Go East Island Tour

The Feast of the East

The Go East tour is a great trip, not only to enjoy the fantastic landscapes but also to experience Madeira’s culture, history, and traditions.

We start the tour with a visit to Terreiro da Luta, this area was once the last stop on the only cog railway (Monte Railway) in Madeira. Here you can marvel at the “Our Lady of Peace sanctuary statue” which is supported by 4 Roman columns.

The following stop is at one of the highest points of Madeira at 1818 meters above sea level. It provides a panoramic view of the central mountains. This is an excellent location to take some breathtaking photos. After the mountains, we drive to Ribeiro Frio, into the heart of the Laurissilva Forest (Laurel Forest), which is classified by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage site. The Laurel Forest is a unique habitat with a diversity of rare fauna and flora.

In Ribeiro Frio, you may also visit the famous trout farm, where this particular type of fish grows in the freshwater that comes from the Levada. Afterward, we arrive in Santana. The village is best known for its traditional triangular-shaped houses. These houses are painted in bright colors and the thatched roof is made with straw. The break-in Santana will be longer as it is lunchtime. We stay here for about 90 minutes. There are several restaurants to choose from.

After lunch, we drive to Portela’s viewpoint. It is located at 670 meters high, between Porto da Cruz and Machico. It provides magnificent scenery with mountains that seem to flow down the valley towards the sea. Nonetheless, the most distinguishable element of this landscape is the imposing Penha d’Águia rock formation (Eagle Rock).

After being in the North of the Island for most of the day, we drive to the most Eastern part of Madeira. From the viewpoint of Ponta do Rosto you get to see the North and South coasts of the Island. Ponta de São Lourenço is a peninsula that measures approximately 9 km in length and 2 km in width. Here the landscape is completely different from the rest of the Island. The semi-arid climate and its exposure to North winds have sculpted the low vegetation and explain the lack of trees. In 1982 this area was declared a geological natural reserve with the main purpose of preserving its fauna and flora.

The last stop of our journey is a town full of history. Machico was where Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira disembarked in 1419 when they discovered Madeira. The Historical city center offers visitors a vast variety of shops, cafés, and restaurants. The stunning bay of Machico invites for a walk by the sea. In the bay, you will find a small yellow sand beach that was imported from Morocco.