Breakfast: All breakfasts are included and usually consist of coffee/tea, fruit juice, rolls or bread, butter and jam, cereal, ham and cheese.

Lunch (not included): The ingredients for lunch are usually bought at a nearby shop or supermarket each morning before taking the transfer to the start point of the walk. Premade sandwiches and snacks are available, or you may prefer to purchase bread rolls and freshly cut cheese/meat to create your own lunch. It is also possible to pre-order a picnic from the hotel the night before and the cost ranges from €13-€16.

Dinner: For dinners not included, we aim to eat in a different restaurant each night. Typically, the tour leader eats with the group for at least two nights of the trip and recommends/arranges places to eat on the others. Typical Madeiran cuisine incorporates a lot of meat and fish with rather plainly cooked vegetables and boiled potatoes. There will generally be at least one vegetarian option on the menu, but vegetarians should be prepared to request an alternative dish if required.

Explore the Ponta de São Lourenco peninsula on a guided hike across wind-sculpted headlands and lava cliffs. The arid, otherworldly landscape glows in bands of ochre, rust and basalt black, while the Atlantic panoramas stretch to the Desertas Islands and the open ocean.

Walking a protected nature reserve, you’ll pass hardy coastal flora and reach the area around Casa do Sardinha, where seabirds ride the trade winds and volcanic coves invite you to pause for photos and reflection. The trail reveals Madeira’s raw, geological heart at its eastern tip.

Trace the quiet Levada do Canical before climbing to Boca do Risco, a high saddle with sweeping views along Madeira’s wild north. Continue along a dramatic coastal path cut into the cliff, where Atlantic swells boom below and terraced hillsides unfurl towards Porto da Cruz.

Arriving in this once-busy sugar port, you can admire its black-sand bay and, time permitting, peek into a steam-powered rum distillery that preserves Madeira’s cane heritage. Expect rugged scenery, traditional hamlets and opportunities to pause for photos and reflection throughout this showpiece section.

Follow cobbled lanes from Falca de Cima to walk beside the Levada dos Tornos, one of the island’s key irrigation channels. The narrow path threads laurel, heather and fern, with water whispering at your side and birdsong from the canopy as terraced farms appear between glades.

Built over centuries, these ancient waterworks carved into basalt carry life-giving flow from cloud-draped mountains to the south. A simple forest house offers a natural pause before a dirt-track descent, revealing how levadas shaped Madeira’s agriculture, settlements and enduring green landscapes.

Hike from the Paul da Serra plateau into the World Heritage laurel forest of Fanal, where mist drifts through gnarled til trees and open pastures look down to Ribeira da Janela. The setting feels elemental: mossy trunks, dew-wet meadows and the hush of cloud-fed woodland.

This relic of the Tertiary era thrives on moisture borne by the trade winds, sheltering endemic plants and birds. Among the ancient Ocotea foetens you’ll find misty clearings perfect for unhurried photography — a chance to encounter Madeira’s primeval ecosystem in serene, storybook light.

Rise in the dark to watch sunrise from Pico do Arieiro, where the central massif ignites above a sea of cloud. Continue along PR1 to traverse knife-edge ridges, steps and tunnels carved into volcanic rock before standing on the roof of Madeira at Pico Ruivo.

At 1,818m and 1,862m respectively, these high points reveal serrated buttresses, distant villages and the shimmer of the Atlantic. Expect sustained ascents and descents, brisk mountain air and a powerful sense of scale on Madeira’s most celebrated high-level route.

From Funchal Marina, join a wildlife-spotting cruise to scan cobalt waters for resident bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales and, in season, sperm whales. Between sightings, admire the island from sea level, with views towards the towering Cabo Girão sea cliff and terraced hills.

Guided by marine specialists who follow responsible codes, this relaxed outing focuses on respectful encounters with the archipelago’s marine life. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Ride the Funchal cable car up to the hillside suburb of Monte for cooling breezes and panoramic views over Funchal Bay. Wander the Monte Palace Tropical Garden among koi ponds, azulejo panels and an extraordinary collection of cycads, orchids and African sculpture.

Monte’s church and belle-époque villas hint at another era, while lush plantings thrive in sheltered microclimates. Time your return for golden-hour light over the city. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

In central Funchal, tour Blandy’s Wine Lodge to explore cooperage rooms, museums and oak-scented ageing lofts. Learn how Madeira’s distinctive estufagem and canteiro methods develop its tangy acidity and caramelised depth before you taste Madeira wine from dry Sercial to rich Malmsey.

Set inside 19th-century warehouses, the lodge connects the island to centuries of Atlantic trade when casks sailed to distant ports. Guided tastings illuminate grape varieties and food pairings. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Gather for a hosted welcome dinner in the coastal town of Santa Cruz and meet your Tour Director. Share first impressions as you sample regional dishes such as grilled espetada, chargrilled limpets and warm bolo do caco with garlic butter, with Atlantic swells setting the rhythm across the promenade.

This convivial start offers a warm Madeiran welcome in a town anchored by its 16th-century church and waterfront. Your leader outlines the days ahead and local etiquette, so you can settle into island life and the ocean-breezed mood.