6 Day Wine Tour Madeira, Portugal – Visit a unique wine destination
Most important features
- 6 DAYS – 5 NIGHTS
- Visited countries: Madeira – Portugal
Short introduction
This 6-day wine tour to Madeira starts in the capital Funchal, a small picturesque capital of an island bathed in the deep blue sea. You will discover the more than authentic Madeira wine that has been cultivated here since the 15th century. You visit different wine estates, participate in wine tastings, sleep in beautiful wine hotels and taste delicious local dishes with matching Madeira wine. In recent years there has also been some production of table wine in Madeira, using the native grapes such as Tinta Negra, Alicante Bouchet or Touriga Nacional for the red and rosé wines and verdelho for the white. The volcanic subsoil and the Atlantic brise yield unique flavors, with tropical scents and an excellent mineralogy.
From the capital Funchal you will first head west to Camara de Lobos, you walk on a beautiful levada that leads you to the highest cliff in Europe, the Cabo Girão, and discover the north coast of the island where you can taste the “Mountain Wines” and appreciate them. In short, a unique wine tour that you will not soon forget.
Highlights
- Taste the unique Madeira wine
- 3 wine tastings
- 1 rum tasting
- 2 nights in a wine hotel
- Taste delicious local cuisine
- The beautiful nature
- Taste the local chocolate of Madeira
- Admire the wine terraces against steep volcanic slopes
- See the Laurissilva Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Visit traditional fishing villages such as Camara de Lobos, and São Vicente and Seixal
Program
DAY 1 – ARRIVAL FUNCHAL – MADEIRA (D)
Today you will arrive in the largest city of the island of Madeira, Funchal. After arrival, you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel. The highway from the airport runs along the coast. When you look at the deep blue ocean, you immediately feel relaxed! After check-in at your hotel, you are expected by the pool for a glass of wine as a welcome drink. In the evening, enjoy dinner at the hotel. Both the hotel you will be staying at and tonight’s restaurant reflect the best of Madeira’s gastronomy and local wine. A strong start.
Overnight.
DAY 2 – ISLAND TOUR (B, D)
After breakfast, your day begins with a full island tour to discover Madeira’s wine landscapes and beautiful coastline. Wine has been produced in Madeira for over 500 years. In addition, Madeira also produces young table wines nowadays. During this day you will have the opportunity to taste the special Madeira wines, as well as the white and red table wines and learn about the winemaking process from the vineyards to the glass of wine.
Once in the vineyards you start with a short levada hike. Levadas once served as irrigation channels to take the water to the wine terraces planted with manpower from sea level to often 700 m high. You will visit 3 wine producers and enjoy a home-made, typical meal in a mansion. On this excursion you will also see the amazing landscapes of Madeira from the north to the south coast including the UNESCO World Heritage Laurissilva Forest. You will also visit the traditional fishing village of Camara de Lobos, and São Vicente and Seixal on the north coast. Return to the capital Funchal and your hotel in the late afternoon.
In the evening, enjoy dinner in the beautiful old town of Funchal. Here you will appreciate the local cuisine with, for example, delicious black swordfish or the Lapas, all with the taste of the Atlantic Ocean that goes with the local wines. Not to be missed are the exotic desserts of mango or maracuja with a glass of Madeira wine.
Overnight.
DAY 3 – FUNCHAL (B, D)
After breakfast, you will set off in the morning for a guided walking tour of Funchal. Discover the scents and flavours of the exotic capital of Madeira! The tour lasts 3 hours and takes you to the Must-See places including the famous Madeira Wine Lodge, and to the fruit and fish market of Funchal where you will see and taste delicious fruit.
The afternoon is at your own leisure. For example, you can visit a local chocolate factory and tea house. We also recommend you visit the beautiful botanical gardens of Funchal where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city. You can take the cable car to Monte. From here, the panorama is exceptional on a clear day. On the way back to town, you can take a ride on the characteristic wicker baskets that once served to transport goods from the mountains to the city.
