Gallery Itinerary Prices Accommodation Activities Location

Overview

You’re only a short drive from the capital Funchal, but Santana and the East Coast feels like a whole different island.

Madeira’s eastern seaboard is a tangle of jagged river valleys, dense cedar forests and imposing sea cliffs. Where the islanders have managed to tame the land over the last 600 years, you’ll see villages surrounded by terraces of sugar cane and bananas, stretching from the valley floor up to the highest ravines.

The island’s modern road network makes it easy to explore by car – the busy capital Funchal, the Parque Natural do Ribeiro Frio, and the rugged sea cliffs of the north coast are all a short drive away.

Your home for the week is the cliff-top Quinta do Furao – one of Madeira’s most-popular hotels, thanks to its peaceful rural location and sweeping ocean views. The quinta is also a great base from which to walk Madeira’s best hiking trails – from the Caldeira Verde trail in the Queimadas forest to the beautifully-barren Ponta Sao Lourenco peninsula.

Gallery

Itinerary

Day 1

You’ll begin your holiday with a direct flight to Madeira. Our driver will collect you on arrival for your transfer to Quinta do Furao in the east coast town of Santana.

Day 2

We’ll deliver a hire car so you can begin exploring Santana, and the north coast towns of Ponta Delgada, Boaventura and Sao Vicente.

Day 3

You’ll head inland to the forest park at Ribeiro Frio, the miradouro at Balcoes, and the rum distillery in Porto da Cruz. For keen hikers, the challenging Vereda da Penha d'Aguia trail takes you to the summit of one of the island’s most-recognisable natural landmarks.

Day 4

You might like to walk the Caldeirao Verde Levada through the Queimadas juniper forest - home to chaffinches, fire crests, wagtails, and wood pigeons.

Day 5

You’ll explore Madeira’s central mountains, driving to Pico do Areeiro, Poca da Neve and miradouro at Pareda, ending the famously-secluded Curral das Freiras Nuns Valley.

Day 6

You might like to walk the Verada da Ponta Sao Lourenco - the beautiful and desolate peninsula at the far eastern point of Madeira – followed by a visit to Machico: the historic first settlement on the island.

Day 7

For your final full day, you might like to drive into Funchal - capital of Madeira and the island’s bustling, cultural centre - to visit the Mercado dos Lavradores farmers’ market, the Monte Palace Gardens, and Blandy’s wine lodge.

Day 8

You’ll return your hire car to the airport before flying home.

£1400 per person

We can create a tailor-made holiday to suit your budget.

INCLUDED: direct return flights from the UK, accommodation in a twin/double en-suite room on a B&B basis, an arrival airport transfer and car hire.

Accommodation

Hotel Quinta do Furao

Activities

Self-Guided Walking Madeira’s reputation as a walkers' paradise is well-earned, and the island is…
Whale and Dolphin Watching The seas around Madeira are the ideal destination for whale and dolphin…

Location

Eastern Madeira

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