The guide who grew up here

Funchal Tours started the way most good things do — with someone who got tired of watching visitors miss the real Madeira.

I'm Ana-Maria Efta (RNAAT n.º 970/2024), and I've been leading small groups into the levadas, along the north coast, and into the back rooms of wine quintas for years. My family has lived in Funchal for four generations. I know which levada is worth the early morning, which viewpoint the buses never find, and which village bar makes poncha the old way — from cane spirit, not a bottle. And I know where to eat espetada the way it was meant to be eaten: off a laurel branch, over coals, at a hillside table above the Atlantic.

Funchal Tours runs alongside ridesonclouds.com, which covers the island by 4x4 and private driver. These tours are different — smaller, slower, and more about the food, wine, and people you meet along the way than about covering ground.

Why max 8 people

Because a group of 8 is a conversation. A group of 40 is a logistics problem. When we're small, I can change the route if the weather shifts, stop at the quinta that wasn't on the schedule, and actually answer your questions.

What's included in every tour

• ✓Hotel pickup and dropoff in Funchal
• ✓English, German, and French-speaking guide
• ✓Public liability insurance
• ✓Local food and drink tastings on all food-focused routes

Cancellation & weather policy

Madeira is an island in the Atlantic — weather happens. If you need to cancel with more than 48 hours notice, you get a full refund, no questions asked. If weather makes a tour unsafe or not worth doing, we reschedule at no cost to you. We'd rather do it right than do it badly.

Booking

The easiest way is WhatsApp — message us with your dates and group size and we'll confirm within a few hours. If you prefer email or a form, that works too. We don't use automated booking systems; you're talking to a person from the first message.