This four-and-a-half hour moderate walking tour takes you to some of Madeira's lushest corners. You'll follow a trail through the UNESCO-protected laurissilva forest from the Paul da Serra plateau to Fanal, covering 11.5km of jaw-dropping landscape.

Firstly you'll be picked up from your hotel and taken to the start point for the hike on the Paul da Serra plateau and set off with your guide to explore some of the most poetic parts of Madeira. Some of the trail is covered by a laurissilva forest, classified as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

Along the way there are several viewpoints that reveal a series of dreamy landscapes, with highlights including views over the valley of Ribeira da Janela and Chão da Ribeira. The walk ends in the area of Fanal, home to an ancient forest, after some climbs and descents where you'll fully appreciate the total serenity of the area.

Mooie wandeling door het Paul da Serraplateau richting Fanals. Door de droogte en warme weer wel pittig. De grond is er roodbruin en stoffig, maar dat mag je als wandelaar niet tegenhouden. De tweede helft van de wandeling leid je door het Laurisilva bos met wat jongere bomen. Als je toekomt in Fanals heb je de oeroude laurierbomen. We hadden geluk en hebben ook de loslopende runderen kunnen aanschouwen. Verder prachtige uitzichten boven het wolkendek...

Très beau paysage avec un beau soleil.Randonnée sympa et sportive mais cela vaut la peine surtout avec le ciel bleu pour admirer les paysages époustouflants.

Het pad is niet altijd even veilig, uitstekende rotspunten. Een vrouw brak haar enkel.

Der Fahrer war sehr versiert durch die anspruchsvolle Strecke in den Bergen unterwegs. Wir fühlten uns sehr sicher. Die Wanderung wurde sehr kompetent und charmant geführt. Das Tempo war sehr sportlich. Gerne hätten wir hier und dort mehr Zeit gehabt, die wunderschöne Natur auf uns wirken zu lassen.

Ich war voll und ganz zufrieden. Der Guide war sehr freundlich, hat stets auf alle Rücksicht genommen und viel erklärt. Seine Sprachkenntnisse in verschiedenen Sprachen sind sehr gut, musste deutsch, englisch und französisch alles erklären. Ich kann die Wanderung uneingeschränkt empfehlen.

The walk was very beautiful and the guide and driver were friendly and knowledgeable. Pick up was on time, and took us there as quickly as possible. The only thing that could have improved it would have been to have two guides, so that when someone tripped and injured themselves, we didn't have to wait for ages for them to be taken to a pick up point. Also, the very end seemed a bit rushed, so we didn't spend as much time in the final Fanal as we could have because of this.

Why you’ll love this…

Moderate 4.5-hour guided trek
Walk along the Paul da Serra plateau to Fanal
Explore ancient laurissilva forest
Views over Ribeira da Janela and Chão da Ribeira

Important to know

Food and drink not included – bring a packed lunch
Wear comfortable walking shoes, sunblock and a hat
Moderate walk with a duration of +/- 4.5 hours and walking distance of 11.5km
The local acess fee is included in the price
Not suitable for those with reduced mobility
Subject to weather conditions
Bring suitable footwear
Children must be supervised by an adult (over 18 years) at all time
Bring money for extras or gratuities
This experience doesn't follow our general cancellation policy. If you need to cancel, you must do so at least 72-hours in advance to receive a full refund.

Cancellation policy

Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 3 days before the experience begins.

What’s included

Transport
Guide – English, German and French
Walking tour

Booking fee

Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.

Pickup points

To see which pickup points are available, check under availability & prices.

Provider

TUI PORTUGAL

What people say about this experience

4.4/5

All reviews are verified

Based on 73 reviews

Review categories

Safety

3.4/5

Service

4.2/5

Staff

4.2/5

Value for money

4.2/5

All ratings (73)

5 stars (42)

58%

4 stars (25)

34%

3 stars (5)

2 stars (0)

1 star (1)

W
Wandelaar
Travelled as a couple
17 August 2026
5
Netherlands
Mooie wandeling door het Paul da Serraplateau richting Fanals. Door de droogte en warme weer wel pittig. De grond is er roodbruin en stoffig, maar dat mag je als wandelaar niet tegenhouden. De tweede helft van de wandeling leid je door het Laurisilva bos met wat jongere bomen. Als je toekomt in Fanals heb je de oeroude laurierbomen. We hadden geluk en hebben ook de loslopende runderen kunnen aanschouwen. Verder prachtige uitzichten boven het wolkendek...
E
Espagnolijoli
Travelled with family
4 September 2026
4.6
France
Très beau paysage avec un beau soleil.Randonnée sympa et sportive mais cela vaut la peine surtout avec le ciel bleu pour admirer les paysages époustouflants.
*
********** Biewenga
Travelled as a couple
1 October 2026
4.2
Netherlands
Het pad is niet altijd even veilig, uitstekende rotspunten. Een vrouw brak haar enkel.
C
Carina
Travelled with a group of friends
20 September 2026
4.2
Germany
Der Fahrer war sehr versiert durch die anspruchsvolle Strecke in den Bergen unterwegs. Wir fühlten uns sehr sicher. Die Wanderung wurde sehr kompetent und charmant geführt. Das Tempo war sehr sportlich. Gerne hätten wir hier und dort mehr Zeit gehabt, die wunderschöne Natur auf uns wirken zu lassen.
C
Cora
Solo traveller
18 July 2026
5
Germany
Ich war voll und ganz zufrieden. Der Guide war sehr freundlich, hat stets auf alle Rücksicht genommen und viel erklärt. Seine Sprachkenntnisse in verschiedenen Sprachen sind sehr gut, musste deutsch, englisch und französisch alles erklären. Ich kann die Wanderung uneingeschränkt empfehlen.
C
CB
Travelled as a couple
7 June 2026
5
United Kingdom
The walk was very beautiful and the guide and driver were friendly and knowledgeable. Pick up was on time, and took us there as quickly as possible. The only thing that could have improved it would have been to have two guides, so that when someone tripped and injured themselves, we didn't have to wait for ages for them to be taken to a pick up point. Also, the very end seemed a bit rushed, so we didn't spend as much time in the final Fanal as we could have because of this.