First Trip to Madeira: 14 Things to Know Before You Go

If you are planning your first trip to Madeira, there are several very important things to know before you go.

Madeira is a very popular tourist destination and with that, crowds can be huge. Driving around the island can be challenging, parking can be almost impossible at some sites, and where you choose to stay can have a big impact on your overall experience.

We spent 10 days in Madeira in July 2024 and have a lot of helpful information to share with you. This article focuses quite a bit on driving and parking, to help you set your expectations and determine if you should rent a car while you are here. It’s one of the biggest factors to consider when planning your trip and your overall enjoyment while on the island.

In addition to driving, we will also share you many other tips for Madeira, from the best time to plan your trip, how long you should spend here, and how to plan an itinerary.

In this guide, we hope to answer any questions you may have about how to visit Madeira, and maybe answer some questions you didn’t even know you had. If we missed something, feel free to ask us in the comment section at the end of this article.

Table of Contents

Tips for Your First Visit to Madeira

Orientation to Madeira

Madeira is an archipelago that is located about 500 kilometers west of Morocco. It is one of two island regions of Portugal, the other being the Azores.

Madeira is made up of several islands: Madeira (the largest island), Porto Santo, the Savage Islands, and the Desertas Islands. Most visitors will spend all of their time on Madeira, but you can day trip or spend several days on Porto Santo.

Funchal is the capital city of Madeira. It sits on the south coast of the island and makes a terrific place to stay, as it is filled with hotels and restaurants and has a handy location for exploring the remainder of the island. Learn more in our article Best Things to Do in Funchal.

Madeira is very mountainous. Its tallest peak is Pico Ruivo, which is 1,862 meters (6,109 feet) tall. Hiking to the top of this peak is one of the top things to do in Madeira, as is driving through its mountainous interior.

The north side of Madeira tends to be wetter and very lush. The south side of the island tends to be drier and sunnier. Beaches are few and far between. There are a few small, sandy beaches (which become packed midday) so don’t expect long stretches of golden sand like you see on mainland Portugal.

How to Use This Map: 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.

Madeira Botanical Garden

Things to Do in Madeira

Madeira offers something for everyone.

The mountains and coastlines create the perfect spots to go hiking, which is worth doing at least once while in Madeira (pick out your favorites in our Best Hikes in Madeira guide). The mountainous roads and quaint towns are fun to explore by car.

Tasting Madeira wine and dining on fish fresh from the sea were some of our favorite experiences.

There are also natural pools to visit, cable cars that take visitors down to remote beaches, and the city of Funchal to explore.

We cover the full list of things to do in our article Best Things to Do in Madeira ↓

Best of Madeira

Madeira Bucket List: 30 Best Things to Do in Madeira

Here are 30 things to do in Madeira, from cable car rides to the best beaches and hiking trails.

How Many Days Do You Need in Madeira?

Ideally, plan on spending at least one week in Madeira. It may look small on a map but there is a lot to do here, especially if you enjoy hiking. One week gives you enough time to get in some hikes and sightseeing as well as get some rest and relaxation time on a beach or at a resort.

Some people visit Madeira on a very quick visit, in just 2 to 3 days, but you will have to be extremely selective in what you choose to do.

On the other end of the spectrum, it is also not at all unusual to spend more than a week on Madeira, for visits of 10 to 14 days. We spent 10 days in Madeira and only had one day of downtime at the resort, filling our other days with hikes, wine tastings, beach time, swimming, cable car rides, and exploring Funchal.

Madeira Itinerary

Madeira Itinerary: How to Plan a Dream Trip to Madeira, Portugal

Get suggestions on how to plan your time in Madeira, whether you have just a few days or a week or longer.

When is the Best Time to Visit Madeira?

Madeira is a year-round destination. It remains rather warm and sunny all year, making it a great place to escape the cold, gray, snowy days of winter.

The busiest times to visit Madeira are July and August and between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. If you are planning a trip during these times, expect extremely crowded hiking trails, restaurants, and beaches, with higher prices for flights and hotels.

