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Although Madeira is a little island in the Atlantic Ocean, there is a lot to explore on this Portuguese Island. It is easier to explore this subtropical wonderland by splitting it into different zones. The northwest part of the island is one of the most beautiful, yet not very popular among tourists. It is mainly because the main city of Funchal and the airport are located in the South Eastern part of the island, and it is also where the majority of the local settlement is.
Due to the rugged terrain and more unpredictable weather, the northwest part of Madeira is still mostly a hidden gem waiting to be explored. It is a haven for any nature lover, filled with lush valleys, dramatic coastlines, black sand beaches, and natural pools.
How Many Days to Spend in Northwest Madeira?
The answer might sound silly, but honestly, you should spend as many days as possible. Before visiting Madeira, I wasn’t convinced either. But now, I know I am definitely going back, and this time I will stay in the North and explore the place at a slower pace.
But, if you are here visiting for the first time and do not plan on renting a car, I wouldn’t recommend staying around this region. With a car, it is easier for you to get around in Madeira’s northwest. Also, you should not rent a car here if you aren’t very comfortable driving on the narrow hilly roads. Some sharp turns were like going down on a roller coaster.
To answer the question, I recommend having at least two days to give you a good taste of the place. But, if you are running short of time like we did, you could just spend one day and go on a 4×4 tour of northwest Madeira or drive around alone.
Is a Guided Tour Worth It for Northwest Madeira?
Trust me, you should go for the guided tour! Off-roading on the rugged dirt tracks on the hills is not something you can try with a normal car, and also, by taking the tour, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy nature and let the guide worry about the driving part.
4×4 or 4wd Tours
These tours are best for people who are looking for an adventure-packed day that includes off-roading on rugged terrain where there is not a single moment where you will be bored, even while traveling. There will be a limited number of people on this, mostly a maximum of 8 people in one 4×4 vehicle. But, they do these tours in groups, which means there will be more than one 4×4 vehicle, so there will be more than 8 people at every place you visit. But I didn’t feel it to be overcrowded as we were the last jeep to reach a place, and mostly the others would leave as soon as we reached.
Who Should Not Take the 4×4 Tours?
- Anyone with back problems. (The ride will be rough, and it will not be easy on your back.)
- You should think if it is suitable for you if you are pregnant or have some underlying health issues that might get aggravated due to the rough ride for a whole day.
In these cases, you could go for the equally good van tours.
Guided Tour on a Van
These tours take around 15 people in a van that is air-conditioned. These are perfect for summers when it is scorching outside, and going on a 4×4 wouldn’t be pleasant. It will mostly go on well-paved roads, so not much off-roading will be done, but that is also an advantage for people with back problems.
There are other tours where you could go for a private 4×4 tour or even a bigger bus tour which might be less expensive. But, honestly, I am not really a fan of those bigger tour buses.
Our 4×4 Tour Experience in Northwest Madeira
In my opinion, this is one of the best ways to explore the northwest part of Madeira quickly, especially when you are staying in Funchal.
Funchal is quite far from this side of the island, and being picked up and dropped off somewhere closer to your hotel is very convenient. This tour is also such a value for money; you will spend almost the same price if you rent a car on your own (except if you are not a big group when renting a car might be cheaper). But it is also more than the money. It is a great experience to go along with a local who has a lot of stories to tell about the culture and landscape. This way, we felt more closer to the island rather than being a tourist ticking off places on a list.
As part of this tour, you will see cute villages, black sand beaches, volcanic pools, forests, and some waterfalls on your ride. Isn’t that cool? To top it off, at the end of your day, you can unwind in a local bar with some fresh Poncha (the guides usually take you to one of the best Poncha bars). A fresh Poncha (a local drink made with Rum and fruit juice) tastes so much better than the packaged ones available in the supermarket. (We will also list some of the best places to try Poncha, so keep reading!)
The day starts with them picking you up at a place closer to your hotel (you give your hotel address when booking). You will receive the pickup place and time on your phone and email at least a day before your journey. You can always call their office if you have doubts (I mean the tour provider’s office and not GetYourGuide or the other third-party apps you may have used for your booking).
Psst! But we would be super happy if you could book your trips through our links! You can book the same trip we took from GetYourGuide.
We stayed in Funchal and were picked up from near the Funchal Cable Car station. We were lucky to be the first to be picked up as we got to choose the seats. The trip begins by picking up all the fellow travelers before you actually kick start the trip. The entire island is so beautiful that you won’t feel bored while going from one place to another to pick up people. Luckily, we only had 3 others on the day coming with us. So in total, we were 5 people instead of 8, so it was pretty comfortable in the 4×4.
A Quick Stop at Ribeira Brava
The guide gave us the option to make an additional stop at the beautiful town of Ribeira Brava when he went to pick up our last fellow traveler. She was staying on the other end of the island, almost close to where we will be ending our day, and hence to avoid the long tunnel journey, he suggested that we could explore this town in the meantime, and we readily took it. It is a beautiful coastal town perfect for having a morning coffee and taking a stroll around the town along the coast.
