Top Funchal Dining Experiences

A truly wonderful day with Valdemar exploring the east of Madeira. He took us to some amazing places away from all the tourists. We learnt and saw so much and it was such a pleasure hearing the passion and knowledge of Valdemar. Can highly recommend

Claudio is the perfect guide! We went on the ”Gastro hike” and did not really know what to expect. But Claudio turned it into the best experience EVER at Madeira. He is fun, flexibel, punctual, knowledgeable and the best guide you could wish for. The hike was pleasant and beautiful, the drinks and food excellent. All in all, the best experience we’ve had. Highly recommended!

Claudio was the most terrific guide you could think of. The hike was easy and beutiful, the food was excellent but what made the experience 10 out of 5 was the guide. So flexible, generous, knowledgeable (about everything!) and fun. Would not hesitate booking every day at Madeira under his guideance. This is a GEM and the best experience we’ve had at Madeira.

We had a perfect day! Val is a great and knowledgeable person with a positive spirit! Definitely the best way to experience the island. We went for the East Tour and will 100% go with Val to the West next time. He showed us places we never would have been able to drive on our own. Nice places, great oceans views, no crowds, and nice little walking tours. Und, das Beste für uns, er spricht nicht nur Englisch, sondern auch sehr gut Deutsch 😁 Great Job, Val! Vielen Dank!

We had a really great tour. Claudio even drove us to the Picco do Arieiro viewpoint, since it was our first time staying on Madeira. The hike was beautiful. The best part was that it was off the beaten path. He was able to answer all our questions and gave us great tips for the rest of our stay. Afterward, we enjoyed a typical poncha before heading to the restaurant. The restaurant and the food were also excellently chosen, and we learned more about typical food and life on Madeira.

The closest experience to Anthony Bourdain we have ever encountered. Unbelievable wealth of knowledge of Madeira history and culture. Great conversation. Very personable. Just book it.

We chose Val's tours after reading the positive reviews and we're so glad that we did. We did both the East and West tours on consecutive days. Both days we saw so many sights. The tours were tailored so that we avoided crowds and also got to see local places off the usual tourist track. All members of the family had a fantastic time. Both of our children have autism and their needs were accommodated well. The off roading was lots of fun, the cafes we were taken to for lunch were great, and we saw so many places we would never have managed to visit had we tried to do this independently. Val provided lots of interesting information. We highly recommend both East and West tours. Definitely the highlight of our stay in Madeira.

Wonderful experience. Cláudio is the wonder and extremely friendly and knowledgeable. You can’t miss with any of his tours.

This was one of the best tour experiences we’ve ever had. The hike was beautiful, and our guide explained everything about the area with incredible knowledge—you could tell he was a true expert.After the hike, we enjoyed an extremely authentic local meal within the community, which made the experience even more special.Cláudio was fantastic. I can’t recommend this hike enough for anyone who wants a genuine, local experience.

The gastro hike with Claudio was an amazing start to our adventure in Madeira. First, we took a levada walk through a forested area and next, Claudio was able to incorporate the breathtaking sunset at Pico Arieiro. Lastly, we ended our evening at a traditional Madeirian restaurant, a real treat! Claudio was absolutely wonderful in every way. He was flexible, knowledgeable, kind, patient and prepared. We completed this experience as a small group of three - myself, my sister and my niece, age 11 and he was attentive and accommodating. Claudio even helped me find the perfect spot for my GoPro to capture the sunset in a time lapse. We were so lucky to find Claudio as our guide and also secured two other full hiking days with him. Thank you Claudio for making our time in Madeira so special.

Awesome time spent with Claudio! Very friendly and full of local tips and information, he’s the perfect guide for this lovely island. We had a great time

Great hike through lovely countryside. Claudio was an excellent guide. Authentic poncha and delicious beef skewers finished off a very enjoyable experience all round.

Claudio was really friendly and smiling from the get go! (Even just having done a half marathon the day before). He was so informative about Madeira making the drive to our walking destination both fun and interesting. His knowledge of the things he loves made for a memorable experience. Including where to go for some local food and drink... Delicious!! Yes, we would absolutely recommend a private tour with Claudio

We did the Gastro Hike with Claudio and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. It was a private half-day levada hike, just the two of us, on a privately owned levada, which made it feel really special and unrushed.The hike itself was easier than I was expecting and would be suitable for most levels of fitness — especially as, being private, we could go entirely at our own pace. Claudio struck the perfect balance between letting us enjoy the walk and sharing his excellent knowledge of Madeira’s wildlife and natural environment, all delivered with great humour. He was clearly very experienced and reassuring, and he carried full safety and first-aid equipment, which added to the overall sense of being well looked after.The highlight after the hike was the stop at a local, very authentic restaurant, where you cook your own meat and sausages on skewers over an open fire. Simple, generous food, local sides, beer, wine and Poncha — exactly the kind of place you’d never find on your own and clearly popular with locals.A brilliant combination of nature, learning, good company and proper Madeiran food. Highly recommended if you want something relaxed, personal and genuinely local rather than a big group tour.

An excellent trip that was well organised by the owner and guide Claudio. A little apprehensive about starting at 4pm but it turned out to be excellent timing with a 5km walk along a private levada followed by visiting some stunning viewpoints over Funchal as the sun set and then a local restaurant where we had the opportunity to try poncha and a fantastic, authentic espatada meal.Claudio proved to be an excellent guide with great knowledge of Madeira, its history, people and traditions. He also had great knowledge of the flora and fauna of the island and pointed out interesting plants as we walked the levada.I would highly recommend the trip for anyone wanting a more personalised introduction to Madeira and it’s culture, people and food.