Incredible Tour To A 'Faja' With A Story

We had a great tour of the fruit farm. Our guide was very knowledgeable and was also great with our kids. We were surprised at just how many different flavours we were able to sample for our fruit tasting. It was a really great morning! Thank you to our host :)

Amazing tour combining history of the orchard with nature. Beautiful flowers and butterflies and abundance of fruit trees. Perfect end with ice cream made from cherries, bananas and mango from the orchard.

We are so glad we went here - it is truly a wonderful paradise, nestled below 300m steep cliffs. The views on the trip down in the cable car were amazing. We had a tasty lunch at the restaurant overlooking the beach and then did our tour. Fatima took us around the farm and she was absolutely brilliant - very friendly, welcoming and incredibly knowledgeable, she told us many interesting things about the farm's history, the plants and wildlife. Fatima then gave us a selection of delicious fruits to try, which tasted so different depending on the order you ate them in! This should definitely be on your list of places to visit. And do book the restaurant if you want to eat, as they are very busy.

Fatima greeted me at the terminal for the cable car and gave me a very interesting tour of the gardens and houses making up Fara dos Padres. Special attention was given to the Monarch Butterflies which thrive in this little organic haven.

This place is idyllic. The weather was perfect and Fatima led us around the farm explaining the Jesuit and Madeiran history, farming methods here, sustainability and challenges today. The fruit tasting at the end was special and worth the extra 10€ each. Afterwards we had lunch in the restaurant which was really delightful. If you wish you can also swim from the stony beach. A memory to treasure.

Amazing hidden gem 😍nice cable car down to beautiful fruit farm. Tour was very interesting thanks to our lovely guide. After we had a tasty soup with local bread in the restaurant and their own gelato with fruits from the farm

As part of a small group arranged tour we visited the organic farm and gardens and were welcomed and guided by Fatima around the site. This also included a tasting experience of some of the locally grown fruits. Fatima was knowledgeable, friendly and professional. The site presented almost as a Garden of Eden-like retreat, though being a working farm gardens. We were very impressed with the overall experience, and we would recommend a visit and/or stay.

This was an incredible experience, leaning about history, local crops, and tasting wonderful fruits. Fatima was an extraordinary guide and all personal in the restaurant was exceptional.

We had an amazing time! We met the tour guide for our fruit tasting tour. We learnt so much from the different fruits, how the seasons impact on the area. We got some history too. We finished atnthe cafe for the fruit tasting and that was really unusual (in a good way). We then had food at the cafe and chilled out for a while. Rhe apartments that are available to rent look amazing and we hope to be back and stay this time.

We had a tour with tasting, what a rip off. For $10 they give you a small banana and a few slices of mango. Do not fall into this trap!

We absolutely loved this tour, the best of Madeira for us – a true hidden gem! Fátima was incredible: very knowledgeable, with excellent English, and a deep passion for the Fajã. She knows everything about the area and shared it in such an engaging way. She made our tour feel very personal and special, giving us insights we would never have discovered on our own. We left with unforgettable memories and a real appreciation for this beautiful place. Highly recommend! Cristina & Marcio

Faja dos Padres is an amazing secluded area accessed by cable car. We stayed in one of the cottages which was lovely and quiet. We had a brilliant tour of the farm with Fatima who was really interesting and enthusiastic and told us all about the history and what is grown there. Most of the produce is consumed in the restaurant. This is a hidden gem and Fatima was 5 star !

We had a great guided tour here with Fatima our local guide giving us all the history of this gem of a place. From an exciting cable car trip down to the village, to understanding the horticulture and a superb restaurant right next to the ocean, it would be difficult to better the experience. A word of warning however, we ordered the octopus and sweet potatoes which was delicious but each plate would feed four people !! 😀

We went to this farm for a tour of the farm and lunch. It is fantastic! The cable car ride down to it is great, the tour is fascinating (so many fruits and beautiful flowers grown there). The lunch was delicious - especially the fish and the fruit for dessert. WE would love to go back and stay at one of the cottages!

We did a tour he through our hotel. After an exhilarating cable car we were met by our wonderful guide. She took us through the organic farm explaining about their crops etc as well as its amazing history. It was very informative and interesting. After the tour which lasted around 1.5 hours as a group we sat down and were given tasters of some of the fruit grown there. The tasting ended with some of their ice cream. Simply delicious. I would thoroughly recommend the tour and the food in the restaurant if want to taste some more of the locally sourced products.

