Madeira · SAFARI
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 12 off-road safaris worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Review of Madeira’s 7-hour west coast Jeep safari, with Fanal, Porto Moniz pools, Seixal, Cabo Girão, pickup, and practical tips.
“We had a #1 driver, Nellie. Made the adventure so much fun! Such a skilled, experienced driver…off roading was thee absolute best! Loved every minute.”
Review of Madeira’s east coast jeep safari, with Pico do Arieiro, Santana, levada walking, rum tasting, and practical booking tips.
“Ernesto was an amazing tour guide and great driver. Didn't feel rushed or stressed. This tour has a levada walk that will take approximately 45min and you need to pay 3 euros. The guide suggested a lovely restaurant to eat and it was great. Only downside for me is the jeep itself, not very comfortable, bear in mind the roof will remain opened the entire time, so if you seat in the back get ready for sun and lots of wind...having the rooftop opened also meant a lot of noise from the road and tunnels.”
Review of Madeira’s 3-hour village safari from Funchal, with cliff views, Nun’s Valley, a short off-road ride, and practical booking advice.
“A good tour and excellent guide (John). He was a wealth of information. We learned about things modern, old, and ancient. Definitely try to the Consha! At first, I thought the off road component was going yo be silly/gimmicky but it turned out to be one of the best highlights if the trip! The only reason I rated a four is that the jeep is quite uncomfortable in the back.”
Explore Madeira by jeep from Pico do Areeiro to Santana, with a levada walk, rum distillery, off-road trails, and Ponta de São Lourenço.
“Severino is the best guide and driver you can find!”
Explore Madeira by private open-top Jeep with hotel pickup, custom routes, dramatic views, Porto Moniz pools, and local guides.
“The off road part of the trip was great. Saw some spectacular views thqt would not have been possible even on a minibus.”
Review of Madeira’s 8-hour west coast 4x4 tour, with Fanal Forest, Porto Moniz pools, Cabo Girão, guides, costs, and practical tips.
“This is one of the best tours we ever did! It felt like travelling with a friend. Francisco is the most incredible tour guide and a lovely person. We had more than enough time to see everything on the way and had enough time to rest in between. All of the spots were magical and worth a visit. Francisco shared a lot of interesting stories about Madeira as well and he made the whole experience unforgettable. And in the end of the trip he took us to the best poncha place on the island. We cannot recommend it enough and we will definitely come back and do it all over…”
Explore Madeira’s west by rugged Jeep, from Cabo Girão and Fanal Forest to Porto Moniz lava pools and Seixal beach.
“Myself and my husband shared a jeep with 2 other couples and our driver/tour guide, Fillipa. It was an awesome trip with tight bends, sheer drops and off road driving. Our driver to us to scenic places and gave us plenty of time to wander and take pictures. We booked our lunch with him for €15 at Sea View restaurant in Porto Moniz. This was a lovely clean restaurant and the food exceeded our expectations by far. The trip was very enjoyable from start to finish and we would highly recommend to anyone.”
Explore East Madeira by 4x4, from Pico do Arieiro to Santana and a 2km levada walk, with hotel pickup and a small group of up to eight.
“Ricardo our driver/guide picked us up, right on time, just 10 minutes away from our cruiseship. With 6 other people from Britain, France and Latvia we started the tour. So we had a real European get together. Although we made several tours on Madeira, this tour is one of a totally different kind. Though we were a bit unlucky with the weather in the morning we had a lot of fun. We tried to make it to the top of Madeira's highest mountain, we did not make it because of the heavy clouds and the rain. But Ricardo offered us a very nice alternative. It really is fun to get…”
Explore Madeira by Jeep from Funchal, with waterfalls, mountain roads, volcanic pools, village stops, and a flexible small-group format.
“This trip was absolutely fabulous. Hugo was an amazing guide and extremely knowledgeable and a very pleasant person. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he explained and enthused about the beautiful island of Madeira. We very highly recommend this company and this particular trip.”
Ride Madeira’s Farowest 4x4 safari from Funchal to Porto Moniz, Paul da Serra, levadas, villages, and natural sea pools.
“Foi um dia inesquecível e aventureiro. Ricardo foi um grande guia. Só o podemos recomendar. Muito obrigado!”
Review of Madeira’s small-group 4x4 tour through Câmara de Lobos, mountain viewpoints, vineyards, Cabo Girão, and traditional poncha.
“The jeep was a lot of fun but it would be good if there were more hand holds. It could be difficult for anyone with mobility issues. Tiago was a great guide and we learned a lot about life in beautiful Madeira.”
Explore Madeira by 4x4 from Câmara de Lobos to Cabo Girão, with mountain views, Nuns Valley, poncha, hotel pickup, and off-road roads.
“We Loved it! My husband and I saved this excursion for our last day in Madeira. We had spent most of our time in Funchal and being able to go up into the mountains and explore all the other pockets of this incredible island were breathtaking. We shared a jeep with a family from Spain, so kind and our guide was informative and a passionate local, you could really feel his pride for this island. Beautiful! I used to live in San Francisco and those hills are nothing compared to Madeira, had a blast going up and down. We stopped at several places to take photos and relish in the…”
Pick a trail, a deck or a table.
