Bestselling Wine Tour, Tasting Experience & Skywalk 4×4 Adventure

This is an efficient Madeira outing, built around off-road 4×4 driving and big cliff-and-coast views, then topped with a wine stop at Quinta Barbusano. You get a lot of island variety in about 3.5 hours, with camera-friendly stops along the way.

I like two things most. First, the tour keeps it small with open-top 4×4 jeeps capped at 8 people each. Second, the main tasting is built around six handpicked local wines served at Quinta Barbusano with toast cheese. The main thing to consider is that the wine tasting and guided winery visit are not included in the base price, plus Cabo Girão has an extra entrance fee.

Key highlights to know before you go

• Max 8 per jeep for a less hectic feel on narrow roads and viewpoints
• Quinta Barbusano tasting option with 6 local wines and toast cheese (extra fee)
• Cabo Girão stop for skywalk views with a separate €5 admission
• Funchal and Caniço pickup included, with cruise dock pickup costing extra
• Lots of scenic stops including Câmara de Lobos, Quinta Grande, Campanário, Ribeira Brava, and Serra de Água
• English offered for the tour, and the winery explanation at Quinta Barbusano is in English

Madeira in One Circuit: The Real Point of This Tour

If your Madeira days feel short, this kind of tour makes sense. In one half-day loop, you move between the south coast fishing vibe, inland villages tied to vineyards, and high viewpoint time at Cabo Girão and Serra de Água. It is not a slow countryside walk. It is more like island sightseeing at Madeira speed, with the 4×4 taking you where normal buses cannot.

The value here is not just the destinations. It is the way the driving shapes your photos and your sense of scale. From the jeep you see towering cliffs, waterfalls, and terraced vineyards, then you stop long enough to actually look, not just point and pass. If you like seeing “how Madeira is put together” in a day, this format works.

One more practical note: the tour is marketed as an adventure, so expect an open-top jeep experience and a ride that is part sightseeing, part roller-coaster-for-your-eyes. If you get motion sick, this is worth thinking through before booking.

Price and What You Pay for Wine, Skywalk, and Pickup

The advertised price is $66.01 per person for about 3 hours 30 minutes. That base cost covers the guided jeep portion and the general tour structure, including free pickup for people staying in the Funchal area and Caniço.

But two “must budget” extras shape your final total:

• Quinta do Barbusano tasting: €24 per person for the guided winery visit and the 6 wine table tasting.
• Cabo Girão entrance: €5 per person for the cliff area time (the skywalk experience is tied to Cabo Girão).

On top of that, pickup can add cost if you are arriving on a cruise. If you are not picked up in the standard Funchal area and Caniço zones, you meet near the Cristiano Ronaldo statue in Funchal, and cruise dock pickup costs an additional €5 per person.

So is it good value? It depends on your priorities:

• If you want off-road views first, and the wine is a bonus, the base price can feel worthwhile.
• If wine is the main event, plan on paying the €24 tasting and set expectations accordingly. Some experiences have been described as great and others as more basic in quality, even though the tasting format is the same.

Pickup, Meeting Points, and How the Group Size Changes Everything

This tour is run by Green Devil Safari and keeps groups fairly controlled. There is a maximum of 24 travelers total, and each open-top 4×4 jeep holds a maximum of 8 people. That matters more than it sounds. With a smaller jeep load, you spend less time waiting around at turns and viewpoints, and your guide can keep an eye on the route and pacing.

Pickup is fairly clear:

• Free pickup is offered in Funchal center and Caniço.
• If you are coming from elsewhere, you should plan to meet at Funchal Center near the Cristiano Ronaldo statue, and cruise dock pickup has that extra €5 per person.

You also get a mobile ticket, which is handy if you like keeping everything in your phone and not hunting for paper.

The “small group” promise is one of the strongest selling points here, and it is the part that consistently shows up in the better experiences.

