7 Days on Madeira Island

The Cristiano Ronaldo airport (Madeira International Airport) is the only one on the island, so you’ll fly in here. Keep in mind that this is a very difficult place for planes to land due to the climate, so it’s possible that your plane will need to make multiple attempts before landing! It can get a little freaky, but it’s worth it to arrive in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Make sure your flight arrives early in the morning so you have a full day of exploring ahead of you!

After arriving, rent a car and check-in at Castanheiro Botique Hotel. This hotel is located right in the center of downtown Funchal and, conveniently, is very close to various popular activities. It has all the amenities you could want including a rooftop pool with panoramic views, a spa, fitness center, lounges, restaurants and it even offers free breakfast. Check-in, relax for a bit and get ready to explore.

Since you’ll probably be hungry after flying and checking-in, grab an early lunch at Santa Maria Restaurant on Rua de Santa Maria. This narrow road, which is lined with shops, exhibits and cafes, is famous for being one of the oldest streets in the art district of Funchal. Nearly every door is hand-painted with a beautiful image completed by both local and global artists. The restaurant is located on one of the prettiest parts of the street. Enjoy lively outdoor seating and order ‘Black Scabbardfish with Banana’ - a Madeiran deep-sea delicacy that you have to try at least once. I had it multiple times while in Funchal, and this restaurant served one of my favorites!

After lunch, ride the cable cars located on Avenida do Mar up to Monte, enjoying panoramic views of Funchal along the way. The ride takes around 20 minutes and costs €12.50 per adult for a one-way ticket.

After getting off the cable cars at the top you’ll be in Monte, directly next to the Monte Palace Botanical Gardens. This paradise costs €15.00 per adult to enter and will take you around 1.5-2 hours to explore since it’s huge! There are statues, ponds, various tropical flora, real flamingos, and beautiful ocean views. On the far end of the gardens there is a small bar where I recommend grabbing some poncha. Poncha is a traditional Madeiran alcoholic drink made from aguardente de cana, honey, sugar, and either orange juice or lemon juice. It’s sweet and tangy and so delicious. Sit in their outdoor seating to rest your feet and enjoy the views!

After exploring the botanical gardens and enjoying the views, it’s time to take the most famous mode of transportation in Madeira to get back to downtown Funchal - toboggans! While sitting on a wicker sledge two men who operate the sledges, called “Carrieros”, will steer you down the steep roads for 2km. It is such a fun and unique way to get back towards the city center! From there you can walk the rest of the way into the city. They cost €27.50 for one person, €35 for two and €52.50 for three, and they only accept cash payment so make sure to have some handy when you arrive!

In the evening, visit this rooftop bar with panoramic views of the city which is so beautiful at night. The drinks were good and there was live music!

Start your morning by heading to this cute coffee & pastry spot on the main road in Funchal - the road is called ‘Avenida do Mar’ and it runs along the coastline. The cafe has delicious pastel de nata which is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

After breakfast, you’ll be right across the street from the SAM bus stop. Take bus #113 at 8am, staying on until the final stop in Caniçal where you’ll begin an incredible hike. Make sure to bring lots of water and have your cash ready to pay for your ticket, which only costs around €3.50 per person for a one way ride.

After 1.5 hours you’ll be dropped off by the bus directly in front of the hikes starting point. The trail, located on the easternmost tip of the island, is 3km out and 3km back (totaling 6km). It takes between 2.5-3 hours to complete and is moderate difficulty. This part of the island has a semi-arid climate so it’s bare with minimal vegetation, but it has stunning panoramic coastal views throughout the whole hike. Keep in mind the wind here can get pretty strong, so wear sunscreen even if you don’t feel like it’s necessary! I got pretty sunburned because the wind made it hard to feel how hot the sun was on my face. There’s a few beaches along the way that you can veer off the trail to go for a swim at. It’s very refreshing - just make sure you remember a bathing suit & towel, and don’t miss the last bus back to Funchal. There’s a food/drink truck and a porta-potty, both of which are cash only. The porta-potty only costs €0.50, just have change if you plan to use it. After the first 3km of the hike before turning back you’ll come across a cafe with scenic outdoor seating and a bathroom for paying customers.

After a long morning of hiking, you’ll finally be back in Funchal by mid-afternoon. To have a relaxing rest of your day visit São Tiago beach - a small concrete & pebble beach in front of the beautiful yellow Fort of Saõ Tiago. There’s a small beach bar with refreshing drinks and snacks.

Located right behind the beach inside the fort’s courtyard is a lovely restaurant with delicious food and cocktails. Grab a table next to one of the little windows in the walls of the fort for an ocean view and salty breezes! It’s the perfect way to end your day and fill your stomach.

In the morning, you’ll drive to the Cabo Girão Skywalk. It’s an observation deck in Câmara de Lobos, about a 40 minute drive from your hotel in Funchal. The views are so incredible and it has a section of glass flooring that you can walk over, looking down at the 580m drop below you. This spot is definitely one of the best viewpoints in Madeira. It only costs €2 to enter and has plenty of parking!

After the skywalk, continue down the coast for about another 40 minutes to arrive at Ponta do Sol beach. Ponta do Sol is a beautiful little village on the coast and is the perfect place to snorkel. There are some umbrellas for rent but since you won’t be getting there early in the morning, chances are that most of them will be taken as they’re in short supply. Don’t worry though - the water here is cold and calm so you can take a swim whenever you’re too hot!

