Madeira Westside Achadas Da Cruz, Porto Moniz, Seixal And Fanal

The experience was wonderful! Our guide was so knowledgeable and knew exactly where to go. How a time things and I felt like I really got to see the coolest parts of Madeira.

We had a wonderful time on our tour! Our guide Richard was really friendly and funny and gave us great insights into life on the island. As far as I could see this is the only tour that visits Achadas da Cruz, which was one of the highlights of the day - the cable car experience and exploring the community at the base of the cliff was very interesting. We also enjoyed a swim at Porto Moniz and a wander around Fanal Forest along with other stops. The trip didn’t feel rushed and our transport was very comfortable and cool - great AC! Richard ended our tour by taking us for a Poncha at a traditional bar high up in the hills, the perfect end to a great day. Communication beforehand was also great and we received a text the day before confirming our pick up location and time. I would heartily recommend Heartbeat Madeira and their tours!

Excellent tour through beautiful countryside and towns. Views galore. And topped off with an authentic poncha at the end

Simply incredible! This was the only tour with a stop at Achadas Da Cruz and I would book this tour again just to visit that place again. The views are breathtaking and Richard is a very friendly and fun guide. Do not miss this experience when you are in Madeira - 100/10!!!

Absolutely amazing tour of the beautiful west of Madeira island. Richard was a fantastic and attentive guide with a rich knowledge of madeira and the local history. We managed to see everything we hoped for in the west, but the day felt relaxed and there was plenty of time for breaks and opportunities to enjoy the surroundings. Richard is an absolute gentleman and even dropped us back to our accommodation after our day. The whole journey with Richard felt like travelling with a friend and the small tour group allows for camaraderie with the other passengers. I cannot recommend this tour enough to anybody staying in funchal as it would be extremely difficult to see this much in one day without the experience and expertise of Richard & Katrin.

This tour should not be missed and has earned our highest recommendation. Richard is an excellent, attentive guide with great historical and cultural knowledge of Madeira. My wife and I enjoyed some of the most unique and picturesque locations on the island with enough time to explore, take pictures, and sample local food and drink. The itinerary includes Fanal’s mystical forest, which was one of the locations used in Star Wars: The Acolyte - a must-see for any photographer. We thoroughly enjoyed the day. You will not be disappointed.

Richard was truly amazing, couldn’t ask for a better guide of Madeira. He has extensive knowledge of the history and the locations he takes you, somehow he’d bring us somewhere before it got busy and each place we’d leave and see the crowds forming. Can’t recommend this enough if you’re in Funchal.

Definitely go on this tour! Richard was an amazing guide and he knew loads of beautiful spaces to take us too. The walk in Fanal forest in the mist was such a highlight, like nowhere I’ve ever been before. We were also dropped off in Porto Moniz to get lunch and see the natural pools. It was a very relaxing tour and never felt rushed and Richard adapted to the needs of the guests with drop offs etc. We loved this experience!

Based on the first spots we had selected, Richard and Katrin built a tailor-made itinerary for us. Both were incredibly kind, extremely attentive, generous, funny. Everything was top : choice of routes, return airport pick-up, zero waste picnic (with homemade cakes by Katrin), electric vehicle, and little surprises punctuated our stay. We learned a lot about the island and discovered lots of details (history, nature, etc.) to which we would not have had access without Richard and Katrin's explanations. We felt like we were traveling the island with friends 🙂 A travel that we will not forget! And the opportunity to work with a local and experienced team! Katrin and Richard made our heart beat for Madeira

Richard (and Heartbeat Madeira) were excellent - why? 1. Comprehensive - Went to everything on the schedule (I read some reviews and they didn't get to everything and I particularly wanted to go to Fanal. The tour went on a bit longer because of this but I wouldn't have been happy if we missed Fanal which was at the end of the day. 2. Awareness of "the comforts". Provided water in the car, two breaks for local drinks, and pointed out good toilet facilities to use. Note for those who don't drink alcohol - there is a local drink Nikita which is outstanding imho - like a milkshake with pineapple and passion fruit. Richard also pointed out good places for lunch in Porto Moniz. 3. Only 8 people! Some tours take a lot more. We had four couples and we are keeping in touch with one of them. 4. Extremely knowledgeable with a great command of the English language. We learned a lot about the island and my husband also asked about politics, etc. Richard was able to answer everything! 5. Great communication - you will get a thorough email explaining everything. 6. Kindness - Richard dropped people off at the end of the tour at their accommodations. He goes out of his way for people to have a great experience. He translated what was said in English to Spanish as one couple was Spanish. We enjoyed this tour so much, we booked a private tour for another day to see some of the places we wanted to. That was fantastic as well - so ask if you have particular items you want to see (a bit more expensive but if you have limited time like we did you might consider it...).

I had absolutely incredible 2.5 days with Richard and Katrin’s Heartbeat Madeira. I did three different tours: the west, the east, and the south. All three tours were nothing, but excellent! Unlike other companies, Richard’s tour has a max of 8 people per tour in a comfortable van vs. jam packed jeeps. I got lucky and had one day of just myself and other two days with another person. I got personalized attention throughout the trips. As a Madeira native, Richard showed thorough understanding of the island and every location we visited. He knew backgrounds and history of every place. I highly recommend Hearbeat Madeira to anyone who wants to have small group tours of the island!

What a great day we had. Richard from Happy Tours was truly exceptional! When faced with unfavorable weather, he chose new routes. Even though this was our sixth visit and we had seen a lot already, Richard revealed some fascinating new spots we hadn’t encountered before. He is not only knowledgeable but also a wonderfully friendly and charming person. Will definitely be booking again next year, so see you November 2025 Richard and thanks again for a great day.

