Madeira Jeep Safari: East vs. West Compared

Product 1: The East Safari, Pico do Arieiro, Santana, Ponta de São Lourenço

The East tour usually starts at 8 a.m. in Funchal. The first stop is Pico do Arieiro, at 1,818 meters the third highest peak on Madeira. The guide drives you up the switchback road, which I have driven myself many times in a rental car, and which I would not recommend without at least a 1.2 liter petrol engine. The road has more than 40 hairpin turns with gradients of up to 20 percent. A Fiat 500 would struggle badly on it. The jeep handles it with ease.

Once at the top, you have about 45 minutes to enjoy the view. I was up there on a clear morning in April: t-shirt weather in the parking lot, sunglasses on, feeling rather smug about it. Then I walked through the tunnel on the PR1 trail and the temperature dropped by 12 degrees. I stood in fog with zero visibility. The microclimate shift happens right on the ridge between Arieiro and Ruivo, where the weather from the north coast rolls over like a lid coming off a pot. I was shivering in a thin rain jacket that I had almost left in the car. Since then I always bring a proper thermal layer on the PR1, even when it is 28 degrees in Funchal. The guide on the safari knew this and had a jacket ready for everyone, a detail I noticed right away.

From there it continues to Santana, to the famous triangular houses. They are pretty, but honestly, after 20 minutes you have seen them. The bakery next door, which makes the finest Bolo do Caco on the island, is the real reason for the stop. The sweet potato bread with garlic butter is a revelation. I buy half a dozen there every time for the trip back.

The last stop is Ponta de São Lourenço, the easternmost tip of the island. The PR8 trail is 3 km long, runs over bare basalt, and has zero shade. In August we started at 10 a.m., my first mistake. By 11 a.m. the rock was radiating heat like a pizza fresh out of the oven. My group was dehydrated, irritable, and looking for shelter behind the one rock that cast any shade. I called it off and drove 15 minutes west to the coastal path near Prainha, a flat 2 km trail along the volcanic cliffs with a sea breeze and actual shade. We spotted a monk seal from the viewpoint and ate sandwiches on a bench overlooking the ocean. The lesson: only do the PR8 at sunrise or in the late afternoon. The safari schedules it at midday, which is a flaw in how the tour is designed.

Who the East Safari is for: People who really want to see Pico do Arieiro but do not want to hike. Photographers who need the triangular houses. Anyone who wants a compact exploration of the east of the island.

Who it is not for: People sensitive to heat. Families with small children, since Ponta de São Lourenço is unforgiving. Anyone looking for peace and quiet, since the tour is loud and crowded.

Why the West Safari almost won me over

The West tour is the one I had assumed beforehand was "the touristy stuff." I was wrong. It also starts at 8 a.m., but heads straight into the Fanal laurel forest. The forest is a UNESCO natural heritage site, with ancient, gnarled trees that look like they are from a fantasy film. I was there at 7 a.m. in January. The blogs had warned me: "enchanted," "like a fairy tale." What I got was fog so thick I could not see my own boots. The parking lot markings disappeared after 15 meters. I followed a path I thought was the right one and ended up walking in a circle 20 minutes later, confirmed by my own footprints. No phone signal, no trail markers, just grey and silence. I stopped, listened for the road, and followed the sound of an occasional passing car. It took 45 minutes to get back. Do not go into the Fanal forest in dense fog without GPS. The forest floor looks the same everywhere and the markers are on trees you cannot see.

The guide on the safari knew the forest inside and out. He drove us straight to the most photogenic trees without us ever getting lost. That is the value of a guided tour: someone who knows where the trees are even when you cannot see anything.

After that comes the natural swimming pools of Porto Moniz. They get crowded in summer, but in March I had them to myself. The water is crystal clear and about 18 degrees, refreshing but not shockingly cold. The pools are formed from lava rock, with the sea breaking right alongside them. There are changing rooms and showers, useful if you are moving on right after swimming.

The next stop is Seixal, a small village with a black sand beach. The beach is pretty, but the real reason for the stop is the food. There is a restaurant right on the water that serves freshly caught espada (black scabbardfish), a Madeiran specialty. The fish is served with banana and passion fruit sauce, which sounds strange but tastes fantastic.

The last stop is Cabo Girão, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe at 580 meters. The glass-floor viewpoint is free and the view over Funchal and the sea is huge. The sun sets right behind the cliff, a fitting way to end the day.

Who the West Safari is for: Nature lovers who want to experience the laurel forest. Swimmers who want to splash around in the lava pools. Food lovers, since the lunch in Seixal is the standout meal of both tours. Anyone who wants a relaxed day without much exertion.

Who it is not for: Summit chasers, since there are no notable heights. People who want to see historic towns, since the West tour is all nature. Anyone who wants to move quickly, since the tour has many stops and takes a while accordingly.

