Cliffs, clouds, irrigation channels and grilled beef on a laurel stick. Five days in Madeira, planned properly.
Madeira is a volcanic island in the Atlantic, about 805 km southwest of mainland Portugal, and it is steep in a way photos don't prepare you for. Portuguese sailors claimed it in 1419 and settled it a few years later, and the settlers did something remarkable: they cut more than 2,000 km of irrigation channels, the levadas, along the mountainsides to carry water from the wet north to the dry south. Today those channels are the best walking paths on the island. Over the centuries the island's money came from sugar, then wine, then English and German visitors escaping winter, and the last of those never really left.
It is not a sandy-beach island, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling a package. Funchal has a harbor and a seafront with pools, the natural lava pools in the north are fun, and the golden beach is on Porto Santo, a separate island. What Madeira does offer is mountains you can drive up to 1,800 m, a laurel forest that is a World Heritage Site, cliffs that drop 580 m into the sea, a food scene built on grilled beef, limpets and a very strong lime drink, and a climate that is mild all year. Five days is the right length because the island looks small on a map and drives like a large one: every outing is an hour or more each way on bendy roads.
The plan keeps each day in one part of the island. Day one is Funchal itself, its market, its old town and the hill of Monte. Day two is the mountains, with the Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo crossing. Day three is the north-east, a levada walk and Santana. Day four is the long loop through the west and north coast, and day five is the east and a wine lodge. For the mainland side of the country, see Portugal. Start on a Monday if you can: the market and the toboggan are both closed on Sundays, and the market closes at 2pm on Saturdays.
Every stop from the plan below, colored by day. Pick a day to see its route.
The farmers' market, the cathedral and the painted doors of the old town, then the cable car to Monte, its gardens and the toboggan ride down.
The big mountain crossing from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, a lunch near Ribeiro Frio, then poncha at sunset in Câmara de Lobos.
A forest levada walk to a waterfall, the famous triangular houses of Santana and a rum mill on the north-east coast.
A skywalk over a 580 m cliff, the levada to the 25 Fontes, the lava pools of Porto Moniz and a black sand beach on the way home.
The bare eastern headland, the town where the settlers first landed, the botanical garden and a tasting in a wine lodge.
Today is the one day you don't need a car. The market is at its best before 10am and is closed on Sundays, so start there. Do Monte in the afternoon, after the morning queues. The toboggan is also closed on Sundays, so Monday works best.
The Mercado dos Lavradores, the farmers' market, is a 1940 building with a central courtyard and tiled panels of island life on the facade and by the fish hall. It sells fruit, vegetables, flowers and fish from all over the island. On the night of 23 December locals pour into it and the nearby bars to sing, drink and eat sandwiches of carne de vinha d'alhos, pork marinated in wine and garlic.
Go early. The fish hall on the lower level is where you'll see the black scabbard fish, a long silver deep-sea fish with huge eyes and teeth that looks like nothing you've eaten before. On the upper level, the fruit stalls are the best place to try passion fruit, custard apple and the small local bananas, but the display rows near the entrance charge tourist prices, so ask the price per kilo before they cut anything up.
Funchal became a city in 1508 and the cathedral was finished in 1514, making it one of the few buildings that has survived almost untouched since the first decades of settlement. The island was sugar rich then, and the cathedral was built to match the wealth.
It is a ten-minute walk from the market, down the main avenue towards the sea. Go in for the quiet and the old wooden work. Skip it if there is a service; it is a working church.
The Zona Velha, the old town, is the strip along the harbor where Funchal started. For years it was run down. Since about 2010 an association of artists, with the city's help, has been painting the doors of the old shops and houses on Rua de Santa Maria and its side streets, around 200 of them. The result is the most colorful street in Funchal, and the area is now full of restaurants.
At the eastern end stands the Fortaleza de São Tiago, a fort finished in 1614 to defend the town from pirates. Its contemporary art museum moved to Calheta in 2015, so come for the walls and the view of the sea. Walk the doors in the morning, when it is quiet and the light is good, then keep this district in mind for dinner.
