Gastro Hike (Private Tour)

This was, without a doubt, one of the BEST experiences of our entire trip to Madeira! From start to finish, everything was fantastic. Our guide made the meeting process incredibly easy by sending an exact location pin through WhatsApp ahead of time. There was no confusion about where to meet, and pickup was seamless. From the moment we met him, he was friendly, personable, and genuinely engaging. He was incredibly talkative in the best possible way, sharing interesting information about the places we were driving through, the sights along the way, and anything relevant to our conversations. It never felt like we were simply being transported from one place to another; we were learning about and experiencing Madeira along the way. The Levada hike itself was absolutely beautiful. It was quiet, peaceful, and truly felt like a private experience. We weren’t surrounded by crowds of tourists, which allowed us to slow down, enjoy the incredible natural surroundings, and really appreciate the vegetation and everything growing along the trail. It was such a refreshing and memorable way to experience the island. After the hike, we stopped for drinks before heading to a lovely dinner filled with great food and even better conversation. The entire afternoon and evening flowed so naturally, and it felt much more like spending time with someone who genuinely wanted to share the best of Madeira than taking a typical guided tour. If you’re visiting Madeira and considering this experience, book it! We loved every minute. It was easily one of the highlights of our trip and, without question, one of those special experiences that will stay with our family for years to come. The best afternoon and evening in Madeira — an absolute 10/10 and a true core family memory!

One of the highlights of our entire trip! The Gastro Hike was so much more than just a beautiful hike followed by a great dinner. Claudio shared lots of fantastic local tips and inspiring ideas along the way, making overall Madeira experience even more special for us. Everything was organised perfectly and completely worry-free. He was also very flexible and happy to adjust the plans to our preferences. Highly recommended if you want a memorable experience!

What a great outing! So fab! Claudio provided good picking-up instructions and our queries were answered. A perfect hike (with no crowds) and a nice amount of information was given. This was followed by the best tasting poncha and a tasty traditional meal. The afternoon / early evening couldn’t have been better.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We chose this experience because it fit our schedule, you should choose it because it is excellently curated and skillfully lead. Claudio is a certified wilderness trail specialist and has his undergraduate degree in Biology, he is also pleasant, kind, and an all-around wonderful person and guide. On our scenic hike he shared his vast knowledge about Madeira’s ecology and vegetation, Madeira’s unique role in Portuguese history, and the current culture and everyday life on the island. On our (mostly) moderate hike we saw NO OTHER TOURISTS but were perfectly immersed in the hills and valleys of Madeira. After the hike we had a wonderful meal, with house-made poncha and wine, at a local spot fill with locals. Truly a unique experience on an island where it’s easy to be swallowed by the crowd. We started our hike at 4pm, temps were around 70F (late June). I wore hiking shoes, lightweight hiking pants, a short-sleeved t-shirt and by the end of the day, I had put on the lightweight jacket I packed. The hike was not technical, was light-moderate in effort, with one incline on which I needed a brief rest. I do not consider myself a hiker.

Claudio was amazing! He changed his plans to cater for us and could not be more helpful. We had an excellent day and he made our trip!

Claudio is THE BEST!! My husband and I had the best time on this tour/hike, it was the highlight of our trip. Great experience exploring trails and eating great food on the island.

It was excellent, just us on a levada walk was unbelievable, the views , the forest and knowledge of our guide Claudio fantastic. The gastro bit was superb.

Where to start....Claudio was by far the best guide we had during our stay in Madiera. His enthusiasm and knowledge of not just the walk history but also the flora and fauna were truly engaging. On top of all that Claudio is a real people person which made the tour all the more enjoyable. The knowledge and passion Claudio has is clearly evident as you walk the trails, and it is always apparent that everything Claudio does is to make you the centre of the walk. Our walk was altered at the last minute due to weather conditions, in order to give us a better experience. Claudio did not need to do that but again this is another example of Claudio going that extra mile. After the walk thd visits to a local Poncha Bar and Espetadas restaurant put the icing on the cake of a perfect hike. No glitter or glamour...just traditional venues with traditional drink and food...I guarantee any tourist on there own would not give these venues a second look...but what gems they are. Would I book Claudio again.....without a second thought. All other tours we did paled into the shadows compared to walking with Claudio. We truly thank Claudio for sharing his Madiera with us. Memories we will cherish. Obrigado Claudio...we will be back!

This is an absolute must do on Madeira. Hiking through the forest just two of us with our guide Claudio was amazing. Beautiful scenery and expert commentary on everything from plant life to historical info. Topped the day off with mouthwatering local delicacies like beef and sausage kabobs, polenta and Poncha (rum, honey, and lemon). If you want to enjoy the best of Madeira make sure to reach out to Claudio. You will not be disappointed!!

