City tour and Botanical Garden (half day)
Visit Funchal, the capital of Madeira, which has a cathedral built between 1485 and 1515 and an old Governor’s palace.
Hunt for bargains at the market, and visit an embroidery factory shop.
Your tour concludes at the famous Madeira Botanical Garden. Established in 1960 at Quinta do Bom Sucesso, a former private estate, it is home to more than 2,000 species of plant from all over the world, including trees and flowers native to Madeira.
The gardens include a tropical bird park with exotic and rare birds, including cockatoos, Australian parakeets, dwarf parrots and loricos from the Asiatic tropical islands.
Ribeira Brava and Cabo Girão (half day)
Enjoy a visit to Madeira's Ethnographic Museum in Ribeira Brava, and afterwards stop in the village of Ribeira Brava to look at the church and market. You then travel via the old road to Cabo Girão, the highest promontory in Europe and the second highest in the world at 580 metres, from where there are spectacular views of the ocean and mountains.
After a stop at the sea cliff, you continue along the road for about 20 minutes until you reach a viewpoint over Câmara de Lobos, where you make a stop. You return to your hotel via the motorway.
In addition to the above, the following excursions are included on standard holidays of 14 nights or longer. Subject to availability, guests staying fewer nights may be able to purchase these excursions:
West Coast Tour (half day)
This half-day excursion begins with a scenic drive to São Vicente, continuing through the tunnels to Porto Moniz. This is the most north-western point of the island and also one of the most spectacular. A stop will be made here, depending on the weather.
You continue to Santa Village, an important agricultural centre with a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene. You make a short stop here before returning to your hotel.
Quinta do Palheiro (half day)
Popularly known as the Blandy Gardens, the Quinta do Palheiro was acquired by the Blandy family in 1885 and successive generations gave much work and devotion to the gardens. This property has some of the most valuable and rare exotic plants on the island.
During the main flowering season from November to April, the garden is a Mecca for camellia lovers.
In addition to the beautiful gardens, visitors can explore a tiny baroque chapel and view a magnificent manor house from the 18th century, now a luxury hotel. From the grounds you can also enjoy superb views over Funchal city.