Best Safaris in Madeira from Funchal

Madeira has many attractions to visit, but sometimes it is not so easy to access certain tourist spots on the island. To discover these places, one of the best options available to the traveller is to take a tour in an off-road jeep.

Most tour companies offer this service from the city of Funchal, the capital of the island. This makes it very convenient as most of the accommodation is in this part of the island.

Normally, most tour companies offer limited seating available for each jeep.

This means that you have to choose between the options that each tour company offers. If you are travelling with a group of 6 to 8 people, I recommend that you hire a private tour that allows you to choose which sites you want to see.

This tour is one of the most interesting, as it combines the cultural richness of the island with scenic views and fun activities.

This tour is considered a full day tour, so it can be twice the price of a half day tour. It can last between 7 and 9 hours, depending on the activities you do.

Most safari companies start by picking up all tourists staying in Funchal to begin the tour. A short briefing will be given to explain the details of the safari and then the tour begins.

The tour usually starts by climbing the highest points of Madeira, up to the Pico do Arieiro, the third highest point on the island. Here you will be able to enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the island.

Some tours include a walk through Ribeiro Frio, a small village in the interior of the island that is surrounded by the Forest Park of the same name. One of the main attractions of this place is its location amidst the laurel forests, the characteristic tree of Madeira, and the surrounding mountains.

Ribeiro Frio is also home to the Balcoes viewpoint, from where you can see the Ribeira da Metade valley and the central mountain range of the island.

Here some tours start to use the off-road trails, where the vegetation and terrain become much more challenging. But don't worry, this is where the adventure of crossing the forest with a 4x4 begins.

The route leads to the village of Santana, where most tours stop for lunch. I recommend that you check with the organising company before booking whether lunch is included and what the options are.

Especially if you don't eat meat, animal products or have a special diet, sometimes the options in the village are limited.

Santana is located in the north of the island and its main attraction is the peculiar construction of its houses. In them you can find regional products and taste the traditional cuisine of the island.

After the tour begins the return to Funchal, but along the northwest coast of the island. Some excursions include a visit to Porto Da Cruz, where you can visit a rum distillery.

These tours also often include strategic stops to admire the scenery at Punta de San Lorenzo and Canical. In some cases, the tour heads east to the lava pools of Porto Moriz or the black sand beaches of Sixal.

Many of these destinations vary depending on the tour, weather conditions and time of year, so please check before booking.

This safari is also a full day tour, so it usually lasts between 7 and 9 hours. It usually starts with a visit to Câmara de Lobos, Madeira's most famous fishing village. Its fame is due to paintings by Winston Churcchill in the 1950's.

Then continue through Ponta do Sol, Canhas and start to enter the plantation area of the island. Here you will see grape, banana and sugar cane plantations.

This is where the off-road part begins, until you reach Caleta, where you usually make a stop. The route continues into the only plateau on the island: Paul da Serra, which is at an altitude of 1400 metres above sea level.

The route continues with breathtaking views of Verdeda do Fanal, the enchanted forest of Madeira. Some tours also include a visit to the small village of Ribeira da Janela, a beautiful village on the north coast of the island.

The advantage of booking a 4x4 tour is that you will visit off the beaten track, where very few tourists can access and often you will have incredible views that few can enjoy.

Along the way you will pass through the island's endemic trees, in forests that have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The aim of this tour is to reach the pools of Lavade Porto Moniz, a unique place where tours usually stop and spend some time swimming and having lunch next to this beautiful scenery.

At this point, tours usually head for Funchal, but first they usually stop in Seixal. This landscape is likely to steal a sigh or two, thanks to the beauty of the contrast between the sea and the mountains. If your excursion includes a walk along the unique black sand beaches of Seixal, it will be a guaranteed success.

This tour also usually includes the bridal veil waterfall, a place where the water from the cliff tops washes down the coastal route in a gentle way.

This is another type of tour offered by some tour companies and where the main protagonist is the 4-wheel drive of the jeep, due to the obstacles of the terrain.

It usually lasts between 6 and 8 hours, as it will depend on the activities to be carried out and the weather conditions.

This tour specialises in showing the beauty of the island's interior, as well as the villages hidden within its valleys and mountains.

