Overall impressions
All the local people, that we met in Madeira, were super friendly and ready to help you, regardless of the language barrier. Driving in the island, can be sometimes a little bit challenging, especially in some narrow roads, but don’t let this stop you, from visiting any secluded places from Madeira. The food is great and the drinks are even better!
- People-Friendly 85%
- Cost of living 65%
- Weather 90%
- Beaches 70%
- Safety 87%
- Hikes 70%
Top travel tips and facts
Madeira is a semi-tropical island, not known for beaches
If you want to visit Madeira for for sand beaches and swimming, then Madeira is probably not a wise pick for you. However, if you want to visit a diverse island, with black sand beaches, with mountains at 1800 meters above sea level and tons of activities, then you will be more than just fine.
Landing in Madeira can be harsh, but do not overthink it
Madeira is a “Category C” airport , meaning it can only be landed on, by experienced pilots who have had specific simulator training. Although strong winds can pose some problems during landing or takeoff, bear in mind that the pilots are very experienced – we were lucky and both the landing and the takeoff, were great, with light turbulence.
Madeira is the land of Cristiano Ronaldo
People of Madeira are very fond of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has a museum and a statue in the center of Funchal and even the island’s airport is named after him. It is best not to speak ill of him and leave your Messi shirt, at home.
Poncha is an amazing traditional drink
Poncha is the most well known alcoholic drink on the island – the traditional version, it is made with Madeira Rum, honey and lemon. Try not to be fooled by the small cups – it is not as harmless as it looks.
Rent a car with enough horsepower
Renting a car is the best way to visit Madeira, therefore, make sure to rent a car with enough power – you are going to drive some very,very steep roads on this island. Do not choose the smallest and the cheapest one – ideally you should rent one with automatic gear, to make your life easier on the roads. Parking in Madeira is a real problem – try to pick an accommodation with parking included.
Carry cash(coins) for parking and some places off the beaten path
Although most of the places accept cards in the island, you are going to need coins, to pay for parking on the machines,along the south coast(e.g. Ponta do Sol). Cash is also required for some of the remote cable cars and some restaurants .
The weather is always fine
Madeira has a pleasantly Mediterranean climate year round – the island is warm all year. Although there are some increased chances of rain, in some periods of the year, the best time to visit Madeira is when you’re free.
Travel itinerary overview
The island of Madeira is not that big – almost all destinations can be reached from Funchal, in one hour,via many tunnels around the island. Therefore for some people, one week is going to be more than enough, to enjoy and see all the main attractions of the island. However, if you want to truly experience the beauty of the island, with only one week, you are going to rush your experience – there are so many things to do and see in the island(hiking, natural swimming pools, beaches, dolphins and whale watching etc). Although the weather is nice and warm, be ready to adjust your itinerary – there might be some cloudy areas around the island, that you want to avoid(especially if you plan to see the sunrise during your hike to Pico Ruivo). Below, is our road trip itinerary, for one week in Madeira:
Monte Palace
Machico
Santana
Sao Vicente
Porto Moniz
Ribeira Brava
Ponta do Sol
Funchal
Monte Botanical Garden
CR7 Museum
Câmara de Lobos
Cabo Girao skywalk
Pico da Torre
Baía de Câmara de Lobos
Levada do Moinho
Ponta so Sol
Cascata dos Anjos
Farol da Ponta do Pargo
Pico do Arieiro
Pico Ruivo
Praia do Porto do Seixal
Fanal Forestry Station
Risco waterfall
Levada das 25 Fontes
Praia de Machico
Ponta de São Lourenço
Ponta do Rosto
Cristo Rei
Casas Típicas de Santana
Véu da Noiva viewpoint
Miradouro Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela
Piscinas Naturais Velhas
Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools
Santa Catarina Park
Funchal Cathedral
Travel itinerary in-depth
Day 1 – Funchal
Just nearby Monte, is the Madeira Botanical Garden, that can easily be reached by cable car – we did not visit it, but we read that it is a calm place, with fabulous views. If you are a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, then you must visit the CR7 Museum, a museum that is dedicated to Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy. In the evening, you can always have a beautiful walk along the Lido coastal promenade, where you will find some nice restaurants, to enjoy your dinner.
