Meet a driver at your hotel in Funchal for the drive to Rabaçal, the starting point for the 25 Fountains Levada trail, which passes a long series of waterfalls and pools. Listen for the sound of native birds as you walk through stands of dense trees.
Following the hike, purchase a Madeiran lunch in a nearby restaurant and then go off-roading to Calheta, to see a beautiful man-made beach. From there, drive to the summit of the 1,900-foot (580-meter) Cabo Girão, with a glass-floored balcony and spectacular views across Camara de Lobos and Funchal Bay. Make a final stop at the fishing village of Camara de Lobos, a great place to get a glimpse of traditional life, and finish the day with drop-off at your original departure point.