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Walking the Landscapes of Western Madeira

Explore a verdant paradise on foot
Walks for all | Options for walkers of all levels and interests.
Madeira’s sunniest corner | Stay on an extensive estate in the island’s west.
Impressive views | Over the western mountains and plateau from the Fontes Circuit.
Capital vibes | Explore Funchal’s colonial architecture and colourful market.
Rabaçal Valley | A spectacular levada walk far from the crowds.
What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 3 dinners
    3 picnics
    7 breakfasts
  • route notes
  • GPS navigation
  • 7 days' category C car hire
  • Walking the Landscapes of Western Madeira
    Explore a verdant paradise on foot
  • Watch the sunset from the garden of Quinta das Vinhas
  • Levada walking
  • The village of Paúl do Mar
  • Ponta do Pargo – the island’s western most tip
  • The dramatic coastline of the São Lourenço Peninsula
  • Fontes falls
  • Rabaçal Valley
  • Visit the island’s capital, Funchal
  • Forte de São Tiago in Funchal
  • Calheta
  • Fresh exotic fruits at Funchal's Mercado dos Lavradores
What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 3 dinners
    3 picnics
    7 breakfasts
  • route notes
  • GPS navigation
  • 7 days' category C car hire

Holiday information

A walking holiday in western Madeira

Discover Madeira’s traditional side on this self-guided, single-centre walking holiday. Using your hire car to get about, there are a variety of areas to explore and walks to enjoy, including some lesser-known levadas, and at the end of each day relax at your homely accommodation, complete with a pool.
The name 'Madeira' conjures up images of levadas (waterways) lined with exotic flowers, and of luxuriant mountain slopes. Western Madeira is no different in this respect – there is certainly no shortage of drama or colour in the scenery – but what does set it apart is that it is the quieter, more traditional side of the island.

The levadas here are not as well known among walkers as those elsewhere, and many of the villages still feel quite remote – their backdrop of forbidding cliffs and mountains meant that, until a generation ago, some were virtually cut off from the outside world. Further inland, the high Paúl da Serra also feels startlingly different, its wild expanses of moorland grazed by cows and sheep. Thanks to your included hire car, you can explore all this and more on this very flexible holiday suitable for walkers of all levels.



Walking & more

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights. There's no fixed itinerary, so take your pick of our suggested walking routes and driving tours as the mood takes you. With your hire car, the possibilities are endless, so you can get to know the quieter, western side of Madeira as well as heading east to reach some of the island’s better-known attractions, including the colourful markets and lush botanical gardens of the island’s spirited capital.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.

    As you explore this Atlantic island’s coast, interior and mountains – all of which have their own microclimate – you should be prepared for variations of temperature, and for rain – Madeira has high levels of humidity. There are flowers all year, but April, May and June are particularly colourful.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 16 16 16 16 18 20 22 23 23 21 19 17
    mm 111 93 74 48 29 17 8 10 39 81 110 108
  • Choice of routes: 8km to 13km
    Ponta do Pargo circuit: 12.5km, 5hrs; ascent/descent 345m
    Explore the island's westernmost tip on a circular walk that follows a combination of panoramic country lanes and a levada. Starting at Ponta do Pargo, you ascend to the Levada Nova to walk along passing through copses of date palm and eucalyptus, then descend past a solitary white chapel set high above the sea. Nearby, a short stroll will take you to a cliff-top viewpoint for more astonishing views. Shady pine forests and small hamlets of traditional Madeiran houses line the hillsides as you return to your car. Afterwards, we recommend that you drive to the nearby lighthouse sited at the island's westernmost point, where there is a small exhibition and a wonderful viewpoint. Ask politely, and you may even be allowed to climb the tower to watch the seabirds soaring above the waves.

    Into the Rabaçal valley: 12.5km, 4hrs; ascent/descent 45m
    From above Porto Moniz in the north-west, you follow this flat route alongside one of the oldest levadas on the island, progressing from the coastal plain into the largest valley on Madeira, Rabaçal. You enter a wild and seemingly untamed forest, which closes in on each side, the narrow gorge walls covered in moss and ferns dripping with crystal clear water permeating from the trees above. There are even two tunnels to pass through – torch needed – between which the levada crosses a narrow gorge through a waterfall, as you make your way to a pleasant picnic spot by an old water house at the half-way turning point. On the return, the views are surprisingly different, with glimpses of the sea beyond. The lush nature of the landscape is perfect for such flowering plants as hortensia and agapanthus which add dashes of colour as you walk, as do the many startled lizards darting into the undergrowth from their sunny basking spots, and the tame chaffinches that will beg for the crumbs from your picnic. NB we have not provided an elevation profile for this route because it is on the flat.