Had a wonderful time with my husband on the farm and fruit tasting tour. Fatima, our guide was very passionate and knowledgable. Apart from how interesting it was, the views and surroundings were breathtaking. We arrived early and were able to take the funicular down early and explore by ourselves until the start time (it is also posibile to stay on afterwards, last exit is at 6pm). We tried some truly delicious fruit, shows what we’re missing by the store bought produce at home. Our only regret is that found out about the tour after we already arrived in Madeira and had accommodation booked, it is actually possible to stay on the on site accommodation at the farm, we would have loved to do that for a night, next time!

We had a fascinating tour of Faja dos Podres, a former Jesuit outpost close to Quinta Grande and the famous Cabo Girao lookout. Access is via a cable car which takes you on a leisurely 300m drop down to the beach - a unique experience in of itself! Faja dos Podres is now an organic farm, restaurant and oasis of tranquility, with eight simple villas converted from previous houses and barns. Fatima was a wonderful guide:knowledgable, patient and unhurried. We learned about the history of Faja dos Postres, the various organic fruit and vegetables grown there, and the ethos and culture of the farm. After a fruit tasting (delicious, even the deceptive pitanga cherry!), we enjoyed a lovely lunch overlooking the blue sea with the freshest of fish and fruit and vegetables from the farm. The staff were lovely, the location was beautiful and it was a very memorable day. Thoroughly recommended. Cable car/entrance fee €12; tour and entrance €26/36 (to include fruit tasting). Three course lunch with wine/drinks €85 for two. Experience: priceless.

We attended a guided tour and the fruit taste experience. The guide, Fatima was friendly,helpful and had a excellent English. The garden was full of colours, fruits and flowers it was also well organised. We will definitely recommend this amazing, wonderful experience!!!!!!

We (family with 2 kids 4yo and 6yo) discovered many details about the farm and its history. We enjoyed 2 hours with Fatima. Fruits are amazing, I really recommend this experience.

We had a great tour with Fatima, there was nothing about Madeira that she wasn’t willing to chat about. It was lovely to meet someone so passionate and proud of their home. We loved her stories of the history of the Fajã and the access routes of the past. We already knew a fair amount about the fruit, but even so we learnt some new things and really enjoyed the tasting. The tour with tasting lasted about 2 hours and we even got a quick look inside the lovely holiday homes available there. Afterwards we enjoyed lunch in the restaurant by the sea. We came home with a bag of mangoes on which to try out our newly learnt cutting and preparation skills and a jar of their delicious mango jam. It’s a beautiful spot and the cable car access is fun and easy. Parking is a lot easier than many places in Madeira and the weather down on the faja was much nicer than up the top. A great trip.

Fatima was a wonderful guide and couldn't be stumped by even the weirdest question about the fruit, the plantation, Madeira, it's history and people. She was bubbly and fun. The fruit tasting at the end of the tour was interesting and delicious too. Afterwards we enjoyed the restaurant and the pier. Don't forget to bring bathing suits!

Great to see a working Faja. Fatima was very informative and the fruit absolutely delicious A beautiful place.

My husband and I visited Faja dos Padres. We hesitated a bit booking a tour since there were a few bad reviews but decided to go anyway since the price wasn't too crazy. (€30 includes the roundtrip cable car rides which is €12 if you purchase searately). We are so glad we did it. Fatima was our guide and she went details on history of the island, of Faja dos padres and also the agriculture. She was very friendly and tried to share with us as much as she could; fruits, flowers, history of vines, monarch butterflies, its caterpillars & cocoons, different types of mangos, farm animals, family history and so much more! I had a lot of fun tasting 3 different types of mangos and 2 different types of banana as I personally really love fruits. We also got to eat lunch after without a reservation and the food was delicious. Service is a bit slow but that's not unusual in the island. I also bought some fruits once we returned to the top. We are planning to go back tomorrow to hang out around the beach. I would highly recommend this experience. BRING A HAT!

My daughters and I visited Faja dos Padres for a farm tour and fruit tasting during our recent family vacation in Madeira and are so glad that we did! Our host, Fatima, was happy to accommodate us on short notice and deliver a tour that educated us about the fascinating history of the farm as well as the organic farming practices used there. Our whole experience – from the cable car ride down to the farm, to a delicious lunch at the restaurant on the beach, to our pleasant and informative tour – was something we will never forget. We would recommend anyone visiting Madeira to add a visit to this unique place to their itinerary.

