! Our guide Tiago has taken us through breathtaking landscapes on sneaky paths – far away from the typical tourist places. He reacted spontaneously to the changing weather, so we were always in the right place at the right time. Sun, views and pure nature! Tiago’s enthusiasm for Madeira was simply infectious – we enjoyed every minute with him and are now completely in love with the island ourselves. His easygoing, humorous manner and knowledge of the country and people made the day unforgettable for us. Thank you so much, Tiago, for this special experience! We can heartily recommend the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert
May 2, 2025
Super Madeira Experience - The tour was perfectly described as a great activity for first time Madeira visitors. We saw a different view of the island from Funchal and the information and views were sensational. Our driver Victor was super amazing and negotiated the curvy mountain roads flawlessly. I was traveling alone and also had a great experience meeting the other people on our tour from the UK and Brazil. Highly recommended!!!
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Joelmm2205kz
Apr 29, 2025
Love Hit the Road Madeira Tours! - I can 't recommend taking this tour highly enough. Fabio (our guide) was excellent in safely getting us around the eastern half of the island, getting us off the main highways to spots that most tourists don't get to see. He was fun and outgoing. We will definitely use Hit the Road for any future sightseeing tours upon return!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Benettay
Apr 17, 2025
Great Experience! - The entire experience was very authentic & informative. Our guide, Fabio, was a great story teller and was very passionate. We learned a lot about the island but also got to see some unique spots that are not offered through other tours. Felt like a lot of thought went into planning a tour that provided a unique experience. Highly recommend booking this tour for your trip to Madeira!
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Johank617
Apr 16, 2025
Great tour - Was a really great tour and we got to see a lot of beautiful and interesting places. Our guide was Fabio. Super friendly and nice guy with a lot of knowledge about Madeira.
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Simonf-remember
Apr 1, 2025
Like a friend showing you their favourite places. - Our guide Fabio was superb from start to finish. A full day's tour was like spending time with friends. We saw places we would not have known about and Fabio was full of information, tips and how to avoid the tourist bottlenecks. It was a very relaxed day, no rushing around but we saw so many places without the crowds. Our lunch stop was good too, with options for everyone (I was the only vegetarian). A fantastic day and I highly recommend this trip. Fabio also helped one of the group retrieve a phone and jacket left at one of our stops at a view point. A cyclist had found it and after asking those nearby if it was anyone's took it away. He (another Fabio) turned out to be from an adventure company in Canico and with a bit of luck found a reference to a hotel and itinerary. He contacted the hotel and the hotel researched their guests and then contacted the member of our group. Fabio spoke to the hotel and at the end of our day we called in to see the other Fabio to get the jacket and phone back. An amazing end to a wonderful day. Great people in Madeira!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Neilhc7280me
Mar 28, 2025
Tour of East Madeira - We had an amazing time seeing the East side of Madeira with our driver Fabio. He was very knowledgeable about the area and took us to several places, all while avoiding the tourist crowds.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Whateveravailable
Mar 21, 2025
Perfect day in Madeira - We had a marvellous time exploring Madeira with Fabio from Hit the Road Tours. Amazing nature and views, captivating stories, best food. I feel we have seen places which most tourists do not. Since then, I see Madeira differently. No doubts, we will be back. Thank you Fabio! Monika and Gary
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Anncy4820xi
Mar 14, 2025
Best full day tour we’ve ever done! - From the moment Fabio picked us up, he was determined to give us the very best day he could. He made it feel like he was showing a group of his best friends all his favourite parts of the east. He used a weather app very effectively to chase the sun and gave us an informative and entertaining commentary in perfect English. We stopped at many beautiful viewpoints, a traditional A frame house which we could tour around ( instead of the more touristy ones in Santana), a rum factory to sample local rum, a poncha bar and a wonderful traditional restaurant for a delicious lunch. We did a few off-road bits which were great fun but very safe. We can’t recommend this tour enough-thank you for the best day Fabio!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $81
up to 6 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).