Madeira

Portugal

Madeira

Madeira, a small island off the coast of Portugal, may be one of the prettiest places you’ll ever visit. With spilling bougainvillea, tropical landscapes, waterfalls, thick forests, and sheer number of adventure options, you’ll be nearly overwhelmed with things to do. Add on a great food scene, sweet wine, and some truly stunning hotels and you’ve got yourself a holiday you’ll never forget.

Transportation: car

Length: 4+ days

Guide Book: Lonely Planet Pocket Madeira, Moon Portugal: With Madeira and the Azores, The Mini Rough Guide to Madeira

Day 1 – Funchal

Day 2 – East and North Madeira

Day 3 – West Madeira

Day 4 – South Madeira

Day 5 – Pico do Arieiro

  • Vereda do Areeiro PR1 hike (38m drive)
    • Alternative options: Pico do Arieiro or Achada do Teixeira
  • Return to Funchal (38m drive)
  • Dinner – select a different option from the night before
  • Lodging – same place (night 2/3)

Day 6 – With Additional Time

In-Depth Itinerary

Welcome to one of the prettiest islands in the world: Madeira! Situated 1000 km off the coast of Portugal, Madeira makes for a nice tropical vacation from the mainland. It’s easy to catch a puddle-jumper flight and get lost amongst the flowers, waterfalls, and forests for a few days (as a vacation from your vacation in Portugal or as a trip unto itself). Madeira is easy, friendly, and relatively inexpensive. While it’s becoming more popular, there is still a sense of it being off the beaten path. We list many hikes. Madeira has over 200 hikes. It’s a hiking mecca really. You can’t do them all. The two most popular are arguably Vereda das 25 Fontes PR6 and Vereda do Areeiro PR1, but you can consider which ones you want or your level of interest.

Day 1 – Funchal

Arrive in Madeira at the Funchal airport. Pick up your rental car (you will need one for the island – public transportation doesn’t get you everywhere). We used Rodavante Rental Cars which was easy and fine. Some other options include FBI Automóveis, Auto Rent a Car, and Madeira Rent. Parking on Madeira (and specifically Funchal) can be confusing. If you park within blue lines, you need to pay for parking, usually only lasting 2 hours at a time, and as of 2023, coin only. Avoid white lines with a letter in them, those are resident only. White lines with no letter in them is free parking.

Head directly to the biggest city of the island: Funchal. Park and don’t plan to drive again until you leave the city. The city is incredibly hilly (and I say this living in San Francisco) and trying to get up the massive hills is not fun. Parking is a headache as well. Once you find a place, commit and stay. There is a decent garage in the middle of town and one near the cable car.

Start your day ascending up via cable car (Teleferico do Funchal) to the parish of Monte. During the ride you can enjoy beautiful views over the city. Once you reach the top, if you’re planning to ride Madeira’s famous toboggan (which you should be), now is the time to do it. If you can, do your absolute best to get there early so you can beat the hoards coming off cruise ships to do the very same thing. Head to the left once you exit the cable car and follow signs to find the queue. If the line isn’t long, pop into the nextdoor Nossa Senhora do Monte Church from the 18th century and where the last Emperor of Austria, Charles I is buried. If there’s already a bit of a line, you can come back to this later.

Madeira’s toboggans are famous. These wicker baskets have been running along the winding roads of Funchal since the 19th century and were the island’s first option of downhill transport, still steered by carreiros (people in white suits with straw hats). You’ll sit in a wicker basket (2-3 people maximum) and off you go. The carreiros ride the sledded baskets with you, slowing it down with their thick rubber soled shoes. The ride is very exciting as you whip around curves and down the steep hill/ The toboggan ride deposits you in Livramento (a town midway down the hill) where taxis are waiting. Plan to pay for the short (though pricey) taxi ride to avoid walking a steep 25 minutes back uphill. If you want to risk doing this later in the day (sometimes the long is so long they cut it off), you can instead walk downhill 40 minutes back to funchal or grab a local bus.

Riding Madeira’s famous toboggans

Once you’re back at the top of the cable car thanks to your quick cab ride, explore the lush and very photogenic Monte Palace Tropical Garden. Take a break at Greenhouse Coffee Roasters within the park serving excellent food and drinks. From here, if you’re a garden enthusiast, you can take a second cable car to visit the Botanical Gardens of Madeira. This suffered some loss with recent fires and is in the process of regrowth. It’s only worth a visit if you really love gardens. Once you’re done in Monte, ride the cable car back down to Funchal.

