Thinking of visiting Madeira in Portugal, but don’t want to spend hours researching the best things to do in Madeira? We’ve got you covered! In this blog post, we’ll reveal the 15 best things to do in Madeira, Portugal and explain everything you need to know.
Madeira, Portugal is a paradise nestled in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s known for its lush landscapes, vibrant culture, and enchanting charm. If you’re an adventure seeker or nature enthusiast, there’s no way around this little island. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the 15 best things to do on this stunning island, ensuring an unforgettable experience.
The Basics: Our Top Tips for Your Time in Madeira
If you’re a first timer in Madeira, you might want to stick around our 7-day itinerary for Madeira, Portugal and read about how to get to Madeira, how to get around Madeira or when’s the best time to visit. For now, we’re sticking to our top tips for your time in Madeira.
How much time should you plan for your trip?
After visiting Madeira twice, we’d recommend to spend a week in Madeira. Above all, this ensures that you can tick off the best things to do in Madeira and don’t feel rushed. You’ll have enough time to hike, relax, take a bath in the ocean and just enjoy nature.
How do you get around the island?
Madeira is a pretty small island and you can easily drive from the north coast to the south in under two hours. However, the public transportation system is pretty much non existent. Hence, you should not rely on buses. If you want to see the best things on the island, we recommend renting a car on Madeira.
Where to stay in Madeira?
We’d definitely recommend staying on the south coast of Madeira. First of all, this side of Madeira is known to be sunny and overall warmer than the rough north coast. Similarly, it also allows you to drive to all the spots listed in this blog post within maximum an hour. During our week in Madeira we stayed at the Sentido Galosol which is nearby Funchal. Honestly, this is one of the best places to stay since you’ll easily get around the island within a couple of minutes. For example, Ponta de São Lourenço is only a 25 minutes drive. The rooms of Sentido Galosol are fairly new, clean and comfortable. Moreover, the breakfast is really good: from fresh fruits to a live cooking station, there’s nothing to be missed. It’s the ideal place to stay for your best things to do in Madeira.
What should you pack for the best things to do in Madeira?
Since the weather in Madeira is characterised by warm temperatures and mostly sunshine all year round, it’s best to pack some lighter clothing. Regardless, there might be a day or two where the weather is windy and a little chilly. It’s best to pack at least one warm sweater that you can easily layer. If you’re like us and you’re basically in the outdoors all day long, pack hiking outfits that can be layered as well. We mostly packed short hiking trousers, shirts and fleeces.
15 Best Things To Do in Madeira, Portugal
Finally, let’s start with our list of the 15 best things to do in Madeira, Portugal and let’s discover the beauty of Madeira together.
1. Hike the PR1 trail „Vereda do Areeiro“
Starting off the list with a must-do hike in Madeira: The PR 1 hiking trail connects three characteristic points, the highest peaks in Madeira: it starts at Pico do Areeiro (1,818 m), goes over Pico das Torres (1,851 m) and ends at Pico Ruivo (1,862 m). All in all, this route is 7 km long and has a medium difficulty. The PR1 hike can be completed in 3.5 hours, if you don’t stop for pictures on the way (which by the way is impossible).
If you want to do this hike, just type „Pico do Areeiro“ into Google Maps and it will automatically lead you to the parking lot. Here you can park your car for free and start the hike. Don’t miss out on the beautiful viewpoints along the way: At first you’ll come across Miradouro Ninho da Manta which alone would have earned a place on the list of the best things to do in Madeira.
Afterwards, once you continue the hike, you’ll arrive at the so-called stairway to heaven. It’s a steep stairway that offers free views on the left and right side of the railing.
2. Toboggan Ride: A thrilling descent
The typical toboggan ride in a wicker basket is an old tradition in Madeira. In the past, locals used these wicker baskets as a form of transportation to quickly get from the village of Monte down to Funchal. The best thing is that this can only be done in Madeira, so it’s a unique experience that you can combine with the Monte gondola ride and the popular Monte Palace.
3. Watch the sunrise at Ribeira da Janela
Even if you’re not a morning person, the sunrise at Ribeira da Janela is a must-do. The play of colours over the cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean will leave you in pure awe. The best thing about this: if you’re visiting Madeira during winter (from November until February), the sun rises around 8am. Hence, you don’t need to wake up around 5am to see the sunrise here.
4. Cool off in the natural swimming pools of Porto Moniz
Have you ever heard of the natural swimming pools of Porto Moniz? If not, now the time has come. These natural pools have been formed by volcanic rocks and are filled with crystal-clear seawater. Surely, this is a unique aquatic experience not to be missed.
5. Join a dolphin & whale watching tour
Without doubt, Madeira is one of the best places to book a dolphin and whale watching tour. First of all, it’s been super important to us to book with a provider that does not rush the dolphins and respects their natural space. We booked with VIP Dolphins and can recommend them if you’re visiting Madeira and want to see dolphins and whales.
