Madeira blends together all of the ingredients for a perfect holiday: scenic drives, dramatic coastal viewpoints, thrilling hiking trails, lovely seaside towns to explore, food and wine tastings, beach time, spa time, and of course, beautiful places to simply relax and soak up the sights.
If you are planning your Madeira itinerary, there are multiple ways to do it.
Those who are active and adventurous can spend day after day on Madeira’s hiking trails, some of which are simply gorgeous. Foodies can indulge on fresh seafood, the island’s local delicacies, and Madeiran wine. Families can get in some beach time, ride the cable cars, swim in the natural lava pools, and do a few of the easier hikes. Or, you can simply come to Madeira and relax at one of its posh resorts.
In this guide, we share with you the top experiences in Madeira, how to organize them day-by-day, and then how to put all of this together to create your perfect itinerary, whether you have 5 days, one week, or even longer.
Rather than listing one 3, 5, or 7-day Madeira itinerary, we list multiple daily itineraries. You can pick out your favorite daily itineraries and then string them together to create your perfect Madeira itinerary.
Best Things to Do in Madeira
Below is a list of the top experiences in Madeira and you can read the more detailed list in our article Best Things to Do in Madeira.
- Explore Funchal
- Visit the botanical gardens in Monte
- Ride a traditional wicker toboggan sled
- Go Hiking (see our list of the top 5 hikes in Madeira)
- Enjoy the View from the Cabo Girão Skywalk
- Ride a cable car to the beach (Cabo Girão Cable Car and/or Achadas da Cruz Cable Car)
- See the Santana Houses
- Swim in a natural lava pool
- Go Madeira wine tasting
- Watch the sunrise on Pico Arieiro
- Relax on the beach
- Go for a scenic drive
- Visit the dramatic coastal viewpoints
- Go whale and dolphin watching
How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left corner of the map to see a list of the points of interest and to turn layers on/off. Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest.
To take this map with you, click the star next to the title of the map which adds it to your Google account. Next, within your Google Maps app, select ‘Saved’ and then select ‘Maps’. This map title will now appear in your list.
How Many Days Do You Need in Madeira?
On the quickest of visits to Madeira, just a few days is all you need. With this limited time, you will have to choose a few experiences from Madeira’s long list of things to do. Make Funchal your home base, explore the town and Monte, and hike a trail or two, if you like that sort of thing (Madeira has some fantastic hikes!).
Ideally, plan on spending a week (or longer) here. Madeira is a popular place to spend 7 days, which gives you enough time to get in some rest and relaxation but also have several days where you explore the island.
We spent 9 days in Madeira. We used eight of these days to explore the island, which for us was a mix of hiking in the morning with scenic drives and beach time in the afternoon. Just one of these days was spent relaxing at our hotel, which tells you just how much there is to do in Madeira.
The view from Cabo Girão Skywalk | Madeira Itinerary
How to Get Around Madeira
The best way to get around Madeira is by car. However, you should know that it can be challenging to drive in Madeira.
Madeira is a very hilly, mountainous island. Many roads are narrow, two-lane roads that twist and turn in the hills. There is hardly a flat, straight road in Madeira…most of the time you will be driving up or downhill, on roads that twist and turn through villages and small towns.
We have driven on hilly, mountainous roads around the world, and Madeira has some of the steepest roads we have ever seen.
And if the steep, twisting, narrow roads aren’t difficult enough, add in Madeira’s challenging parking situation. Many places do not have enough parking for the number of cars on the island. People park alongside the two-lane road, turning it into a one lane road that now has two-way traffic. This creates traffic jams and grid-locked traffic throughout the island. And we didn’t see this just once or twice, we saw it almost everywhere.
Several times we sat in gridlocked traffic for over 30 minutes, near hiking trailheads and at beaches, and this has become the norm in the summer months in Madeira.
Despite the challenges driving and parking in Madeira, having a rental car is still the best way to get around the island. Having a rental car allows you to explore the island on your own schedule, without having to figure out bus schedules or renting a taxi.
