The East Tour starts with a scenic drive to Camacha which is regarded as the culture capital of the island. One of the oldest manufactures in Madeira is the articles made of wicker work, by hand, which is still a traditional product. At Camacha is where different items are made, such as baskets, furnishing and some house utilities. From here we carry on scenic roads of Santo da Serra to a famous view point in Portela. On this viewpoint you get some splendid views of the north coast especially over Porto da Cruz and the Eagles Rock which stands 580 meters high.
Our next stop is Santana with its typical A framed houses with thatched roofs. There are people that to this day live in these type of houses. For those garden lovers you will find a wide variety of flowers on display right throughout the year. Next we stop in Faial where we normally stop for lunch. Lunch is at a restaurant called Grutas do Faial which means the caves of Faial. The restaurant is built into a rock and is described by all visitors as the highlight of the east tour.
After lunch we take the most scenic route in Madeira, driving through the Laurissilva forest to Ribeiro Frio. Here we stop to do an optional short levada walk to the Balcões. We recommend that everyone tries this one out as it is a flat an easy walk to one of the most amazing views on the island. From here we carry on the scenic drive up the second highest peak on the island Pico do Arieiro (1818m). If you lucky you will be able to view a sea of clouds below and a clear blue sky above.
Our last stop on this east tour, before we descent down to Funchal, is at the Monte. If there is time and the basket drivers are working on that day, you can get to do an optional toboggan ride, which is famous to all tourists in Madeira.
