Bar Hopping & Poncha Workshop

Madeira’s bar-hopping tour mixes local drinks with a walk through Funchal’s oldest streets. You begin near Avenida Arriaga, pass Blandy’s Wine Lodge and the Mercado dos Lavradores, then finish in Zona Velha with drinks and a poncha tasting. Guide Matt brings useful information about Madeira and its wine culture.

I like the small maximum of 12 people, which should make conversation and questions easier. I also like the mix of old and new: traditional Madeira wine alongside the island’s newer craft beer scene. The main drawback is important: the advertised poncha workshop may be a tasting stop rather than a hands-on class.

Key points

• Three and a half hours in central Funchal: The tour begins at 4:00 pm and ends in Zona Velha, with no long transfer between stops.
• Blandy’s Wine Lodge: You get an introduction to one of Madeira’s best-known wine producers.
• Mercado dos Lavradores: This central market adds local color and context before the evening bar stops.
• A small group of up to 12: The size suits travelers who want to ask questions without joining a large crowd.
• Several types of local drinking culture: Expect Madeira wine, craft beer, and poncha, with details about the exact venues important to confirm.
• Poncha workshop warning: The title suggests hands-on drink making, but the supplied account describes a bar tour and tasting instead.

What this Funchal bar tour is really about

This is best understood as a guided introduction to Funchal’s drinks culture, not simply a night of bar hopping. Over roughly three hours and 30 minutes, you move through central Funchal on foot, stopping at places tied to Madeira’s wine, markets, old streets, and modern drinking scene.

The tour starts at 4:00 pm. That timing works well if you want a planned first evening in Funchal. You can see some of the city before sunset, then continue into the older quarter as the evening gets going. The ending point is Barreirinha Bar Café near Largo do Socorro, in Zona Velha.

The group is limited to 12 people. I consider that a useful feature for a walking and tasting tour. A smaller group makes it easier to hear the guide in narrow streets and easier to ask about Madeira wine, poncha, or the places you pass.

Guide Matt is specifically associated with the tour, and his role goes beyond simply leading people from one bar to another. He provides information about Madeira and its wine, which gives the tastings a bit more purpose. You are not just sampling drinks without context.

Still, you should set your expectations carefully. The strongest issue with this tour is the phrase poncha workshop. One account describes a friendly guide and a good bar tour, but says no actual poncha-making session took place. If your main reason for booking is to mix your own drink, ask Wine Tours Madeira to confirm exactly what is included before paying.

Blandy’s Wine Lodge and Madeira’s famous fortified wine

The first stop is Blandy’s Wine Lodge, one of Madeira’s most emblematic wine producers. You have about 20 minutes here, and admission is included.

That is a short visit, so I would think of it as an introduction rather than a full winery tour. The value comes from starting the evening with the island’s signature drink and connecting it to one of Madeira’s best-known names. If you have never tasted Madeira wine, this gives you a useful first point of reference.

Madeira wine has an important place in the island’s identity, and a stop at Blandy’s helps ground the rest of the evening. Later tastings make more sense when you have already heard something about the local wine tradition.

The short time also means you should not expect a long cellar visit or an extended technical lesson. The supplied details do not specify which wines are poured, how many samples you receive, or whether a formal tour of the lodge takes place. Treat this as a focused stop within a larger walking route.

I like the order. You begin with the drink most closely linked to Madeira, then move into the market and the old town. The progression gives the evening a clear shape instead of sending you to unrelated bars.

Mercado dos Lavradores at the center of Funchal

The next stop is Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal’s central market, for about 20 minutes. Admission is free.

The market is described as a living museum of Madeira’s flavors, with the archipelago’s tropical produce and local food culture on display. Even with only 20 minutes, it adds something a bar-only tour could not provide. You see the setting behind the drinks, rather than treating Madeira as a place known only for alcohol.