The Madeira Cable Car opened in November 2000 and took over from the old Monte railway, which stopped running in 1943. The lower station is by Almirante Reis Park in the old town, and the gondolas climb over rooftops, gardens and terraces to the suburb of Monte.
It is the easiest way to see how steep Funchal is, and the views over the bay are the main attraction. Hours are 8:45 to 17:45 daily. A one-way ticket up is enough if you plan to come down by toboggan.
The Monte Palace garden grew around a former hotel and holds a collection of tropical and subtropical plants, a lake, a Chinese garden and a lot of sculpture and tiled panels. It is steep, terraced and has good views back down to Funchal on clear days.
Hours are 9am to 6pm from October to March and until 7pm from April to September, every day except 25 December, and the garden has closed in extreme weather. It is pricey, but if you like gardens this is the one to pay for.
The toboggan is an old Funchal habit. Wicker sledges, steered by two men in straw hats using their boots as brakes, slide for about 2 km down the hill from Monte towards Livramento. It is the world's least efficient way to get down a hill and the best thing to do with 30 euros.
Prices went up on 1 May 2026, and you pay on the spot, so carry some cash. Rides run Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm. The ride ends on the edge of town, so take a bus or a taxi back to the center. It is touristy, short and worth doing once.
Come back to the Zona Velha for dinner. This is where you try espetada, the island's signature dish: big cubes of beef rubbed with garlic, salt and bay, threaded on a bay laurel stick and grilled over wood, often served hanging from a hook above the table. It arrives with bolo do caco, the flat bread, and fried cubes of polenta called milho frito.
The old town streets are full of restaurants, and the ones with the longest menus and photos outside are the ones to skip. Look for a short menu and a grill you can see.
This is the day that decides whether a trip to Madeira was a good one, and the weather decides whether it works. The full crossing is now one-way, booked in a 30-minute slot, and it needs a plan to get back to your start. Start walking by 8:30am at the latest: the crossing and the descent fill most of the day, so lunch at Ribeiro Frio and an hour in Câmara de Lobos are all that fits after it. Check the Arieiro webcam before you leave Funchal and be flexible: the peaks can be in cloud when the city is in sun.
Pico do Arieiro is the third-highest peak on the island at 1,818 m, and you can drive almost to the top. On a clear day the sea of clouds below you and the jagged ridges to Pico Ruivo make it the best view on Madeira. On a bad day it is a car park in a cold fog.
Sunrise is popular and the parking can fill, so go early. Bring a warm layer even in summer. The viewing platform is free, and you pay only to enter the trail.
The PR1 is the most famous walk on the island: about 6 km along a ridge, through rock tunnels that shepherds once used, with a steep rock staircase near the end. It was closed for around two years after the fires and rockfall damage, and has been open every day since 26 June 2026. The rules are new.
Booking is compulsory on the regional SIMplifica portal for every classified trail, in 30-minute slots, with fines for walking without a booking. The full route to Pico Ruivo is 10.50 EUR and one-way only beyond the Miradouro da Pedra Rija, 1.2 km in. The first stretch to Pedra Rija is two-way and costs 4.50 EUR, and it is the right choice if the weather is poor or you don't want the full day. Bring a headlamp for the tunnels, food, water and a rain layer. The last climb to the Pico Ruivo shelter is the demanding part.
Pico Ruivo is the highest point on Madeira at 1,861 m and the third highest in Portugal, and it can only be reached on foot. A mountain shelter, the Casa de Abrigo, sits just below the summit and is the usual place to rest or eat before the last stretch, but bring your own food and water in case it is closed or busy.
From the summit the way out is the path down to Achada do Teixeira, 2.8 km of steps and views over the northern valleys. That path is its own classified trail (PR1.2, 4.50 EUR), so check that your booking covers the descent or add it. If you only want the summit, start from Achada do Teixeira instead: it is the short way up, about 1.5 hours return. The top is often in cloud by mid-afternoon.