Now’s a good time to see some of the city’s sites. Start with a quick peek at the São Tiago Fortress from the early 17th century. Next head via Rua de Santa Maria’s colorful outdoor gallery of street art to the Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal’s farmers’ market where you’ll find a beautiful array of Madeira specialties including exotic fruits and flowers (open every day but Sunday). Prices are high at this market but it’s fun to see the local specialties. Next make your way to the heart of the historic city and see The Cathedral of Funchal, Funchal’s Town Hall built in 1758, and finish at Santana Catarina Park overlooking the port of Funchal. The main shopping streets to poke around are Rua Dr. Fernao Ornealas, Rua da Carreira, and Rua do Aljube.

When you need a break, make your way to Blandy’s Wine Lodge to sample some of Madeira’s best wine. You can head straight to the tasting room and pick a flight to sample or, if you’re really interested in the Madeira wine process, take a tour. If you don’t like madeira or don’t drink, opt instead for an extremely elegant afternoon tea at Belmond Reid’s Palace, where in the past guests like Empress Sisi, Winston Churchill, and Roger Moore frequented. Over tea you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the sea. Make sure to reserve in advance.

Madeira has no shortage of very good restaurants. Our number one, can’t-miss recommendation is Vila do Peix in the nearby town of Câmara de Lobos (more on this town below). Other very good options include Casal da Penha (reservations required), Armazém do Sal, Restaurante Gaviã o Novo, Avista, William, Il Gallo d’Oro, Kampo, and Akua.

After dinner, if you aren’t too exhausted, grab a nightcap at Madeira Rum House (Madeira was the number one producer of sugar in the 15th century and the island still makes rum), Dash (known for excellent cocktails), Nos Copos (offering excellent local wines and cocktails), or Bar Number Two to try poncha. Poncha is Maderia’s famous cocktail made from half rum, half fruit juice. This traditional drink is so important it’s protected by EU law!

Madeira has a wide array of hotels. For this trip, we’ll move you around each night, however another option would be to base yourself in Funchal for your entire stay. For either your first night (or if you choose to base yourself in one spot), I’d actually recommend staying in very nearby Câmara de Lobos (a small and very delightful fishing town) at Pestana Churchill Bay. Parking is easier here and the town is my absolute favorite on the island. However, if you want to be in the center of action in Funchal proper there are many options. You can spend a lot or very little depending on your budget. This may add a bit of driving, but if you don’t like packing up every day, this is a very doable option. For budget in Funchal: Hostel Santa Maria, Jaca Hostel. For midrange in Funchal: Hotel do Carmo, ARTS IN City Apartments Ponte Nova, Se Boutique Hotel, Castanheiro, and The Vine Hotel. For splurge in Funchal: Okulus, Cliff Bay Hotel, Savoy Palace, Belmond Reid’s Palace.

Santana’s traditional thatched house

Day 2 – East and North Madeira

If you’re shortening your trip and only spending 4 days, you may want to start your day (and very early) by driving to Pico do Arieiro for sunset with a short walk to take in the view from Madeira’s 3rd highest peak before continuing on this itinerary. If you have the full 5 days, we recommend saving this for day number 5 so you can do the hike between the peaks.

Otherwise, start your day with breakfast at your hotel or at Art Food Corner Madeira.

Drive to Ponta de São Lourenço. With a short walk out you get sweeping views of the north and south sides of the island. This part of Madeira is more windswept and bare, but the dramatic views are stunning. If you want to do a very exposed hike you can opt for the 6 km trail Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço PR8. Follow the path along the peninsula to get more views. It’s a hot and dusty hike, and in my opinion, not one of the better ones on the island.

Drive to Machico. Machico is a pretty fishing town divided into the historic center to the west and old fishing quarter to the east. This is where the Portuguese explorers explorers, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira first landed in 1419, establishing Madeira as part of Portugal. Enjoy wandering the broad avenues, stop inside Nossa Senhora da Conceição from 1499, Capela dos Milagres, and explore the sea promenade to the chapel of São Roque decorated with famous azulejo tiles.

