11 Workshops & Classes in Madeira, Compared

1.Madeira Island Group Surf Lesson

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 282 reviews · 4 hours · from $100Our pick

Spend four hours learning to surf in Madeira, with transport to a beach chosen for the tides, sea, and weather. You’ll warm up, practise the basics on shore, then work on catching waves with an instructor. Lessons may take place at Machico, Porto da Cruz, or Praia do Seixal. Surfboard, wetsuit, insurance, and transport are included.

“The surfing was great. This was my first time surfing and I managed to learn the basics and catch some good waves. I would definitely recommend it!!”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

2.Surf Lessons for All Levels

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 191 reviews · 3 hours · from $82

Meet your instructor at Porto da Cruz for a three-hour surf outing, including a two-hour lesson, equipment, safety briefing and time to warm up. Groups are limited to five, and coaching is tailored to your level. Instructors have included Jonathan, Augusto, Rodolfo and Milton. Bring swimwear, a towel and sunscreen.

“Amazing surf school! The instructors are super friendly and really know how to teach. They give great tips that help you improve quickly and always choose the best surf spots based on the weather conditions. The waves were perfect. Highly recommended for both beginners and more advanced surfers 😊🩷”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

3.Surfing Lessons in Madeira

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 168 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) Top rated

Meet your instructor at Madeira Surf Center in São Vicente at 9:30 am for a roughly two-hour lesson on Madeira’s north coast. You’ll learn surf safety, etiquette, paddling, catching waves, and standing up, with wetsuit and board rental included. The group is limited to six, and the lesson is offered in English.

“Very thankful for our instructor for providing first time surfers support and guidance. Waves were big but overall experience was amazing! Highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

4.Madeira Surfing Lessons – Aroundfreedom Surf School

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $72

Aroundfreedom’s roughly two-hour Madeira surf lesson pairs beach-side instruction with about 90 minutes in the water. Certified coaches, including Francisco and Roberto, teach beginners and more experienced surfers in groups capped at eight. Boards, wetsuits, leashes, and insurance are included. The beach may change with the surf, and pickup from the Funchal area costs extra.

“Although we had little experience with surfing, the professionalism of the instructor (which was also very fun) allowed us to firmly go over the basics and get good satisfaction in just a couple of hours. Experience highly recommended.Auto-translated”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

5.surf lesson at Porto da Cruz

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 67 reviews · 2 hours · from $76

At Porto da Cruz or Machico, a local instructor certified by the Portuguese Surfing Federation leads a two-hour lesson for beginners and more experienced surfers. Boards, wetsuits, leashes, wax, and insurance are included. The school sets the beach and start time to suit the tides and sea, so confirm both before you go.

“Die Aktivität war okay. Leider wurde in der früh die Entscheidung getroffen, vom Strand mit Wellen zum Strand ohne Wellen zu wechseln. Als Begründung wurde die starke Strömung angeführt. Jedoch war hier der Hintergrund, dass es durch die Strömung wohl zu anstrengend gewesen wäre, den Unterricht durchzuführen. Lebensgefährdende Gründe wurden nicht angeführt. Surfen ohne Wellen macht nunmal keinen Spaß.”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

6.Surf lesson in Madeira

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 55 reviews · 4 hours · from $88

Surf Clube da Madeira runs a four-hour lesson for beginners and intermediate surfers, with pickup near Jardim Santa Luzia in Funchal or a meeting point at its Porto da Cruz surf school. Expect a 45-minute ride to the coast, a warm-up, and 1.5 to 2 hours in the water. Instructors speak English, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.

“Best surf lessons on Madeira 🥹♥️ Amazing people, amazing atmosphere, would recommend to everyone, 10/10! 😍 Thank u Johnyyyy! :))”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

7.Bolo do Caco Workshop with a Local Family

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 15 reviews · from $49Best value

At Casa da Nati, you’ll visit a family home and learn to knead and shape Bolo do Caco with the host’s mother, a baker with more than 40 years of experience. In a group capped at four, you’ll hear about the bread’s place in Madeiran food culture, cook it on a hot stone, and eat it with garlic butter, cheese, chouriço, drinks, and garden fruit.

“We very much enjoyed the experience- The hosts for the experience couldn’t have done anymore, answering any questions we had with a smile. We were even dropped off in the village by one of the hosts. Amazing and would highly recommend the activity to anyone wishing to sample some of Madeira’s culture. Lovely people and we wish them the very best. Anita and Alan”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

8.Surf Lessons

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 2 hours · from $82

Spend two hours learning surf basics on a Madeira beach with an instructor who speaks French, English, or Portuguese. You’ll practise ocean awareness, paddling, and standing up on a board, then try catching waves with a coach nearby. Boards, wetsuits, and insurance are included; the group is capped at six people per coach.

“The instructor was so nice!! He helped everyone catch waves. I had a wonderful time :))”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

9.Bar hopping Tour & Poncha Workshop – Funchal

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 5 reviews · from $91

Spend three hours visiting six stops in Funchal with an English-speaking guide. Taste local beer, still and Madeira wines, ginja in a chocolate cup, and Nikita, then finish with Poncha. The tour begins at Blandy’s Wine Lodges at 4:30 p.m. The advertised workshop may not always involve making your own drink, so confirm what it includes before booking.

“The tour guide was very helpful, friendly and open. However, according to the title of the activity, we were really expecting a workshop where we could make our own poncha. However, this was not the case. The activity was a bar tour where we tasted the drinks listed in the description. We had booked the tour mainly because of the workshop and were then disappointed as this part did not take place. For the bar tour alone, I don't think the price-performance ratio is justified and the title of the activity is misleading.Read more”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

10.Efoil Surf Board Lesson in Calheta Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 1 hour · from $206

At Calheta Beach, Sea4FunMadeira gives you a one-hour E-foil lesson with all equipment included. Your instructor explains the handheld remote and board before you ride. Rodrigo is one named instructor, and lessons are available in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French. The activity is limited to one participant and has a 100kg weight limit.

“Awesome experience. Clear meeting instructions. Very friendly. Full safety equipment. Originally we had booked for 12 and 2. However, we was contacted the day before and said we could both go out at the same time. One on the paddleboard and one on the e.foil then kept swapping for the 2hr slot. This made the experience better. Rodrigo gave great instructions to use the E.Foil. We would definitely recommend Sea4fun madeira. We will do it again when we return to this beautiful island.”

Check availability →Read our full verdict

11.Poncha Class & Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 4 hours · from $82

Join a local driver-guide for a four-hour Poncha tour from Funchal or Caniço, with a stop at Miradouro Neves, three local bars in Camacha, four Ponchas, snacks, and a hands-on lesson using the traditional Caralhinho. Groups are limited to eight, and the tour runs in English, Portuguese, or Spanish.

“leuke gids, verassende bars, bijzondere hapjes, de bar waar je zelf poncha maakt is veruit de leukste van de avond. een geweldig leuke eigenaar. Je komt op plekken waar je zelf echt nooit, maar dan ook nooit terrecht zou komen.”

Check availability →Read our full verdict