Highly recommend this tour and Heartbeat Madeira. They were responsive and provided excellent communication. The time allowed at each spot was well organized. We were able to see all the sights and Richard was knowledgeable of the area’s history.

The tour was fantastic with all those locations and also very informative. Richard our guide was amazing, had a great sense of humor, told many stories abut the island and the nikitas at the end were super tasty! Thank you very much for this experience.

I spent a full day on the northwest coast of Madeira and it was a great tour. Richard is an excellent guide and introduced us to the history of the island and many of the towns and places we visited. We spent the whole day traveling, visiting many beautiful places and tasting the traditional poncha drink at the end of the tour. The most wonderful experience, I will definitely recommend it to friends who want to visit the island.

We had the best time with Richard and would highly recommend this tour. He was insightful and funny and was a great driver. Achadas de Cruz has such breathtaking scenery, Porto Moniz was a beautiful little town, and the Fanal Forest was so eerie and mythical. It was sprinkling in Seixal so we didn’t get to fully enjoy that but that is what you get with Madeira weather.

What an incredible experience, and not just because Madeira and this part of the island is awesome, but made all the more amazing by Richard and Katrin. I felt like I was hanging out with friends without it effecting any professionalism. Communication from the point of enquiring about this tour up to and after the tour has been on point. They helped me with questions about Madeira that had nothing to do with the tour, or what they offered, they just love this island and their customers so much and it shows with how they treated me as well as the knowledge they have. I had the best day on this tour. Little things about Heartbeat that stood out for me were the small touches like coffee in the morning, adapting a little knowing what I liked, poncha on the way home and the fact you were taken down the cable way at the end where all other providers I could find didn’t offer that.

Absolutely amazing tour, Richard and Kathryn were so lovely and informative. The sights on the western tour were stunning and it was such an amazing experience.

While in Madeira I wanted to visit the western part of the Island. I found many tour operators offering similar itineraries but then I found this company with a unique itinerary covering the highlights but also some places which are breathtaking but often not included in tours ( like Achadas da Cruz cable car) and that was my initial reason for picking them. I can say this tour exceeded my expectations. First the communication was flawless with getting all the information in time through whatsapp and detail explanation of pickup point so I didn’t have to bite nails the night before if I will be picked up in the morning. Richard was such an amazing guide and person. He is full of knowledge but also nice person to talk to ( and a great driver). We got to visit an interesting selection of places from Fanal forest, Seixal beach, Achadas da Cruz and I even had some free time to swim in Porto Moniz natural pools. I enjoyed views along the way and made some nice photos as well. Coffee as an ice-breaker and poncha to wrap up this lovely day were also a nice peek into the local life and habits which gives this tour even a bigger value. I can give all the recommendations for this tour. I hope to take another tours with this company when I return to Madeira and in the meantime I hope that I will find such an enthusiastic and innovative people as Heartbeat team in every place I visit. :) If You want to make the most of your day in the west of Madeira this is the right tour fot You.

Fantastic tour so relaxing and friendly. Richard was very knowledgeable about the Island and it's beautiful nature. The minibus was very comfortable and we were so glad we made the right choice traveling in a small group. Would highly recommend Heartbeat Tours and really looking forward to the East Coast tour next year. Kevin

Thank you for this wonderful day it was a magical day with wonderful experiences and our guide was really great, you can only recommend

Great and amazing places visited and learn a lot about the island. I would book it again and again.

Simply indescribably warm, very informative and unique. Whether it's a poncha course at a local, dinner at a paradise spot , Westside tour , São Lorenço... there are no better guides than Katrin and Richard to explore this beautiful island. The additional extras like homemade picnic, a typical pastry in between or a bica or poncha .. we have not had that yet with any other provider .. we have seen a lot and yet there was time for self-exploration in between or a refreshing dip in the sea or natural pool. Your concept is great.. keep it up 👍🏼😎🫶🏼

We left for our tour with guides Richard and Katrina, friendly and available to give information about the places and history of Madeira. First stop Achada da Cruz, we took the cable car with the 98% gradient and a spectacular view of the cliff overlooking the sea. Richard and Katrina offered us a coffee explaining the difference between bica and garoto. Second stop, my favorite, the natural pools of Porto Moniz... my favorite place in Madeira! Wonderful place where we bathed in a beautiful natural setting of volcanic rocks. Third stop is the enchanted forest of Fanal, then Ribeira de Janela which with its stacks looks like a lunar landscape and Seixal with its black sand beach and waterfalls. On the way back we stopped at a typical bar to drink a poncha all together! Thanks to Richard and Katrina for the unforgettable day! Chiara and Beatrice (from Italy!)

If you want to discover Madeira, you can trust Heartbeat Madeira. We experienced 2 excursions, a discovery of the north of the island and another for the south, it was 2 great experiences. Richard loves his island and that is feels immediately, he is very friendly, always smiling, punctual and a good driver and attentive. He shares a lot and explains to us the history of his island and the different stops are always extraordinary, breathtaking views. Special mention for the bottle of water, the coffee at the start and the glass of friendship offered at the end of the day Go there without fear, you will not be disappointed and you will recommend it too, I am sure. Joachim (May 2024)

A superb experience with Richard, a contagious smile throughout. We discover the west coast with a passionate person, he has a lot of knowledge and transmits it with positive energy. He knows the very touristy spots and will be able to take you to discover the less well-served but equally incredible corners. I loved this visit with lots of surprises, breathtaking views, I fully recommend!