However, if you don’t feel confident in your driving skills (you must be able to drive hilly, narrow roads and parallel park on a hill), do not rent a car. Instead, hire a driver for the day or take a tour.
Getting To and From Madeira
Madeira has an international airport, making it easy to get here by plane not only from Portugal, but also from other countries in Europe and North America. From Lisbon, Portugal, it takes an hour and a half to fly to Madeira, making Madeira very easy to add on to a trip to Portugal.
Daily Madeira Itinerary Suggestions
Each of the itineraries below is a one day itinerary. From these, pick your favorites and then string them together to create the Madeira itinerary that best fits your travel style.
For example, if you have 3 days in Madeira, Day #1, Day #3, and Day #4 may look the most interesting to you, so combining these three days together creates your Madeira itinerary.
Day #1 Explore Funchal & Monte
Funchal is the capital city of Madeira. A visit here is typically split into two parts: spending some time in the historic old town and spending a few hours in Monte, which are the hills that sit above Madeira.
We cover exactly what to do, plus provide recommended restaurants, in our article Things to Do in Funchal, but here’s an overview on how to plan your day.
In the morning, ride the cable car to Monte. Visit the Madeira Botanical Garden, the Monte Palace Tropical Garden, and visit the Church of Our Lady of Monte. Right in front of the church is the starting point for the traditional wicker toboggan sled ride. This quick ride gets you to Livramento and from here you can walk or take a taxi or Uber to get back to Funchal.
Cable car to Monte
Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Madeira Botanical Garden | Madeira Itinerary
In the afternoon, have lunch and explore the beautiful old town of Funchal. Top things to do here include seeing the Funchal Cathedral, visiting Mercado dos Lavradores, and going for a walk along the marina and promenade. Our favorite experience was tasting Madeira wine and there’s two great places to do it, at Blandy’s Wine Lodge and Pereira D’Oliveira.
Funchal Cathedral
Day #2 Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo Hike
Hiking from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo is Madeira’s most popular hike. This trail starts at Pico do Arieiro, the 3rd highest peak on the island, and traverses along a dramatic mountain range to Pico Ruivo, the highest peak on Madeira.
This hike typically starts at sunrise. Pico do Arieiro is one of the best spots on the island to watch the sunset. If you choose to do the same, this day gets started extremely early, as you need to get here in time to get a parking space, which are very limited.
There are a ton of logistics to work out in order to do this hike: getting here, arrival times, the exact route you plan to take on the hike (there are multiple ways to do it), and potentially setting up transportation to get you back to your starting point. Plus, a good chunk of the trail has been closed due to a fire since August 2024, but you can get updates about whether or not it is open here.
We cover this in great detail in our Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hiking guide. Essentially, if you do this in the morning, the hike takes 3 to 5 hours, plus transportation time, you’ll be done by early afternoon.
Pico Ruivo
Before leaving the area, we also recommend adding in the viewpoint of the Valley of the Nuns, Miradouros do Paredão. It’s a short drive to get here from the parking lots at Pico do Arieiro and the best time to add it into your itinerary, as you most likely won’t make it up into these hills again on this itinerary.
Miradouros do Paredão | Madeira Itinerary
With the early wake up time and strenuous hike, spend the second half of the day at the beach or your hotel…you really earned your rest and relaxation time this afternoon!
Day #3 Pico do Arieiro Sunrise & Viewpoint
For those who have no desire to do a big day hike but still want to watch the sunrise from Pico do Arieiro, this day is for you.
Wake up early, drive or take a shuttle to Pico do Arieiro, and watch as the sun rises above the clouds. It is a very cool experience (if the weather cooperates), similar to watching the sunrise on Haleakala in Hawaii. Check sunrise times here.
Sunrise from Pico do Arieiro
Before leaving the area, you can visit Miradouros do Paredão, a very nice viewpoint overlooking the Valley of the Nuns.
