Full Day Jeep Safari East - Pico do Areeiro - Santana - Ponta de são Lourenço: Honest Review & Tips

I Didn't Expect Madeira to Fe

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I've spent years walking Madeira's trails, but I'll be honest: when a friend visiting from Lisbon asked me to join a full-day jeep tour instead of a proper hike, I was skeptical I recommend booking the Pr1 Sunrise Hike - Pico Do Arieiro To Pico Ruivo. I pictured a crowded van, rushed stops, and the kind of surface-level sightseeing that leaves you with photos but no real sense of the place. I booked the Full Day Jeep Safari East tour expecting to be proved right. I was wrong.

The day started at 8 AM from Funchal, and within 30 minutes we were climbing the ER103 toward Pico do Arieiro. The jeep, a proper off-road Land Rover with six passengers, handled the hairpin turns effortlessly. Our guide, a local named Rui, had been running these tours for 11 years. He didn't just point at landmarks; he told me why the levada system was built in the 15th century, which farmers still hold water rights, and where to find the top poncha in Câmara de Lobos (Bar do Teresinha, 5:15 AM opening, fisherman's strength, I tested this theory later).

We stopped at the Pico do Arieiro summit carpark (32°43'07.8"N 16°55'36.0"W) for 40 minutes. The sunrise had already happened, but the view of the clouds below us was still something else. I watched people in hiking boots set off on the PR1 traverse toward Pico Ruivo, and I felt a pang of envy, until I remembered I'd done that hike the week before and my knees were still recovering from the 800m of stone staircases. The jeep tour gave me the summit without the 6-hour recovery. For travelers who want the view without the endurance challenge, this is the smarter call.

From Arieiro, we drove north through the Paul da Serra plateau. The microclimate shift was instant, at the summit it was 12°C with clear skies; 15 minutes later we were in fog so thick I couldn't see the road ahead. Rui didn't slow down. He knew the road like his own driveway, and within 10 minutes we dropped below the cloud layer into the green valley that leads to Santana.

The Tour That Saved My Trip

Santana's thatched houses are the postcard image of Madeira, and I'd seen them before. What I hadn't done was eat at the bakery next to the houses, the one with no sign, just a faded "Pão" painted on the wall. Rui stopped there for 25 minutes, and I grabbed a bolo do caco fresh off the griddle. Sweet potato bread, garlic butter, still warm. It cost €1.50. The tourist cafes in Funchal charge €4.50 for the same thing and it's not as good. This is the kind of detail that makes a guided tour worth it: you get the local stop, not the tourist on.

After Santana, we headed east toward Ponta de São Lourenço. The PR8 trailhead at Sardinha (32°44'01.8"N 16°44'47.5"W) was our lunch stop. I'd hiked PR8 the previous August and regretted it, starting at 10 AM under a baking sun, no shade, basalt rock radiating heat like a pizza stone. This time I sat on the cliffs with a sandwich from the jeep's cooler, watching the Atlantic roll in, and felt smug about not walking the 6km round trip in the heat. The tour gives you the viewpoint without the dehydration headache. If you want the actual hike, do PR8 at sunrise or late afternoon. But if you want the photo and the story, this stop delivers.

The tour finished around 4:30 PM back in Funchal. Eight hours, three distinct ecosystems, one excellent bolo do caco, and zero planning stress. For travelers who want a sampler platter of Madeira's east side, this is the right choice. For serious hikers who want to earn their views on foot, it's not, you'll feel like you're cheating. I fall somewhere in between, and I walked away genuinely impressed.

The Moments That Made hiking in Madeira Worth the Trip

The jeep tour gave me a broad overview, but the real magic of Madeira is on the trails. I've walked over 400km of levadas and summit paths on this island, and some moments stick harder than others.

I started PR1 on a cloudless morning in April, t-shirt weather at the Arieiro carpark, sunglasses on, feeling smug about my timing. By the time I reached the tunnel at the 2km mark, the temperature had dropped 12°C and I was walking through freezing fog so dense I couldn't see the next trail marker. The microclimate shift happens at the ridge between Arieiro and Ruivo, the north coast weather spills over like a lid coming off a pot. I finished the hike shivering in a thin rain jacket I'd almost left in the car. Now I carry a proper thermal layer on PR1 every single time, even when Funchal is 28°C.

