Funchal Tours in Fall

Madeira is a great walking destination, particularly in late Autumn when the days are pleasantly warm. Like everywhere, the weather is unpredictable these days and we did have a midweek storm which brought high winds and rain, but this only impacted our walk on one day. The itinerary is well planned to give exposure to Madeira's different microclimates and ecosystems. The levadas provide lovely flat walking interludes in an otherwise up or down topography, and I would rate the walks overall as moderate requiring a normal level of fitness. The accommodation is overall comfortable and well located, excepting the hotel in Funchal which was a 30 minutes walk from town. It was however a substitute for the usual hotel which was undergoing renovation. I did also note very good breakfasts everywhere we stayed. Our tour leader was excellent, very supportive and accommodating, and also very knowledgable about the flora and fauna of the island which added extra interest to our walks. We were a group of 15 with people from UK, Channel Islands, US, Canada and The Netherlands, and a friendly and fun group it was too! Overall I would thoroughly recommend this trip for anyone looking for a good week walking in a very picturesque and unique environment.

Benni our leader was excellent enthusiastic cheerful and loooked after our group . The hotel selected (as usual one was having work done ) was too far away from main town so there were no places to wander to nearby other than a main road without a pavement ! Fortunately for the evening meals a minibus was provided to take us from hotel to Funchal ( even if you wanted to go elsewhere in Funchal ) but there wasn’t one provided on the free day . Fortunately could use local buses or taxis / uber

Very varied and excellent itinerary with food and wine tasting on several occasions. Beautiful scenery and a very knowledgeable guide who enabled us to see most of the island. I love the small group size too and enjoyed getting to know people

What an excellent trip! The hikes varied in terrain and vistas, from coastal walks to levadas to mystical forests to mountain tops, but all were spectacular and each day was as good as or better than the one before. Paulo was a wonderful guide, knowledgeable about the island, its history, culture, flora and fauna. We were fortunate to have very good weather, and even more fortunate to have a group that gelled beautifully. Not only did everyone get along well, but everyone was fit and hiked at a similar pace. (We understand from other reviews that that's not always the case.) First hotel in Machico was pretty dated, but good location and breakfast. The hotel at Porto Moniz was the best of the trip, modern, well-equipped, great food - and right across the road from volcanic pools. Very scenic. The hotel in Funchal was fine and in a great location.

The trip was well planned and gave an opportunity to walk in different parts of the island, including a chance to stay by the sea. All the hotels were comfortable and usually quiet. There were some quirks such as all hotels having terrible coffee machines but in general the standard was high. The group leader Felipe was excellent, friendly, calm and capable in all circumstances, rearranging the programme to suit the changeable weather.

An excellent trip to explore and discover Madeira. Staying in one hotel, in a convenient Funchal location, was a bonus. Best moments for me were the swim in the volcanic rock pools of Porto Moniz, the walk above the clouds to Pico do Arieiro, and, not least, the amazing travel companions and our guide Benny.