Trail Experience Mountain Bike Tour — Madeira
This is Madeira’s ultimate all-mountain trail ride — a full descent from 1,400 metres above sea level down through every botanical zone the island has to offer. Starting at Poiso on the central plateau, you’ll ride through ancient laurel forest, past levada channels, and down through increasingly dramatic terrain until you reach the coast at Funchal. No two passes are ever quite the same.
The trail is fully adaptable to your riding level. Our guide sets the pace to match your group, and the route can be modified to skip or include more technical sections depending on ability. What stays constant is the scenery — this is one of the most visually spectacular bike descents in Europe.
The Route
- Start: Poiso — 1,400m above sea level
- Finish: Lokoloko shop, Funchal — 50m above sea level
- Total descent: ~1,350 metres
- Terrain: Mix of singletrack, levada paths, forest trails and road sections
- Difficulty: Easy to intermediate — adaptable to group skill level
What Makes This Trail Special
Madeira’s unique geography means this descent passes through genuine botanical diversity — from the cloud-shrouded laurisilva forest at altitude, through pine and eucalyptus zones, past terraced agricultural land, and into the subtropical vegetation of the lower valleys. You’re essentially riding from a different climate zone into another over the course of a few hours.
The levada sections are a highlight — riding alongside these narrow irrigation channels, carved into cliff faces by hand over centuries, with the ocean visible far below. It’s something you simply cannot experience anywhere else in the world.
Who Is This Tour For?
The Trail Experience is suitable for riders who are comfortable on a mountain bike and happy riding on natural surfaces. You don’t need to be an advanced rider — the guide adapts the technical sections to your level. A reasonable level of fitness helps, though the predominantly downhill nature of the route means you’ll spend more time controlling your speed than exerting yourself on climbs. Minimum age 12 years.
