PR8 Ponta São Lourenço Caniçal Caminhada Autoguiada

The hiking trail is definitely worth it. Great views, great photos. Unfortunately, the path is completely overcrowded despite the hiking fee, which unfortunately takes away the joy of hiking. The hike could be booked at short notice with the provider, but unfortunately not with the tax authority. Fortunately, the provider stepped in. That causes a lot of wasted time. Nerve. One should sell the tour including tax. In retrospect, one must go, but not with 10,000 people. The driver was punctual but should reconsider his driving style. Perhaps he wanted to impress the girls.

Must see on Madeira, worth all the stairs! Views are something else, if you like going up- going down it’s def fun to do. Also: on a very hot day bring more than enough water & snacks it gets HOT :)

The sunrise hike was beautiful and a relatively easy trail. Marco gave us detailed instructions on where to see the sunrise and options to either come back to the starting point or take the boat to a hotel where you can also be picked up.

I regret booking this. I messaged them ahead of time and they said it would be 4 hours between drop off and pickup, consistent with their listing. The driver also said we could leave early if everyone was there and said or heavily implied he’d be there by around 3 hours later because the hike should be 2.5-3 hours. He didn’t actually pick us up until 5.25+ hours later though so the entire group sat around for over an hour and a half waiting (I waited 2 hours unfortunately and I was not even walking fast). I watched 3 separate #113 busses pick people up while we were waiting for the driver. Pretty bad when a city bus would be faster and more convenient. The driver did pick everyone up from the hotel on time. The hike itself is beautiful. The driver was also flexible and dropped people off wherever they wanted which was nice for those that didn’t want to be dropped at the hotel. In general a huge amount of wasted time though. If you want to do this hike it would be cheaper and more convenient to uber there and ride the bus back.

Good way to do PR8 in own pace. Stunning scenery during the hike. Friendly driver with good local knowledge. Transport was practical and seatbelt was too tight for a comfortable car journey. Good response and information before the trip. Originally booked for 9:15am and informed to have 10:20am pick up time at hotel without any reason. Time allowed (under 4 hours) to complete the trail (6km in total back and forth) was tight as it was recommended to do 2.5 hours one way, so felt rushed on the way back.

The driver was very friendly, giving explanations of the intersecting places on the way. For the hike also, provided details to have a nice hike.

Had a great experience. Felipe is such a kind soul, and it was very fun to be driven by him. He clearly explained everything we needed to know for the hike multiple times. He also gave a lot of great advice on things to do and food to try in Madeira. You can tell he loves what he does, and that made the experience all the better. As for the hike, it's stunning! Very doable and easy.

The first ride with this provider was good so I booked my second transfer here as well. Philippe came to pick me up again. This time also had a nice ride in the minivan. Route explained again, spot for the sunrise as a tip and what time we were picked up again. There was a strong wind that day and certainly on some stretches on top of the cliffs. The views are magnificent on the hiking route. Do take into account a lot of stairs up and down. It is described as easy family walk, but your legs (and knees) should be in good shape. Again the views are amazing! Mountains, cliffs, ocean. Great. I walked very early, on the way back it was a lot busier. So if you like peace and quiet I would definitely take the sunrise option!

It was very nice and very well organized. Cristiano - our driver was very friendly and always arrived on time and gave us a lot of great recommendations. Thank you!

Amazing hike. A close second favourite behind Pico do Arieiro. The views are unrivalled and I felt like I was visiting heaven! It was such a great hike and experience, which was a little tougher than expected but still very doable. There is a lovely cafe at the end that does get very busy but the coffee was nice (and a good price). Don't forget a euro if you need the loo though! We didn't have one but luckily we found one on the floor halfway through the hike 😂 also, if it is sunny when you do it you MUST bring suncream. The sun is very strong there because of the sea and we had to reapply suncream a few times to prevent a burn. Nuno was a great and welcoming driver and host. We had a great chat on the way there and back. He was super punctual as well as a good laugh. Thank you very much! I'd definitely book again and I can't wait to come back and do another self-guided tour with this company when we return to Madeira in the future.