As you drive down the mountain, you have the option to do the very short hike to Vereda dos Balcões, a 2.9 km/1.8 mile easy hike to a viewpoint of a valley.
Seeing the traditional houses in Santana is the perfect add-on after Vereda dos Balcões.
If you like the idea of watching the sunrise from Pico do Arieiro but won’t have a rental car or you have no desire to do this drive, there are also many tours that start at the Pico do Arieiro sunrise spot and continue on to other sights in Madeira, such as this sunrise tour.
Spend the afternoon at your hotel or resort, or visiting more sites on the eastern side of the island.
Day #4 Hike Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço
We loved this hike. It is a gorgeous hike from start to finish, with dramatic coastal views, red cliffs, and hidden coves. For hikers, it’s another must-do on Madeira. It’s also a good option for those with adventurous kids and it is doable for most people.
This hike is 7.5 km/4.7 miles out-and-back and rated as moderate. It takes anywhere from two and a half hours to 4 hours to do the full hike.
It is best to get here early in the morning, as parking as limited. If you arrive mid-morning, you will park over 1 kilometer from the start of the hike, which makes the hike much longer and more strenuous.
Again, we have a detailed hiking guide for Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço which covers the logistics and is filled with photos.
After the hike, we recommend visiting Miradouro do Caniçal (a quick stop for another view of the coastline). For lunch, drive into Caniçal and dine at Restaurante O Recante. The scarlet prawns and octopus, and maybe even a little Sangria, are the perfect pick-me-up after the hike.
Lunch at O Recante
Nearby are two sandy beaches, Praia de Machico and Prainha do Caniçal, a great place to spend the afternoon. This is a great option if you are not staying at a resort or near a beach and want to get in a little beach time. These also looked less crowded than other beaches we saw on our visit to Madeira.
Praia de Machico | Madeira Itinerary
Day #5 Northwest Madeira: Achadas da Cruz, Porto Moniz & Seixal
Today is spent visiting the northwest corner of Madeira. Some of the island’s most popular places to visit are located here: the natural lava pools in Porto Moniz, the Achadas da Cruz cable car, and the black sand beach in Seixal.
West Coast Viewpoints
On the drive to Achadas da Cruz, you may drive past a few viewpoints of the west coast of Madeira, depending on where you are staying on the island. There are four viewpoints clustered together but they still take an hour or two to visit all of them.
Today is a big day, so I recommend visiting just one or two, or skipping them all together, going straight to the Achadas da Cruz cable car. But here’s the list of viewpoints to visit.
Our favorite viewpoint here is Miradouro Farol da Ponta do Pargo. This is the westernmost point on the island, and you get great views of the cliffs to both the north and south. It’s relatively quick to visit.
Miradouro da Garganta Funda takes longer. From the parking area (Parking for Miradouro da Garganta Funda on Google Maps), it is a 1 km/0.6 mile round trip walk to a viewpoint of a waterfall and the coastline. If the weather has been dry, the waterfall may not be running (it wasn’t when we were here in July).
Miradouro da Garganta Funda
Miradouro da Boa Morte is another quick visit and provides great views along the coastline.
Miradouro da Boa Morte
Miradouro do Fio the least spectacular on the list, at least in our opinion, and afternoon is better for photography from this spot.
Achadas da Cruz Cable Car
This is best to do first thing in the morning, because midday crowds, at least in the summer, are enormous. We recommend getting here around 10 am.
The Achadas da Cruz Cable Car is one of Europe’s steepest, with a grade of 98%. It is a thrilling ride down to the beach. Visitors can then walk along the paved paths that offer stunning views of the high cliffs and the blue water.
Achadas da Cruz Cable Car
The cable car ride only takes 5 minutes. Once at the bottom, most people spend about 30 minutes walking the paths along the sea.