The 4×4 Adventure: What Off-Road Driving Feels Like on Madeira

The heart of the tour is the ride. This is an open-top jeep with small groups, built for rugged terrain and winding roads. The route style is a big part of why the tour earns good marks. When drivers know the island and take the off-road bits seriously, you get those “wow, look at that” moments without needing your own car or planning multiple transfers.

The tour also uses scenic viewpoints as breaks, so the driving does not feel like pure transport. You see cliffs and waterfalls from the road, then you stop at key places long enough to take in the view.

That said, there are real-world considerations:

• Some people have mentioned jeeps that felt old.
• There has also been feedback about drivers who were less friendly.

So if you book this, go in with a mindset of flexibility. You are paying for access and adventure, not a spotless, luxury vehicle guarantee.

Cabo Girão and the Skywalk Time: Cliff Views for Photos and Nerves

Cabo Girão is where you get that big cliff moment over the Atlantic. You have about 30 minutes there, and the entrance is not included, so expect to pay €5 on top of the tour price if you want access to the skywalk cliff area.

This stop is short on purpose. The key is the timing and the view. Cabo Girão is one of those places where photos are easy, but the real payoff is standing there and seeing how steep and close the sea feels from the top.

Practical tip: wear shoes with grip. The time is limited, so you will likely move quickly from view point to view point.

If you are the type who wants to do the skywalk experience, plan your budget around the €5 entrance. If you only want to look from the surrounding viewpoints, you still get a good chunk of time here.

Quinta Barbusano Wine Tasting: Six Wines, Toast Cheese, and a Real Winery Setting

The tasting stop is the specific wine highlight of this tour. At Quinta Barbusano, you sit at a prepared tasting table and try six handpicked varieties of local wines, paired with toast cheese. This is not just grabbing a glass. It is structured as a tasting experience with a winery setting.

There is also a guided winery component included in the €24 tasting fee. The good versions of this stop describe a walk around vines and a welcoming vibe, plus enough tasting to actually compare the wines.

Two balanced takes to keep in mind:

• Some experiences describe the wine selection and snacks as enjoyable and worth the money.
• Other experiences describe the tasting as mediocre or more like simple table wines, and they felt the overall wine quality was not what they wanted.

Language is another factor. The explanation at Quinta Barbusano has been described as English only. If you are counting on a multi-language experience, plan for that.

My advice: go in thinking of this as a Madeira introduction tasting, not a high-end wine seminar. If you want to understand Madeira beyond casual sampling, this tour is a good starter, then consider adding a second, more focused winery visit later.

Sao Vicente: A Mid-Trip Pause That Helps You Understand the Island

Sao Vicente is one of the stops built into the driving loop, with about 45 minutes. The admission here is listed as free, so there is no extra ticket to budget for this specific stop.

What makes it useful is what it adds to the overall picture. You shift from cliff drama toward a more grounded village feel. You also get to connect the dots between coastline views and inland vineyard areas. Even if you are just walking around for photos and a quick look, it helps break up the jeep time so the day does not blur together.

Câmara de Lobos, Quinta Grande, Campanário, and Ribeira Brava: Small Places, Strong Atmosphere

This tour strings together several south and southwest stops. They are not all long museum-style visits. Think of them as short windows into how people live around the vineyards and the sea.

Here is what you can expect from each named stop:

Câmara de Lobos

A charming fishing village on the southwest coast, known for colorful houses and a lively harbor. It also has a market feel and local character. The name comes from a story about monk seals that used to be there, which gives the town a bit of mythology for a place that otherwise looks like “just a town by the water.”

Quinta Grande

A rural area with vineyards and terraced fields, with views out to the Atlantic. It is associated with Madeira wine production and historic estates called quintas. This is the kind of stop that makes the wine tasting feel more grounded because you see how agricultural the island really is.

Campanário

A small village between mountains and sea, known for traditional architecture and a calm feel. People also connect this area with traditional folk music and dances during local festivals, though you would only catch that if your timing lines up.

