Private Tailored tour to the West in a 4WD. No shared groups!

Valdemar was master of this day family experience by tailoring it to the various needs of all family members. We were 5 of three different generations and he managed to make each one feel special and cared for. His English is rich in vocabulary and finely articulated to give us a deep sense of the history, culture and mentality of Madeira and its amazing people. Besides his deep knowledge of the island in all aspects, he is a skillful storyteller and an entertaining performer to capture all family hearts and minds. He selected very scenic sights in the islands carefully avoiding major tourist routes and crowded places. We felt as the only visitors in charming small towns, deep valleys, pictoresque ocean coast with dramatic rock pools, mountain village restaurant with the best sangria, bief barbecue on a bay leave stick and many stories how people live and manage their beautiful island. Blessed with exotic fruits, flowers and trees Valdemar made us fall in love with the island and its people bringing a deep knowledge of history, relationship with great colonial powers and cultural and material imported traditions. The end stop with a glass of poncha drink of lemon and rum in a tiny local place at the heart of majestic mountain. My mother enjoyed her 80’s birthday start fully captured by Valdemar impeccable professionalism.

My friends and I have visited Madeira a couple of times and had already been to many of the main attractions. We were looking for something a bit different to celebrate my ‘special’ birthday in July and the 1 day private hire trip looked perfect for us as we could go where we wanted and miss out some of the more touristy places. Valdemar contacted me before the trip to make sure we both had contact details and to get an idea of what we would like to do. I asked if we could visit Porto Moniz, Fanal Forest and a vineyard and Valdemar was quick to arrange it all. He picked us up at the hotel as agreed and we headed off to Porto Moniz- via a few places we would never have found on our own and definitely not without a 4 wheel drive ! He left us to ‘play ‘for a couple of hours at the pools at Porto Moniz and then picked us up to head over to Fanal Forest, which was amazing! He then took us to a lovely place for lunch that was mainly filled locals. I had some of the best steak and wine Id had on the Island - which is pretty good anyway. We then went to the vineyard and did a tour and a tasting which was really interesting – and even more food! . As a special treat we stopped at a poncho bar on the way back which was a perfect end to a perfect day! I cannot praise Valdemar enough for his knowledge, patience, hospitality and enthusiasm. He was so knowledgeable about the history of the island, the people and the food & wine. I am a bit of a wine geek and it was great to learn more about the table wines of Madeira as well as the much more well known fortified Madeira wine. If you are looking to see the ‘real’ Madeira Id certainly recommend getting in contact with Valdemar as he can take you to places that larger tours cant – or won’t - go to We all had an amazing time and will definitely be back in touch next time I visit Madeira , which hopefully will be soon.

Val is a wonderful guide. Very knowledgeable and very flexible. All 3 of us enjoyed all of the different aspects of the island that Val showed us over 2 days. Cannot recommend him highly enough!

No wonder this island is called the Hawaii of Europe or the Island of Flowers. Such incredible views. We spent over 8 hours with Val as he took us to the most scenic spots on the Island. Since he is a local Madeiran he knew all the ways to avoid the bus loads of tourists. We traveled in his 4-wheel drive vehicle on some very off the beaten path trails. We walked along some of Madeira’s irrigation canals, Levadas, most of which were built in the 16th century. We ate a delicious local lunch and imbibed in a local rum drink, Poncha. Very strong and delicious. Fanal Forest was a highlight and probably made better without the mist that Instagrammers have made famous. Small towns, vineyards and cliff top scenery was outstanding. We would not hesitate booking with Val again. (We actually booked 2 days with him and we were not disappointed.

We couldn’t have asked for more experience or educated guide. Val was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable. He knew about the history of the island and the history of Portugal, plant life, and wildlife, and the culture. We had limited time on the island due to a cancelled flight. I’m sure there isn’t a better way to see so much in one day!

What a fantastic tour. Super nice, competent and through Waldemar we have come to hire that we would never have found ourselves. Highly recommended!

Valdemar was an excellent guide. He had a very thorough knowledge of Madeira and took us many of the island's top sights while avoiding the spots frequented by large tour groups. Not only was the tour scenic, we learned a great deal about the island's people, history, geology and nature. This was one of those days that you don't forget.

We loved escaping from the typical tourist parts of the West and exploring from a local perspective. Great views and experience. Val is an excellent tour guide and would recommend to anyone coming to Madeira.

The best way to explore West Madeira with ease and explore without hassle from large crowds. Our guide Valdemar provided us with a custom itinerary based on what we wanted to see. Best part is that we avoided all the crowds and were able to experience/explore more in less time. Highly recommend taking his tour if you want to have a relaxing time without having to rent a car to explore the west part of the island.

The tour was really great, entertaining and interesting, especially because Valdemar knew which were the most impressive "spots" and "shortcuts". Simply great!👍