The west is full of cliffs, valleys, forests, mountains, waterfalls, and cows!
The first stop is almost always at the old port of Ponta do Sol after exploring some of the old, adventurous roads. Founded around 1425, Ponta do Sol was known for her extremely fertile land and is still the leading producer of bananas in Madeira. After coffee, we start climbing up the old roads and dirt paths exploring these agricultural areas with the views becoming larger and larger on the way up to one of the west tour’s main attraction, the plateau, Paul Da Serra.
If the weather is good, we spend a fair amount of time up here taking in the unbelievable views from above the volcanic valleys, formed during the third phase of eruptions that created Madeira Island. Heading towards the north west we stop off in Fanal, famous for having the densest population of “old trees” dating back as old as a thousand years. A photographer’s paradise, we explore the area by foot as we build up our appetites.
For lunch, we stop in Porto Moniz at one of our partner restaurants. We don’t believe in “tourist menus” and always strive for high quality and high value local businesses (optional extra — not included in price but highly recommended).
After lunch, we make our way back to Funchal via the beautiful northwestern coastal roads, stopping at various attractions along the way, including waterfalls, local bars, volcanic sand beaches and lagoons where we can swim (weather permitting) and finishing off at the famous “skywalk” of Cabo Girão, one of the highest sea cliffs in the world at 580 meters above sea level!
This trip is highly improvised because of the dramatic nature of the terrain and climate, making it a real adventure every time!
It’s great for families, nature lovers and those who like being away from the crowds. The weather is usually all over the place and makes the island look mysterious and tropical at times, often making you question whether you’re actually in Madeira and perhaps not somewhere else, far far away, on an epic expedition! If there’s one way to explore the west, it’s in a Land Rover!
Included