Gastro hike (Private Tour)

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.

This was our second tour with Claudio. This ine started with a short levadas walk where we learned a bit of history before heading to a lookout point to see a gorgeous sunset (away from crowds!) then on to poncha and our espetada dinner. The poncha in the local pub was excellent, definitely a difference from the tourist areas. As for the local dinner experience, that steak was the best dinner we had on the island! I opted for the sangria which was also really good. The whole experience was such a great time, excellent conversation as well. Highly recommend!

The tour with Cláudio was fantastic. We were picked up at our accommodation and had a very nice chat on the way to the starting point of the short hike. To our surprise, it was a private tour with no other guests. This meant we had Cláudio's undivided attention and could ask him anything we wanted to know. The hiking route was wonderful and a real insider tip. We didn't meet any other tourists along the way and the nature was stunning. Both the poncha and the traditional food were also a great experience. So if you want to do and experience something special away from the mainstream, Cláudio is the right choice!

We booked a private tour with Claudio as he has great reviews, and he offered an experience that looked a perfect match for our love of walking, talking, eating and drinking. We were not disappointed! At the pace of a gentle stroll through some beautiful woodland, we chatted away with Claudio about Madeiran life, history, landscape, 'drunk uncles' - and more. As for the poncha and cooking our own meat on a stick: that didn't disappoint either! This tour is perfect for tourists who prefer to identify as curious travelers. It's informative, not a lecture; it's relaxed, but not boring. It's right up our street, just our cup of tea, and one that you would happily do again the very next day..

We booked a private tour with Claudio as he has great reviews, and he offered an experience that looked a perfect match for our love of walking, talking, eating and drinking. We were not disappointed! At the pace of a gentle stroll through some beautiful woodland, we chatted away with Claudio about Madeiran life, history, landscape, 'drunk uncles' - and more. As for the poncha and cooking our own meat on a stick: that didn't disappoint either! This tour is perfect for tourists who prefer to identify as curious travelers. It's informative, not a lecture; it's relaxed, but not boring. It's right up our street, just our cup of tea, and one that you would happily do again the very next day..

Our guide Claudio took us off the beaten track following the Levada on a 6km hike. He kindly gave us the option to shorten the hike, should we want to, to avoid a steep climb at the end. Following the hike we went to a local bar where we tried Poncha and then onto a local restaurant to grill beef skewers over an open fire - delicious! Claudio was very friendly and knowledgable and we would definitely join him again.