Overview

On our seven night holiday in Santana you’re only a stone’s throw away from the capital Funchal, but eastern Madeira feels like a whole different island.

The landscape is a  a tangle of jagged river valleys teeming with cedar forests, and spectacular sea cliffs. Where the islanders have tamed the land over the last 600 years, you’ll see small hamlets surrounded by terraces of sugar cane and bananas stretching from the valley floor up to the high ravines.

The island’s modern road network means it’s easy to explore by car – whether you’re heading into Funchal to go whale and dolphin watching, driving west into the Parque Natural do Ribeiro Frio, or cruising along the meandering north coast road for lunch in Sao Vicente.

Santana is also a great base from which to walk Madeira’s best levada trails. Whether you prefer to walk with a group, self-guided, or if you’d like to really get off-piste on a private walk with our resident guide – call us for a chat we can put together a personalised holiday just for you.

Itinerary

You’ll begin your holiday by flying direct from the UK to Madeira. You'll collect a hire car from the airport before driving to your accommodation in Santana.
You could spend your first day exploring Santana – ride the Teleférico da Rocha do Navio cable car in the morning and visit the Parque Temático da Madeira in the afternoon.
Drive up to one of the highest points on the island – the summit of Pico do Arieiro (at 1816m). Weather-permitting, you’ll have an amazing panoramic view across the whole island. You could spend the afternoon in the forest park at Ribeiro Frio; home to the miradouro at Balcões – a wonderful spot overlooking the Ribeira da Metade valley.
You’ll spend today in Funchal, beginning the day with a ride on the Teleferico cable car up to the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, return on a Carro de Cesto – the famous wicker toboggans which run down the steep streets back towards the centre of Funchal. In the afternoon, you’ll head to sea from the local marina on a whale and dolphin watching trip.
You’ll walk one of the island's best trails today - the Caldeirao Verde Levada in the Queimadas Forest Park. Self-guided, with a group or privately with our resident guide – the choice is yours.
Take a drive along Madeira’s beautiful north coast, to visit the Volcanism Centre in Sao Vicente and the famous seawater swimming pools in Porto Moniz.
For your final full day, you might like to visit Madeira's historic first settlement Machico, the barren volcanic cliffs at Ponta de Sao Lourenco, and the Engenho do Norte in Porto da Cruz - home to one of the island’s few surviving rum distilleries
You’ll return your hire car to the airport before flying home.

£1300 per person

We can create a tailor-made holiday to suit your budget.

INCLUDED: direct return flights from the UK. Accommodation in a twin/double en-suite room on a B&B basis, car hire and a whale and dolphin watching trip.

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