If the west coast is Madeira's wild, watery day out, the east is its cultural one. A full-day east tour pairs the island's most photographed buildings – the thatched triangular houses of Santana – with the drive-up viewpoint at Pico do Arieiro, the ancient laurel forest at Ribeiro Frio, and the cliffs of the wild eastern tip. It's a low-effort, high-variety day of viewpoints and short walks rather than a hike, and it's the natural other half to the west-coast loop. Here's what it covers and how to do it.
- 01The east is the contrast day – heritage and forest, not the west coast's lava pools and waterfalls. Do both for the full island.
- 02Santana's thatched A-frame houses are the headline stop, and a guide adds the history a self-drive skips.
- 03A tour drives the winding Pico do Arieiro road for you, so you get the peak's viewpoint without the parking scramble.
- 04It's a sightseeing day of viewpoints and short strolls, not a demanding walk – fine for most ages and fitness levels.
- 05Weather can hide the peak in cloud while the coast stays clear, so a guide who reshuffles the route earns its keep.
Santana and the thatched houses
The image that sells the east is Santana, the north-eastern town known for its palheiros – small, steep-roofed triangular houses thatched to the ground and painted in bold reds, blues and whites. A few are preserved as a heritage set you can photograph and step inside, and they're unlike anything else on the island. It's the cultural anchor of the day, and the reason most east tours run.
Around Santana the landscape turns green and rural – terraced fields, traditional farming, and a slower pace than the south coast. A guide fills in the history of the houses and the region, which is the part you miss driving yourself.
Pico do Arieiro: the drive-up peak
The east tour also takes in Pico do Arieiro, Madeira's third-highest peak at around 1,818 m, reached by road right to a viewpoint near the summit. On a clear day you look out over the central massif and, often, a sea of cloud below – the same spectacle as the famous Pico do Arieiro sunrise, but in daylight and without the pre-dawn alarm or the long ridge hike.
It's a stop, not a climb: you take in the view, get the photos and move on. That said, the peak makes its own weather, so it can be clear at the coast and clouded over up top – the luck of the day.
Ribeiro Frio and the Laurissilva forest
Between the peak and the coast, most east tours pause at Ribeiro Frio, a green, fern-draped pocket of the UNESCO-listed Laurissilva – the ancient laurel forest that once covered much of southern Europe. There's a trout farm, a café, and the start of gentle levada walks like the short path to the Balcões viewpoint, an easy stroll to a balcony over the valley.
It's the green, cool counterpoint to the bare peak and the open coast – and a chance to stretch your legs on level ground before the next stop.
The wild eastern tip
Many east tours also swing out towards the island's easternmost point, the bare, wind-scoured peninsula at Ponta de São Lourenço – ochre cliffs and blue sea on both sides, the opposite of Madeira's green interior. Even just the viewpoints over Baía d'Abra are striking, and they round out a day that takes in peak, forest, heritage and coast in one loop.
Tour or self-drive?
For most visitors the guided tour is the easy call. It handles the winding drive up Pico do Arieiro, parks the logistics, and a live guide explains Santana and the forest – all with hotel pickup in Funchal. The east covers a lot of ground, so letting someone else drive turns it into a relaxed day rather than a navigation exercise.
Self-driving works if you've hired a car and like setting your own pace, and the roads are fine if you're comfortable on mountain bends. You'll just trade the commentary for freedom, and you'll want to start early to fit it all in. Either way, it slots neatly into a wider Madeira plan opposite the west-coast day.
Featured image: H. Zell / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
