Madeira

Madeira, the Portuguese island in the Atlantic, is a road trip and a hike in one: green mountains, levadas (old irrigation channels with walking paths along them), black sand beaches, natural pools and poncha. We spent eight days going round the island by car in August 2021.

Getting around

You need a car in Madeira. We picked ours up at the airport, from Atlantic Rent a Car in Santa Cruz. The roads are steep and winding, but the views make up for it.

Tip: The weather changes a lot from one side of the island to the other and with altitude. Check the webcams on netmadeira.com before going up to the peaks, and be ready to swap days around. As a rule, the south (Ponta do Sol, Calheta) is warmer, and the north (Seixal, Porto Moniz) can be cold.

Where to Sleep?

We stayed at the Enotel Lido Madeira in Funchal. The Lido area has nice restaurants, and the seafront promenade is lovely, even at night. Walk along it at sunset, with a view of the Gorgulho islet, or as far as Praia Formosa, about 2 kilometers away.

Tip: The prices and opening hours here are the ones we noted when we planned the trip. Check them before you go.

Day 1 - Funchal and the old town

• Praça do Município, the Town Hall, the Jesuit College and church.
• Funchal Cathedral (the Sé) and São Lourenço Palace.
• The old town (Zona Velha), especially Rua de Santa Maria, full of painted doors, restaurants and bars, and great for a drink at night.
• São Tiago Fort and the church of São Tiago Menor.
• Praia da Barreirinha, with a drink or a prego in bolo do caco at the Barreirinha Bar Café. The atmosphere and the views are top.
• Avenida do Mar, with the marina and Praça do Povo.
• Avenida Arriaga, with the Baltazar Dias Theatre, the Municipal Garden, the statue of Zarco, who discovered Madeira, and Blandy's Wine Lodge, one of the oldest Madeira wine cellars.
• Santa Catarina Park.

Tip: For bolo de mel, biscuits and sweets to take home, go to the Fábrica de Santo António in Funchal.

Day 2 - Serra de Água, Rabaçal and the west coast

Drive via Serra de Água and Encumeada on the ER110, one of the most scenic roads on the island. Stop for a poncha at Taberna da Poncha in Serra de Água, then cross the Paul da Serra plateau to Rabaçal for a levada walk:

• Levada do Alecrim (PR 6.2): easy, 6.8 kilometers there and back, about 2 to 2.5 hours, at 1,300 meters, ending at the Dona Beja lagoon. You can add a 2 kilometer detour to Lagoa do Vento.
• Levada das 25 Fontes (PR 6): easy, 9 kilometers there and back, to a pool fed by dozens of little waterfalls.

In the afternoon, go down to the coast: the promenade at Jardim do Mar, a swim at Paul do Mar, a better beach than Calheta, and sunset there. Detour to Bar Formiga in Fajã da Ovelha for a poncha, have a caipirinha at Maktub and dinner at A Poita.

If you have time, Ponta do Pargo, at the western tip, has a tea house with a beautiful sunset.

Day 3 - Pico Ruivo, Santana and the north

Pico Ruivo, at 1,862 meters, is the highest point of Madeira. The shortest way up is the PR 1.2 from Achada do Teixeira: 2.8 kilometers each way, medium difficulty, about 1.5 hours. The classic PR 1 from Pico do Areeiro links the three highest peaks, Pico do Areeiro (1,817 m), Pico das Torres (1,851 m) and Pico Ruivo, about 6 to 7 kilometers one way and 3.5 hours. Check which sections are open before you go.

• The traditional triangular thatched houses of Santana.

• Lunch at Faísca: prego, tomato soup and almond tart.
• Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR 9): 6.5 kilometers each way from Queimadas Forest Park, medium, about 5 hours in total, through tunnels to a waterfall in a green cauldron.

• Levada dos Balcões at Ribeiro Frio, a short walk to a great viewpoint.
• The Guindaste viewpoint in Faial, and a swim nearby.

Day 4 - Ribeira Brava, Ponta do Sol and the Cascata dos Anjos

• Ribeira Brava: the seafront and its black sand beaches.
• Ponta do Sol: the village and beach, the pier viewpoint and the Cascalho viewpoint.
• The Cascata dos Anjos: take the old ER101 road via Praia dos Anjos and Madalena do Mar, where a waterfall falls straight onto the road. One of the most surprising places in Madeira.

• Praia dos Anjos.

Day 5 - Ponta de São Lourenço and Machico

• Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço (PR 8): 3 kilometers each way from Baía d'Abra to Casa do Sardinha, medium, about 2.5 hours, along the bare, wind-swept eastern tip of the island.

• Prainha do Caniçal, a black sand beach, and octopus at Frente ao Sol.
• Machico, and the Pico do Facho viewpoint above it.
• The Cristo Rei viewpoint in Garajau.
• Dinner at O Portal, for espetada.

Day 6 - Câmara de Lobos, Fajã dos Padres and Cabo Girão

• The Eira do Serrado and Paredão viewpoints, over the valley of Curral das Freiras.
• Câmara de Lobos, the home of poncha: little streets, street art, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and the islet viewpoint.

• Fajã dos Padres, a strip of land at the foot of the cliffs, reached by boat from Câmara de Lobos or by cable car.

• Cabo Girão, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe, with a glass skywalk.

Day 7 - Porto Moniz and Seixal

• The natural volcanic pools of Porto Moniz.

• Seixal, with its black sand beach and natural pools.

• Achadas da Cruz, with one of the steepest cable cars in Europe down to a fajã.

Day 8 - Going home

Check-out by noon and an afternoon flight home.

If you have more time in Funchal

• The cable car up to Monte.
• Monte Palace Tropical Garden (€12.50).
• Mercado dos Lavradores, the farmers' market, which closes at 6pm.

The best beaches

• Calheta, with golden sand.
• Ponta do Sol and Praia dos Anjos, with pebbles.
• Prainha do Caniçal and Ribeira Brava, with black sand.
• The natural pools of Porto Moniz.

Where to eat

• A Ginja in Câmara de Lobos, for a very good espetada.
• Restaurante Santo António, also for espetada.
• A Poita in Madalena do Mar, a simple tasca with excellent fish.
• Faísca, near Levada dos Balcões, for a great prego.
• Muralhas and Traineira in Caniço, for fish.
• Poncha do Nelson, on Estrada das Fontinhas.
• Basilico, for Italian in Funchal.