Eastern Madeira tour with Santana, Pico do Arieiro and lunch
Excursions & day trips

Eastern Madeira tour with Santana, Pico do Arieiro and lunch

4.6/5

Excellent
109 reviews
from
£82.00
Free cancellation
Language: German
Mobile voucher accepted
Duration: from 4 hours to 8 hours
Why you’ll love this…
  • On this eastern Madeira adventure, you'll visit historic Machico and the fairtyale houses of Santana
  • You'll see rock formations tumbling into the Atlantic at the Ponta do Rosto, Guindaste and Portela lookouts
  • Lunch is served in Santana before you explore Ribeiro Frio Natural Park's epic slab of wilderness
  • With the right weather, you'll be looking down on the clouds from lofty Pico do Arieiro at 1,800m
  • Your local guide is an expert on the wild landscapes of eastern Madeira
What to expect

From rugged coastline to fairytale houses, this full day excursion of eastern Madeira is a showcase of everything that makes the island so special. You'll discover the historic towns of Machico and Santana as well as the natural gems of Ponta da Rosto and Pico do Areiro. There's also a visit to Guindaste viewpoint and a traditional lunch to look forward to. Gonçalo, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘Machico is the spot where the first Portuguese explorers landed six centuries ago – it was Madeira's first capital from 1440 to 1496. It's the gateway to Ponta de São Lourenço, a rocky peninsula at the easternmost point of Madeira.'

From here, we'll make our way to the lookout points of Ponta do Rosto and Portela. It's then time for an authentic, freshly prepared lunch in a local family-run restaurant in Santana – a town famed for its triangular homes, which look like gingerbread houses. Gonçalo says, ‘These homes are unique to Santana. They're made of stone with thatched roofs – which are replaced every three years – that reach almost to the ground. Mostly built in the 16th century, attics were used to store seeds.'

The great outdoors takes centre stage in the afternoon. First up after lunch is viewpoint Guindaste, located on one of the slopes of the Foz da Ribeira do Faial. You'll get sweeping views of the Atlantic to the northeast – even seeing Porto Santo Island on a clear day. Head on to Ribeiro Frio Natural Park, where you can expect great mountain views. Then, finish the day up above the clouds. You'll head to Pico do Arieiro – Madeira's second-highest peak at more than 1,800 metres – for some epic views over the jagged landscape.

Read more
What's included
  • check Transport
  • check Guide
  • check Lunch
What to remember
  • Maximum number of guests per guide is 18
  • Bring suitable footwear
  • Bring warm clothes
  • Some entrance fees and optional extras are payable locally
  • Subject to weather conditions
  • This experience doesn't follow our general cancellation policy. If you need to cancel, you must do so at least 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
Read more
Provider
TUI PORTUGAL
Booking fee
Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.
Cancellation policy
Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 1 day before the experience begins.

What people say about this experience

Excellent

4.6 /5

Based on 109 reviews from verified customers


Review categories

Service

4.7/5

Staff

4.7/5

Safety

4.7/5

Value for money

4.5/5


79%
17%
3%
1%
0%

Sort by:

  • P

    Petra Müller

    Verified booking

    5

    18 January 2026

    Travelled as a couple


    Der Ausflug war sehr gut organisiert, bequemer Bus sehr sichere Fahrerin. Unsere Reiseführern war sehr kompetent , ihre ausführlichen Informationen während des Ausflugs waren sehr interessant. Wir haben viel gesehen und erlebt. Es war von den Ausflügen die wir gebucht hatten der beste . Kann man sehr empfehlen

  • P

    Peter

    Verified booking

    5

    11 January 2026

    Travelled as a couple


    Kleine sympathische Gruppe, nette und kenntnisreiche Führerin und viele schöne Orte verhalfen uns zu einem sehr schönen Urlaubstag auf Madeira. Besonders hervorzuheben ist dabei das köstliche Mittagessen und der kurze Einkehrschwung in eine urige Kneipe auf einen Poncha.

  • K

    Kirsten

    Verified booking

    5

    22 September 2025

    Travelled as a couple


    Rubina ist eine sehr gute Reiseleitung, sie gibt genau die richtige Dosis an Informationen, die Zeiten wurden bei allen Stationen perfekt eingehalten. Mittagessen war auch lecker, genauso wie die Pause mit Poncha bzw. Saft. Miguel hat uns sehr sicher mit dem Bus bis auf 1800 m und wieder nach unten gefahren. Rundum ein sehr gelungener Tag!

  • S

    Sommerfrau

    Verified booking

    5

    8 September 2025

    Travelled as a couple


    Der Ausflug war perfekt, wir haben diesen über die App gebucht. Erstmals waren wir mit der Dame vor Ort nicht zufrieden, sie hat hektisch und verwirrend die Ausflüge runtergeleiert und ist nicht auf die Fragen und Wünsche der Teilnehmer eingegangen.

  • A

    Arvid

    Verified booking

    4.6

    30 August 2025

    Travelled as a couple


    Gute Auswahl der Orte

  • O

    Osttour

    Verified booking

    5

    29 August 2025

    Travelled as a couple


    Eine schöne Tour, sehr gutes Mittagessen. Bus war auch top.

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