I would have given 5 stars if it weren’t for a couple of things.
overall it was a good trip.. weather was changeable which didn’t help as we had a lot of fog at times which meant we didn’t get all the benefits of off roading in the mountain or the sea cliff, but that’s just the way it goes and it was still great fun and the mist lent it’s own charm to the experience. The off road up through the mountain was definitely an experience not to be missed and worth going for.. def better than a minibus. Then saw some fabulous views from Fanal where the sun came out, lovely stop in Porto Munoz with the pools. It was a great way to see the island in its glory. Tour guide was very pleasant and had a good sense of humour and looked after the guests.
On other things, I was a little disappointed that we didnt get much commentary about Madeira during the trip… there were a few interesting snippets about flora and fauna and a little about some places we drove past, but nothing really to give much of an idea about the history of the island … to be fair it wasn’t advertised as that so it’s a personal thing really and might not bother anybody else. It’s a fabulous way to get a feel for the island and its geography, but not if you are looking for a more in-depth tour guide/history.
Other than that, the only other point was to be aware that you may end up on the benches in the back which isn’t exactly comfortable. nobody expects a land rover to be comfortable but there were four people (3 men) crammed onto the benches which by the end was hard going for them (my other half was one of them) . It would be much better if they limited to maybe 2-3 in the back
Final note, it felt like we were dropped off 45 mins earlier than expected .. the latter half of the day felt more like just a drive back from the pools.. albeit along some beautiful roads.. don’t know whether we skipped a stop or two? Whether it
Was because it was raining by then? Or whether they were supposed to be drive bys anyway? It wasn’t really made very clear..
overall still a very enjoyable day, I’d do it again … just go with the right expectations