Another time, I met a levada keeper named Sr. António on the PR9 trail near Ribeiro Frio. He was in his sixties, knee-deep in a channel, clearing silt with a metal rake while his dog slept on the path. I stopped to ask about the trail ahead, and he spent 20 minutes explaining how the 15th-century levada system actually works, that water rights are still allocated by the same "rodízio" (rotation) system the original settlers designed, where each farmer gets the flow for a set number of hours per week. He pointed to moss patterns on the channel walls to show where the water level should be. He didn't speak English. My Portuguese was terrible. But we communicated through gestures and the universal language of point-at-thing-and-nod. I think about Sr. António every time I walk a levada.

These are the moments you don't get on a jeep tour. They require slow walking, bad Portuguese, and a willingness to stop and listen. If you have the time, do both the tour for context and the hikes for connection. If you only have one day, choose based on your knees.

A Lesser-Known Tour Worth Discovering

If the full-day jeep tour feels too packed, or if you want something more focused on the trails, I've also taken the PR1 Sunrise Hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. This is the same region but a completely different experience. You get dropped at the summit at 6 AM, hike one-way to Ruivo (6km, 800m descent, two pitch-black tunnels), and the company picks you up at the other end. No guide leading the pace, just you, the trail, and a sunrise above the clouds.

I did this on a weekday in November. The crowd at the Arieiro viewpoint was maybe 30 people, compared to 200 in July. I hiked 15 minutes past the viewpoint toward Ruivo and had the trail almost to myself. The tunnel section (Tunnel 1 is ~200m long, Tunnel 2 is ~120m long) was cold and dark, and I was grateful for the headlamp I'd bought at Decathlon in Funchal for €12.99. The phone flashlight works, but it leaves one hand free for the uneven floor. If you do this hike, book the transfer 3-5 days ahead in peak season. In August, I've seen slots fill 7 days out. Each van holds 8-12 people, and they sell out consistently.

This tour is not for anyone with knee problems, the descent hits your joints hard, or for hikers who want a guided narrative. It's for fit travelers who want the top sunrise of their life without the logistics of a two-car drop-off. I'd pick the sunrise hike over the jeep tour if I had to choose one, but only because I'm a hiker first. For a family with varied fitness levels, the jeep tour is the better call.

What Really Surprised Me About Madeira

Three things caught me off guard, even after years of visiting.

First, the microclimates are not a gimmick. I've stood at the Pico do Arieiro carpark in 28°C sun and watched rain pour down on the north coast 5km away. The IPMA forecast said "light rain" for Levada do Alecrim in November, and within 30 minutes the levada channel had risen 25cm and was overflowing across the path. I turned back, soaked, and the trail was officially closed by IFCN the next morning due to a landslide 500m from the parking area. If you're on a levada walk and the water starts lapping at the path edge, turn around immediately. It only gets wors.

Second, the crowds at sunrise are real. The Instagram version of Pico do Arieiro shows a lone hiker silhouetted against a burning orange sky. The reality: I arrived at 6:15 AM in July and found 200 people lined along the viewing platform, tripods everywhere, someone playing music from a Bluetooth speaker, and a queue for the famous shot at the stone archway. The sunrise itself was dramatic, I'll never deny that, but the experience was closer to a concert crowd than a wilderness moment. If you want solitude, go on a weekday in November, arrive at 5:30 AM to get ahead of the crowd, or hike 15 minutes past the viewpoint toward Ruivo where the crowd thins to 5% of what's at the summit.

Third, the driving is serious. I've seen travelers rent a Fiat 500 for Madeira's mountain roads, and I've seen them stranded on the ER103 with a smoking clutch. The PR1 access road has 40+ hairpin turns with 20% gradients. A small engine car will struggle, and the undercarriage will scrape on every speed bump. Rent at least a 1.2L petrol with proper ground clearance. Europcar and Guerin allow their standard fleet on mountain roads; Goldcar and Sixt explicitly forbid driving on ER101 and ER110 in their small-print. Check the 'geographical restrictions' clause before you book. Pickup in Funchal is cheaper than airport pickup by about €15/day.

