Grand Tour of Madeira, the Pearl of the Atlantic

Our adventure in Madeira starts with a flight to Funchal Airport. On arrival, we'll transfer to our hotel, where we stay for 11 nights. Starting our holiday as we mean to go on, tonight we’ll enjoy our first Signature experience.

Spend time settling into your hotel before joining your fellow explorers on the hotel's terrace for our first Signature experience.

After breakfast, we'll follow a local guide on a walking tour of the historic centre of Funchal. Often called 'Little Lisbon’, as it overlooks a spectacular harbour and boasts grand 18th-century buildings with shaded courtyards, we'll explore the narrow streets that wind through the centre as they broaden out into lively squares and tree-lined walkways.  

Our guide will point out Funchal's highlights, including the Igreja do Colégio, a deceptive church with a plain exterior that hides its intricately decorated Baroque interior. The historical and artistic heritage on display here is virtually priceless, but it's not the island's main religious building - that honour falls to the 15th-century Sé cathedral, one of the few buildings dating from colonial times. With imposing arches and ornate gold-framed paintings - as well as a Mudéjar style ceiling made entirely from local wood - it's one of Portugal's most beautiful. 

Devotees of modern architecture will love the Art Deco Mercado dos Lavradores or farmers’ market, a hive of activity as shoppers fill their baskets with the island’s sun-ripened produce. Look out for the patterned pavements, typically Portuguese and painstakingly pieced by hand, and for the colourful street art on the doors of buildings. 

Next up is a real treat: a tasting of the island’s best-known export, Madeira wine. The process of heating the wine originated by accident when 16th-century sailors discovered that wines picked up in Madeira tasted richer after the casks had been heated and cooled during passage through the Tropics.  

Today, the styles of this fortified wine range from dry to lusciously sweet. You might be more familiar with the more medium, Verdelho, which is the variety we Brits traditionally serve with the crumbly sponge cake named after the wine.

Today we'll venture out to the western side of the island. Our first stop is Cabo Girão, not only is it the island's highest sea cliff, but it's also the highest cape in Europe with a sheer drop of 1,980 feet. The awe-inspiring transparent platform which extends over the cliff edge offers incredible views of the Madeira coastline, Funchal and the town of Câmara de Lobos. It's truly exhilarating.

Next, we'll visit the charming Ribeira Brava, a small town set in a steep valley carved out by the ‘wild river’ that gives the settlement its name. Here, we’ll stop to visit the 16th-century church of São Bento with its giant crystal chandeliers.

Madeira’s tropical climate is perfect for growing bananas and in the fishing village of Madalena do Mar, you can take a short walk through the banana plantation, where work is still carried out by hand. Turning inland, we ascend nearly 5,000 feet to the flattest part of the island, Paúl da Serra plateau. In the distance, you might spot Porto Moniz, located at Madeira’s northwestern tip - it's our next destination. 

Remarkable enough for its edge-of-the-world feeling, Porto Moniz is also blessed with natural saltwater pools formed from solidified volcanic rock and replenished by the waves as they break against the rocks. It’s the perfect place to stop, gaze out over the waves and drink in the invigorating ocean air from the terrace of a café or restaurant. 

We’ll head back along the northern coastal route via the village of Seixall to see one of Madeira’s most famous waterfalls – the Bridal Veil – which cascades down the side of the mountain into the sea.

Our final stop is São Vicente, a village nestling in a deep verdant valley and believed to be the volcanic birthplace of the island. It's home to a distinctive black-and-white church, scenic houses and a network of caves – all adding to its reputation as one of Madeira’s loveliest settlements. Keep your eye out for the tiny 17th-century chapel located on a giant basalt outcrop on the shore here.

Then, after a day exploring, it’ll be time to return to our hotel.

Today is yours to spend at leisure in Funchal and the surrounding area.  

You could go in search of Funchal’s traditional craft shops and browse their artisan tiles, wickerwork and embroidery for a truly authentic souvenir. Or perhaps, stroll along the Lido promenade and stop for a seafood lunch.  

For art lovers, the Sacred Art Museum is located in the 17th-century former bishop’s palace. It houses one of the finest collections of religious art in the world, commissioned for their local churches by wealthy Madeiran merchants seeking salvation. Among the works are masterpieces by influential 15th- and 16th-century Flemish painters, such as Pieter Coeck van Aalst.

We'll ascend to Monte by cable car, looking out over the green spaces and terracotta-coloured roofs of Funchal and out to sea. Our destination is Monte Palace Tropical Gardens where we’ll enjoy a guided tour before free time to wander at leisure. These oriental gardens are exquisite, complete with Asian-style bridges, arches and a pond filled with koi carp; they also house a historic tile collection gathered from Portuguese palaces, churches and private residences.

This afternoon, we'll return to Funchal by cable car, and spend the rest of the day at leisure exploring the city or you may wish to return to the hotel by coach.

Our morning begins with a short drive north to Madeira’s dramatic interior and the Curral das Freiras or Valley of the Nuns. To appreciate the solitude of this place, we'll drive to Eira do Serrado, over 3,500 feet above sea level, part of a natural cauldron of jagged peaks and chasms, with time to soak up the glorious views down to the village of Curral das Freiras itself. 

