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Madeira itinerary

Every place in “12 Top Things to Do in Madeira, Portugal”. Save places in the guide to make this list yours.

  1. 1

    Funchal Old Town - The Cultural Heart of Madeira

    Funchal Old Town, known locally as Zona Velha, is the obvious starting point for any visit to Madeira. The cobbled lane of Rua de Santa Maria runs from Praça do Corpo Santo down to the seafront and was the original…

    Address
    Rua de Santa Maria, 9060-291 Funchal
    Nearest transit
    Funchal Avenida do Mar bus stops (multiple Horários do Funchal lines), 5-min walk
  2. 2

    Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo Trail - The Most Famous Hike in Madeira

    Topping every list of things to do in Madeira is the PR1 Vereda do Areeiro - the ridge walk between Madeira's third-highest peak (Pico do Arieiro, 1,818 m) and its highest (Pico Ruivo, 1,862 m). The full one-way route…

    Address
    Estrada Regional 202, 9050-298 Funchal (Pico do Arieiro summit car park)
    Nearest transit
    No regular bus - private transfer or rental car (40-min drive from Funchal via VR1 then ER203)
  3. 3

    Cabo Girão Skywalk - Europe's Tallest Sea Cliff

    Cabo Girão has held the title of Europe's tallest sea cliff at 580 m for centuries, and since 2012 a glass-bottomed Skywalk has cantilevered straight out over the drop. The platform is free to enter, open 8 am to 8 pm…

    Address
    Rua do Cabo Girão, 9300-138 Câmara de Lobos
    Nearest transit
    Rodoeste bus 7 Funchal to Câmara de Lobos (25 min), then 15-min uphill walk or 5 EUR taxi
  4. 4

    Monte - Cable Car, Tropical Garden, and Wicker Toboggan

    Monte is a leafy hilltop suburb 550 m above Funchal that delivers three of the island's defining experiences in a single half-day. Start with the Teleférico do Funchal, a 15-minute glass cable car climb from the Old…

    Address
    Caminho do Monte 192, 9050-288 Funchal (Monte upper cable car station)
    Nearest transit
    Teleférico do Funchal cable car from Almirante Reis, 15-min ride; or Horários do Funchal bus 22 from Funchal centre
  5. 5

    Porto Moniz Natural Lava Pools - Madeira's Most Photographed Swim Spot

    On Madeira's wild northwestern tip, the village of Porto Moniz is home to a series of natural swimming pools carved by lava flows over thousands of years. Smooth black basalt walls hold clear seawater that refreshes…

    Address
    Rotunda do Ilhéu, 9270-095 Porto Moniz
    Nearest transit
    Rodoeste bus 80 from Funchal (2h+); rental car or guided tour strongly recommended
  6. 6

    Levada do Caldeirão Verde - The Iconic Levada Walk

    Of Madeira's 2,170 km of levada trails, the Levada do Caldeirão Verde in Parque Florestal das Queimadas is the one most travellers come for. The 13 km return walk follows a single irrigation channel cut into the side of…

    Address
    Estrada das Queimadas, 9230-116 Santana (Parque Florestal das Queimadas trailhead)
    Nearest transit
    Rodoeste bus 103 to Santana then 8 EUR taxi 7 km to Queimadas; far easier by rental car
  7. 7

    Câmara de Lobos - The Fishing Village Churchill Painted

    Câmara de Lobos is a working fishing village 9 km west of Funchal where Winston Churchill set up his easel in January 1950 to paint the colourful boats in the harbour. The viewpoint where he stood (Miradouro Churchill)…

    Address
    Largo da República, 9300-117 Câmara de Lobos
    Nearest transit
    Rodoeste bus 7 from Funchal Avenida do Mar, 20 min, every 30 min
  8. 8

    Mercado dos Lavradores - Funchal's Farmers Market

    The Mercado dos Lavradores (Workers' Market) opened in 1940 and remains the daily shopping hub for Funchal's Old Town. Inside a 1930s Estado Novo building decorated with azulejo tile panels by Madeiran artist João…

    Address
    Rua Brigadeiro Oudinot 1, 9060-251 Funchal
    Nearest transit
    Funchal Avenida do Mar bus stops, 5-min walk
  9. 9

    Blandy's Wine Lodge - Tasting Madeira's Famous Fortified Wine

    Madeira wine has been made on the island since the 15th century and is one of the few wines deliberately aged through heat - traditionally in cargo holds that crossed the equator, today in temperature-controlled rooms…

    Address
    Avenida Arriaga 28, 9000-064 Funchal
    Nearest transit
    Funchal Avenida do Mar bus stops, 3-min walk; opposite the Jardim de São Francisco
  10. 10

    Grutas e Centro do Vulcanismo - São Vicente Lava Caves

    On the rainy north coast, the Grutas e Centro do Vulcanismo de São Vicente turns Madeira's geological origins into a one-hour stop. Guided tours (10 EUR) walk 1,000 m through lava tubes formed by an eruption around…

    Address
    Sítio do Pé do Passo, 9240-039 São Vicente
    Nearest transit
    Rodoeste bus 6 or 132 from Funchal (around 2h); easier by rental car or guided tour
  11. 11

    Ponta de São Lourenço Trail - Madeira's Dry East Coast

    On Madeira's eastern tip, the Ponta de São Lourenço peninsula breaks every rule about the island. The terrain is bare, golden-brown, and almost treeless - more North African than Atlantic - because the dry trade winds…

    Address
    Estrada do Baía d'Abra, 9200-031 Caniçal (PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço trailhead)
    Nearest transit
    SAM bus 113 from Funchal to Caniçal (45 min), then 4 km taxi or 1h walk to trailhead
  12. 12

    Porto Santo Island - The Golden Beach Day Trip

    Madeira's sister island Porto Santo sits 43 km northeast and is the polar opposite of the main island - flat, sandy, and famously dry. The headline is a single, uninterrupted 9 km golden-sand beach that runs almost the…

    Address
    Avenida do Mar, 9000-054 Funchal (Lobo Marinho ferry terminal at Porto de Funchal)
    Nearest transit
    Porto Santo Line ferry from Funchal harbour, daily 8 am departure (2h 15 min); or Binter Canarias 15-min flight from FNC

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