Fanal Forest on foot from Funchal: which tour lets you walk, and which only stops?
Updated October 12, 2026 · 5 min read
For most walkers: book the PR13 Vereda do Fanal hike with transfers. It costs €45 for 8 hours, scores 4.7 from 221 reviews, and is the only listing here whose description is built around walking at your own pace. For a levada instead of forest paths: the Fanal / Assobiadores levada walk is €48, 4.6 from 100 reviews. If Porto Moniz matters more than the walking: the Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal 4WD tour is €69, 4.9 from 9,707 reviews, but Fanal is one stop on it, not the point.
Five tours, but only two are walks
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR13 Vereda do Fanal Hiking with Transfers | 8 hours | €45 | 4.7 (221) | Walking in the forest at your own pace |
| Fanal / Assobiadores – Levada Walk | 8 hours | €48 | 4.6 (100) | A levada route through the laurel forest |
| Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal 4WD Tour | 8 hours | €69 | 4.9 (9,707) | Seeing the whole west in one day |
| West Tour With Guide, Fanal Forest and Skywalk | 7 hours | €36.48 | 4.8 (2,566) | A guided west tour on a smaller budget |
| 4WD Tour and Skywalk to Seixal, Porto Moniz and Fanal | 8 hours | €60 | 5.0 (235) | An off-road day with fewer reviews behind it |
The split matters because the question “Fanal on foot” has two different answers. The first two listings are walks: their descriptions talk about the forest and nothing else, and neither mentions Porto Moniz. The other three are vehicle tours that cover Porto Moniz, Seixal and viewpoints, and none of their descriptions says how long you are actually out of the vehicle at Fanal. If your boots are the reason you are booking, start with the first two.
The PR13 hike: the cheaper walk with more evidence
The description promises that you walk at your own pace through Fanal Forest, part of the Laurissilva, and it leans into the foggy, enchanted atmosphere. Transfers are part of the title, so the booking page is where to confirm the pickup. It costs €3 less than the levada walk, has 121 more reviews and a score that is one tenth higher, so there is no price-based reason to prefer the other walk.
Check dates and prices for the PR13 Vereda do Fanal hike
The Assobiadores levada walk: pick it for the levada
Its description calls this walk one of the best places on Madeira to see the Laurissilva, a UNESCO World Heritage forest, and the title promises a levada, which is a water-channel path. At €48 it is the more specialised choice: take it if you have walked a levada before and want one in the forest. With 100 reviews its 4.6 is a thinner record than PR13’s. Neither summary prints a distance, so compare length and difficulty on the booking page.
See prices for the Fanal / Assobiadores levada walk
When a 4WD day is the better answer
The €69 tour packs in Porto Moniz’s volcanic pools, Seixal’s black sand beach, Chão da Ribeira, Fanal, Paúl da Serra and the Cabo Girão Skywalk. With 9,707 reviews at 4.9 it has the most reviews of the five by a wide margin. It is not a walk: it is the day to book if the group includes someone who will not hike.
The €36.48 guided tour is €32.52 cheaper and shorter at 7 hours, adding a waterfall seen from above to the skywalk, Fanal and the pools. Its 2,566 reviews are a solid base. The €60 off-road tour has a perfect 5.0 but from 235 reviews, which is a smaller sample than either of the two above.
Who should skip what
Skip both walks if you want swimming at Porto Moniz: neither description mentions it. Skip the 4WD tours if you hoped for a proper forest walk: Fanal there is a stop on a long driving day. None of the five descriptions gives a minimum age, so families should read the limits on the booking page. For how fog changes a visit to Fanal, see why fog is the better outcome.
Our recommendation
Book the PR13 Vereda do Fanal hike with transfers if walking is the aim: it is cheaper than the other walk and better evidenced. If you would rather see the west coast than the forest, book the €69 4WD tour instead.