Get lunch in either Machico or nearby Porto da Cruz, a small village with “natural” swimming pools built out into the ocean and a fun rum distillery.

Drive to Santana. Santana has become iconic for their architecture – triangular houses covered in thatch. These typical houses are still visible, in part, because of the area’s isolation – for a long time it difficult to reach here by land or sea. Because of this Santana’s unique cultural traits were preserved. In 2011 Santana was awarded a “Biosphere Reserve”, and is the perfect place to enjoy rich natural heritage (and hike). Enjoy exploring this architecture at the Santana Old House and Casas Tipicas de Santana. If you want a more in depth look at Santana’s history and culture, you can visit the Santana Cultural Theme Park, an open air exhibition park that goes into depth of the history, science, and culture of Santana and Madeira as a whole. In addition, don’t miss a quick detour to the viewpoint from Miradouro Rocha do Navio.

You can either make your way to your lodgings or take another hike. If you aren’t planning to do the peak to peak hike, today might be good to hike Verada do Pico Ruvio PR1.2, a 5.6 km out and back trail that climbs Madeira’s highest peak. Start at Achada do Teixeira.

Levada do Caldeirão Verde PR9

We strongly recommend you stay at Quinta do Furão, situated on a cliff top in Santana, where you’ll be surrounded by nature and can enjoy its incredible pool. If this is booked, Casa do Ribeiro Frio is another option. We recommend dinner at Quinta do Furão‘s restaurant.

Day 3 – West Madeira

Start your day with by visiting the Parque Forestal de Queimadas. Here you can see laurel forest, exotic plants, birds, and old Santana houses. From here you can do all (or part) of the Levada do Caldeirão Verde PR9, a 13.7 km basically flat, roundtrip hike to the big Caldeirão Verde waterfall (skip the additional 3 km beyond the waterfall). Part of the fun of this hike is passing through tunnels.

Next, drive to Sao Vicente, which is home to a vast area of rare Laurisilva forest and known for its volcanic caves. Stop by the São Vicente Chapel built inside a basalt rock. With interest, visit the São Vicente Caves. This also makes for a decent place to grab a bite at Churrascaria Brasa Viva or a coffee.

Drive to the Vereda de Fanal, part of the Laurisilva forest of Paul da Serra, a UNESCO world heritage site, famous for its mystic-like landscape and 500 year old laurel trees. Laurel covered much of southern Europe millions of years ago, however now it is much more rare and can only be found in Madeira, the Azores, and the Canary Islands. From here you can either do a short walk or very long hike. Park your car in “Fanal Parking” or “Posto Florestal Fanal” and then walk up the stairs to the viewpoint or wander in the forest nearby. As soon as you arrive at the parking lot you’ll find yourself in the forest. Enjoy the fog, twisted trees, and scenery with a short wander. If you’re an avid hiker, you can do Verada do Fanal PR13, a long, 10.8 km hike one way.

Porto Moniz tidal pools

Finish your day at the Porto Moniz tidal pools, the island’s most beautiful natural pools. These pools were created by lava formations in the ocean and now you can enjoy the sea water and views.

Stay right at the tidal pools at Aqua Natura Bay or Acqua Natura Madeira and plan to eat at Lapa Bay Restaurant, Sea View Restaurant, or Sea View Rooftop.

Day 4 – South Madeira

Start your day with the Vereda das 25 Fontes hike, one of the absolute prettiest hikes in Madeira. Along the 8.6 km you’ll see 25 waterfalls (what the hike is named for) that pour from Paul da Serra. As it is one of the most popular hikes in Madeira, try and get to the parking lot early (before 10). You can either wait for the first shuttle to the trailhead which starts running at 10, or walk 20 minutes to the trailhead. Try and be early as the path can get very crowded with other tourists. Grab a coffee or snack at Rabaçal Nature Spot Café when you are done.

Drive to Achadas da Cruz where you’ll find the steepest cable car ride in Europe. Take the cable car 500 meters down to the traditional village of Fajã da Quebrada Nova and the small pebble beach. The cable car provides stunning panoramic views over the Atlantic Ocean. From where the cable car drops you, you can enjoy one of the prettiest beaches in Madeira before walking towards the village, filled mostly with abandoned houses and traditional stonework. Beyond this is the second village and final bay. Bring your bathing suit in case you may want an ocean dip. Return to the cable car (or you can opt to take hike back up if you really want).