This stop is also useful for orientation. The market sits prominently in central Funchal, and its location helps connect the wine lodge area with the old town. You are seeing parts of the city that matter during the day before spending more time in Zona Velha at night.

Do not expect a full market visit in 20 minutes. The schedule gives you enough time for a quick look and some explanation, but not for a leisurely browse. If you want to return for shopping or a longer look at the stalls, make a separate visit.

For me, this is one of the tour’s better choices because it broadens the subject. You get a glimpse of local produce, food traditions, and city life before the evening turns fully toward bars.

Two hours through Funchal’s Zona Velha

The longest part of the tour, about two hours, takes place in Zona Velha, or Funchal’s old town. This is where the bar-hopping element appears to receive most of its attention.

Funchal’s first settlement developed in this area. Its narrow cobbled streets and old house fronts give it a distinct character, and the Painted Doors project has added public art to many of the doors and façades. You are walking through an open-air art setting as you move between stops.

The old town is especially suited to a walking tour. The streets are compact, and the route ends at Barreirinha Bar Café near Largo do Socorro. You should still be ready for cobblestones and a fair amount of walking. A moderate level of physical fitness is requested, so comfortable shoes make sense.

The two-hour block allows time for several drink stops, conversation, and an explanation of the neighborhood. The exact venues can vary or may not all be named in advance. One account describes a mix that included the newer Beer Lab craft beer scene, a traditional pharmacy serving local white wine, Madeira wine in the old town, and a final poncha stop.

That mix is a real strength. You are not drinking the same thing at every stop. The route can introduce you to a newer craft beer business, an unusual traditional venue, local white wine, Madeira wine, and poncha. It gives you a wider view of what people drink in Funchal today.

The traditional pharmacy stop is particularly unusual. It adds a local character that a standard pub crawl would miss, though the available information does not explain the full setup or how long you stay there. You should see it as a possible feature of the route rather than a guaranteed detailed visit.

Madeira wine, craft beer, and poncha in one evening

The included item is alcoholic beverages. Other food and drinks are not included unless specifically stated, so I would not book this expecting dinner. Eat beforehand or plan a meal after the tour, especially because the activity lasts into the evening.

The drink range is the heart of the tour. Madeira wine connects you to the island’s old export tradition. Craft beer points to a newer side of Funchal’s drinking culture. Poncha brings you to one of Madeira’s most recognizable local drinks.

That variety helps justify the walking route. You are not paying only for samples. You are paying for a guide to connect different venues and explain what makes each drink or place relevant. The value depends heavily on how much information and how many tastings you receive.

The details do not state the number of drinks, the size of each pour, or whether food pairings are provided. That matters when judging the price. Alcoholic drinks are included, but you should ask for a precise drink schedule if you need to know exactly what you are getting.

The best account of the tour praises the choice of venues and Matt’s information about wine and Madeira. I agree with the basic idea: the route sounds most worthwhile when the guide treats it as a cultural walk with drinks, rather than a simple crawl from one bar to the next.

The poncha workshop question matters

Poncha is central to the tour’s name, so the workshop wording deserves special attention. A workshop normally suggests that you will learn the process and make the drink yourself. The available description does not clearly confirm that this happens.

One account says the activity turned out to be a bar tour where listed drinks were tasted, with no chance to make poncha. That person had booked mainly for the workshop and felt the price did not match what was delivered. This is not a minor detail. It changes the kind of activity you are buying.

If you want a social evening with guided tastings, the tour may suit you well. If you want a practical class where you handle the ingredients and prepare your own poncha, contact Wine Tours Madeira before booking and ask a direct question: Will I personally make poncha during the tour?

Do not assume that a final poncha tasting equals a workshop. The route may end with poncha, but tasting and making are different experiences. I would make this clarification before treating the $108.89 price as good value.

Is $108.89 fair for three and a half hours?

At $108.89 per person, this is not a cheap casual night out. The price needs to cover the drinks, guide, organization, and the added value of visiting several places in a small group.