Our visit was the second two weeks of July 2024. We expected large crowds but were shocked at the number of tourists on the roads and at the beaches. Getting around Madeira was slow and frustrating (we’ll get to this soon on the driving section of this guide) and parking was a nightmare. If you can visit Madeira outside of July and August, do it. Not only will it be a little bit cooler, but crowds will be more manageable. Taking weather and crowds into account, I would plan a return trip in May.

The crowds on the Pico Ruivo (PR1) Trail in July

Here is an overview of the weather throughout the year.

WINTER: Winter is the coolest, wettest time to visit Madeira. The average high temperature is 20°C (68°F) although it can get over 25°C (78°F) on warmer than average days. December tends to be the wettest month of the year, but even so, there will be plenty of sunny days in the mix. If you don’t mind the threat of rain, and the possibility of clouds on the highest peaks, January and February is a great time to visit Madeira.

SPRING: In the spring, temperatures increase and rainfall chances diminish. By May, the average high temperature is 23°C (74°F) and rainfall is rather low. If you plan to go hiking in the mountains or drive the high mountain roads, be aware that clouds can linger at the higher altitudes, so plan to journey into the mountains on the clearest days of your visit to Madeira.

SUMMER: Summer is the warmest time to visit Madeira, but it may not get as hot as you might expect. In July and August, the average high temperature is 26°F (80°F), with low temperatures of 20°C (68°F). Rainfall is almost nonexistent and sunny skies predominate, even in the mountains. This is almost exactly what we experienced. Our first two days were the warmest, with a high temperature of 29°F (85°F) and then every day beyond that, it was 20°C every day. However, it is possible for Madeira to briefly experience very hot temperatures during a heat wave, getting up to 38°C (100°F).

FALL: Fall brings cooler temperatures and more rain and clouds, similar to spring. Mid-September to mid-October is another good time to visit Madeira, just be prepared for some rain showers and clouds on the mountain peaks.

25 Fontes

How to Get to 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.

What is It Like to Drive in Madeira?

Here we go. This is one of the most important things to know, especially if it is your first time 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.

There are a crazy number of bridges and tunnels that eliminate some of the larger hill climbs. The main highway cuts across the south side of the island but even this has its fair share of steep gradients and steep curves.

We have driven on hilly, mountainous roads around the world, and Madeira has some of the steepest roads we have ever seen (even including Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, which holds the world record for the steepest road in the world…which left us wondering, is the Guinness Book of World Records aware of some of these roads in Madeira?).

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.

Madeira is relatively small in size, but with its winding, narrow roads and traffic, it can take quite a while to drive from one end of the island to the other.

And finally, if you suffer from motion sickness, pack your Dramamine as there is no real way to avoid driving these winding roads.

Parking in Madeira

Parking in Madeira can be a nightmare.

The parking lots are very small, at least for the number of people that plan to visit these sites. Once the parking lot fills up, cars park along the road, taking up one of the two lanes of the road, which then creates gridlocked traffic jams.

If you plan to visit a popular hike, natural pool, or cable car, it is best to arrive early in the day to get a parking spot in the parking lot. If you end up parking on the road, be aware that most likely you will be parking on a hill (and possibly a very steep one), so you will need to be able to parallel park on a hill.

We were frequently up at dawn, to get a parking space in a lot, rather than street parking. The hiking trails are just as crowded as the roads, so it really helps to get an early start.

Some parking lots are free and others have a small fee. The ones that charge a fee either take a credit card or cash, so it is best to carry both with you.

If you arrive mid-morning for a hike, cable car, etc. you could end up parking as much as 1 kilometer from the site you are visiting…it gets that busy. In our hiking posts, we provide the times we recommend arriving, to avoid adding on additional distance (and most likely another hill climb) onto your hike.

Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço. This is an extremely popular hiking trail and a place where it is a very good idea to get an early start.

Should You Rent a Car in Madeira?

With all of that being said, should you rent a car in Madeira?

Despite the challenging roads and limited parking, 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, take a tour, or use public transportation.

There are numerous tours of Madeira that cover your transportation, like this tour of the highlights of the island or this private Jeep tour.

If you prefer to hire a private driver or taxi for the day, this costs roughly €250 to €300 for a full day, depending on where you plan to go. There is no Uber in Madeira but there is Bolt.

