Madeira & The Estreito Wine Festival

Fly from London to Funchal, where you will be welcomed by your guide assistant. At a convenient time, the tour manager will schedule a welcome meeting. Enjoy dinner at the hotel and unwind.

After breakfast, you will take the road to Pico do Areeiro, third highest point of the island (1810 m). Continue through the endemic Laurisilva forest, a Nature World Heritage Site, to Ribeiro Frio. Located 17 km from Funchal, Ribeiro Frio is known for its beautiful gardens where plants and trees live side by side in perfect harmony. You can see a variety of native plants, some of them quite rare. You will also have the chance to visit a trout hatchery. Continuing then to Faial you will have a pleasant surprise thanks to the impressive beauty of the surrounding mountains, and Santana, well known for its typical thatched roof houses. You will then stop for lunch at Quints do Furao, hosting views over its vineyard. The tour continues to the small town of Porto da Cruz and its harbour tucked into theeastern flank of the Eagle Rock which dominates the coastal landscape. On the way back to the Hotel, pass by the city of Machico, the first capital of Madeira. Dinner at leisure.

This is the most popular day out, taking in the whole of the western side of this island, the mostdramatic and breathtaking scenery. After breakfast, depart on your tour and pass by the picturesque fishing town of Câmara de Lobos and stop for a refreshing Poncha, visit the viewpoint (Skywalk) at Cabo Girão, the highest sea cliff in Europe and the second highest in the world (580m). Travel inland across the mysterious plateau of Paúl da Serra to Porto Moniz with its natural volcanic rock pools. Our journey continues to São Vicente, a prettymountain village, along the northwestern coastal road where waterfalls cascade down the rockface into the deep blue ocean. Enjoy a delightful lunch and return to the hotel, where the rest of the day is at leisure.

After breakfast, start with a stroll through the hustle and bustle of the Farmers Market. Discover the display of subtropical produce of this island such as fruits, vegetables, flowers and fish. Then you go to cable car station where you take the cable car to Monte, a village in the suburbs of Funchal, well known for its lush vegetation and the two-spired church of Our Lady of Monte. Upon arrival to Monte, enjoy a visit to the Monte Palace Tropical Garden. The garden boasts plants from all over the world, on which a wide amount species has already been planted, including azaleas, heather, different trees and a wide variety of ferns. The African Art and rare stones Museum are also situated on the same property of this garden. Monte is home to the well-known wicker toboggans. Experience a 10-minute ride in this unique mean of transport, powered by two ‘carreiros’ or sledge drivers, originally used to carry wood and other produce into town. Enjoy lunch at Il Vivaldi and return to the hotel, to have the rest of the day at leisure.

After breakfast, enjoy a day at leisure. Your tour manager will offerr suggestions if you would like to explore more of Madeira. After your day at leisure, enjoy a Folklore Show with dinner at a local restaurant. During the dinner, enjoy the “Espetada”, a regional dish made in an open kitchen. The delicious grilled chunks of beef marinated in garlic, bay leaves and salt are served on a 3 ft skewer. Side dishes include salad and “milho frito” – another regional delicacy made of cooked cornmeal, left to cool down and firm upon a flat-bottomed dish, cut into small cubes and fried.

Welcome to our half-day tour to the Madeira Wine Festival in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos!  After breakfast, depart on a delightful journey which takes you into the heart of Madeira’s wine culture, where tradition, celebration, and local flavors come together in one of the island’s most charming villages. During the festival, the streets come alive with music, folklore performances, wine tastings, and the vibrant energy of the grape harvest season. It's a perfect opportunity to experience the island's heritage, meet the locals, and, of course, enjoy some of the finest Madeiran wines. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

After breakfast, your last day will be at leisure. We recommend taking locla transport to explore the city of Funchal and its Wine Festival atmosphere. However, your tour manager will be on hand for extra suggestions.

Enjoy a final breakfast at the hotel, before taking your transfer back to the airport for your return flight to the UK.