Ribeiro Frio, "Cold Stream", is a tiny village in the laurel forest, about 15 km from Funchal, known for its trout farm and as the starting point of several levada walks, one of which goes to the Balcões. Trout is the local lunch here, grilled or fried, and it is a nice contrast to all the beef and black scabbard you eat elsewhere.
The Balcões, "balconies", are a rocky viewpoint at the end of a short levada walk from the village (PR11, 1.5 km each way, about 1.5 hours return, a booked SIMplifica slot, 4.50 EUR). After the crossing it is a stretch, so treat it as a bonus for a short day, not part of this one.
Câmara de Lobos is a fishing village just west of Funchal, now almost a suburb. Zarco is said to have landed here around 1419, and the name means "Chamber of Wolves": the wolves were the monk seals his men found in the sheltered bay. Espetada is also said to have started in this area.
Walk to the harbor, where the small, brightly painted fishing boats are pulled up. The poncha comes at the next stop, so whoever drives gets the coffee.
Poncha is Madeira's classic drink: aguardente de cana (sugar cane spirit), honey, sugar and orange or lemon juice, mixed in the glass with a wooden muddler called a mexelote. Locals swear it cures a cold. The traditional version has a sharp lemon kick.
Stay for dinner and order espada com banana, black scabbard fish fried with a banana. It sounds like a joke and it works: the fish is soft and sweet, the banana is just tart enough. In Câmara de Lobos the harbor-front places do both, and the fish is often brought in that morning.
Today is the north, which means the wet side, where the mountains hold cloud and rain through most of the year. Start early, because the small car park at Queimadas fills up in the morning and a morning walk is more likely to be dry. The full waterfall walk takes most of the day (see the PR9 stop) and the rum mill closes at 4pm, so choose: the whole walk and Santana, or a shorter walk and the coast.
Queimadas is a forest park in the laurel and heather zone above Santana, with a little lodge in the traditional triangular Santana style, picnic tables and the start of two levada walks. Cloud and rain are common here, and that is what keeps the forest green.
The car park is small, paid by the hour (about 2 EUR, by the tourist board's trail page), and fills early. If it is full, park on the road below and walk up.
The PR9 follows a levada through laurel forest to a waterfall of about 100 m falling into a green pool. The path is flat, because levadas are water channels, but the drop on the open side is real and there are four tunnels cut through the rock. A headlamp is much better than a phone light, and the ceilings are low and jagged.
The tourist board lists the PR9 at 8.7 km each way and about 6.5 hours return, while walkers who turn around at the waterfall report around 13 km return and five to six hours. Plan a full morning either way, and after the waterfall you won't reach the rum mill before it closes. The trail is open and a SIMplifica slot is compulsory, 4.50 EUR for most people. The extension to Caldeirão do Inferno has been reported closed after rockfall, so don't go past any barriers. If you want the mill too, turn around after an hour or two: the first stretch along the levada is already pretty.
Santana is a farming town on the north coast and an easy place to eat after a walk. Look for a family-run restaurant with a daily dish on the board, and try bolo do caco with garlic butter, soup and whatever the kitchen has done with fish or pork that day.
Portions are big and prices are lower than in Funchal.
The triangular thatched cottages of Santana are the island's best-known postcard. They began as simple farm homes in the north, built with a wooden frame and a steep thatched roof that shed the rain, with an attic for storing produce and a ground floor for living. Today a few survive, many repainted in bright colors, and a nearby theme park (Parque Temático da Madeira, opened 2004) shows replicas.
This is a stop for ten minutes and a photo, not an hour. The setting is a roadside, and the best part is the mountain behind them.
Head east along the north coast to Porto da Cruz, a small village below Penha d'Águia, "Eagle Rock", a giant rock headland that dominates the coast. The viewpoints around it show the shape of the north: tall green slopes dropping straight into rough sea. The road is slow and winding, and if the mountains are in cloud the coast is often clearer.
Porto da Cruz is home to Engenhos do Norte, an old sugar mill that now distills aguardente de cana and rum. The producer says the mill dates from 1927 and is the only one in Europe still using steam to drive its machinery. The sugar cane is processed only for part of the year, in spring.