Ribeira Brava had a very cute little church called Church of São Bento, and next to it was a cafe where we had coffee. We also got a water bottle as it is unsafe to drink the water from the tap (people who are used to drinking tap water, this is for you). In Madeira, always make sure to buy bottled water.
We enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and pastel de nata (they are so yummy I can’t stop having them when I am in Portugal, although Roopesh is not a big fan of it) in the outdoor seating of the little cafe surrounded by massive cliffs.
We started exploring around a bit until our guide was back with our last traveler to start the day. The town was so beautiful, and the weather was perfect, with a lot of sunshine but not too strong and no rain. (It is rare on islands to have good weather days.)
We spent some time walking along the coast, and soon our ride was there. As I told you before, the 4×4 tours go in groups. After picking up everyone, they usually have a meeting point where they all meet for a coffee, and you could say hello to other people joining you for the day. We didn’t have the coffee as we already took a coffee break. Still, we enjoyed meeting others and petting the cute little dogs eagerly waiting to greet us. We were the last to join due to the detour for picking up our last passenger, so most of the other jeeps started leaving once we reached.
The Adventure Ride
After a very short break, we started our journey. The paved roads disappeared very quickly, and we were soon in the dirt tracks, ready for off-roading. Our guide Miguel was very enthusiastic and knew how to keep everyone entertained. We were sure it was impossible to take the turn on some roads, but he did. He made sure the ride was adventurous but safe.
These roads are clearly not for normal cars. You simply cannot drive on those roads. But if you are wondering if there were other normal roads, then yes, you could take the normal roads, but this was so much fun and had the best views. If not for the bumpy ride, I would have captured many beautiful pictures. We had the roof open, allowing me to stand and enjoy the views. (I was hanging on to my life doing so, but so was sitting inside, so I thought I might as well enjoy the views.)
After around 20 to 25 minutes, we stopped at our first viewpoint.
Lombo do Mouro Viewpoint
The first stop was at an incredible viewpoint somewhere close to Lombo do Mouro viewpoint. I said close to, as they don’t exactly stop at well-known viewpoints and try to take us to better vantage points, usually hidden gems. It was surrounded by beautiful green hills, and you could see herds of cows grazing on the top. You could see a lot of heather shrubs growing all around this area. This makes the hills look green all through the year.
Wind Farms
The next stop was also a viewpoint a little further away from this one. It goes through the Pedras Wind Farm, located on the ER110. The views from there were mesmerizing, and the clear sky gave us so much visibility. The entire route to this place on ER110 is Madeira’s version of Route 66 (this was told by our guide, but you’ll know why when you see it). After spending around half an hour here, we moved on to our next stop.
The best part of this tour was I never felt rushed anywhere. Since only a few other people were traveling with us, it was easy to connect, and we also helped each other take good pictures, which was a plus.
Fanal Forest
Fanal Forest is also considered to be the magical forest of Madeira. This part of the Laurissilva forest, located around 1150 meters above sea level, is most often covered in fog, which gives it a moody and magical look.
Although it is usually covered in fog, it is difficult to predict, and it’s not always the case. Before we reached the Fanal Forest, our guide told us that if we had already done our research and expected the place to be filled with fog, it wouldn’t be the case that day. To be honest, I had set my expectations relatively low. But fog or no fog, I would say Fanal Forest has that magical vibe. It is the kind of place you could find in Disney movies where a princess is trapped in a tower.
If you are visiting Fanal Forest by car, you can easily find the place as it has a dedicated parking lot that has a big map of the area so you can see where you should go. You can find it as “Parque de Merendas do Fanal” in Google Maps. This place also has a public washroom that opens at 8:00 am. There is a camping site where you can have a barbeque without special permission.
The chances of fog are higher in the mornings. Also, the sunrise from the Fanal Forest is quite spectacular, so you might see people camping out there or sleeping in cars at night. The trees in this forest are sculpted by the effects of nature over 500 years. You could see the weird shapes and angles in the bent trees, which shows how the wind has impacted their growth over hundreds of years. This area is a preserved forest, so do not litter or damage the nature around you.
You could walk uphill for a short distance and get fantastic sea views (when the weather permits). This place could look completely different on different days and times based on the weather condition. But it is beautiful nevertheless. This is one of the must-visit places in Madeira.
Tip! Do not forget to check out the famous rock in Madeira near Ribeira da Janela. This rock looks like a narrow tall structure from one side of the island and looks completely different from the other. If you have the time, check out the viewpoint at Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela, which is simply breathtaking.
Lunch Hour at Porto Moniz
This was our last stop before heading for lunch at Porto Moniz. To make the best use of time, we pre-ordered a three-course meal at a restaurant that our guide had suggested for €18. We had our lunch at Snack-Bar Restaurante Salgueiro at Porto Moniz. Probably not the best meal, but I should say it was pretty decent, at least the chicken meal I had.
The portions were big, and we didn’t have to wait much for our food and had great sea views from our table. They had delicious garlic bread, though. It didn’t look like the usual garlic bread, but it tasted super delicious. We sat with our fellow travel buddies and shared stories about our home country and our time in Madeira. It was nice to get to know many exciting travel stories from them.