If you haven’t yet had lunch, drive on to Maktub. From here, you can stop by Ponta do Sol or Madalena do Mar, both towns with very pretty beaches for a dip, then drive to Ribeira Brava, a pleasant village with a seafront market, quirky shops, a pretty church, and pebbly beach. Nearby is Calhau da Lapa beach, surrounded by cave houses, which is said to have the clearest waters on Madeira. If you’re wanting a swim, this is a nice stop.

Next visit the Cabo Girão Skywalk. A 2 minute walk from the Village Cabo Girão, the glass walkway extends out over Europe’s tallest sea cliff’s edge and you can stare 580 meters downward into the ocean.

Finally, stop at Câmara de Lobos, a favorite of Winston Churchill, and the area of the first settlement in Madeira. Wander the pretty town and visit the Nossa Senhora da Conceição chapel, founded in the 15th century, the old convent of São Bernardino, from 1425, and the São Sebastião church, built in the 16th century.

Head back to Funchal, and check back into the same hotel you stayed in on night one. Try one of other recommendations for dinner.

Day 5 – Pico do Arieiro

If you don’t have 5 days to spend in Madeira (or you don’t like hiking) you can skip this day, or combine a drive to PIco do Arieiro and short walk with the following day.

Madeira has 200 levadas, former irrigation channels now turned walking trails which will take you all over the island by foot. It can be hard to decide which to choose, so we’re including our favorite ones. Depending on your fitness level you can opt into all of them or none of them. Alternatively you can do a guided hike, check out Lido Tours or Madeira Explorers if you want to do this.

Sunrise from Pico do Arieiro

The Vereda do Areeiro is a breathtakingly beautiful and moderately difficult (and the most popular) hike in Madeira that takes you along a trail that connects two of Madeira’s tallest peaks (Pico Ruvio and Pico do Areeiro). This hike is not short. It’s 7 km one way. Pico do Arieiro is the third highest peak on Madeira island and an incredibly popular sunrise spot (from the parking lot it’s just a 5 minute walk to the main sunrise point Miradouro Juncal or opt to go a little further to Miradouro do Ninho da Manta). Along the way you’ll go through tunnels, climb steep slopes, and enjoy breathtaking scenery. The route starts at Pico do Areeiro Viewpoint where you can see the valley of Nogueira da Faja. The hike is above 1500 meters, so it can be cool (bring layers). There are 2 paths: east and west. The east is longer and easier, the west is shorter and harder (more climbing of steep stairs). If you drive yourself, you’ll have to plan to hike back the 7 km once you reach the end. Alternatively, you can ask your hotel to book you a taxi back from end (Achado do Teixeira) or you can book a transfer with Pico Transfers so you only have to walk one way. Plan to bring lunch with you.

After you return to Funchal, enjoy the afternoon at your hotel’s pool, wandering the shops, or getting a drink. If you opted for a sunrise hike, you may have time for an afternoon excursion.

For dinner, try a different restaurant you haven’t tried yet.

Day 6 – With Additional Time

With additional time, you’ll have the luxury to enjoy one of the many adventure activities on or around the island. Or simply plan more time to relax on the beaches of Madeira’s South Coast.

Like sealife? Catch a trip with VIP Dolphins to search for whales and dolphins up close. Try your hand at coasteering (walking, swimming, climbing, rappelling and jumping into water), or canyoneering (climbing cliffs through waterfalls).

You can opt to take a ferry (or a very short flight) to Porto Santo. The trip lasts 2h15 and runs daily (except Tuesday). Typically it departs at 8am from the south dock of the Port of Funchal and returns around 6pm. Along the way you can enjoy the spectacular views of Madeira’s coastlines. Once you arrive, enjoy the 9 km sandy beach, Praia Porto Santo. You can rent a kayak to explore the caves around the island, scuba down to a shipwreck, hike, enjoy the Porto Das Salemas natural pools or the Porto Dos Frades tidal pools. Many of the island’s attractions are walkable (first and foremost the beach), but you could also rent a scooter or E-bike to get around. You can even stay at a resort on Porto Santo!

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