The quick version
- The Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal 4WD Tour runs 8 hours, is rated 4.87 from 9,297 reviews and is listed from US$79.[1]
- West coast listings start from US$37 for a small group trip and from US$79 for the skywalk tour with Seixal, Porto Moniz and Fanal.[1][2]
- Cabo Girão sits about 15 kilometres west of Funchal, and the viewpoint is open daily from 08:00 to 20:00.[3][4]
- There is a €2 entry fee, except for residents and children up to 12 years old, and a cable car return trip below the cliff costs 10 euros.[4][5]
- Madeira's Laurissilva forest has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, and Fanal is presented as a mystical century-old forest.[6]
- Top choice Skywalk and Fanal tour from US$79 Duration8 hours[1]Rating4.87 from 9,297 reviews[1]Group sizePrivate or small groups available[1]Guide languagesPortuguese, Spanish, English, French[1]Free cancellationUp to 24 hours in advance[1] Check availability
- Enchanted Terraces tour from US$80 Duration8 hours[7]Rating4.78 from 5,647 reviews[7]Group sizePrivate or small groups available[7]Guide languagesEnglish, Spanish, French and more[7]Free cancellationUp to 24 hours in advance[7] See this tour
- West Madeira Waterfalls from US$40 Duration8 hours[8]Rating4.70 from 3,827 reviews[8]Group sizePrivate or small groups available[8]Guide languagesEnglish, German, French and more[8]Free cancellationUp to 24 hours in advance[8] See this tour
UNESCO World Heritage since 1999, the Laurissilva forest is a unique natural treasure.
Is the skywalk, Seixal and Fanal tour worth booking?
Know before you leave
- Pickup is available from 11 locations for the skywalk and Fanal tour.[1]
- Allow 8 hours for the tour; starting times appear when you check availability.[1]
- The Skywalk, Seixal, Porto Moniz and Fanal tour is listed from US$79.[1]
- Cabo Girão charges €2 to enter, with residents and children up to 12 exempt.[4]
The skywalk at Cabo Girão
Cabo Girão is a sheer wall of rock that drops into the Atlantic on Madeira's south coast, and the skywalk is the glass-floored platform built out from the top of it. The cliff stands 580 metres high.[4] The platform was completed in October 2012.[11] It sits about 15 kilometres west of Funchal.[3] From the glass you look down on the sea, the terraced fields and the coast road curving away towards Câmara de Lobos. Go early and the light is clean and the platform is quiet, with the whole south coast opening up in front of you.
Entry costs €2, except for residents and children up to 12 years old.[4] The viewpoint is open daily from 08:00 to 20:00.[4] Below the cliff, the Fajã do Cabo Girão beach is known for the impressive fertility of its agricultural land, and this narrow, lush piece of land can be accessed by cable car.[12] A return trip on the Teleférico do Rancho cable car costs 10 euros.[5] If you have time after the viewpoint, that descent is a memorable way to see the terraces from below, and the little fields are still worked by hand.
What the west coast tour covers
The Madeira: Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal, and Fanal 4WD Tour is the headline trip for this coast, and it folds the whole western side of the island into a single day.[1] Pickup is offered from 11 locations.[1] The route runs from Funchal out through Câmara de Lobos and up to the Cabo Girão Skywalk, then west along the coast through Ribeira Brava, Serra de Água and São Vicente to the Véu da Noiva viewpoint, Seixal, Porto Moniz, the Lombinho waterfall, Ribeira Da Janela and the Fanal forest, before returning over the Paul da Serra plateau.[1]
The day runs 8 hours, with starting times shown when you check availability.[1] A live guide travels with you and speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English and French.[1] Private or small groups are available.[1] The tour is rated 4.87 from 9,297 reviews and is listed from US$79.[1] You can reserve now and pay later, and cancel free up to 24 hours in advance, which takes the risk out of booking around island weather.[1] In practice it is a long, full day with plenty of short stops, so bring water and something to eat between meals.
The skywalk hangs above terraced fields, the coast road and the open Atlantic
Porto Moniz and its natural swimming pools
Porto Moniz is the swim stop, and the natural pools are the reason many travellers choose a west coast day. The lounging area is approximately 3,217 m2 while the swimming area is 3,800 m2 and 2 metres deep, allowing around 7,600 m3 of seawater into the pools.[10] Volcanic rock forms the walls, the Atlantic washes through gaps in the lava, and on a bright afternoon the water is cool, clear and full of light.
Bring swimwear and a towel, and wear something on your feet, because the rock is uneven and slippery in places. Water shoes make the walk from your bag to the water far more comfortable. If the swell is running high the pools can be restricted, and on those days the village itself is a pleasant wander, with a small harbour, a scatter of cafes facing the sea and views along the north coast cliffs.