Visitors can look around the old machinery and taste. The producer lists visiting hours of 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturday, nothing for Sunday. Come here before Penha d'Águia if time is short. It links back to the poncha from day two.
This is the long day, about 10-11 hours with driving, and it shows how the weather changes across the island: the south coast can be sunny while Paul da Serra and Porto Moniz sit in cloud. Start early to beat the tour groups at Cabo Girão, and do the walk before lunch. If you would rather end on golden sand, Calheta on the south-west coast (under More Time) is a swap for Seixal, not an addition. Either way, be back on the road before dark.
Cabo Girão is a sea cliff between about 560 and 589 m high, one of the highest in Europe. The Cabo Girão Skywalk, a glass-floored platform that opened in October 2012, hangs out over the edge. The farms on the terraces far below are called fajãs.
Entry went from 3 EUR to 5 EUR on 1 January 2026. Tour groups fill the platform from about 10am to 3pm, so come at opening time. Ten minutes covers it, with a view of Câmara de Lobos and the coast.
Rabaçal is a mountain hollow on the Paul da Serra plateau, and the PR6 is the classic walk from it: 4.3 km each way along a levada, through laurel forest, to a lagoon fed by a crescent of small waterfalls, the 25 Fontes. It is moderate, with steps, and the official time is about 3 hours. The PR6.1 Levada do Risco starts at the same place and goes to a single waterfall.
Booking is compulsory (SIMplifica, 4.50 EUR), and the trail is open. There is no public transport: you park at the car park on the ER105 road, and the Calheta municipality runs a van daily from 10am to 6pm along the 2 km paved road down to the Casa Florestal where the trail starts, 5 EUR one way or 8 EUR return. Outside those hours you walk the road. Midday is crowded.
Porto Moniz is in the far north-west corner of the island, a small village with a harbor, a fort and a row of restaurants. It is the place to eat lapas, limpets grilled in their shells with garlic butter and lemon, and fresh fish. The fish of the day is usually whatever came in that morning.
Order the lapas to share, then a grilled fish.
The natural pools of Porto Moniz are a set of pools in black volcanic rock, filled by the sea. One set is a paid complex with changing rooms, showers and a bar, the others are free and wilder. The paid pools are reported to open at 9am and close at 7pm in summer and 5pm in winter, and the entry price is quoted anywhere from 1.50 to 3 EUR, so confirm on the day. The free pools are open around the clock.
On a calm day it is a great place to swim, the water is cool even in summer, and in rough seas the pools close.
Seixal's Praia do Porto do Seixal is one of the few beaches in Madeira with natural sand, and it is black. A small cove sits under green cliffs, with waterfalls running down them in winter and a few small tide pools. It is a place to look at, with a brief paddle at most. It sits on the north coast road between Porto Moniz and São Vicente, small and crowded at midday.
The east is the dry end of the island. It is brown, windy and almost treeless, a sharp contrast to the green west. The Ponta de São Lourenço trail is restricted for repair works from 30 September 2026, so allow for detours. Both the botanical garden (last entry 5:30pm) and the wine lodge (6:30pm on weekdays) close in the early evening, so keep the afternoon moving.
Ponta de São Lourenço is the easternmost tip of Madeira, a nature reserve since 1982, with bare red-and-brown rock and cliffs. The PR8 starts at Baía d'Abra and runs about 4 km out to Casa do Sardinha, so 8 km return, undulating and in good condition.
Visit Madeira currently marks the trail as restricted. Repair works by the forest and nature conservation institute (IFCN) started on 30 September 2026, and the notices disagree on how long they last. The institute describes short, signposted detours rather than a closure, so the walk should still be possible, but check the trail status the evening before. Booking is compulsory (SIMplifica). There is no shade, so bring water, a hat and sun cream, and go early. At the far end, the Cais do Sardinha is the spot for a swim in calm weather.
Machico is where the Portuguese story on Madeira begins. João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira came ashore on its beach on 1 July 1419, and in 1440 Prince Henry gave Tristão Vaz the captaincy of Machico. The older legend is about two English lovers, Robert Machim and Anne d'Arfet, shipwrecked here, which is probably romance, not history.
