Private tour in Funchal Valdemar A
5.0
(30) reviews
8 hours
1
8 hours
1
Valdemar A.
5.0
Guide rating
251
Reviews
Tours delivered
3 hrs
Avg. response time
Hi, my name is Valdemar, a 45 years old Madeira island native. I was born in the capital Funchal but my roots are in the west and east of the island, where my grandparents are from. For 16 years I have worked in a store. Getting in contact with people, knowing their stories, was the best part of it and enriched and gave me social skills. In my free time, this island was my breakout. 10 years ago my breakout became a full-time occupation and I swapped a store for an outdoor office and started delivering tours. First with sidecar motorcycles, then minibus and jeeps, as a freelancer guide and since then, my passion for this island got bigger. The satisfaction and smiling faces of my guests were the cherries on top. Right away I felt this was what I was meant to be doing with my life. I feel blessed and very lucky to be able to do what I love for a living. This year I have joined ToursByLocals private tours because they offer me the opportunity to deliver a tour more personal, tailor-made, and flexible where I can show you the places that made me feel this way! Taking a tour with me, I guarantee a memorable experience, where you will feel local. I will go the extra mile to overcome your expectations and you will go back looking forward to returning. Looking forward to meeting you. See you soon. Certified Tourism Guide/Driver, Licenced by the Autonomous Region of Madeira, in accordance with the ordinance nr. 61/2017. The car is registered according to the Portuguese tourism authority with license number RNAAT 375/2016 with the required by law liability insurance, accident insurance, and personal group insurance for activities outside the car. "Clean and Safe" stamp. Created by Turismo de Portugal authority to approve and distinguish tourist activities that are compliant with hygiene and cleaning requirements for the prevention and control of COVID-19 and other possible infections.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Valdemar A.
This is where 50 shades of green meet 50 shades of blue! This is a special tour for me as one of my grandfathers was from São Vicente, Northwest. He moved to Funchal looking for a better life back when roads were primitive and cars a luxury for few. Never had the chance to explore his village with him so I seize the opportunity to do it now with you. This tour will show how people live in the countryside. The evergreen mountains and cliffs surround the geometrical lines of the terraces and farms, marking the landscape harmoniously. We will walk in the pre-ice age protected by UNESCO Laurell forest that can be found in every north coast village outskirt, walking alongside a "Levada" (man-made irrigation channels) or ancient footpaths crossing the forest and connecting the villages. We will see beautiful waterfalls, visit lava rock pools where you can swim, and some breathtaking sightseeing points hidden from most visitors and even locals. Come join me on a day full of history and nature!
Val gave us an excellent tour! He customized our tour for our interests & time. Val offered suggestions during the tour and gave recommendations for local restaurants & activities after as well as for other cities in Portugal we’ll be visiting. He was incredibly friendly and informative. We had a great time! Highly recommend!
Valdemar provided us with special day that allowed us to experience the north and west coast of Madeira as well as the misty heights and laurel forests. The espetada that we had for lunch in a local restaurant in the mountains was tasty and memorable. As a native of Madeira, Valdemar shared his extensive knowledge of the island, both past and present. The day flew by. We were privileged to share it with him.
Excellent tour with Val. Hit the highlights but with local flavours and backroads to miss the crowds and have a truly immersive experience. Val was flexible, patient, knowledgeable and always thought of ways to make the tour meaningful for us. We highly recommend this tour and Val
Great day with Valdemar whose local knowledge and great attitude made our tour our memorable day on beautiful Madeira. Highly recommended.
We had a fantastic tour with Val. We saw the Cabo Girão (the glass bottom viewpoint) and then proceeded to tour the Northwest part of Madeira. The views were stunning absolutely everywhere we went - whether it was along the water or out in nature! And Val was extremely knowledgeable about everything. The offroad portion was particularly fun and he was such a skilled driver that we felt very safe with him at the wheel. That was definitely something we would not have been able to do on our own and would never have experienced in a large group tour! We finished our day with Poncha a Pescador - a refreshing drink made from lemon peel with sugar, lemon juice and rum. A perfect end to a fantastic day! It was nice that he had different pricing for couples vs a larger group and we were able to see all of the same sights for a little less money. We loved our day with Val! Highly recommend!
Valdemar was a fantastic guide. He took us to the most wonderful sites and adjusted the stops according to weather, an event closing roads in Porto Moniz, and of course our wishes. We feel like we spent the day with not only a tour guide but also a friend. He was a font of knowledge on history, local agriculture, geology, wine making and anything we asked. We will definitely be recommending him to friends and family.
After picking you up, we head towards Ribeira Brava, Serra d’Água, Encumeada and Paul da Serra, continuing through the ancient Laurissilva forest and stopping at the mystical Fanal for a short walk. From there, we continue towards Ribeira da Janela, Porto Moniz, Seixal and São Vicente. Cabo Girão, with its glass platform overlooking a 580-metre-high sea cliff, can also be included upon request. These are just some of the main highlights of the tour. Along the way, there are many other stops, viewpoints and places of interest that are not listed in the itinerary. This is a circular tour, and the direction can be reversed depending on weather conditions and, if you would like to swim, sea and tide conditions. If you would like a lunch break, we can stop at a typical local restaurant away from the main tourist areas, with several options to choose from. The itinerary is flexible and can be adapted to your interests and preferences.
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-LandRover Discovery TDI from 96, all restored, with 4 seats available facing forward and 2 foldable ones in rear
Funchal, Portugal
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8 hours
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8 hours
1
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