If you do not have a lot of experience driving a manual vehicle, rent an automatic car. There will be many times that you will be stopped on a hill, with a car right behind you, and you need to be able to go from a stationary position into first gear. There’s a very good chance that you will have to parallel park on a hill at some point during your trip, which is also more challenging in a manual vehicle.

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Beaches in Madeira

This is another important thing to know before visiting Madeira…there are very few sandy beaches in Madeira.

Rather than being lined with golden sandy beaches, like most of mainland Portugal, the coastline of Madeira is rocky. There are secluded coves with a small beach, which can be sandy or pebbled.

Seixal Black Sand Beach

These sandy beaches are few and far between. They tend to get extremely crowded in the summer months (and parking can be very challenging as well). Some of the best places to claim some real estate on the sand include Praia da Calheta, Prainha do Caniçal, and the Seixal Black Sand Beach.

Porto Moniz Natural Pools

There are also a few natural swimming pools on Madeira. The most famous of these is in Porto Moniz but there is also a natural pool near Câmara de Lobos (Doca do Cavacas Natural Pools).

If you want to get in some beach time but don’t want to deal with the crowds, consider booking a resort that has a beach.

Saccharum Resort & Spa

Where is the Best Place to Stay in Madeira?

When choosing where to stay in Madeira, there are two important factors to consider. #1 is location. Where you stay on the island will have a big impact on your overall experience, including how much time you will spend in a car. Once you pick your location, then you have to decide if you want to stay in a resort, a smaller boutique property, an apartment, or a budget hotel.

We have a detailed guide that covers exactly how to pick out the perfect location and hotel ↓

Madeira Hotel Guide

Where to Stay in Madeira 2025: The Ultimate Hotel Guide

Best places to stay in Madeira, organized by location and budget.

If you want to skip the guide, we stayed at the Saccharum Resort & Spa in Calheta, which has multiple pools and onsite restaurants, as well as a protected cove and beach for swimming.

SIM Cards for Madeira

We now use Airalo to stay connected when we travel.

Airalo sells eSIMs for countries around the world. For our trip to mainland Portugal and Madeira, we purchased the Eurolink eSIM, which covers most of Europe, including Madeira. These eSIMs can be purchased in advance, so there is no need to visit a local phone shop.

We have also used Airalo in Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain, the UK, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Australia and it has worked brilliantly.

Is Madeira Worth It?

With its mountainous interior, dramatic coastlines, coastal and mountain hiking trails, natural swimming pools, quaint towns, botanical gardens, seafood restaurants, resorts, and wine tasting, there is something here for everyone.

For those who want a mix of beach time and hiking, Madeira is fantastic destination. Throw in some wine tastings and fresh seafood and you have the perfect ingredients for an active, adventurous vacation.

Madeira can be extremely crowded in July and August, which takes away from some of the enjoyment, but it is a fantastic place to visit in the spring and fall months, when the weather is warm and crowds are lower.

Our visit was in July. We knew to expect big crowds but we were amazed at how difficult it was to find parking and just how extremely crowded the hiking trails and beaches were. If summer works best for your schedule, June is slightly less crowded. But if you have flexibility on when to plan your trip, May and mid-September into mid-October are fantastic times to visit Madeira. It’s warm enough that you can swim and hike but not super crowded.

Northeast coast of Madeira

Tours of Madeira

Taking a tour of Madeira is perfect for those who don’t want to rent a car to get around the island, to go whale watching, or to go for a cruise on the Atlantic Ocean.

Go dolphin and whale watching on an Eco-catamaran or take a luxury whale and dolphin watching tour.

Take a guided tour of the northwest end of Madeira, visiting the Fanal Forest and the natural pools in Porto Moniz. This is one of the most popular tours in Madeira.

The sunrise hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo is one of the best things to do in Madeira. This guided hike covers your transportation (driving here and parking can be challenging).

You can also take a food and wine tour, learn how to scuba dive, or go on a cruise on a replica of Christopher Columbus’ ship the Santa Maria.

Tours of Madeira

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If you have any questions about how to plan your first trip to Madeira or have any additional Madeira tips to add, 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.