Today it is a quiet seaside town close to the airport, with a small beach and a promenade. A walk along the front and lunch is all you need.
The Madeira Botanical Garden opened to the public in 1960 on land that belonged to the family of William Reid, the founder of Reid's Hotel. It has plants from around the island and the world on a hillside, with a view of Funchal below. A second cable car links it with Monte. It is open daily from 9am to 6pm except 25 December (last entry 5:30pm), and a ticket costs 10 EUR since January 2026.
Madeira wine is a fortified wine whose story starts with a lucky accident. Ships carried it on long voyages, with grape spirit added to stop it spoiling, and the heat and motion turned out to improve it. A barrel that came back unsold from a round trip was found to be better than when it left. That is why some Madeira is still aged warm.
Blandy's, on Avenida Arriaga in the center, offers guided tours that end with a tasting. The 30-minute Lodge Tour is 17 EUR, the Premium Tour is 23 EUR and the Vintage Premium 59 EUR. The four main styles are Sercial and Verdelho (the drier ones), Bual and Malvasia (sweeter). The lodge is open 10am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm on Sunday.
End the trip at the marina, where the harbor wall gives you the best view of the city climbing the hill behind you.
Have a final poncha, a bolo de mel or a pastel de nata, and watch the lights come on up the slope.
Things that didn't fit into five days, from the harbor outwards.
Boat tours run daily from the harbor and cost about 30-40 EUR. Operators often offer a free second trip if you don't see animals. Choose a small boat or a company that follows a code of conduct, and go on a calm morning.
Getting there: Boats leave from Funchal harbor and marina, 0 km, 2-3 hours
A manor house in the British colonial style with a park that is open to the public. The house is private. A half-day for garden lovers.
Getting there: About 6 km east of the center, 15 minutes by taxi or car
An isolated village of around 2,000 people in a crater surrounded by cliffs and peaks. It is famous for its chestnuts and its setting. The road down is steep and winding, so it is best done in good weather with a car.
Getting there: About 15 km northwest of Funchal, 30-40 minutes by car or by local bus
A small town on the south-west coast, warmer and drier than the north. Its beach, opened in 2004, is a rare artificial one: golden sand held in place by breakwaters, which gives Madeira a beach that works for swimming. The marina behind it has restaurants and a good sunset, and it makes an easy swap for Seixal on day four.
Getting there: About 35 km west of Funchal, 40 minutes by car on the expressway
These two small villages on the south-west coast are the island's best-known surfing places. They are worth a visit even if you don't surf, but the waves are for experienced surfers.
Getting there: About 35 km west of Funchal, 45 minutes by car
Porto Santo is the beach island: a dry, flat island with 9 km of golden sand that Madeira doesn't have. It has a small town, Vila Baleira, a museum in a house linked to Columbus and a few easy peaks, and it is much quieter than Madeira. Go for a night or two, or for a day by plane. The ferry operator announced technical maintenance for the Lobo Marinho from 14 to 22 October 2026, and timetables and fares vary by season, so check its site and book ahead.
Getting there: 43 km northeast of Madeira. A short flight from Funchal airport, or the Lobo Marinho ferry from Funchal (about 2 hours 15 minutes)
Official websiteMadeiran food is built on beef, fish from deep water, sugar cane and bananas, and it is more fun than its reputation. These are the things to look for.
Cubes of beef rubbed with garlic, salt and bay and grilled on a bay laurel stick, often hung from a hook at the table. It started in the Câmara de Lobos area and comes with bolo do caco and milho frito, fried polenta cubes. The best thing to eat in Madeira, and the most meat you will see on one plate.
Where to try it: A grill restaurant in the old town of Funchal or in Câmara de Lobos. Pick a short menu where you can see the grill.
A round flatbread cooked on a hot basalt stone, a caco, and served warm with garlic butter. It is also the bread for a prego (steak sandwich) or an octopus sandwich. Eat it on the first day.
Where to try it: Any traditional restaurant, as a starter. Bakeries sell it fresh in the morning.