Day 2 – South west coast + Levada do Moinho
Considered a difficult hike, Levada do Moinho is a beautiful walk, with amazing views, waterfalls and stone tunnels. This hike is not suitable for people that are afraid of heights or tunnels, as there are some some bits without railings and quite a long stone tunnel to cross, if you want to walk the entire loop (we decided not to cross the first tunnel and go back). There are a few parking spots along the road, nearby a church and free public toilets as well – you should start the hike clockwise, as it is quite a flat walk, for the first part of it.
After this beautiful levada, we went to Ponta do Sol ,a lovely little coastal town and one of the best places to watch the sunset, in the entire island. Just nearby the city center, there is a an amazing place, not to be missed: Anjos waterfall – a waterfall in the middle of the old road ER101. Everyone wants to bathe under the waterfall,in the middle of the road,therefore it can be really overcrowded, in high season . Unfortunately, the road, after crossing the tunnel, is in a bad state and unless you want a free car wash as well, it is better to park your car nearby and walk a few meters. We watched the sunset from Farol da Ponta do Pargo, a not so special lighthouse, but with fantastic views and spectacular cliffs – if not for the wind, you could watch the ocean for hours.
Day 3 – Hiking Pico Ruivo
There are several ways to reach the highest peak from Madeira, Pico Ruivo (1861m) , but the most popular hike is definitely the route that starts from Pico do Arieiro (1818m). Ideally, you should be at the start of the trail very early in the morning, to enjoy a beautiful sunrise as well – once again, it can be very windy, so make sure to have good windproof jackets. Although it is not a hike as hard as many people think, the most important thing,once again, is the weather – no one enjoys a six hour hike, with rain and fog.
After parking your car at the Pico do Arieiro and enjoying a beautiful sunrise, prepare yourself for a strenuous hike – there are going to be several ups and downs. Basically, you descend and ascent two mountains, before reaching the Pico Ruivo summit – a “Pico to Pico” hike. If you are not a fit person or you feel uncomfortable with this hike, the alternative would be the PR 1.2 route, Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo. This way, you should reach the summit in less than an hour, as the hike is relatively flat, with only 260 meters incline.
If on the previous levada, we skipped a tunnel, during this hike we had to go through lots of tunnels – not going to lie, but there is no fun when going through dark and wet stone tunnels. Although the flashlight from your phone should be enough, I strongly advice you to have some head lamp, especially if you are a tall person. There are some narrow paths along the hike, but overall, the trail is well maintained and safe – it is not a technical hike, but trust us, you are going to be tired of stairs.
Apart from the beautiful scenery, you should encounter several species of birds, wild partridges or, if you are lucky enough,you should cross paths with one of the most endangered birds in the world – Freira de Madeira. Just before reaching Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo, a lifesaver if you need a snack,a drink or a tomato soup, the trail goes trough an area devastated by wildfires – it is definitely a sad view. From Casa de Abrigo you still have to hike for twenty minutes, in order to finally reach the highest peak from Madeira – it is best to do it before resting at the mountain shelter.
It is not very cold at Pico Ruivo and you should definitely rest there for a while, before going back to Pico de Arieiro. Once again, if you are tired of the weather is bad, you can always continue towards Achada do Teixeira, instead of Arieiro, and pick a taxi from there – the way back is going to be feel more difficult. All in all, if hiking is a hobby for you, this is the best hike from Madeira. If you are not very tired, then you should go for a relaxing walk, along the Balcoes Levada (PR 11) – it is only a 20-25 minutes drive from Pico de Arieiro. There is almost no incline and the views at the end should be amazing – unfortunately,because of the fog, we could not see anything at the viewpoint.
Day 4 – West coast + Levada das 25 Fontes
An enchanting forest, not to be missed in any Madeira trip, is the Fanal Forest – a large laurel forest, located in northwest of the island. You should go there in the morning or after rain to catch the fog – when the fog makes its way through the laurel trees, you are going to feel mesmerized by this place. Do not mind the cows walking around freely – just wonder around and enjoy this magical experience, in an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A very popular trail, Levada das 25 Fontes is a three part journey – a boring and tiring walk down/up street to Rabaçal Spot Cafe, the PR6 trail to 25 Fontes and Risco waterfall. First of all, do take the minibus down and back or at the very least back, for the first part of the trail – your knees are going to thank you later for skipping this 2km boring asphalt slope(3 euro, cash only ticket, per trip).
