Portugal Small Group Tours

I've worked in the adventure tourism industry for three decades and know a little bit about the industry. This itinerary was absolutely spot on and suited everyone in the group. Our guide was however the reason the trip was so fantastic. Joao Camara's was born in Funchal and his local knowledge regarding the islands geography, fauna, history etc was amazing. Having worked in tourism in other countries his professional, informative and amusing approach was brilliant. I will definitely be back in Madeira that's for sure

Well organised, thoughtfully managed, great days out walking and seeing all around the island. We had fantastic weather, could hike every day, and through our guide Joao, Madeiran born and proud of his home, learnt about the history, flora and fauna of Madeira. Everything from hotels, transport, daily itinerary, food and meals in the evening made the experience fun and memorable. I’ll be going back in the Spring when the wildflowers bloom. Very good value and an excellent hiking trip.

Hi Explore, I think I counted that was my 21st Explore holiday. The hotel was in a great location near No 48 bus to Monte and 1 and 2 buses to Funchal. Also near the Lido and a supermarket. The only problem I found with the hotel is that you could not turn the air conditioning off at all - it was set so that it came on periodically during the night to refresh the room which woke me up with cold blasts. I had to put the two blankets on my bed. Also, I found the mattress too hard. Apart from that the staff were friendly and helpful. Philip our guide was great, a bit more info about loos when we stopped would have been helpful. I could not always hear him when standing with the group, his voice did not carry and you had to be very close to him to hear what he had to say, probably also something to do with my hearing maybe! I would have loved to have had more time to visit the orchid garden at Boa Vista near to the Botanical gardens but time ran out. It is only open on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday according to the hotel.

Great trip, ticked all the right boxes. Especially glad of the tour leader Ester Galindo, very knowledgeable and professional, adapting to changing circumstances to keep everyone happy and a great laugh as well

We have had this trip on our radar for a few years but had been put off by poor reviews of both the leader & some of the hotels but we decided to take the plunge & finally book it & we were so glad that we did! We were blessed with having a great group who bonded well together & having Paulo as our leader which made for a fantastic holiday! The walks were all different, from rugged coastal walks to Levadas & magical forests which gave us a true taste of Madeira. Paulo took us to local villages to experience the culture & learn about the history of the island. The hotels were all different in style;- The Dom Pedro is very dated & despite paying for an upgrade, our room was not very nice! The Pestana Casino Studios we liked for their quirky decoration & big rooms although others in our group found them too noisy! For us, the Aqua Natura Hotel was amazing from the fantastic oceon views, the natural salt water pools & lovely food! We felt that the whole holiday was well planned, taken at a relaxed place & tailored to everybodies needs; the trip exceeded our expectations!

Felepe was our tour leader. He was friendly, organized, always on task, very patient, and very knowledgeable about Madeira. He had a very strong passion for his country and the people. He taught us many things about the culture and ways of living in Madeira. It was a very enjoyable week