These tours depart from Funchal and head to Faja dos Padres, a cliff 310 metres above sea level. Some include a cable car ride up the cliff, but this will depend on the agency, so check beforehand.

The tour usually continues into the island, continuing upwards and visiting the village of Jardim Da Serra.

You will enjoy the terraces of Faja Das Galhinas to reach Boca dos Enamorados, where you can enjoy the panoramic view offered by the village of Curral das Freiras or Valley of the Nuns.

4. 4x4 tour to see the sunset of the island

If you are not staying for a week in Maderia and wish to do shorter tours, perhaps you could try a sunset tour or a wine tour.

Although some Madeira boat tours offer sunset tours of Madeira, there are others that are done by jeep.

These tours are focused on offering you the best spots in Madeira from where to watch the sunset.

They usually depart from Funchal and visit Ponta de Sol, then continue to Loreto and follow alternative paths through the vineyards and sugar cane fields.

Some tours offer sunset viewing from Arco da Calheta. Others offer it from the Encumeda viewpoint, located at one of the highest points on the island.

Finally, you will also find options such as Cabo Girao, the highest cliff on the island and the second highest in Europe.

Another interesting option is to tour the north of the island, but on a half-day tour, which will take less time out of your schedule. One of the advantages of this type of tour is that it usually includes visits to different scenic spots in the north of Madeira, such as the villages of Sao Vicente, Ponto Moriz Ribeira da Janela and Paúl da Serra.

In addition to this beautiful adventure, which you can do in an open-top jeep, you can also visit local wine producers.

Wine in Madeira is one of the most interesting attractions. Produced in the heart of the Serra D'Agua Valley, where the delicious wines that you will taste during your stay on the island are produced.

This is because the growing conditions of its vines are unique in the region. Here you will be able to taste wines from local producers, while oenologists tell you about the history, tradition and culture behind Madeira wine production.

Although it depends on the tour, many times the tasting includes tasting different traditional dishes of the archipelago. I recommend that if you have the opportunity you try the Ginja liqueur, a cherry liqueur typical of the island.

Many tours also offer to visit other scenic spots on the way back to Funchal, such as Cabo Girao or Arco da Calheta. Depending on the time of the year, you can enjoy the sunset at the end of the tour.

Additional tips to keep in mind

I recommend that you do not book the tour on the day you arrive in Madeira, as the island sometimes suffers from severe windstorms. This can cause some flights to be delayed and you may be forced to restructure your plans.

Also note that it is advisable to take full-day tours in the months with the most hours of sunshine. From November to February the hours of sunshine are less (10 hours) while from May to September you will have between 12 and 13 hours of sunlight.

This way you will have more time to enjoy all that the island has to offer, so all that remains is for you to go on one of these off-road adventures.

For many years the island had several areas, which due to its intricate geography, were kept away from Funchal or were not easily accessible.

In the last years several of these roads were paved and made it easier to connect villages that for a long time were practically isolated. But there are still some villages that can only be reached by 4x4 and that you should not miss if you visit Madeira.

Curral das Feiras

This small village was built inside the crater of an extinct volcano. Its small streets and traditional houses are postcard perfect for one of the most beautiful places in the interior of Madeira.

Its beauty is best appreciated from the Eira do Serrado viewpoint which is located at an altitude of over 1000 metres. I recommend that if you visit the island in early November, don't miss Curral das Feiras, when the annual Chestnut festival is held.

Serra D'Água

Almost all the houses in this village are painted white and its contrast with the green of the hillside crops makes Serra D'Água one of the most charming villages in the interior of Madeira.

Being a small village, it is quiet and peaceful, making it the perfect place to relax and admire the beautiful mountain scenery.

Also, just a few kilometres from Serra D' Agua you will find one of the most important levadas of the island, which transports water for the irrigation of this region.

Santo Antonio da Serra

Santo Antonio is a very quiet village, with beautiful houses that get lost in the green of the region. It is a perfect place to practice golf thanks to its famous 27-hole golf course, which is also a perfect place to admire the surrounding mountains.

If you walk around the village you should not miss the opportunity to visit the small church of Santo Antonio Da Serra.