The levada itself is very crowded, the path is narrow (there are several sections where two people cannot fit) and not really rewarding, until the very end, when you reach the 25 fontes, a small,but pretty lake – to be honest, we expected much more. Nevertheless, on our way to 25 fontes, we saw an interesting cliff waterfall and we decided to give it a try. It is a detour of about 1km, easy and definitely worth it for the Risco waterfall – a nice and tall waterfall, less crowded. Like every nature attraction that is full of people, Levada das 25 Fontes has lost its magical vibes – we think that is not a must attraction from Madeira(unless you visit it very early in the morning).
Day 5 – East coast and Ponta de São Lourenço
Located in the most eastern part of Madeira, Ponta de São Lourenço walk is an almost totally deserted coastline, one of the few untouched places in Madeira. Named after the explorer Zarco´s ship, the “São Lourenço”, this is one of the most unique and beautiful hike from Madeira and it usually takes 4 hours, to complete the walk, both ways. First of all, do make sure to bring sunscreen and wear hats,because apart from a bar along the way, there are no shades – good shoes are recommended as well, as the walk towards the end is pretty steep.
It can be a more difficult hike because of wind or rain, therefore consider this attraction in a day with good weather. Although there are many attractive viewpoints,with great views, try not to stray too much from the paths – it can be very dangerous, if you are not paying attention to the martian environment. Although you cannot actually reach the lighthouse by foot, you can try a boat ride, from the small harbor or you can just enjoy a quick swim, in one of the two small places/beaches along the way. Really close to Ponta de São Lourenço, is the Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto,a beautiful sunrise/sunset viewpoint, from where you can see both the south and north coast of the island. You can park your car right at the spot, so it is very quick to get there and take some beautiful photos – be warned, it can be very,very windy in there.
Probably the most accessible golden sands beach in Madeira, Praia de Machico is a baby-friendly beach , where you can easily spend the whole day – bathing in the water, watching the planes land and take off and just relax. You can easily enter the ocean as there are no rocks under water, but parking there, in high season, can be really difficult. Nevertheless, it is a good place to relax and enjoy the imported sand from Morocco. On your way back to Funchal,you should also stop at Cristo Rei, a nice spot along the coastline of Madeira.
Day 6 – Exploring the north west coast(Moniz)
If you plan to visit the north side of the island, then Casas de Santana is a beautiful place to visit. These small colorful houses have been restored to their original state and have very unique triangular shape. Apart from these little traditional houses,there are many flowers, souvenir shops and of course, many tourists, that are eager to take cute pictures of this picturesque town. If you visit it in July, then you should not miss the festival of traditional music and dances,that is held in the village.
From Santana, the next stop should be Sao Vicente,a beautiful coastal village, where you can enjoy a good coffee, in front of the ocean! Next to it is the Véu da Noiva, a breath-taking view point deck and a perfect place to get some photos and enjoy the spectacular views of the waterfall and coastline. A fascinating landscape and one of our favorite spots, from Madeira, is Ribeira da Janela, a not very touristy place, but definitely a beautiful and relaxing place. It has a very photogenic rock formation and a rocky beach – it is worth stopping and relaxing for a while, admiring the waves.
Considered one of the top attractions from Madeira, Porto Moniz is a town in the northwest corner of the island, famous for its natural swimming pool,and a great base, from which to explore the remote western side of the island. Named after one of the first settlers on Madeira,Francisco Moniz, this charming town has two places of natural pools: Piscinas Naturais Velhas(free entry) and Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools(small fee entry). To be honest, is difficult to tell you which one to visit, but if you are interested in having facilities like changing rooms or lifeguard, then you should definitely pay the three euro for a day and go to the paid swimming pool complex.
Day 7 – Funchal
In our last day in Madeira, we wanted to enjoy a little bit more the capital city, Funchal, especially the Santa Catarina Park. This nice park, in the city center of Funchal, is full of flowers, with lots of benches and a charming water fountain, where the ducks are enjoying the water. It is a fabulous park, to stroll around and enjoy a picnic, with excellent views over the Marina. Funchal Cathedral is a free to enter gothic style catholic church, well worth a visit. It is a peaceful place, rich in architecture and one of the most important historic buildings from Funchal. All in all, regardless if you’re looking for an unforgettable honeymoon destination or just want to have a beautiful vacation, Madeira is one of the finest romantic and intimate hideaways for couples.
“He who sees the face does not see the heart.” – Portuguese Proverb
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