Returning to Madeira has been on my to-do list for a really long time. In fact, it’s been 14 years since I went there last time. Back in 2010, the island stunned me with its amazing beauty, rugged coastline, and amazing curvy roads. Finally, the time has come to revisit the places I’ve been missing for so long. Back in the day, it was an organized tour, so most of the activities were pre-decided for me. This time we took a rental car and tried a real DIY approach – our own Perfect 5-day Maderia itinerary, random restaurants, and activities. More of all that is below.
Perfect 5-day Maderia itinerary – our plan
Despite Madeira having lots of activities and places of interest, this time we decided to dedicate just 5 days to the island and try to see as much as we could, considering our physical shape and and interests. All the hikes we did were rather simple and easy to do even for people who are not so fit. Here is a plan we had in mind when booking our flights and hotels:
Day 1 – Machico & Funchal
Day 2 – Pico do Arieiro & Ribeiro Frio
Day 4 – 25 Fontes hike & Levada do Risco
Day 5 – Porto Moniz & Santana
Although some of these places can be reached by public transport, we strongly recommend renting a car or using a taxi / Bolt. This will save you lots of time and energy! In terms of driving in Madeira – I will write about it later in the post – it is a bit tricky if you are not used to a manual gearbox and hilly landscapes, but generally, it is manageable even for ladies.
How to reach Madeira?
Madeira is a rather small Portuguese island located a few hundred kilometers off the coast of Morocco. Flight time from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is around 1,5 hours. With numerous direct flights every day, you won’t have a problem finding a good deal. Also, its easy to combine a quick visit to Madeira with your Lisbon and Algarve visit. Our return flights from Lisbon with TAP Portugal Air cost us around 60 Euros each. Nowadays there are also many direct flights from major European cities, but those flights may be seasonal.
Funchal, the capital and largest town in Madeira, has one of the scariest airports in the world. You might have seen videos on the internet with airplanes struggling to land here due to strong side winds and a rather short runway. Well, it depends on how lucky you are with the weather. Our flight landed smoothly and didn’t differ much from what you would normally expect at any other airport. However, during my last visit, we did have a situation where our plane had to make a second attempt at landing. In general, I would rather prefer flying with a local airline due to pilots having more experience with this airport.
Where to stay in Madeira for a Perfect 5-day Maderia itinerary
During our latest trip, we stayed in 2 different hotels. On the day of arrival, our flight landed just after midnight. As Funchal is about a 40-minute drive away, we decided to stay somewhere closer to the airport. A small town Machico lies perfectly nearby, just around a 4 km and 5 minute drive. The taxi cost us only 8 Euros. The hotel we chose is called Dom Pedro Madeira 4* and it’s a great place to stay – be it for just one night like we did or for the whole week. Our room was overlooking the beach and the bay, we could fall asleep to the sound of waves on the beach. It was amazing! In the morning we were treated to a very tasty breakfast. I highly recommend this hotel!
For the rest of the nights in Madeira, we decided to stay closer to Funchal, in the area called São Martinho. This is a touristy area with lots of hotels, restaurants and shops. Our hotel was called Dorisol Estrelicia 3* – a solid 3-star hotel with nice large rooms, available parking (for a fee), evening entertainment, and both indoor and outdoor pools. Breakfast was a bit basic but enough to fill us with energy for a few hours. The best thing about the location of this hotel was that it is within walking distance from Funchal – it took us around 40 minutes to reach the central market. One thing to note about accommodation in Madeira – no matter what price you are quoted, there is a tourist tax to be paid in cash – 4 Euros per person per night.
How to rent a car in Madeira
Although getting around Madeira is possible by public transport, we decided to rent a car and have the freedom to explore the island at our own pace. The company I chose is called Five Rent a Car. Disclaimer – I’m not being paid for promoting them, I just sincerely liked the service and the car. They were kind enough to bring the car to our hotel in Machico and as we dropped the car at their office, gave us a ride to the airport. The car was almost new, small but powerful, and definitely good enough for the mountain roads.