In the evening, dinner is reserved at a wine estate west of the city. Here you will enjoy Madeira’s most famous dish, a tenderloin kebab grilled on a spit of bay wood, along with fried banana and corn polenta with delicious Red Madeira wine made from the native Tinta Negra grape. Transfer back to your hotel.
Overnight.
DAY 4 – NORTH OF MADEIRA (B, L)
After breakfast, depart for the north coast of Madeira and reach Pico de Arrieiro, the highest mountain on the island. The view from here is truly impressive. Afterward, travel on to Ribeiro Frio, known for its trout farm. You will taste some of it cooked in different ways, grilled or smoked, with some local Verdelho white wine.
After lunch, a small levada hike with some breaks awaits to take in the beauty of the landscapes. Levada dos Balcões is the easiest of all levadas (the hiking trails in Madeira). This 30-minute walk takes you to one of the most breath-taking viewpoints on the island.
The wine hotel where you will be staying for the next two nights has a breath-taking view of the sea and is surrounded by vineyards. The hotel also has its own wine cellar where a wine tasting with 4 different Madeira wines will be organized. You will learn about famous Madeira wine and its history.
Every September, this hotel organizes its own wine festival with traditional music and treading barefoot grapes for all to participate in. Later, a traditional buffet with local specialties and wines is served.
Overnight.
DAY 5 – NORTH OF MADEIRA (B, D)
After breakfast, today explore the rugged northeast coast of Madeira. Your first stop is in Porto Cruz, a small seaside village that has always been known throughout history for its sugar cane plantations and its dry red wine produced here. You will also visit a small distillery where rum is made. In addition to the wine fact, Madeira has an age-old tradition of producing various well-known rum brands. Rum is also the base of Poncha you may want to try here: Poncha in Madeira is the medicine for everything, be it a cold or a broken heart! Then continue to the small village of Machico where Zarco Gonçalves marred when he first discovered the island in the 15th century.
On the way back, make a stop at the typical Madeira houses in Santana and discover how these triangular structures were made. This is one of Madeira’s Ex-libris sites and nowadays you can also find a small market here where you can buy traditional products and some souvenirs.
Tonight, you will be offered dinner in the restaurant of the hotel where you are staying. Enjoy the flavours of Madeira that you will never forget with a four-course dinner and the island’s remarkable wines.
Overnight.
DAY 6 – RETURN (B)
After breakfast, and depending on your flight times, you will receive a transfer to the airport for your flight back home… or an extension of your trip to one of the other beautiful wine regions such as the Douro or the Alentejo on the Portuguese mainland. Ask us about the possibilities for a non-binding customized quote.
Included / Excluded
What’s included / not included in this wine tour ?
Included
- 3 wine tastings and wine cellar visits
- 1 rum tasting
- International flights
- Transfer airport – hotel – airport
- 5 nights in a standard double room in good quality hotels according to local standards
- Meals where indicated (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)
- Transport as described in the program
Excluded
- Specialized wine guide
- Single room surcharge
- Experienced English-speaking guide unless otherwise stated, other languages on request
- Personal expenses
- Entrance fees to the listed sights
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks unless explicitly stated
- Meals other than mentioned in the program (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)
- Tips
- Cancellation and travel insurance (we can arrange this for you if desired)
- Taxes to be paid locally, such as the tourist tax
- Everything that is not reported under the heading including
Optional:
Day 3:
- Visit local chocolate factory and teahouse
- The Botanical Gardens of Funchal with a beautiful view over the city
- The cable car to Monte with an exceptional panorama on a clear day
- Ride on characteristic wicker baskets (This once served to transport goods from the mountains to the city)
Important: You should be in some shape where a walk through the vineyards is planned here and there. Some vineyards are built on steep hills. Ask us about the possibility to adjust this.
Request a quote for this wine tour and we can work with you to determine what will and will not be included. The choice is yours.
All flights (international and domestic), hotels and rental car are always subject to availability until the time of final booking with signing the sales file. The booking is made and recorded after receipt of the deposit on our bank account.
Prices are always subject to change and are signed up to the sales file without prior notice and / or evidence. The reasons, which are not exhaustive, can be seasonality and availability.
