This January, I spent 3 full days in Madeira and absolutely loved it! This beautiful small Portuguese island has got so much to do and it is a nature lover's dream destination!
In this post, I am going to share with you a non-extensive list of activities and tips for your next trip to the island of Madeira!
TRAVEL
There is only one airport in Madeira, called Funchal International airport. We hired a car straight from the airport to explore the island. It only takes 1hr 15mins to drive from one side of the island to the other (yes, it's that small!). Best to note however that in Madeira they drive on the right hand side of the road and some of the roads are particularly windy and hilly! Although there are public transport options and some organised excursions, I would highly recommend hiring a car as some places will not be accessible by public transport and you may then need to rely on expensive taxis. We always book our hire cars with 'Discover Cars'.
HOW LONG TO STAY
We only stayed 3 days, in which we were able to see a good few of the highlights, however I would highly advise staying for longer. Our days were jam packed and not particularly restful, and if you had longer you could enjoy places for longer and explore other towns and hikes.
WHERE TO STAY
As the island is so small, you can stay anywhere on the island and be able to explore (so long as you have a car). If you plan on relying on public transport, I would recommend staying in Funchal which is the capital, and has the most transport links. We stayed in an airbnb in Caniçal which was 15 minutes north of the airport. It was a small seaside town but was right on the sea and had a small supermarket and a good few restaurants.
HIKES
Madeira is a hiker's paradise! We did 3 hike's while we were there - but their are so many more, so be sure to check out others if you are staying for longer.
Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo (PR1) - probably the most popular hike in Madiera to do! At 1818m high and 14km long return, it is a spicy hike to do! We parked our car at Pico do Arieiro in time for sunrise (which was so worth it!). From the car park to the spot to watch the sunrise will only take about 5 minutes to get there. After watching the gorgeous sunrise, you can start your hike to Pico Ruivo. The hike consists of many stairs and tunnels, but the views make it all worth it! The return hike took us 5 hours in total (including breaks).
Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8) (also known as 'the dragon's tail') - Aim to go to Mirdouro da Ponta do Rosto viewpoint for sunrise first before headint to the starting point for this hike. This trail is well marked out and follows and easy path and there is an elevation gain of 472m. The official trail is about 7km but we added an extra part to the hike up to the cement pillar that marks the summit called 'Miradouro de Abismo' which gives the most incredible viewpoint over the 'Dragon's tail'. Allow 3-4 hours for this hike in total.
Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6)- a beautiful hike that takes you to a mystical waterfall - the main one being in the centre and then surrounded by 24 smaller water springs! Whenever I did this hike, it wasn't the one I intentionally set out to do. I actually set out to do Vereda do Fanal (PR13) but got lost then decided I didn't have enough time to do it, but the PR6 hike was another option signposted. The way I did it included a steep decline down stairs, which meant a steep walk up stairs on the way back, so I would advise following advice on where to start from here.
WHAT ELSE TO SEE AND DO?
Funchal - check out the capital city, it is small and easy to walk around. I loved Santa Catrina Park and the Yellow Fort. There are lots of great food and drink options around here, as well as a cable car, botanic gardens and a cathedral.
Santana - a cute small town which is great to pass through and see the cultural 'triangular houses' or Casas Tipicas se Santana. It also has a few restaurants and cafes to get lunch or a coffee.
Seixal - a quaint seaside village best known for it's small black sand beach with dramatic cliff's towering over.
Porto Moniz - a town in the north west of Madeira, best known for its natural swimming pools to enjoy having a dip in!
Fanal - yes, believe it or not you don't actually have to do the hike to see these magical trees, you can simply drive up to the forest area. Definitely worth checking out!
Road-trip viewpoints:
Miradouro das Neves (viewpoint over Funchal)
Miradouro do Guindaste
Miradouro do Cortado
Levada dos Balcoes (approx 15 minutes walk to get to the viewpoint)
As I said before, this is very much a non-exhaustive list and there were loads of other places we would have loved to have seen but just didn't have the time. We look forward to visiting again for round 2!
Happy Travelling!
Ruth xxx