It’s an all inclusive experience. Hence, drinks, snacks and a photo report are included. They also have several spotters on the boat and on land to ensure that you see the wildlife. However, a huge plus point for us was that you never stay near dolphins for more than 10 minutes. This is to preserve the wildlife and respect the dolphins space which we really liked.
6. Step into a fairy tale at Fanal Forest
During our first visit, we haven’t been lucky with this spot on our 15 best things to do in Madeira list. We drove all the way up and it was so foggy, but we weren’t allowed to enter due to a film crew. This is why we wanted to visit this beautiful forest so badly during our second time in Madeira.
Once you’ve arrived at Fanal Forest, you’re stepping into a fairy tale where ancient laurel trees create this mystical ambiance. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a must-visit for nature lovers as well as for photographers.
7. Hike PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde
Ticking off the next hike in Madeira? This surely has to be PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde. The PR9 trail introduces you to the Laurissilva Forest and provides unique perspectives on Madeira’s diverse flora and fauna. The hike itself leads along a levada, Madeira’s drinking water supply. It starts at the Parque Florestal das Queimadas and ends at the beautiful Caldeirão do Inferno waterfall. In total, you will hike 17.4 kilometres and take around 6:30 hours.
Tip: Pack a headlamp or torch, as part of the hiking trail leads through caves.
8. See the real life Jurassic Park at Seixal Beach
This black sand beach is one of the most popular places in all of Madeira. It’s located in the north-west of Madeira and comes with epic views that are often described as real life Jurassic Park. This is because of the lush green mountains that surround the black sandy beach. If you want to see some videos from Seixal Beach, check out our Reel here.
9. Visit the Casas Tipicas of Santana
Now, finally immerse yourself in the rich local culture of Madeira by visiting the Casas Tipicas of Santana. These are colourful triangular cottages and symbolise Madeira’s architectural heritage. During Christmas time, these cottages are also decorated to match the overall very christmassy feeling in Madeira.
10. Enjoy the sunset at Ponta da Ladeira
The perfect sunset spot doesn’t exist? It does! And it’s located in Madeira. End your day with the magical hues of orange and blue at Ponta da Ladeira. The view overlooking the ocean is the perfect way to unwind after a busy day hiking or exploring the island.
If you don’t fancy sitting next to a cliff, we have another tip for you: just a few minutes by car you can go down to Achadas da Cruz. This is the land strip that you can see in the photos next to the sea. It’s not only one of the steepest cable cars in Europe, but also one of the most mesmerising sunset views. The tickets for the cable car are only € 2.
11. Stroll through Monte Palace
The gorgeous Monte Palace is a place not to miss. As previously mentioned, you can easily combine this visit with a toboggan ride – which we highly recommend. It’s the best way to use your time efficient and make the most out of your visit to Madeira.
The opulent Monte Palace is a lavish estate with beautiful gardens, art collections as well as stunning vistas of Funchal. Stroll through the gardens, explore the caves and unwind.
12. Spend a peaceful morning at Parque Florestal das Queimadas
Another spot that has already been mentioned in our list of the 15 best things to do in Madeira is the Parque Florestal das Queimadas. This is the start and end point of the PR9 hike, but also a very beautiful spot itself. It’s a haven for nature lovers and perfect for a leisurely stroll.
One of the two houses in the background also operates at a café where you can buy a cappuccino or espresso before starting your hike and end the day with a Poncha at this beautiful place.
13. Walk along dramatic cliffs at PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço
Embark on the Ponta de São Lourenço hike, where dramatic cliffs meet the Atlantic Ocean. This is one of the shorter hikes on the island being only 7km long in total. Nevertheless, this is one of our favourite hikes as you hike along the rough cliffs of the peninsula and this is one of the only hikes ending with a little hut where you can buy drinks and food.
14. Drink Poncha and raise a toast to Madeira
Slowly but steady we’re getting to the end of the best things to do in Madeira. Now drink a Poncha and raise a toast to Madeira island, because no visit to Madeira is complete without sipping on Poncha. This is the island’s traditional drink made out of local ingredients. Depending on the mixture, this drink has approx. 25 % vol. and should not be underestimated. At first you might not expect much from this little drink, but be sure to approach it slowly.
15. Drive along the ER 101
Lastly, you cannot leave Madeira without driving one of the most beautiful roads. The ER 101 leads you past the north coast of Madeira. You’ll find lots of viewpoints along the road, drive past towns such as Porto da Cruz, Santana, São Jorge, Boaventura or Ponta Delgada.
During our time in Madeira, we drove this road several times as it’s an essential driving route to get to popular points like the São Vicente valley, Seixal or Santana. What we liked most about driving the road is that no matter how often we drove past towns or places, we’ve always found something new. Whether it’s a new viewpoint like Miradouro do Arco de São Jorge or new perspectives.
Tip: Combine a drive along ER 101 with one of the other best things to do in Madeira, like the Casas Tipicas of Santana.
I hope this list of the 15 best things to do in Madeira helps you with your travel plans and ensures that you’ll have a great time in Madeira.
This trip was kindly supported by the Madeira Promotion Bureau. Opinions and experiences are nevertheless uninfluenced.
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