Ribeira Brava

A laid-back town on the southern coast, named after a river that runs through the center. There is a pebble beach, a promenade, and a historic church. This one is more about strolling and atmosphere than ticking a box.

These stops work best if you enjoy getting a feel for place, not if you need long guided explanations at every location.

Serra de Água and Encumeada: The View Stop That Feels Like a Breather

Serra de Água is given about 1 hour on the schedule. Admission is listed as free, so you can focus on walking, viewpoints, and photos without thinking about another ticket.

This parish is famous for terraced vineyards and watermills, plus the Encumeada viewpoint, which looks out over the island. Even if you do not hike far, having a full hour here changes the tone of the tour. It becomes less about the fast route and more about actually letting the scenery register.

If you like viewpoints, this stop is a good place to take your time. The jeep ride gives you movement and variety, but Serra de Água is where you slow down.

Guides and Driver Style: Lewis, Eddie, Miguel, and Eddy in the Details

A strong guide can make a standard route feel like a story. The better experiences highlight specific guides by name, including Lewis (sometimes spelled Louis), Eddie, Miguel, and Eddy. In the best versions, the off-road driving matched the scenery, and the winery visit felt friendly and well paced.

There is also downside feedback worth taking seriously:

• Some people felt organization was poor, including pickup issues and a wine tasting that did not happen as expected because of how the winery visit was arranged that day.
• Others felt the tasting setup and wine quality did not meet their expectations.

So here is my practical “how to avoid disappointment” approach:

• If wine tasting is your main goal, verify what is booked for your date, especially that the Quinta Barbusano guided tasting is confirmed.
• Keep your expectations flexible if the day gets adjusted. The off-road part and viewpoints are still the core value.

Who Should Book This 4×4 Wine and Skywalk Tour

This tour fits you if:

• You want one organized half-day that covers multiple parts of Madeira.
• You care about cliff views and coastal viewpoints as much as the wine.
• You like small groups and an open-top jeep style.
• You are fine paying the extra tasting and entry fees for the full experience.

Skip it if:

• You only want top-tier wine instruction and expect every bottle to feel premium.
• You hate any chance that a winery component might not run as planned.
• You prefer a fully guided, long sit-down tasting with extensive explanations in multiple languages.

It is also a good choice for first-timers because it gives you a map of where things are: Funchal area start, south coast villages, vineyard zones, and high viewpoints.

Should You Book It?

My take: book this tour if your priority is off-road Madeira views plus a structured wine introduction. The small jeep size and the variety of stops are real wins, and the better guide days sound excellent, especially when you get a proper tasting experience at Quinta Barbusano.

But do book with your eyes open. Budget for the €24 tasting and €5 Cabo Girão entry, and understand that wine quality feedback is mixed. If wine is your one true obsession, use this as your warm-up, then add a deeper wine-focused visit on another day.

If you want, tell me your travel dates and whether you’re starting from Funchal, Caniço, or a cruise day. I can help you plan what to prioritize (wine fee vs skywalk time) so you get your money’s worth.

FAQ

Is pickup included for the Funchal area and Caniço

Yes. Free pickup is offered in the Funchal area and Caniço. If you are coming from other locations, you will meet at Funchal Center near the Cristiano Ronaldo statue, and cruise dock pickup costs an additional €5 per person.

How much is the wine tasting fee at Quinta do Barbusano

The winery guided visit and the 6 table wine tasting fee at Quinta do Barbusano is €24.00 per person and is not included in the base tour price.

Is Cabo Girão admission included

No. Cabo Girão entrance is listed as not included, and the fee is €5.00 per person.

What group size and vehicle style should I expect

You ride in an open-top 4×4 jeep in a small group, with a maximum of 8 persons per jeep. The overall tour has a maximum of 24 travelers.

Will the tour and winery explanation be in English

The tour is offered in English. The Quinta do Barbusano explanation has been described as being in English.

Can I cancel for a full refund

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience starts, the amount paid is not refunded.