What a great combination for a fabulous day learning more about Madeira. It is clear from the outset that Claudio cares deeply about his customers, his hiking and his food - local, authentic, sustainable and delicious 😋 We had a lovely walk along a private levada away from the crowds and learned lots about the flora and fauna that make up Madeira. The food and the conversation was top notch, would definitely recommend! A day to remember and a reason to return 💚

An amazing afternoon with Claudio. A superb experience in the magical forest followed by poncha and a delicious meal. Such a friendly and interesting guide who went out of his way to ensure we had a great time. Highly recommend Claudio as a knowledgeable and great fun guide. We had the best time

It was such a fun day. Even though we had rain, Claudio made it work. Lovely hike, amazing local lunch and fantastic fellowship. Terrific guide!

Amazing guide with a huge wealth of knowledge, experience and passion about Madeira. Was happily suprised to experience a calm Levada hike in an extrodinary environment. After the hike we got to visit a local pub for real Poncho and some lupin beans (amazing choice of snacks). Before arriving to the local restaurant we got to see Funchal at night from a viewpoint. Amazing scenery. Final destination an Espetada at a local restaurant. It was so delicious and right on the spot of our tastebuds. Thank you also for the tips of other local restaurants in Funchal area. We have already tested a few. 🙂

What a wonderful day we have just had. Claudio provides a top-notch guided experience. A great guide combined expertise and knowledge Claudio excels in both. Knowledgeable and entertaining, Claudio shared fascinating insights we had never encountered before, and this was our sixth visit! We could tell how passionate claudio is about his job and about Madeira too. Do not miss out on this tour; it's truly a hidden gem. Throughout the day we only encountered two mountain biking groups whilst on our walk which added to the serene experience. We enjoyed a poncha at a local bar and had the chance to cook our own espatada in the most authentic setting. Thank you Claudio, for an unforgettable day! Bravo, and may your upcoming adventures be wildly successful. Best wishes and we will definitely see you on our next visit in 2025. Andre (video glasses) and Louise (regular glasses).

Claudio is amazing! We did a great private tour with him on some hidden levada, tried local food and cider. I tried to follow the map during our trail - but there is no sense since it is not an official route and we wouldn’t be able to do that alone. It is clear that Claudio loves Madeira, he knows a lot of details in different spheres like politics, food, geography, history, botany and so on. And he is glad to share his knowledge with you. Also we received some recommendations for visiting different places in the island. I definitely recommend taking a tour with him and is looking for opportunity to meet again!

Had a fantastic hike with Claudio who is so passionate and knowledgeable about Madeira’s food, history, geography and culture. We learned so much during the hike and chatted like old friends, everything was paced well and Claudio was attentive to us and the surroundings. Would definitely recommend if you are looking to learn about Madeira in a local setting away from the touristy crowds. Hope to return for another hike with him!

The Gastro Hike with Claudio was the HIGHLIGHT of our 6 day trip for me, my husband, and our 17 year old son. Claudio is kind, knowledgeable and witty. His love for the island and its vegetation is obvious and he has a knack for storytelling. The hike was not in a touristy area, which we appreciated. This allowed us to stop and discuss things whenever we wanted, to pick wild fruit or enjoy the vista quietly. Aside from the hiking, we made two pit-stops; one at a tavern to drink poncha and the other at a restaurant where we cooked our own espetada. The restaurant was a “local-joint” and the food was delicious. Truly, this excursion exceeded all expectations. ❤️💚

Great hike. Experienced a local bar and restaurant after the hike. Great experience with Claudio who is friendly and experienced.

Claudio was absolutely wonderful! This tour felt like experiencing Madeira with an old friend. We loved that it was private with just us & Claudio. From the amazing food and drinks in truly local pubs to the hike in the woods learning about Madeira's natural resources it was definitely off the beaten path and exactly what we were looking for. Claudio is born and raised in Madeira and is extremely knowledgeable about the island. His passion comes through in all the information that he shares. I highly recommend Claudio for this or any of his tours!

Claudio was absolutely wonderful! This tour felt like experiencing Madeira with an old friend. We loved that it was private with just us & Claudio. From the amazing food and drinks in truly local pubs to the hike in the woods learning about Madeira's natural resources it was definitely off the beaten path and exactly what we were looking for. Claudio is born and raised in Madeira and is extremely knowledgeable about the island. His passion comes through in all the information that he shares. I highly recommend Claudio for this or any of his tours!

What an amazing experience. The forest hike was amazing. Claudio was very knowledgeable about the vegetation. I would highly recommend this tour if you’re looking for a nice easy hike. The food was also great. I got to try food with the locals.

Amazing tour with a knowledgeable guide! Claudio is an exceptional guide, and person. He will know when and where to take you to avoid the crowds and get a real, local, Madeira experience. Highly recommend!

