Sunshine586929
01 Feb 2026
Pick a day that is sunny and not too windy if you want to sit up top and get the best experience. We were staying on the yellow bus route, so could check out how busy the buses were as they went past our balcony. Watch out for very busy buses when cruise ships are in the harbour (Saturdays usually), although extra tours are laid on and there were always seats available. The quietest days are early in the week.
The website is very helpful, showing the route options and prices. The same brochure is available as a leaflet on the bus. Book & pay online, then download the voucher to smart phone or printout to present to the nice helpful bus driver in exchange for your actual ticket (don’t lose it!).
The whole circuit supposedly takes 1hr50 but we took a Friday bus from Doca do Cavacas about 1220. It got to the marina just before 1300, then, as that’s the official start/finish of the tour, there was a 15 minute wait or so (enough time to grab a takeaway coffee or whatever from the fast food chains along the seafront). As we started off again, it was about 1310 and the afternoon traffic was fairly awful, so we didn’t get to Câmara de Lobos, which is why we took the tour, until well after 1400, so already they’re well behind time, but, who cares? It’s a lovely relaxing way to see some out of the way spots around Funchal and São Martinho. There are also 5-minute or so stops at a couple of viewpoints en route.
We had already been to Cabo Girão (extra trip in a smaller bus, plus a €5 fee to stand on the balcony and viewing platform right on the cliff edge there), so stayed in the harbour area, had a drink (plenty of bars and restaurants) and walkabout at Câmara de Lobos, getting another bus back to Doca do Cavacas. Note, if you just miss a bus from stop 13 nearest Câmara de Lobos harbour, you have around 7 mins to dash uphill round the corner and pick it up at stop 14, though of course you’ll have missed the tour of the upper village.
The English commentary is OK, by a native speaker, though a bit pedestrian because it is of course scripted. It’s also a bit repetitive. There’s a choice of 10 languages. The intervening music, of which I’ve read several complaints, is neither too horrendous nor too loud (there is a volume control!). Only one side of our headphones worked, but that wasn't a problem.
Some of the presumably more modern buses have Stop request buttons on the seats, others, you just have to get up & go. All in all, a very good way to spend a few hours on a nice day.
BUS starts by sea front prom,by all coaches,look for Yellow open top,21 euros for 48 hours,headphones included with audio,so we did one complete circuit,all 27 stops,sights history,views,took about 1 hour 50 minutes,drafty on top so go prepared for showers,No not umbrellas,then we did hop on and off where we liked for rest of the day and again the next day,churches,resteraunts,harbours,mountain views,villages,Sir Winston Churchill ,s favoreit painting spot,its endlass,comfy buses,smooth ride,keep ticket safe .