    Levada do Alecrim and Pico Rabaçal: 8km, 3.5hrs; ascent 220m/descent 450m
    You follow woodland trails along the atmospheric Levada do Alecrim, past waterfalls and natural pools, with the option of ascending the peak of Rabaçal for wide-reaching views over the Paúl da Serra (the wild-feeling plateau of moorland and heath that forms the rugged heartland of the island) and the spectacular Rabaçal Valley. Descend from the levada path to visit the spectacular Lago do Vento and waterfall, on your way down to the forestry post at Casa Rabaçal.
    Ponta do Pargo circuit: 12.5km
    Ponta do Pargo
    Levada do Alecrim and PicoRabaçal:8km
    Levada do Alecrim and Pico Rabaçal
  • Choice of routes, which can all be shortened

    Along the Levada Nova: 19km, 6.5hrs; ascent 50m/descent 340m.
    Shorter options: 11.5km, 4hrs or 14km, 5hrs
    Take the local bus (it's only a 10-minute walk to the bus stop) to the western end of the Levada Nova. There are three possible starting points, depending on how far you wish to walk. Wherever you choose to begin, you will be rewarded with a fascinating but relatively easy walk across the south-west of the island, following this flower-lined waterway along the contours, as it winds initially through villages and then shady eucalyptus forests before descending to your hotel. En route, there are plenty of places to stop and enjoy your picnic.

    Estreito da Calheta to Paúl do Mar: 7km, 3hrs; ascent 315m/descent 650m
    This walk starts from the hotel door and heads through hamlets, crossing the deep Ribeira Funda valley to reach the village of Prazeres, high above the coast. From here, you descend a spectacular steep cliff path to the fishing village of Paúl do Mar, or you can choose to finish your walk at Prazeres. Return to the hotel by taxi (pay locally).

    Circuit above Fontes: 8.5km, 3.5hrs; ascent/descent 405m
    From the village of Fontes in the centre-south of the island, above the Ribeira Brava valley, this circuit heads up through eucalyptus forests past the Trompica forestry post, to emerge on high moorland with views opening up over the high central mountains with their deep valleys, as well as the Paúl da Serra massif and plateau to the West. Enjoy the changing panorama as the track swings round to descend back to Fontes, with the south coast ahead of you.

    Levada do Barreiro: 8km, 3.5hrs; ascent/descent 400m
    Leaving your car at the Parque Ecológico do Funchal interpretation centre and café, head across the hillside to join the Levada do Barreiro, and follow the exhilarating path alongside it up a deep valley, reaching a viewpoint over the Salto do Patagarro waterfall at the top. Unlike most levadas, this one is rarely level, instead carrying water rapidly down from the high mountains towards Funchal, so there is a mix of flatter sections and steps, making it more challenging than most levada walks, but you can turn around at any point; on the return you see Funchal emerge below you as you descend.

    São Lourenço Peninsula: 7.5km, 3hrs; ascent/descent 450m
    This stunning route takes in the breathtaking scenery of the São Lourenço Peninsula, revealing rocks of astonishing shapes and colours, as well as fossilised coral and seashells, as you explore the island's treeless easternmost tip.

    Along the Levada Nova: 19km
    Levada Nova
    Estreito da Calheta to Paúl do Mar: 7km
    View along the Paúl do Mar
    Circuit above Fontes: 8.5km
    Above Fontes
    Levada do Barreiro: 8km
    Levada do Barreiro
    São Lourenço Peninsula: 7.5km
    São Lourenço Peninsula
  • Tour the capital or explore with your hire car

    Funchal
    It is well worth spending a day amid the old colonial houses of the capital, Funchal. Here, you have an array of intriguing places to visit, and we provide notes for a walking tour to make sure you get the best out of your visit, including a trip to the Mercado dos Lavradores, the town’s colourful and lively fruit and vegetable market. Other places not to be missed are the Zona Velha (Old Quarter), with its many bustling shops and welcoming cafés; the unassuming cathedral of 1485; the Museum of Art; and, of course, Blandy’s wine lodge (closed Sundays) – learn about the history of the island’s world-famous fortified wine before savouring a sample or two from the leading producer. We advise parking on the seafront beside the cable car station so that you can also make the trip up the mountainside to visit Monte and its botanical gardens. The best – and most thrilling – way to return to Funchal is via the famous Monte wicker toboggan run, whose white-flannelled drivers will take you (quite quickly!) down to the outskirts of the town – the perfect way to complete your exploration of this astonishing island.