We booked the tour with the fruit tasting via the website of Fajã dos Padres. When we arrived early in the morning (09:30), we could still park the car close to the cable lift. Although the lift officially only opened at 10:00, we were allowed to go down a bit earlier. Once we were down, we walked around the area a bit ahead of our tour. And although that was already impressive, it became much better when the tour started with Fatima. She told us all about the history of the farm. The tour helped to get a much better understanding of what the idea behind Fajã dos Padres is. Despite there only being a limited amount of fruits available, we were still able to try some of the local products under guidance of Fatima, who is extremely passionate about what she does and ensured our trip to the Fajã was a succes.

I cannot speak highly enough of this trip. Cable car ride was great. We then met Fatima who was our guide for the tour and fruit tasting. She was fascinating to listen to. Explained everything so clearly and so much learned about what is grown and the issues faced. The fruit tasting was great fun. Thanks for a wonderful morning Fatima. By the way we then had a first class meal in the restaurant and would highly recommend aswell.

We had a wonderful tour of the farm led by Fatima. Fatima is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about sharing her knowledge of this place she obviously cares deeply about. The cable car trip down is amazing. I found it fascinating to learn how bananas are grown. We enjoyed a fruit tasting with Fatima and stayed for lunch at the restaurant afterwards. I would highly recommended this half day excursion near Funchal. One note: we were unsure if the meeting time was before or after the gondola trip down to the farm so allow extra time, we ended up being late for the group meeting. Also, parking is very tight right at the gondola. Park when you see the line of cars and walk the last short distance.

We took the cable car down and had a reservation for the organic farm tour and tasting. The cable car is really steep and an adventure on its own! At the bottom, Fatima met us along with about 10 other visitors. She took us on a tour of the farm, explaining its history, challenges, and gardens. We learned a lot and had fun along the way. At the end of the tour is a tasting of some of the tropical fruits in season. The tasting was well organized. The tour and tasting took 2 hours and was a great experience. It was hot and humid in the sun, even though it was a relatively cool day compared to summertime. It would be really nice to install a small covered area along the farm tour route so travelers could enjoy shade while listening to Fatima’s interesting tidbits.

Absolutely loved our trip. Fatima our guide was just amazing and lovely, very passionate about her job and the place she works. Faja dos padres is a beautiful place to visit. The restaurant is lovely using their own homegrown produce makes the food taste better and to sit overlooking the ocean with the sun beaming down was fabulous. I would so recommend this trip and we found out that they have little villas overlooking the ocean that are available to book so will definitely be returning. The cable car is not for the faint hearted but well worth it for those amazing views. Please visit this place and let Fatima show you around and introduce their homegrown fruits absolutely delicious. Thank you Fatima for such a wonderful morning.

Amazing experience and a deep dive into the flavors and agriculture of Madeira. Fátima is explaining everything about the organic farm, the fruits, vegetables and how everything is running. You will have a taste of the seasonal fruits you just have seen growing in the farm. Very lovely people, great place and a unique experience. There is a restaurant as well, a nice beach and if you are lucky you can even rent one of the apartments. A peaceful place on earth. This island within the island is really paradise!

We had a beautiful tour with Fátima in a raining morning but only in the top because when you descend to this little paradise, there is no rain and warm place full of nice tropical herbs and fruit. you will learn about the place and how they farm here. the food taste is interesting and very good guided. we recommend this tour to have a taste and contact with organic farming from the island.

Beautiful scenery and learned so much from our guide Fatima. Fruit at the end of tour was delicious.

We visited for our 3rd wedding anniversary and went on the faja tour with fruit tasting. After an exciting journey straight down the cliffs in a cable car we met Fatima our guide. Fatima took us for a walk around the farm area and explained as much as we could want to know about the crops, the inhabitants and it's rich history producing incredible grapes to create the Madeira wine. Very knowledgeable, our guide took us around the faja pointing out sites of interest including the old climbing route and the "fridge". We had such a great time and the fruit was so flavourful we stayed for lunch and a swim! Many thanks!

The tour and fruit tasting is really wholesome and interesting. The tour itself in parts was fascinating and it’s clear all that work there are very passionate about the Faja. Fatima was especially friendly and hugely knowledgeable. The fruit tasting was delicious, especially coming from the UK where our tropical fruit is never fresh. The one caveat I have is that at parts of the tour it felt like a sales pitch for the accommodation. And make sure to book lunch at the restaurant for the same day you’re on the tour because it gets booked up seemingly everyday because the Faja is such a lovely place to visit even if you’re not on a tour.