The queue for the cable car starts forming around 11 am. The cable car stops running midday between 12pm and 1 pm for the operator’s lunch break. It closes during this hour even if people are waiting in line for the cable car at the top or bottom station. This makes the midday queue grow even longer, reaching up to two hours long! Once the cable car resumes operation in the afternoon it can take a while for the line to dissipate since the cable car can only take 6 passengers up and 6 passengers down at a time.
Parking is also challenging, as most of the parking lot is parallel parking on a very steep hill.
There is a hiking trail that you can take instead of the cable car, but it will be a very steep walk, and very strenuous, if you choose to hike up instead of waiting for the cable car.
Lava Pools in Porto Moniz
In the tiny town of Porto Moniz, there are two natural swimming areas you can visit.
The Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools have lots of amenities, with changing rooms, lounge chairs, and a restaurant. There is a fee, and there could be a line, to enter.
Porto Moniz | Madeira Itinerary
Porto Moniz Natural Pools
The Cachalote Natural Swimming Pools are free to visit but lack the amenities you get at the Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools. It’s a little more scenic, with its rocky lava rocks and more natural setting.
Cachalote Natural Swimming Pools | Madeira Itinerary
If you’re getting hungry, there are a few restaurants in Porto Moniz to grab a bite to eat.
Afternoon: More Viewpoints and Beaches
From Porto Moniz, head east along northern Madeira.
You’ll first come to Miradouro Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela, a lovely beach with large rock formations rising from the blue water.
In Seixal, we had a very late lunch at Snack Bar Avista Navios. This hidden gem of a café has a small outdoor patio with views of the dramatic coastline. Grab a table under a natural canopy of grapevines, enjoy a drink or afternoon snack, and take in the gorgeous view. A visit here is more about the view than the food, so don’t expect a gourmet meal.
Snack-Bar Avista Navios
Also in Seixal is a black sand beach. It is a very popular beach to visit but it is unique, as it is the only black sand beach on the island that I am aware of. Be aware that parking is very limited here, which can cause quite a headache when visiting. Most visitors will be forced to park alongside the narrow road leading down to the beach. This turns into a dead-end road with two-way traffic along a single lane, which in turn causes traffic jams. When we visited in July, we got stuck in a 20-minute gridlock just trying to exit the parking lot.
Seixal Black Sand Beach | Madeira Itinerary
Just beyond the town of Seixal, on the northern coast of Madeira, Miradouro do Véu da Noiva offers a picturesque viewpoint. From here, you can see a slender waterfall cascading down lush cliffs into the ocean below.
Miradouro do Véu da Noiva
Finally, we have one more viewpoint to recommend. For gorgeous views of São Vicente and the São Vicente valley, climb the 175 steps up to Capelinha de Nossa Senhora da Fátima, a tiny chapel with an elevated view of the area.
São Vicente Valley | Madeira Itinerary
Day #6 25 Fontes Hike, Fanal & Paul da Serra
Today, you will explore the more of the mountainous interior of Madeira.
25 Fontes Hike
Get started in Rabaçal, hiking the uber popular 25 Fontes Trail. Like many hikes in Madeira, we recommend getting here early (by 9 am), both to secure a parking space and to get started when crowd levels are light.
25 Fontes | Madeira Itinerary
We have a detailed guide on the 25 Fontes Hike (coming soon), but here is a brief overview.
From the parking lot, you will walk down a paved road to the official trailhead and restaurant. Hike the 25 Fontes trail with the option to add on the short walk to Risco Waterfall. Once back at the restaurant, you can get something to eat. There is a shuttle you can ride up to the parking lot, if you don’t want to repeat the walk up the road (the shuttle starts running at 11 am).
Fanal
From Rabaçal, it is a short drive to Fanal. This field is dotted with crooked “Sleepy Hollow” looking trees. If you are lucky to be here when the area is covered in a deep fog, it can look very mystical or ominous. By the time we got here (around 11:30 am), most of the fog had burned off, but it was still beautiful to see.