Cláudio was an excellent host and very easy to get along with and has some really interesting facts and stories to tell. We went on a really beautiful hike and away from the tourist hot spots. Had a lovely Poncha and the food at the end in an authentic local restaurant was amazing. Highly recommend!

Great tour by Claudio! He was extremely knowledgeable, organized and fun. We had a picturesque drive with multiple stops along the way. The hike was beautiful with the arriving and clearing of the fog on cue, creating a mystical experience! We then had an enjoyable drive back to Funchal enhanced by the Poncha stop. Then an unforgettable traditional meal off the beaten tract. I highly recommend Claudio and the gastrohike!!

Claudio was a fantastic guide, if you want a real lesson in Madeira history and local spots, you have to book this tour. Beautiful scenery, great Poncha, Espetadas, and a spontaneous trip through some very tight side streets with lots of extra insights into things to do. Claudio was fantastic and took great care of all of us as if we were family and we got to see parts of Madeira we never would have seen!

Me and my wife have done a few lavarda walks of different levels in our past visits to Madeira but this has to be the best one yet. It's an easy walk, which suits my wife ability but it was just so quiet. There was no one else around as its off the beaten track and Claudio made sure that my wife was comfortable where ever we walked. Claudio was very knowledgeable about both the surroundings and the environment which made it all the more interesting. The poncha and homemade crisps in the bar after the walk were to die for but the food in the restaurant was to die for. You had to cook your own kebabs which added to the fun. We cannot recommend this trip with Claudio enough and when we come back to Madeira next time, we will definitely be booking a trip with him again.

Cláudio was great company and really gave us a different kind of experience to the big tour operators. Full of knowledge about the island and where to go for the traditional food and drink of Madeira. We will certainly book again when we return.

We very enjoyed our guided hike with Claudio. The pickup was prompt and flexible right outside our apartment. The hike was for about 5.5km over a varied terrain with ups and downs, covered woodlands, deserted terraces, brooks and of course the levada. Claudio was a biologist, and naturally knew a great deal about the plants on the island. He paced the hike well and I was impressed with his genuine enthusiasm and interest in his work. The included supper was in a very nice restaurant called Churrascaria Sao Roque where you cooked your own meat on a skewer washed down by a fisherman's Poncha (which I really liked) and Douro red. We had a good trip - many thanks to Claudio.

We had a great afternoon/evening with Claudio - starting with a brisk levada walk with no one else in sight except some friendly sheep! He was very knowledgeable about the island, including its flora and fauna. We ended the evening with a meal eating and drinking like locals (no tourists there) and even had a go at cooking our espadata on the hot coals ourselves! All in all, it was a fun and memorable few hours and it ended in being one of the highlights of my holiday.

This hike and lunch very much exceeded our expectations. Claudio was great. He went out of his way to accommodate our needs when our son joined us unexpectedly for the lunch. He also was a wealth of information on a multitude of subjects related to the natural surroundings that we traversed. The hike was also special because it was off path of the typical tourist hikes. We would highly recommend this excursion for anyone interest in learning about the local food and ecosystem.

A very pleasant way to start to know a bit about Madeira. A pleasant hike through the forest followed by great local food and a drink. Claudio is a superb guide and simply just great company. He is knowledgeable and attentive. Had a great time.

Claudio was a fantastic guide and made the pickup and dropoff at our hotel a breeze. The hike was exactly what we were looking for (~5K) and Claudio offered to tailor the hike if we weren’t up for it. He was very knowledgeable about the woods and there was no one else walking the Levada he chose to walk along. We ate lunch at a great local spot with some delicious sangria. We ended the day with a poncha at a bar with some great atmosphere before heading back to the hotel. It was a great trip that we would recommend to anyone and Claudio was a great guide that we would use for our next hike in Madeira!

We had a wonderful time on the Gastro Hike with Claudio, the best walk we did in our week in Madeira. Claudio gave such great insight into the history and daily life in Madeira, answering any question that we could throw at him, while guiding us on a trail that we would never have found ourselves - we didn't see any other hikers, which was a refreshing change from the heavily trafficked popular routes. Claudio was also very flexible, adjusting the itinerary/route to accommodate a mild fear of heights for one of our group, and offering a couple of dinner options (nothing inspires one to make the final steep climb like knowing there's a cold poncha and a delicious meal at the other end!). He picked us up at our hotel, and even sent some great tips by whatsapp after the hike with ideas for the rest of our stay. Even though we had our own car and were doing a lot of exploring and hiking on our own, booking this was one of the best decisions we made, it was a much richer and more rewarding experience than doing it alone. I hope we can return to Madeira soon, and when we do, we'll be calling Claudio ;)