Natural Pools at Porto Moniz
After lunch, we had enough time to even take a dip at the natural pools in Porto Moniz. Still, we all decided to skip it and instead go to the one at Seixal, our next stop. The natural pools at Porto Moniz have better facilities like a changing room and toilets. This comes with an entrance fee of €3 per person. You can also take some additional facilities for a small extra charge, but mostly you wouldn’t need any.
Porto Moniz’s natural pools are very popular as they are well maintained, so you could expect some crowds. Go earlier in the day or late afternoon, but also note that the sun sets a bit earlier at this part of the island than at Funchal.
Since we skipped jumping in for the swim, we decided to walk around the coast to soak in some beach views. I was in awe, looking at the color of the water. Also, you could notice that one half of the sea is rough while the other side is calmer. The next stop was our final stop for the day, other than the drinks, of course. We are heading to Seixal. (Seixal is just so beautiful and ethereal, and you just can’t stop falling in love with the black sand beaches and cliffs surrounding it. You can even spot a waterfall on the way to Seixal.)
On the way to Seixal, we quickly stopped at a viewpoint called Miradouro da Eira da Achada. It offers some of the best views, and it also has a small swing if you want to click some pictures. It was a bit crowded, so I skipped the swing.
Natural Pools at Seixal
Natural Pools at Seixal are out in the open. It is so calm, surreal and feels like a paradise. When we set eyes on the pool, we couldn’t believe we could swim in it. There were two pools close to each other, and both were equally beautiful. There were only a very few people there. But you have no facilities like a washroom or a changing room.
A while after we set foot in the water, most people were already done, and they started leaving. At one point, I was the only one there. It was quite the experience. It was so different from what I saw in Porto Moniz. The Seixal beach is not far from here. You could stop over for a while if you have some time. After the swim, we were quite exhausted and decided to return.
Heading Straight to Poncha Bar
After enjoying a whole day exploring northwest Madeira, everyone unanimously wanted to go taste the local Poncha. Our guide took us to a bar in São Vicente that serves the best Poncha in Madeira. The bar is called Poncha De São Vicente, which is nestled between the hills, and their terrace offers some great views while you sip your Poncha and unwind for the day. A Poncha costs €3, almost the same everywhere on the island.
Tip! While you are in São Vicente, look up over the hills to spot the beautiful clock tower, which is located 2 km high up the valley. At first glance, it might look like a chapel, but it is just a very beautiful clock tower. You could drive up there to get the best shots, but we didn’t have the time, so we just enjoyed it from afar.
With this, we ended the tour, and it was time to return to Funchal. The drive back to Funchal was quite smooth as we took the highways through the tunnel. Most of the journey is through the tunnel while we cross from the north part of the island to the southern region. But we did see two waterfalls on our way back. Since it was on a busy road, we had to capture the waterfall while the vehicle moved. You could park on the side and get down to take good pictures, but some big tour buses had already occupied the limited parking space.
We got down at the same point where we boarded and went back to our hotel after a packed day. I wanted to share some pictures on social media right away, but honestly, I was so tired that I went back to bed after enjoying some good food.
What to Pack for a Day Trip to Explore Northwest Madeira?
Recommended Items
- Light jacket (preferably waterproof, so you need not carry one for when it rains)
- Cap and Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Snacks (There is a van at the parking lot, but you wouldn’t find many options, so it is good to bring something with you) I prefer bringing some energy bars (the tasty ones), which are lightweight and gives you instant energy.
- Water (It simply is a must; you will need it)
- Camera, phone, drone, or whatever you use for capturing pictures. (The views are amazing; you will want to click some good pics.)
- Comfortable walking shoes (can’t stress enough). Make sure you are already comfortable walking in them. Wouldn’t suggest wearing something brand new. Although you wouldn’t be walking much, you will still need good shoes to explore the Fanal Forest or just walk around at different stops.
- Swimsuit This you could wear underneath your dress or carry along like we did.
- Water shoes This is not completely necessary, but you will thank me later for telling you this. Natural pools have rough floor beds, unlike man-made pools, so having a pair of water shoes will protect your feet from the rocks.
- Towel (I think it doesn’t need an explanation)
Optional Items
These are some things I always carry in my bag, just in case. But it’s totally up to you.
- A small medical pouch: I always carry a kit with some basic meds, bandaids, pain-relief gels, hand sanitizer, and so on (just a tiny pouch).
- Moisturizer
- Some face wipes
- Power bank
- A small note and a pen (don’t ask why, I just have it)
- Hiking Poles (I think that’s what they are called). I don’t have them, but I saw many people had them.
That’s it! You are all set to explore the wild and beautiful part of Madeira. Whether or not you take the guided tour, it is worth exploring all these places. Also, if you are interested in nature walks, check out our detailed posts about the 25 Fontes & Risco Waterfall hike (PR6) and the beautiful Ponta de São Lourenço hike (PR8) in Madeira.