Always check the car before accepting it – most cars in Southern Europe have small dents, that is okay but just make sure you take photos or video of them beforehand, so you can prove you didn’t cause any damage. The company we rented from didn’t require a credit card from us – they only booked a 100€ deposit which was returned without issues a couple of days after our rental contract ended.
What to eat in Madeira – must try food!
Where do I begin? Thanks to its location Madeira is surrounded by waters full of all kinds of fish and sea creatures! Tuna, black scabbardfish, sea bream, grouper, mackerel, trout, and bluejack mackerel are just a few examples. We tried both tuna and black scabbardfish as well as king prawns – everything was amazing! Our favorite meal during this holiday was “Espada com banana” – prepared with black scabbardfish (Espada) and banana.
The other amazing food we tried was traditional local bread called Bolo do Caco – stovetop pan-baked flatbread served warm with garlic butter.
After one of the hikes, we ended up at a small restaurant for locals with no menu – buffet-style home food with very affordable prices and huge portions! The place is called Refeições do Sol located in Ponta do Sol. They even allow multiple different sides in one portion making it easy to try everything in one go. The meat as well as fish and sweet potatoes are delicious!
Last but not least – you should try Madeira wine! This unique wine has a distinctively rich and complex flavor. We particularly liked sweet wine that can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with a piece of cake.
Things to do in Machico and Funchal
The first thing we did in Machico was (of course) go to the amazing yellow sand beach -the prettiest and one of the few beautiful beaches in Madeira. As this is a volcanic island, there aren’t too many beaches here, most of the coastline is rocky and rugged. If you are looking for some relaxing time on the sandy beach, Machico is a place for you!
As the sun and sea holiday is not exactly our kind of holiday type, we headed uphill to the Miradouro do Pico do Facho – a fantastic viewpoint overlooking both Machico and Funchal International Airport. This is a great spot for observing airplanes landing and taking off, especially during windy days (remember the struggle!).
Our next destination was Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço. Even though we didn’t have time for a full hike, the views from the parking were spectacular with many great photo opportunities. The parking was full, so if you are thinking of doing this hike during your trip, make sure to arrive early! The same goes for all famous hiking trails in Madeira.
After checking in to our hotel, we decided to take a long walk to Funchal city center and visit the famous market. The trip was around 4-5km and took us under an hour. We passed a nice promenade, the Cristiano Ronaldo museum, and a monument in his honor, Funchal Marina, and finally arrived at the central market just before closing hours. The market is spectacular and worth a visit for the vibe and all the exotic fruits and flowers. Beware that the fruits are more expensive here compared to supermarket prices.
If you only have limited time to spend in Funchal, I would strongly recommend taking the Funchal Cable Car all the way to Monte. The ride takes around 12 minutes and you can enjoy amazing views along the way. Once you reach the upper station, you can enjoy a beautiful botanical garden and impressive views of Funchal and the ocean. A cool idea is trying the famous Carreiros do Monte – a basket/sled ride downhill accompanied by two handsome locals handling the brakes. All you have to do is enjoy the ride!
Pico do Arieiro and Ribeiro Frio
On the second day in Madeira, we decided to take a closer look at the island and its mountains. Pico do Arieiro is one of the highest peaks as well as the starting point of a long and beautiful hike to Pico do Ruivo. The hike takes 4-5 hours to complete one way. We arrived at Pico do Areiro way too late and didn’t realize the parking was located way lower than the visitor center and the starting point of the hike. We ended up parking our car at the upper parking lot which is meant for 1-hour parking (quick visits). That was still enough to take some nice photos, have a quick walk, and enjoy a tasty coffee at the local cafe. The terrain here is rocky, so be ready to wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes if you plan to do this hike. As the weather changes quickly in the mountains, wind and waterproof clothes are a must!
