Madeira
Mountains rise from the volcanic soil with thick cloudy mist and humid ocean breezes battling for space. Papayas hang heavy on the trees and pockets of banana plantations squeeze up alongside cane plots and vineyards. White pointy church spires poke out between lush, verdant hills, surrounding by scattering of terracotta-roofed villages. Madeira is tropical Portugal; Madeira is magic.
With terrain like no other, the autonomous island archipelago of Madeira sits closer to Africa than Europe. Madeira Island is the main inhabited island and with a land mass of 801 km², it is best explored over four or five days. Extend your holiday to hop over to Porto Santo, the other island, by plane or ferry to see one of Europe’s best beaches.
Best places to visit on Madeira Islands
1
Hike levada trails on Madeira Island
Madeira island is a natural wonderland. Make time to hike at least two or three trails, even if you’re not an experienced hiker.
2
Swim at Porto Moniz or Seixal
Dive into these volcanic sea pools with views over the endless blue ocean, or take a dip at a black sand beach surrounded by forest and waterfalls.
3
Zip over to Porto Santo
About 50km offshore, Porto Santo is a world of difference to Madeira Island. Enjoy the dry climate and golden sandy beaches.
4
Fly down the mountain in a basket
Madeira’s capital has loads to do, but the best thing to do is ride down the steep hills in a giant wicker basket.
Best things to do on the Madeira Islands
Hike 2-3 levada trails
Eat espetadas
Ride a cable car
Soak in the view from a miradouro
Swim at a black volcanic beach
Taste rum at the source
Relax in volcanic tidal pools
Dance around misty Fanal forest
Enjoy a seafood feast
Hiking tip… Madeira can get extremely busy with large tourist groups. If you’re planning to hike any popular trails, make sure you set off early to enjoy the wild, verdant nature at its best (in silence!).
Where to stay
I recommend splitting your stay across the east and west of the island, with a night in Funchal if you need. I details how to do this in my five-day Madeira Island road trip itinerary with some suggestions.
What to eat
Bolo de caco. Milho frito. Peixe espada. Lapas. Maracujá. Madeira Island might be part of Portugal, but this sub-tropical drop in the Atlantic has its own strong identity – and most importantly, unique dishes and foods to try. Check out my guides on what to eat and drink in Madeira, and where to eat in Madeira Island.
How to get around
For somewhere like Madeira I love the freedom of having a car to explore small villages, pull up at viewpoints and beat the crowds. If you can’t hire a car, there seems to be an okay public transport system that will get you around the island, plus there are day trips you can book.
My Must Have Madeira Travel Guides
Explore Portugal’s tropical islands
What to eat and drink in Madeira: the best local dishes to try
The beauty of travelling around Portugal is eating through the huge variety of regional dishes, local sweets and unusual. From the north to the south, and out to the remote islands there are so many unique things to try. Here’s […]
Itinerary: Our magical 5-day Madeira Island road trip
Life on much of Madeira is a battle between man and nature. Moments from the coastline, sharp, jagged mountains rise out of the earth covered in thick, green foliage that few manage to tame. A scattering of typical Portuguese houses […]
Where to eat and drink in Madeira
Bolo de caco. Milho frito. Peixe espada. Lapas. Maracujá. Madeira Island might be part of Portugal, but this sub-tropical drop in the Atlantic has its own strong identity – and most importantly, unique dishes and foods to try. We spent […]
January 3, 2021
Anni
Hi Daniela, thanks a lot for all those hints about Madeira on your beautiful blog 🙂 We are going to Madeira in September on our honeymoon and we were wondering where you took this photo of a mountain village in clouds? Would you tell us? It’s so so wonderful, we would love to go there and breathe in the ambiance. We would be thankful forever 🙂
Daniela Sunde-Brown
Hi Anni! Thanks for your lovely comment. So, we stopped on the side of the road on the way to the PR11 Leveda de Balcões hike. Here’s the exact location on Google maps where I took the picture. https://goo.gl/maps/X9r7TcXLYmE6mByJ9 or coordinates 32°45’19.6″N 16°52’30.2″W. I hope you have a brilliant honeymoon in Madeira! I’m sure you found my guides on where and what to eat too! 🙂