Tour 2 – Best of the West (Full-day)

1^st... Lido

The Lido Promenade is a seafront walkway that provides a pedestrian link between the Lido area and Formosa Beach. The entire path affords far-reaching views over the Atlantic.

In the Lido area can be found a seafront walkway that provides a pedestrian link between the Lido area and Formosa Beach. This pedestrian precinct is a welcoming place where wide views over the Atlantic Ocean combine with the gardened areas of the promenade, making this place very attractive from a landscape point of view.
This area can be visited for sport or leisure. 

Another attraction of this promenade is its proximity to beach areas. Various public swimming pools can be accessed from the Lido Promenade, such as the Lido and Ponta Gorda beach complexes and the Naval Club, as well as Poças do Governador and Formosa Beach.

2^nd... Câmara de Lobos

Câmara de Lobos is a pretty fishing town that is located on the south-eastern side of Madeira and makes for a pleasant day trip from Funchal. Câmara de Lobos is a working town specialising in the fishing of the night dwelling Scabbard fish. This hard fishing lifestyle is reflected in the town, with small traditional tenements that house multiple families crowding around the cliffs, while at dawn the returning fishermen head to the bars to drink Poncha, a strong alcoholic drink. For visitors Camara de Lobos is a picturesque location with colourful fishing boats pulled up onto the grey beaches, which are over looked by some of the highest cliffs in Europe. These charming views inspired Camara de Lobos’ most famous resident, Winston Churchill, to paint his celebrated pictures of the region and this history is lovely embraced by the town.

3^rd... Cabo Girão

It is the highest cape in Europe, at an elevation of 580 m, and is famous for its suspended glass platform.

The Cabo Girão viewpoint, situated on the highest promontory in Europe, at an elevation of 580 m, offers a vertiginous view of the fajãs of Rancho and Cabo Girão – small areas of cultivated land at the foot of the cliff – as well as magnificent panoramic views over the ocean and the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos and Funchal.
The viewpoint has been renovated, and a suspended glass platform, called a skywalk, was built.
It is an excellent spot to practice paragliding and base jumping. Recently, the Portuguese parachutist Mário Pardo performed a spectacular motorcycle leap here.
Nearby is the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Our Lady of Fátima), built in 1951 and one of the main pilgrimage sites of the island.

4^th... Ribeira Brava

Located on the south coast of the island, the municipality of Ribeira Brava has a church, in the centre of its town, called São Bento, built in the fifteenth century and possesses beautiful panels of clear Flemish influence, representing the Virgin and the Child, São Bento and São Bernardo.

5^th... Serra D'Água

Located in the centre of the southwest part of the island, Serra d'Água is surrounded by a dense thicket and high hills, among which stand out the peaks of Cruz, Cedro and Pico Grande. It is still irrigated by several streams, which together form the Ribeira Brava stream.
The name of this parish is derived from the construction of a mill for the sawing of timber with the name of “serra de água”. It was in this parish that the first Hydroelectric Station of the island emerged, in 1953.
Via the Serra d’Água road we can go up to Encumeada, a high point of the island that connects Ribeira Brava on the south coast, and São Vicente, on the north coast. Along the climb to Encumeada we can glimpse the stunning panoramic landscapes of the southern and northern parts of the island, with the blue sky on the background and the clouds interspersed with mountains.

6^th... São Vicente

São Vicente is an area characterized by green nature and abundant forest, modelled by volcanic forces and erosion in its beautiful slopes. One of the most representative symbols of the picturesque town of São Vicente is the small chapel built inside a basalt rock at the mouth of the stream that runs through the town.
In the heart of São Vicente one finds the Indigenous Garden where dozens of species of local flora are represented.
The Museum Centre Rota do Cal (Lime Route) situated in this parish, is composed of a pedestrian trip that takes about 30 minutes from the quarries of limestone extraction to the museum.
In the parish of São Vicente there is an extensive area of Laurel Forest. The importance of laurel is due to both its representation in terms of diversity of species of flora and fauna and the respective state of conservation. The Laurel Forest was classified as a Natural Heritage Site of UNESCO in 1999.

7^th... Porto Moniz

The natural pools of Porto Moniz are the highlight of the village of Porto Moniz.
The natural salt water swimming pools are made up of volcanic rock, into which the sea flows naturally.
This space, with a surface area of 3800 m², has also a children’s swimming pool, a children’s play area and access for the disabled.
In addition, the beach has a car park, changing rooms and bathrooms with lockers for storing personal items, a snack bar open during the summer months, first aid, sun loungers and sunshades for hire.

Before leaving Porto Moniz make sure to visit the Madeira Aquarium which boasts an impressive number of endemic fish species.