Sofia Almeida's Insider Tips for Getting It Right

After 400km of walking and dozens of tours, here's what I've learned:

• Start early or don't bother. Levada walks like 25 Fontes and PR1 are packed by 10 AM. Start before 9 AM, or better yet, before sunrise. The Rabaçal forestry house parking (starting point for 25 Fontes and Alecrim) fills by 9 AM. If it's full, park at the upper lot on the ER110, it's marked with a yellow 'Parque' sign, holds ~120 spaces, and rarely fills before 10 AM. Take the shuttle down (€2.50 one way, €4 round trip, cash only).
• Check IFCN trail status the morning of your hike. Don't check the night before, conditions change after rain.
• Download offline maps before you leave Funchal. Madeira's 150+ road tunnels kill GPS signal completely. Google Maps will spin helplessly between Funchal and Santana. Use Komoot or AllTrails offline, or download Google Maps for the region.
• Don't wear flip-flops on a levada walk. I've seen tourists do this. Levadas are wet, muddy, and slippery. The path edge on Levada do Risco and parts of PR9 is 30-50cm wide with a 20m+ drop and no fence. Even 'easy' walks like 25 Fontes have exposed sections. If vertigo is an issue, stick to Levada dos Balcões or the coastal promenades.
• Buy hiking poles at Decathlon in Funchal. Basic aluminum trekking poles cost €12.99 (Quechua brand). The tourist shop at the PR1 Arieiro summit kiosk sells the same poles for €35. Sprinter on Rua do Carmo has mid-range options. Skip the airport shops entirely, they charge a 40% markup.
• Book sunrise transfers 3-5 days ahead in peak season. In August, slots fill 7 days out. If you're a group larger than 4, book minimum 5 days ahead. Winter (Nov-Feb) you can usually book 24 hours ahead.

There's a small pastelaria on the ER103 called Padaria do Arieiro, no sign in English, just a faded "Pão" painted on the wall. It opens at 5:30 AM and serves the top pre-hike coffee I've found on the mountain road. The owner, Dona Rosa, knows every hiker who passes through. She'll ask "Arieiro?" and if you nod, she'll pour a bica (espresso) that's half the price of the tourist cafes in Funchal and triple the quality. She also sells homemade queijadas (sweet cheese pastries) that pack perfectly for a summit breakfast. It's 3km before the Pico do Arieiro turn-off on the left. Look for the blue awning. You'll miss it otherwis.

Also: the BP station at the ER103 junction just before the Pico do Arieiro turning has a proper espresso machine, not vending machine instant. Open from 6 AM. And the free public water refill station at the Paul da Serra picnic area (ER110, near the Rabaçal turn-off) is a lifesaver. Fill up before descending into the levada walks.

What I Wish I'd Known Before I Went

I drove 45 minutes from Funchal to Pico do Arieiro at 5:30 AM with a friend visiting from Lisbon, only to find the entrance blocked by an IFCN barrier and a laminated sign: "PR1 CLOSED, MAINTENANCE." We sat in the car, defeated, scrolling for alternatives. The backup plan became PR1.2 from Achada do Teixeira, only 3km each way, 100m gain, and the same Pico Ruivo summit waiting at the end. It wasn't the full traverse, but we stood on Madeira's highest point watching the sunrise with about 20 other people who'd had the same idea. The clouds were below us. The silence was complete. My friend said it was actually better because we could sit at the summit for an hour instead of rushing through the staircase section on a schedule. Now I always scout PR1.2 as the official backup plan.

Another lesson: I'd heard every horror story about whale watching in Madeira, friends who'd spent three hours heaving over the rail, kids crying, the whole "I saw more sea than whale" experience. So when I boarded the catamaran in Funchal for a March trip, I took seasickness tablets, sat in the back, and braced for misery. The Atlantic was like glass. We saw a pod of spotted dolphins within 15 minutes, then a sperm whale surfacing 200m off the starboard side, the guide said it was a juvenile, about 8 meters long. Nobody got sick. Not one person. The marine biologist onboard said the early season (March to May) has the calmest sea conditions because the trade winds haven't picked up yet. Now that's the only window I recommend for nervous first-timers.

And finally: don't assume 'levada walk' means flat. PR1 and PR9 both follow levadas but have serious elevation. PR1 gains 800m over 6km, most of it in the first 2km. PR9 has a 400m climb through laurel forest. The trail signs show one-way distance to the endpoint only. Double it for round trip. If you see a sign that says "Levada do Risco, 1.5km," that's 3km total. Plan your water and snacks accordingly.

Madeira rewards the prepared. Show up with layers, offline maps, and a backup plan. The island will do the rest.