Paul da Serra
Go on a scenic drive through Paul da Serra, a high plateau in the center of Madeira. We drove out to Lombo do Mouro viewpoint, which offered panoramic views over Madeira.
Paul da Serra
Day #7 East Coast: Vereda do Larano, Santana Houses, Viewpoints
Vereda do Larano Hike
Vereda do Larano to Boca da Risco is an underrated hike in Madeira. The trail follows along Madeira’s northeastern cliffside, offering views over the dramatic cliffs and the blue ocean far below. With a mostly flat and forested trail with hardly anyone in sight, Vereda do Larano is a serene escape from the island’s main tourist attractions.
We loved this hike. It’s a beautiful, relatively easy walk and much less crowded than the other trails in Madeira. It is 10.6 km/6.6 miles out-and-back and takes 2 to 4 hours.
This hike starts on the outskirts of Porto da Cruz. Parking is extremely limited (there is just a handful of parking spaces) so we recommend getting here by 8 am.
Vereda do Larano to Boca do Risco | An Underrated Hike in Madeira
A step-by-step trail guide for Vereda do Larano.Afternoon: Viewpoints & Santana Houses
After the hike, drive to Santana. Not far from the Vereda do Larano trailhead, you will get a stunning view of Porto da Cruz right from the road.
Porto da Cruz
Past Porto da Cruz is the Miradouro do Guindaste, a viewpoint that offers similar views of the eastern coastline as you had from the hiking trail. This is a popular viewpoint so expect some crowds and maybe some difficulty parking here.
Continue on to Santana to see the traditional Santana Houses. These colorful houses with their thatch roofs are one of the most iconic sites in Madeira.
The best place to see them is at Casas Típicas de Santana. The houses have been converted into shops that sell souvenirs and artisan crafts, and there’s also a very nice view over the town and coast.
A visit here can be quick, about 15 minutes, and there is a parking garage right across the street. They are free to visit.
Day #8: Cabo Girão, Camara de Lobos & Whale Watching
Spend the day on the southern coast of Madeira.
Cabo Girão Skywalk
Start at the Cabo Girão Skywalk, an observation platform with panoramic views of the southern coastline. From here you get an aerial view of Câmara de Lobos, Funchal, and Praia do Cabo Girão, a remote beach that is accessible by cable car.
Cabo Girão Skywalk
The view down to Cabo Girão
Cabo Girão Cable Car
Next, you have the option to ride the Cabo Girão Cable Car down to the beach. This is a very similar experience to the Achadas da Cruz cable car. This cable car ride is not quite as steep and dramatic, but when we were here, there were far fewer visitors.
Cabo Girão Cable Car
At the bottom, paved walkways wind along the water and along a traditional farming village. In one direction, the path leads to a pebbled beach just a short walk away from the lower cable car station. Due to its remote location, the beach doesn’t get many visitors, making it a perfect swimming spot for those looking to escape the crowds.
The cable car is closed between 1 pm and 2 pm, for the operator’s lunch break. They close during this hour even if people are waiting in line for the cable car at the top or bottom station, so plan your time accordingly. We did this at 10 am and there was no wait to board the cable car.
Tickets for the cable car are cash only. There is a cafe and bathroom at the top station, but no provisions at the bottom.
There are a couple of parking spaces in front of the upper cable car station, and there is a tiny parking garage next to the upper cable car station. People also parallel park along the road.
Câmara de Lobos
This quaint fishing village has plenty of charm. Narrow cobblestone streets wind through a collection of cafes and shops, small fishing boats sit anchored in the protected cove, and walkways follow along the water’s edge.
Câmara de Lobos | Madeira Itinerary
This is the perfect spot for lunch today. Câmara de Lobos is filled with seafood restaurants. We recommend the restaurant Minerva. This restaurant features both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating has a good view of the harbor from a slightly higher vantage point. We all greatly enjoyed our lunch and the view. Be sure to try the shrimp salad!