Descending towards the village, you can see why, in 1566, the nuns of Funchal’s Santa Clara convent relocated to this almost inaccessible valley to flee a pirate attack. Today, it is also known for the sweet chestnuts cultivated on its terraced hillsides – try to sample some, we’re sure you’ll enjoy these tasty treats. It even hosts an annual festival celebrating this versatile nut, used in products from cakes to soups to liqueurs. 

This afternoon is yours to spend at leisure. You could relax by the pool which overlooks the brilliant blue of the sea below, maybe settle down with that book you've been meaning to read or just enjoy the Portuguese sunshine. Alternatively, you could continue to explore Funchal.

Our morning begins with a short drive to Câmara de Lobos, a fishing village built around a bay with Europe’s highest cliffs forming a breathtaking backdrop. Winston Churchill stayed here to paint the harbour during his visit to Madeira in 1950 and was no doubt inspired by its location, the colourful boats and the whitewashed buildings with distinctive terracotta roofs. 

Câmara de Lobos is still a working port, with boats pulled up onto the beach after night fishing for the local black scabbard fish known as espada. It’s a charming village to saunter, exploring the cobbled streets and visiting the simple Saint Anthony’s Chapel, where fishermen’s wives traditionally said prayers for their husband's safe return. 

Or you can relax in a harbour café enjoying lunch with a glass of poncha, an elixir of sugar cane spirit, honey and lemon juice enjoyed by the fishermen returning to land their catch in the morning – and said to cure the common cold!

This afternoon, we’ll enjoy another Signature experience with a visit to Fajã dos Padres.

This morning, we'll visit the Palheiro Gardens, world famous for its variety of flora and its beautiful setting in the hills overlooking Funchal. Palheiro was laid out in the early 19th century by a French landscape architect for the Count of Carvalhal before being acquired in the early 20th century by the Blandy family, famous wine producers.  

Over the next decades, the gardens were populated with thousands of plants from around the world, from North American sequoia trees to South African proteas, all flourishing in Madeira’s rich soils and clement weather. This is a blissful place to explore at your leisure, taking in all the colours and fragrances, with plenty of time to linger when a particular specimen catches your eye. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore at leisure.

Today is free for you to relax and explore Funchal and Madeira at leisure.  

This afternoon, we’ll gather for our next Signature experience: afternoon tea at Reid’s Palace.

Today we'll explore the east coast, passing diverse landscapes from craggy coastlines to ancient forests. Ponta do Rosto is Madeira’s easternmost point, on a sliver of land jutting out into the Atlantic and offers dazzling panoramas. On clear days, the island of Porto Santo shimmers in the distance. 

Following the northern coast, we'll call at sleepy Porto da Cruz, named after a large cross, displayed to identify it to passing sailors. Dominated by the sheer-sided Penha d’Aguia or Eagle Rock, this 16th-century parish is renowned for producing sugar cane spirit and a dry red wine made from the Americana grape.

We'll leave the village and track the coastline, where, incredibly, every patch of land is farmed to provide food for its isolated communities. There’s further proof of Madeirans’ capacity for self-sufficiency in Santana, a town notable for its A-frame thatched houses. 

Made from stone, wood and anything else to hand, they have brightly painted doors and windows and each sits on its own plot of land used to grow food. As you enjoy a stroll around these well-preserved 16th-century dwellings, you get a sense of what it was like to live here when villagers relied solely on their own toil for survival. We’ll enjoy our Signature lunch here before continuing to Ribeiro Frio.

After a delicious lunch at a local winery - today’s our Signature experience - we'll head towards the mountainous interior and one of the highlights of the tour – the UNESCO-listed Ribeiro Frio National Park. Around 90 per cent of the park is covered by ancient Laurisilva or laurel trees, and the area features much endemic flora and fauna, such as ferns and the trocaz pigeon. 

The region also plays a vital role in Madeira’s ecosystem, as moisture captured by the trees feeds into a 1,355-mile network of channels that distribute water across the island for drinking, agriculture and hydroelectric power.  

Ascending slopes cloaked in fragrant eucalyptus and swirling mists, we emerge at Pico do Arieiro, Madeira’s third-highest mountain at 5,930 feet. Here, above the treeline and sometimes even higher than the clouds, the vistas are some of the most memorable you’ll ever see. You may even spot the Valley of the Nuns way below. On clear days almost all of Madeira is visible, including its highest summit – the 6,100-foot Pico Ruivo.

Mardeira's brilliant blooms, will enjoy our visit to the Madeira Botanical Gardens today. 

First planned in the 18th century, and finally created in 1960, the botanical gardens in Funchal are synonymous with Madeira. With over 2000 exotic plants from all continents set within five different landscaped areas, it is a must-see. Here we'll enjoy time to peruse the orchids, lawns and ornamental shrubs on display but even if plants aren't your thing, the views over Madeira and the amphitheatre are still well worth the visit.  

This afternoon, we’ll head to Quinta do Largo for our next Signature experience.