Product 2: The West Safari, Fanal, Porto Moniz, Seixal, Cabo Girão

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I booked the West Safari through Viator, specifically the "Full-Day Jeep Safari West" tour. The guide picked me up at the hotel in a converted Land Rover, open-top, with room for eight people. We drove first to Fanal. The fog was there, but the guide knew the forest. He drove us straight to the most photogenic trees without us ever getting lost. That is the value of a guided tour: someone who knows where the trees are even when you cannot see anything. We took photos, breathed in the damp air, and then continued on to Porto Moniz.

The natural swimming pools were almost empty in March. The water was crystal clear, about 18 degrees. I jumped in and felt refreshed right away. The pools are formed from lava rock, with the sea breaking right alongside them. There are changing rooms and showers, useful if you are moving on right after swimming. After an hour's drive we arrived in Seixal, a small village with a black sand beach. The restaurant right on the water served freshly caught espada with banana and passion fruit sauce, a Madeiran specialty that tastes fantastic. I have rarely eaten so well on a tour.

The last stop was Cabo Girão, 580 meters above the sea. The glass-floor viewpoint is free and the view over Funchal and the sea is huge. The sun set right behind the cliff, a fitting way to end the day. I sat there, ate a piece of Bolo do Caco I had bought in Santana, and thought: "That was the better day."

Who the West Safari is for: Nature lovers who want to experience the laurel forest. Swimmers who want to splash around in the lava pools. Food lovers, since the lunch in Seixal is the standout meal of both tours. Anyone who wants a relaxed day without much exertion.

Who it is not for: Summit chasers, since there are no notable heights. People who want to see historic towns, since the West tour is all nature. Anyone who wants to move quickly, since the tour has many stops and takes a while accordingly.

The moment I made up my mind

It was on the West tour, standing at Cabo Girão. The sun was setting, the sky was orange and pink, and I could hear the sea 580 meters below me. On the East tour I had felt stressed: the heat at Ponta de São Lourenço, the crowds at Pico do Arieiro, the rush in Santana. On the West tour I felt calm. The guide was in no hurry, and we had time to enjoy the moments. The laurel forest was mystical, the swimming pools were empty, the food was fantastic. The East tour feels like a checklist: tick off Pico do Arieiro, tick off Santana, tick off Ponta de São Lourenço. The West tour feels like a day you actually experience.

If this is your first time on Madeira and you want to see the island in its full variety, take the West tour. It shows you the nature, the coast, the cliffs, and the calm. The East tour is for people who really want to reach the highest point and need to see the triangular houses. But for me, after more than 400 kilometers of hiking on this island, the West tour is the better choice. It is more relaxed, more varied, and feels less like tourism.

What I wish I had known beforehand

A few things I noticed on both tours that I wish I had known beforehand:

• The weather on Pico do Arieiro is unpredictable. I started on a cloudless morning in April: t-shirt weather in the parking lot, sunglasses on. At the tunnel on the PR1 trail the temperature dropped by 12 degrees and I found myself standing in fog. The guide on the safari had a jacket ready for everyone, a detail I noticed right away. But if you do the tour on your own, pack a thermal layer even when it is 28 degrees in Funchal.
• Ponta de São Lourenço is a heat trap in summer. We started at 10 a.m., my mistake. By 11 a.m. the basalt was radiating heat like a pizza fresh out of the oven. The PR8 trail has zero shade and the 3 km feel like 10. If you take the East tour, ask the guide to schedule this stop either very early or very late. Otherwise you will be miserable.
• The Fanal forest is dangerous in fog. I was there at 7 a.m. in January, and the fog was so thick I could not see my own boots. Without GPS I would have been lost. The guide on the West tour knew the forest inside and out and drove us straight to the trees, which was worth its weight in gold. If you visit the forest on your own, download offline maps beforehand. There is no phone signal on the plateau.
• The food in Seixal is the highlight of the West tour. The restaurant right on the water serves freshly caught espada with banana and passion fruit sauce. I have rarely eaten so well on a tour. The East tour has no comparable food stop. You either eat in Santana (solid, but not spectacular) or in Funchal (if you get back early).
• The West tour is more relaxed. On the East tour you rush from stop to stop: Pico do Arieiro, Santana, Ponta de São Lourenço, and back. On the West tour you have time to swim, to eat, to enjoy yourself. The guide on the West tour was in no hurry, and we had time to enjoy the moments. That makes the difference.
• Book the West tour in advance. The tours are popular and the good guides fill up fast. I booked my West Safari through Viator, specifically the "Full-Day Jeep Safari West" tour. The booking was simple, the guide was on time, and the tour matched the description exactly. For the East tour I used a different agency. The guide was fine, but the tour was more hectic.