For the best sunset, grab dinner and drinks at Sol Poente. Definitely try their nikita - a sweet tropical Madeiran drink made from rum, pineapple, ice cream and either beer or wine! It sounds a little weird to combine those flavors, but it’s surprisingly delicious and a must-try drink on the island. This restaurant overlooks the beach and has a balcony with a great atmosphere, especially in the summer. After eating, drinking (unless you’re driving), and enjoying the sunset, head back to your hotel in Funchal for an early sleep.

Wake up super early on day 4 and head to the start of what is arguably Madeira Islands top hike. It’s called PR1, and goes from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. Known for breathtaking sunrises, get to Pico do Arieiro by 6am, watch the sun rise and then begin hiking to Pico Ruivo which will take between 4-5 hours. The views were absolutely beautiful for the entire hike. While you can drive yourself there, it’s not recommended. It’s a bit difficult to figure out parking as it’s a one way trail and you would end up a 5 hour walk away from your car. Ride shares (such as Bolt) are also not available there to take you to your car. Plus, parking is honestly very chaotic over at Pico do Arieiro. I opted to book a transfer with ‘Pico Transfers’. This company picks you up at your hotel in Funchal at 5:30am, drops you off at Pico do Arieiro and picks you up after your hike at Pico Ruivo. They then drop you back off at your hotel! It was very easy and only costs €35.

After hiking you’ll have returned back to Funchal in time to check-out of your hotel. Pack your things and transfer them to this hotel in Seixal on the other side of the island. Seixal is a small village with only around 580 inhabitants. It’s a very short distance to most activities on this side, and the hotel again has free breakfast that includes local specialties, pastries and fruits. It’s such a charming hotel and my favorite part was that it was in walking distance to one of the most popular and instagrammable beaches on the island called Seixal beach. You can actually see the top of the hotel from the beach. Since you woke up so early and completed a pretty difficult hike, you’ll probably want to hop into bed shortly after arriving to rest up & get your energy back.

A very short walk from the hotel, visit Seixal Beach at sunrise. It’s a black sand beach with a small waterfall and is surrounded by lush green mountains. This beach is mainly what makes people consider Madeira Island to be the ‘Hawaii of Europe’ as it’s nestled so beautifully between the high cliffs and the sea. It’s truly a paradise, so spend a few hours soaking in the morning sun, swimming and taking photos!

Just a 15 minute drive from Seixal are the natural pools of Porto Moniz which is your next stop of the day. The pools are formed by volcanic rocks and are naturally filled with clear sea water. There are two sections of natural pools, one of which is free and the other only costs €3 to get in. I went to the €3 side since it has changing rooms, lockers, a small cafe and bathrooms while the free side does not. The water is freezing cold but you have to swim in it at least once! It is truly so picturesque and the water appears turquoise in the sunlight.

Located just behind the natural pools is this seafood restaurant. Since Madeira is very much a fishing island, the seafood is always very fresh and that includes the fish at this restaurant. I got the black scabbardfish with banana and it was really good, cooked perfectly with lots of flavor! This is a great casual lunch spot after swimming and sunbathing.

Last up for the day, you’ll drive for 22 minutes from Porto Moniz to get to the Fanal Forest. It has hiking trails that you can follow, or you can just enter and explore for a bit rather than completing a full hike. When I went it was very misty and turned the whole forest into a picturesque fairytale. There are hundreds of ancient trees and beautiful evergreen meadows that cover the area. If you do choose to complete the hike it’ll take around 4 hours and is of moderate difficulty. Remember, if it’s a cloudy/rainy day the scenery is going to be so much better, so don’t feel down about the weather if it’s not sunny!

In the morning, head for yet another beautiful hike that’s about a 1hr drive from Seixal. This one has a 100m high waterfall waiting for you at the end! It’s about an hours drive from Seixal and there is ample parking. The trail is 6km out and 6km back but is very easy as there is almost no incline throughout the trail. It’ll take 4 hours to complete, and you’ll hit the waterfall at the 2 hour point before turning around and heading back! This trail is a vibrant green paradise, which makes sense as it’s name literally translates to “The Green Cauldron”. You’ll go through quite a few tunnels as the trail flows through the mountains, so make sure you either have a fully charged phone with a flashlight on it or bring a headlamp. Look up as much as you look down when walking in the tunnels since some are rather low and you could hit your head!

Since you’ll already be in Santana after the hike, drive for about 10 minutes into the center to see the traditional Santana houses. They’re famous for their historical significance and thatched roofs that are often made of straw or reeds. This area has multiple houses in a row, some of which you can actually walk into! It’s very cool to see, especially knowing the people of Santana used to live in those homes. Now they are an iconic landmark of Madeira! It’s also free to explore which is a plus. Walk around the surrounding area when you’re done as it’s so beautiful.

If you’re looking for some other things to do in Santana before heading back to your hotel in Seixal, there are multiple really beautiful viewpoints that you can walk to from the center. The walk is long but really nice and it allows you to explore Santana more. My favorite viewpoint was Miradouro de Santo António but there are so many options! I met a cute dog on my way here who walked me all the way to the viewpoint and I saw many goats along the way.

In the morning, check-out of your hotel and head back to Funchal since your flight home is today! Funchal will be just about 1hr 16min from Seixal. When you arrive in Funchal walk around a little, grab some food, enjoy your last few hours in the city and then head to the airport which is about a 40 minute drive from the downtown area of Funchal.

This airport is pretty small so you don’t have to arrive too early. It was never very busy when I arrived on and left the island. I hope you had a nice trip!!