Limpets grilled in their shells with garlic butter and lemon, a classic starter in Madeira. They are chewy and salty, like a mild clam with a sea taste. Order them to share, and squeeze lemon over the top.
Where to try it: Seafront restaurants in Porto Moniz and Câmara de Lobos, and almost any good seafood place.
Black scabbard fish, a deep-sea fish caught off the island, fried and served with a fried banana. Do not be put off by the name: the fish is soft and mild and the banana is the sweet-and-sour note. You can see the fish whole in the market first.
Where to try it: A fish restaurant in Funchal's old town or Câmara de Lobos. Ask if the fish is fresh.
A mix of sugar cane spirit, honey, sugar and orange or lemon juice, stirred with a wooden mexelote. Locals call it medicine for a cold. It is easy to drink and stronger than it tastes.
Where to try it: A poncharia (poncha bar) in Câmara de Lobos or the old town. Order the traditional lemon version first.
A fortified wine aged for years, in styles from dry Sercial and Verdelho to sweet Bual and Malvasia. Heat and motion on old sea voyages improved it, which is why it is made differently from most wines. A glass after dinner is more than enough.
Where to try it: A wine lodge like Blandy's in Funchal for a guided tasting, or by the glass at any restaurant.
Honey cake, a dark, spiced cake that is the island's oldest dessert. It was first made by nuns in the Santa Clara convent in Funchal and is a Christmas tradition, but you can find it all year. Tear it, don't slice it.
Where to try it: Any bakery or souvenir shop. Look for the ones sold by weight.
Madeira grows passion fruit, custard apple, mango, avocado and small, sweet bananas. Buy from the market stalls and eat them with a knife on a bench. Madeira banana is smaller than the supermarket kind and tastes of banana.
Where to try it: Mercado dos Lavradores, upper level. Ask for a taste and check the price per kilo.
The mainland custard tart is on every Madeiran café counter too, warm with a blistered top. It is not a local dish, but it is on every counter.
Where to try it: Any pastelaria. The ones with a queue of locals at 9am are the fresh ones.
Salt cod, the mainland's national obsession, is on Madeiran menus too, usually baked with potatoes and onions. Here fresh fish is the better order, so keep the bacalhau for a rainy evening.
Where to try it: Traditional restaurants, mostly in the north and inland. Look for the daily dish.
The island's lager, brewed in Funchal since the late 1960s by the Madeira Brewery, a company with roots going back to 1872. It is light and cold, perfect after a day of hiking. A local beer to order with espetada.
Where to try it: Any bar or restaurant. It's on every menu.
Coffee in Madeira is the same as on the mainland: a short, strong bica or a milky galão, served with a pastry. For breakfast try a bolo do caco with cheese or ham and a fresh orange juice.
Where to try it: Any pastelaria. Rooms often include a buffet breakfast, which is fine, but go to a bakery once.
Funchal is the best base for five days because every outing starts there, but the coast has good alternatives if you'd rather sleep near the beach, the pools or the airport.
Best for: Walkers who want restaurants and the cable car on foot
The old town and the streets around the market put you near the cable car, the marina and most of the restaurants. The catch is that it is steep, parking is limited and expensive, and weekend nights in the old town streets are loud.
Best for: A pool, a sea view and a hotel with parking
West of the center there is a strip of large hotels with sea pools and gardens, on the road to Câmara de Lobos. The catch is that it is a bus or taxi ride, or a long seafront walk, to the old town.
Best for: Sunshine, a sandy beach and the west of the island
The warmest and driest part of the island, with the artificial golden beach and a marina. It puts you close to Rabaçal and Porto Moniz. The catch is that it is 40 minutes from Funchal and a bit quiet in the evening.
Best for: Short transfers to the airport and the east
A small town on the east coast near the airport, a good first or last night, and a base for Ponta de São Lourenço. The catch is that it is far from the mountains and the west.
Best for: Quiet nights, the lava pools and the far north-west
A tiny village with the natural pools on the doorstep. The catch is how far it is: about 1.5 hours from Funchal, with cloud and rain more likely than in the south.
