Madeira · NATIONAL PARKS
6 reviewed
Below are the 6 best national park tours, best first: what each one costs, how long it takes, and which kind of traveller it suits. Start at number one, it earned the spot.
Kayak to Garajau Nature Reserve from Funchal, snorkel clear waters, and enjoy pebble-beach breaks. 3 hours, multilingual guides.
“Saw lots of fish while snorkelling. Guide was very friendly”
Kayak into Garajau’s protected waters and snorkel the Atlantic’s fish-filled reef with a guide, gear included, in about two hours.
“Sadly I was informed the evening before that this trip was cancelled due to heavy sea swell forecast. As a novice kayaker I was pleased safety was such a high priority. So even though I didn’t actually experience this trip, I have rated it highly due to the good communication & safety standards. I hope to try again on my next visit.”
2.5 hours of kayaking and snorkeling in Garajau Nature Reserve from Funchal, with gear, safety, and small-group guides.
“We had the best time snorkeling. 1 person in our group was a bit nervous in the sea but the guides were very accommodating and helped her feel comfortable.”
Snorkel the protected waters of Ponta de São Lourenço from Funchal. Small group, full safety briefing, kit included, 2.5 hours.
“Leider fand der Ausflug nicht statt, wegen mangelnder Teilnehmerzahl.Sehr enttäuscht. Gerde wegen mangelnder Touristen wegen Corona, sollte man trotzdem Ausflüge mit wenigen Personen stattfinden lassen.”
Certified scuba trip to Garajau Marine Protected Area near Funchal for possible dusky grouper sightings, with gear prep and hot shower.
“Price deceiving. apart from the fine print of Nat Park entrance Fee (3€) Rental equipment available for a fee (19€) i ended up paying 29€ for some unknown reason. they did not even give me boots and my feet were freezing.”
Scuba at Garajau National Park from Funchal: protected waters, dusky groupers, top underwater sites, small group, certified-only.
“Niks dan lof voor deze mensen. Als beginnende duiker was mij aangeraden om eerst een duik vanaf de kant te doen voordat ik aan de Maracuja-duik begon. Helaas kreeg ik tijdens deze laatste duik last van paniek. Hier werd direct adequaat op gereageerd, waardoor ik de duik toch heb kunnen afmaken onder begeleiding. Na afloop werd er op de boot continu gecheckt of ik oké was, en ik werd aangemoedigd om een nieuwe duik in te plannen om mijn angst te overwinnen. Ook tijdens die tweede duik, een paar dagen later, werd ik goed in de gaten gehouden, zonder me ongemakkelijk te laten voelen. Mijn speciale dank gaat uit naar…”