You can also go wine tasting at Henriques & Henriques.
Whale & Dolphin Watching
In the afternoon, you have the option to go whale and dolphin watching. Whales and dolphins can be seen in the waters around Madeira all year, but the best time to see them is from April through September.
Whale and dolphin watching tours typically leave from Funchal and take several hours to half of a day. This Eco Catamaran tour is one of the most popular options and this all-inclusive tour gets near perfect reviews.
Putting This All Together
To plan your Madeira itinerary, take your pick from the daily itineraries listed above. For example, if you have 5 days in Madeira, pick your five favorite daily itineraries.
Of course, some of the best days are those with no plans at all. It’s great to mix in days of rest and relaxation, whether you plan to spend that day at the beach or at a resort, with the busier days listed above.
If it is your first time in Madeira, we recommend spending a day in Funchal (Day #1), doing a hike (Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo/Day #2 or Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço/Day #4), and spending a day visiting an area of Madeira (Day #5 Northwest Madeira or Day #8 Cabo Girão and Camara dos Lobos).
Here is a recap of the daily itineraries listed above:
- Day #1: Explore Funchal & Monte
- Day #2: Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike
- Day #3: Pico do Arieiro sunrise and sights on northeastern Madeira
- Day #4: Vereda da Ponta de Lourenço hike & beach time
- Day #5: Northwest Madeira: Achadas da Cruz, Porto Moniz & Seixal
- Day #6: 26 Fontes Hike, Fanal & Paul da Serra
- Day #7: East Coast: Vereda do Larano hike and Santana Houses
- Day #8: Southern Coast: Cabo Girão, Camara de Lobos & whale watching
If you have any questions on how to modify this itinerary or how to pick out the best daily itineraries for your travel style, let us know in the comment section at the end of this guide and we’d love to help!
Where to Stay in Madeira
When choosing where to stay in Madeira, there are two very important factors to consider: the location on the island and the property type.
The location has a huge impact on how much driving you will do and whether or not you need to rent a car.
Once you decide where to stay, you can then pick the best property type for your travel style, whether that is a large resort with lots of amenities, a smaller boutique property, an apartment, or a budget hotel.
Where to Stay in Madeira: Best Locations & Hotels
In this guide, we cover the best locations to stay on the island and property type, with recommendations for all budgets.Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit Madeira?
The best to visit Madeira is from spring into early summer (April through early June) and early to mid-autumn (mid-September through October). July and August are peak months to visit Madeira. The weather is beautiful at this time, warm and sunny with little rainfall, but crowds on the island and on the trails are enormous during these months. Spring and fall are cooler and there is a bigger threat of rain, but there will be fewer people on the trails, making this a more enjoyable time to go hiking. Winter temperatures remain rather mild, so Madeira is a great destination all year, just be aware that the weather can be the wettest during the winter months.
What are the top things to do in Madeira?
Hike one of Madeira’s top trails (Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço, and Levada do Caldeirão Verde), visit Funchal, ride the cable car to Monte to visit the botanical gardens, ride a traditional wicker toboggan sled, see the Santana houses, go for a scenic drive, ride a cable car to the beach, go wine tasting, and watching the sunrise on Pico do Arieiro are all must-have experiences in Madeira.
Do you need a car in Madeira?
Having a rental car allows you to explore the island on your own schedule, without having to figure out bus schedules or renting a taxi. It’s the best way to get around the island, but driving and parking in Madeira can be challenging, especially in the summer, when crowds are at their highest levels and the roads become very congested. If you don’t feel confident in your driving skills (you must be able to drive hilly, narrow roads and parallel park on a hill), do not rent a car. Instead, hire a driver for the day or take a tour.
If you have any questions about how to plan your Madeira itinerary, let us know in the comment section below.
More Information for Your Trip to Madeira & Portugal
We have TONS more information about Portugal in our Portugal Travel Guide, including Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, the Algarve, the Douro Valley, and Madeira.
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