If you don't care to venture out on your own, you can take one of the many organized bus tours that cruise through the valleys and along the coast of Madeira. Participants can be picked up at their hotels in Funchal or at the tourist office. Those staying at hotels outside Funchal usually pay a small surcharge to be picked up. For more information, contact the tourist office or Intertours, Av. Arriaga 30, 3rd floor (tel. 29/120-89-00; www.intertours.com), in Funchal.
The most popular excursion is Inter Tour's full-day western island tour that incorporates virtually every accessible point on Madeira, including the island's remote northwestern tip, Porto Moniz, and the lovely harbor of Câmara de Lobos, a few miles west of Funchal. The full-day tour, offered Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, is 44€ per person, including lunch; 33€ without lunch.
Another possibility (called the Eastern Island Tour), is usually offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday and costs 44€; it includes a visit to the wickerworks at Camacha, where thousands of pieces of locally crafted work, from small baskets to entire groupings of furniture, are on sale.
Tuesday to Saturday night (Madeira Nights), there's a dinner featuring fado and folkloric dancing (appropriate for all ages) at the Restaurant Relogio at Camacha and Seta, costing 33€. It has some very talented local performers, but, of course, like all shows of this nature, it's very touristy and not something that a local would go to. The food is a combination of Portuguese and international cooking.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