    Western Madeira
    Drive along the dramatic old south coast road - and through a waterfall! - before heading up into the dramatic Serra de Agua valley with its impressive mountain peaks. You cross the Paúl da Serra plateau and descend to the ancient forests of Fanal, where again we suggest a short walk. You continue down to Porto Moniz on the north-west coast, returning to Calheta via the edge of the Paúl da Serra, from where there are excellent views down to the coast.

    Sightseeing
    Of course, you needn't spend all your time walking or driving. Relax on one of Madeira's few white-sand beaches at nearby Calheta, which you can combine with a trip to the art museum above the town, the island's only surviving sugar cane brandy and honey factory, or a whale-watching trip from the harbour.

Accommodation

Your base for the week is the delightful Quinta das Vinhas, located in Madeira's sunniest corner. We recommend adding extra nights to discover the traditional side of Madeira further.

For extra space and privacy, you have the option of upgrading to one of the cottages in the grounds. Please indicate your preference at the time of booking.
Quinta das Vinhas
  • quinta

Bedrooms

Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
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  • 7 nights: 01 January 2026 - 31 December 2027

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price *
    1 - 30 Sep 2026 From £1371
    1 - 19 Oct 2026 From £1321
    20 - 31 Oct 2026 From £1077
    1 - 30 Nov 2026 From £1026
    1 - 15 Dec 2026 From £1131
    16 - 31 Dec 2026 From £1131
    1 - 31 Jan 2027 From £1031
    1 - 28 Feb 2027 From £1056
    1 - 31 Mar 2027 From £1186
    1 - 30 Apr 2027 From £1316
    1 - 31 May 2027 From £1386
    1 - 30 Jun 2027 From £1516
    1 - 31 Jul 2027 From £1536
    1 - 31 Aug 2027 From £1536
    1 - 30 Sep 2027 From £1366
    1 - 31 Oct 2027 From £1151

    * Final price is subject to change due to the customisable nature of our holidays and is dependent on accommodation availability for the dates selected. We will contact you to confirm the final price. Single supplements are applicable on many of our holidays. Please contact us for full details.

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Price includes: 7 days' category C car hire (eg VW Polo or similar with manual transmission and a 1.2L or 1.4L engine, depending on vehicle)

    Driving time between airport and hotel: 1h

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Funchal

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly via Lisbon. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast Intl. - Funchal jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Funchal jet2,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Funchal easyJet,  jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Funchal jet2,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Funchal easyJet,  jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Funchal jet2,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Funchal jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Funchal British Airways,  easyJet,  TUI 
    Gatwick - Funchal (via Lisbon) TAP Air Portugal 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Funchal British Airways 
    Heathrow - Funchal (via Lisbon) TAP Air Portugal 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Funchal Wizz Air 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Funchal jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Funchal easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Manchester - Funchal (via Lisbon) TAP Air Portugal 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Funchal jet2,  TUI 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly via Lisbon. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

Please note: any reference to maps in customer reviews is now out of date – we no longer provide these. For information on this, please see our FAQs page.


 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • Yes, prior to going on holiday you will be able to download GPX tracks so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you use them – our detailed, step-by-step route notes remain the principal means of guiding you from A to B – but we provide them as a secondary means of navigation for additional reassurance when walking.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can incur a five or six-figure bill.

    Many insurers offer travel insurance (you can find details on our insurance page of a policy that you may like to consider if you are a UK resident), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    When you purchase a policy, be sure to check that it covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Portugal, Madeira and the Azores, but not a visa (please note, however, that a new travel authorisation system is being introduced). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • The official language is Portuguese. The currency is the Euro. Portuguese time is the same as GMT/UTC. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on the same time as BST.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
Walking the Landscapes of Western Madeira
7 nights
Walking the Landscapes of Western Madeira
7 nights
Single-centre walking with car
Grade: Flexible: easy-to-moderate & moderate options
Last fetch time is : 9/10/2026 3:12:54 PM

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