It's definitely a must-see when you are in Madeira. The cable car ride is amazing, and Faja dos padres is a paradise. The tour and the fruit tasting with Fatima is amazing. It was very interesting to learn more about the local history and the fruits they are growing. Make sure to book the tour and the fruit tasing in advance. We have tasted the best mangos and bananas ever. After the tour, you can go swimming in the crystal-clear water or have lunch in the restaurant.

Our tourguide Fatima was very friendly and showed us around the farm. She knew many exciting facts about the farm and its history and she could answer all our questions about the agriculture of Madeira. Her english was very good to understand. The groupsize of 6 people was great. The fruittasting also was very exciting, as the taste is not comparable to what we find in Germany.

Fatimathe guide who took us around the farm was lovely friendly , enthusiastic and informative. The location was beautiful. As been the highlight of my holiday.

Have been visiting Madeira for 20+ years, so always looking for new ideas. So we were delighted when we found this gem. Don’t know how we’d missed it in the past. We took the farm tour with fruit tasting which was interesting and excellently delivered by Fatima who clearly loves her job, the property and its ethos. We hesitated over taking lunch at the restaurant having seen some of the previous reviews. However we took the plunge and were not disappointed. The service was quick and friendly, the food fresh and tasty and reasonable value. Overall a good 4 hours spent

Really informative and enjoyable tour with Fatima. We've learned a lot about the ranch, its history and its future, very inspiring experience. Do the tour with fruit taste and you will have the best mango and banana of your life. :)

Fantastic location reached by cable car to a wonderfully productive fruit and veg garden on the sea shore. We did the guided tour and fruit tasting with a very knowledgeable and friendly lady. Restaurant highly recommended and good value.

We had a wonderful time on the guided tour with fruit tasting today - we were shown around the Faja by Fatima, a warm and welcoming guide with a huge knowledge of the land and all that grows there! The fruits we tried were absolutely delicious and we would love to return one day and stay in one of the little houses! Fatima was also wonderful with our one year old daughter - including her in the fruit tasting and making sure we felt relaxed when she was a getting a little grouchy! Make sure you stay afterwards for lunch at the restaurant it's absolutely delicious!

Best way to learn how the Faja manages the farm and also the local plants and fruits. Fatima did a great job educating guests the history and how the farm operates nowadays. Love learning about the banana plants (not "trees"), the colorful caterpillars from the green cocoons, and the exotic pitanga (Suriname cherries).

The guided tour of the farm was amazing, Fatima did a great job providing a very unique and engaging tour of the farm. The views are incredible and we loved learning about the history of the farm and seeing the various plants and fruits and wildlife. I especially loved seeing the monarch butterflies and their cocoons and the caterpillars. The fruit was delicious - we tried the cherries, the pear melon, the papaya, and bananas. After the tour we had lunch and the restaurant and relaxed at the beach. Great experience. Highly recommend

The visit starts with a trip down the 500M cliff by cable car, but thats not a scary as it sounds. We did an escorted tour & our guide was the wonderful Fatima. She told the history, flora & fauna eloquently, the lost goat seemed happy enough though.... The tour takes about an hour & would be quicker if people like me didn't ask questions about the person who was executed by drowning in Malmsey Wine & Shakespearian plays! We then had a lovely lunch overlooking the sea at the restaurant. Booking essential in the spring & summer

We had a lovely private tour of the farm with Fatima who is obviously very passionate about the place which is lovely. Cable car down is very steep but quick so no time to get too scared. It’s really interesting to hear about the history of the land and the island as well as about the farm itself. Although the highlight was definitely the fruit tasting at the end. We stayed for lunch which was great. Would definitely recommend doing.

We visited Faja dos Padres and pre-booked a tour with Fatima. The cable car is already great fun as a way to get to the farm. Then Fatima showed us the farm and explained everything. Fatima is like a walking encyclopedia, very knowledgeable and very considerate. Definitely worthwhile to visit and afterwards have lunch at the restaurant.

A truly wonderful experience with Fatima as the ultimate tour guide (and Pedro being a mini bonus :-D). The trip down in the Cable Car was fabulous leading to the interesting and informative farm tour, delivered in a friendly light hearted manner. Would recommend the fruit tasting too ... best Avocado I have EVER tasted. A "must do" experience, with a wonderful restaurant next to the sea and fabulous post tour experience!!

In the morning we did the tour of the farm and fruit tasting with the host Fatima, who was excellent, she was very knowledgeable and made the whole experience interesting and enjoyable. In the afternoon we had lunch in the restaurant and relaxed by the sea.

Worth seeing how this place operates as a sustainable farm and restaurant. Amazing food and the person who does the tour is really pashinet about it , which makes big difference.