I can see the value if you want a ready-made first evening in Funchal. You get a central meeting point, a guide, several drink styles, a market stop, a historic old-town walk, and an end point near the water. You do not need to work out which places to visit or how to connect them.

The price is harder to justify if the tour is only a series of small tastings and the workshop does not happen. You could visit bars independently for less, though you would lose the guide’s explanations and the planned route.

The group size helps. With no more than 12 people, this is more personal than a large coach-based activity. It also avoids the need for transportation between the central stops. The meeting point is on Avenida Arriaga, and the end is at Barreirinha Bar Café in Zona Velha, so you should plan your evening around finishing there rather than returning to the start.

The price may suit you if convenience and local context matter more than quantity. It may not suit you if you are mainly comparing the cost of drinks. Ask what is included in the tasting sequence before booking.

Who will enjoy this Madeira evening?

I would recommend this tour to someone visiting Funchal for the first time who wants an organized introduction to the city after dark. It combines a short look at central Funchal with a longer old-town walk, so you get both orientation and local drinks.

It also suits solo visitors and couples who like meeting a small group. The group cap of 12 should keep the evening manageable, and a guide can make it easier to ask questions or share a table at stops.

Wine lovers may appreciate the focus on Madeira wine, especially the opening at Blandy’s Wine Lodge. People curious about newer local drinks may enjoy the craft beer stop associated with Beer Lab.

I would be more cautious if you do not drink alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are the included feature, and the tour is built around them. I would also hesitate if you need a full meal, a detailed winery visit, or a guaranteed hands-on cooking-style lesson.

The physical demands are modest but real. You walk through narrow, cobbled streets for much of the evening, and the activity requests moderate fitness. The route is near public transportation, which helps with getting to the start and leaving the final stop.

Timing, booking, and cancellation advice

The tour starts at 4:00 pm and lasts about three hours and 30 minutes. Confirmation is sent when you book, and the activity is offered in English. A mobile ticket makes it easy to keep the booking on your phone.

It is usually booked about nine days ahead, so I would not leave it until the last minute if the date matters to you. The maximum group size is 12, which can fill more quickly than a large city tour.

You can cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund, and the cut-off follows local time.

The meeting point is Av. Arriaga 28, São Martinho, 9000-064 Funchal. The tour ends at Barreirinha Bar Café, Largo do Socorro 1, 9060-305 Funchal. Since the start and finish are different, do not leave your return transport or dinner plans too tight.

Should you book Bar Hopping and Poncha Workshop?

Book it if you want a small-group evening that combines Funchal’s old town with Madeira wine, craft beer, white wine, and poncha. The market stop, painted doors, cobbled streets, and varied venues give the tour more substance than a standard pub crawl. Matt’s explanations about Madeira and its wine are another reason to consider it.

Before booking, confirm the poncha activity in writing. The biggest weakness is the gap between a hands-on workshop and a guided tasting. If making poncha yourself is the main goal, do not rely on the title alone.

My call: this is a potentially enjoyable cultural bar tour with a good range of stops, but its value depends on the exact drinks included and whether the workshop is genuinely hands-on. Book it for the route and local context. Skip it, or seek clarification first, if the poncha lesson is the reason you are paying the higher price.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

It starts at Av. Arriaga 28, São Martinho, 9000-064 Funchal, Portugal.

What time does the tour begin?

The start time is 4:00 pm.

Where does the tour end?

It ends at Barreirinha Bar Café, Largo do Socorro 1, 9060-305 Funchal, Portugal.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately three hours and 30 minutes.

Are drinks included?

Alcoholic beverages are included. Other food and drinks are not included unless specifically stated.

Is there definitely a hands-on poncha workshop?

The available information does not confirm a hands-on workshop. One account describes a bar tour and poncha tasting without participants making the drink, so you should confirm this detail with Wine Tours Madeira before booking.