On the way back to Funchal we made a stop at a small town called Ribeiro Frio. The town is famous for its Indigenous Laurissilva forest and a beautiful hiking trail Vereda dos Balcões. The walk was rather easy and took us around an hour on flat land. Once you reach the end, there is a cool viewpoint with the possibility to feed small birds, have a quick snack, and enjoy the view.
Levada do Moinho, Cabo Girão Skywalk and Fanal Forest
As we didn’t manage to do a proper hike the day before, this time we woke up early and headed to Pinta do Sol, the starting point of Levada do Moinho. This hiking trail is not as famous as other ones, but nonetheless very interesting and even somewhat challenging. It starts near the Igreja da Lombada church and goes along a hillside into the mountains. You will see how Levadas (canals) work as you progress. There will also be a nice resting place with a small waterfall.
At the end of the trail, you need to climb some steep stairs and take the upper route back to the parking. Sadly, we misunderstood the routing and therefore came back the same way, hence missing the best attraction of this hike – the waterfall. The upper route is missing railings and is not recommended for someone afraid of heights. Also, it was a rather long walk, it took us around 2 hours one way.
Not too far from the Levada lies another famous sightseeing of Maderia – Cabo Girão Skywalk. This glass walkway offers incredible views of the Madeira coastline. The vertical drop of 500 meters can easily make you dissy and nervous. Luckily, the glass floor is dotted and not that scary to stand on. Highly recommend visiting this place, especially in sunny weather!
To make the most out of this day we headed north towards the famous Fanal Forest – the ancient laurel grove. Apparently, this forest dates back thousands of years and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is best visited during cloudy and misty weather, as that makes all the trees look mysterious and almost magical! We enjoyed a little walk around the trees and even spotted some local cows along the way.
25 Fontes hike & Levada do Risco
The highlight of our trip and the best hike was the famous 25 waterfall hike! Piece of advice – arrive here early in the morning to secure a parking spot. The parking lot is quite big but fills up very quickly! Once you have parked, there is a 2 km walk down the road to the base camp and the starting point of the hike. You will find restaurants, bathrooms, and a local community center.
The hike to the waterfalls goes downhill and eventually flattens out. It’s around a 4km hike one way. Once you reach the waterfalls, take time to enjoy the place and the view. Sadly, it was quite crowded when we visited it and therefore it was hard to take good photos. Some brave hikers went for a swim, but I imagine the water must be freezing there!
On the way back up, be ready to climb some steep stairs. Right before you reach the base camp, there is a small detour to Risco waterfall that I strongly recommend doing. Risco waterfall is 100m high and a very impressive waterfall. Unlike the other ones, this waterfall is not that crowded and in my opinion is much more beautiful!
One of the best parts of this hiking trail is the opportunity to use a shuttle bus back up to the parking lot. On the day when we visited, it was raining, so taking a bus was a great idea. As of 2024, the ticket cost us 5€ per person.
Porto Moniz & Santana
On the last day in Madeira, we decided to take a break from hiking and explore the island some more with our nice little rental car. The first destination was Porto Moniz – a coastal town in the North-western part of the island. This tiny town is famous for its dramatic lava rocks and natural swimming pools. However, beware that swimming in those pools may not be safe. The best way to enjoy the salty ocean waters is by visiting official outdoor swimming pools as long as they are open and swimming is safe. You may find information beforehand on their website.
We enjoyed a short walk in this beautiful town and continued our journey along the northern coast to Santana village. This small local village is unique due to the many traditional houses that can be seen here. If you are short on time, one of the ways to learn about Madeira and its culture is through visiting Parque Temático da Madeira – an open-air museum or theme park featuring the famous parts of Madeira. We did enjoy it but went through quite quickly as we were running out of time.
As our time in Madeira was coming to an end, we waived our last goodbyes while enjoying the perfect view at the airport’s open-air terrace overlooking the runway, landing airplanes, and the mountains.
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