Seixal, Véu da Noiva and the north coast
The north coast is greener, wetter and more dramatic than the south. The route takes in the Véu da Noiva viewpoint, where water drops down a cliff face towards the sea, and Seixal, a village of black volcanic sand with a natural pool tucked below the road.[1] Waterfalls run close to the highway here, so keep the camera within reach between stops. The road itself is part of the pleasure, bending through tunnels and past terraced slopes of vines and bananas.
Further east, the Guindaste Viewpoint sits on one of the slopes of the Foz da Ribeira do Faial in the municipality of Santana, and it offers a breathtaking view over the north coast of Madeira.[13] São Vicente, with its dark cliffs and white church, is another natural pause on the way through. The whole coastline feels quieter and less built up than the south, and the light shifts by the minute as cloud moves in from the ocean and lifts again.
from US$79
The Skywalk, Seixal, Porto Moniz and Fanal 4WD tour runs 8 hours, is rated 4.87 from 9,297 reviews and offers pickup from 11 locations.[1]
Fanal forest and the Laurissilva
Fanal is the part of the day most people remember. Madeira's official tourism board describes it as a mystical, century-old forest that visitors are invited to discover.[6] The trees are old laurel, twisted by wind and wrapped in moss, standing in open pasture where cows wander and graze. Madeira's Laurissilva forest has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.[6] When cloud settles among the trunks, the place takes on the strange, quiet atmosphere that fills so many photographs.
The route also passes through the wider Laurisilva de Madeira and stops at Fanal Pond.[1] Bring a waterproof jacket and shoes with grip, because the ground stays wet and the mist can arrive within minutes. The plateau on the way back is open and windswept, with views across to the coast on both sides of the island, and the air up there is always a step cooler than in Funchal. Take your time among the trees; the best photographs come from simply waiting for the cloud to move.
Comparing the main west Madeira tours
Several operators run this coast, and the Madeira west tour skywalk options differ mainly in price, group size and how long you spend out of the vehicle. The Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal, and Fanal 4WD Tour is listed from US$79 and rated 4.87 from 9,297 reviews.[1] The Enchanted Terraces, Porto do Moniz and Fanal 4WD Tour is listed from US$80 and rated 4.78 from 5,647 reviews, with guide, transportation and value for money all scoring 4.7 or better.[7]
There are cheaper ways to see the same coastline. The West Madeira Waterfalls and Fanal Forest Tour is listed from US$40, is rated 4.70 from 3,827 reviews, and runs 8 hours.[8] The West Tour With Guide Fanal Forest SykWalkExperience is listed from US$42, rated 4.80 from 2,479 reviews, and lasts 7 hours.[14] If a small group matters most, the West Madeira and Laurel Forest Day Trip is limited to 8 participants and listed from US$37.[2]
Planning your day on the west coast
Madeira has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with even temperatures all year round, and the average annual temperature is 20°C (67°F).[9] In practice that means light layers rather than a heavy coat, plus a waterproof for the north coast and the forest, where cloud and drizzle are common. Comfortable shoes matter more than anything else, because you will step out of the vehicle onto uneven ground, wet rock and forest paths.
Walkers can extend the trip another day with the Levada do Norte route from Estreito de Câmara de Lobos to Cabo Girão, which finishes close to the skywalk.[15] Book your west coast tour early in your stay so you have room to move it if the weather turns, and check the pickup details when you reserve.[1] After the tour, Câmara de Lobos is a fine place for a late lunch, and the bay there was immortalised by Winston Churchill, who painted it in January 1950 while sitting at the Espírito Santo Viewpoint facing the sea.[16]
From-prices on west Madeira tours
From-prices in US dollars as listed for these west Madeira tours:[1][2][7][8][14][17]
Compare west coast tour prices
From-prices in US dollars for these tour listings:[1][7][8][14]
When to plan your skywalk day
Plan your skywalk day
Check your pickup
Pickup is available from 11 locations for this tour, and the details are shown when you check availability.[1]
Book the tour
Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance and live guiding in Portuguese, Spanish, English and French.[1]
Stand on the glass
The cliff is 580 metres high and the skywalk was completed in October 2012.[4][11] Look down on the terraces and the cable car line.
Swim at Porto Moniz
The natural pools have a swimming area of 3,800 m2 that is 2 metres deep and holds around 7,600 m3 of seawater.[10] Pack a towel.
Walk in Fanal
Fanal is a mystical century-old forest; the Laurissilva has been UNESCO listed since 1999.[6] Take grippy shoes and a rain jacket.
Ready to see the west coast in a single day?
from US$80Reserve now & pay later