In Map Drop the countries of Europe fall one at a time and you drop each into its place - Portugal is one of the pieces.
The practical stuff that makes the first day in Madeira easier.
Since 1 January 2026 every classified trail (PR) needs a paid slot booked online on the Madeira government's SIMplifica portal, a 30-minute entry window with the confirmation on your phone. Most trails cost 4.50 EUR, PR1 to Pico Ruivo is 10.50 EUR, children aged 12 and under are free but still need to be registered, and walking a PR without a booking can bring a fine. Book a day or two ahead for popular trails like the 25 Fontes.
A car makes days two to five easy and is worth renting for those days only, since parking in Funchal is limited. Roads away from the expressways are narrow, steep and full of hairpin bends. Buses connect Funchal with Santana, Porto Moniz, Calheta and Machico, but they don't reach trailheads like Rabaçal or the Arieiro-Ruivo path. Hiking tours and one-way transfers are the car-free option.
The south coast, where Funchal is, is usually warmer and drier. The north gets the wind and rain, and the mountains are often foggy. Check a live webcam before driving up, keep a fallback in the dry south, and carry a rain jacket even in summer.
Levada paths are flat but have a drop on one side and sometimes no fence, with wet tunnels. Take a headlamp, wear shoes with grip, and don't walk after heavy rain. Trails close at short notice, so check the Visit Madeira hiking page the evening before.
Expressways and main roads have no tolls. In Funchal, parking lines are color coded: white is free, blue is paid and yellow means no parking. Paid parking runs Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 2pm, free on Sundays and holidays. You can pay at meters or with the iPark Driver app.
Madeira uses the euro. Cards work in most places, but carry cash for coin-only car parks such as Queimadas, small bars and market stalls.
Round up or leave around 5-10% in restaurants if service was good. Portuguese is the language, and English is widely spoken in tourist areas. Crime is very low, and the emergency number is 112.
Madeira is part of the EU, so EU roaming applies, and many other plans work too. Check with your provider. Plugs are the usual European two-pin type (C and F), 230 V. Download offline maps: there is no signal on many trails.
Yes for the highlights, but only if you accept that most days involve a long drive. Five days covers Funchal, the Pico Ruivo crossing, a levada walk, the north-west coast and the east. With more time, add Porto Santo or a slower pace.
Not in Funchal, but for most of this plan, yes. If you don't want to drive, use hiking tours, taxis and one-way transfers.
Yes. The PR1 reopened on 26 June 2026 after about two years. It is one-way beyond the Pedra Rija viewpoint and needs a booked slot. Check the Visit Madeira hiking page the day before, as weather can close it.
No. Every classified trail needs a paid slot, normally 4.50 EUR, booked on SIMplifica, and that includes the Caldeirão Verde and the 25 Fontes.
Not really. The coast is rocky. Funchal has pools and a promenade, Calheta has an artificial golden beach, Seixal has black sand and Porto Moniz has lava pools. For a proper sandy beach, take the plane or ferry to Porto Santo.
Madeira is mild all year, with averages of about 17°C in winter and 25°C in summer. Spring and summer are best for hiking, while autumn and winter bring fewer crowds and more cloud in the mountains. The Flower Festival is in spring and New Year's Eve fireworks draw big crowds.
It is cheaper than the Portuguese mainland's big cities for food and cheaper than most Western Europe, but car rental, trail fees and attractions add up. A good meal is about 15-30 EUR a person and a rental car is the biggest cost.
Madeira is part of Portugal and the Schengen Area, so the same rules apply as on the mainland. EU citizens only need an ID card or passport. Visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia can stay up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa. Check your nationality before booking.
Find Madeira on the map, learn the flag and check how much you really know about Portugal.
Crater lakes, hot springs and a stew cooked in the ground. Five days on the Green Island, planned around the weather.
Granite, tiles and a river full of port. Five days in Portugal's northern capital, with the Douro Valley on day four.
Seven hills, wet cobbles, tiles and fado. Lisbon in five days, with the closures and queues you need to know about.
Portugal