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2025 Madeira Travel Guide
- petermorley200
- May 26
- 26 min read
Updated: May 27
Contents
1. Introduction
We had been wanting to visit Madeira for some time as we had heard good reports about the island and in particular the great hikes.
We would have liked to have visited Madeira during the winter months so we could escape some of the UK's bad weather. Unfortunately in winter Madeira is often wet and is more mild than hot. We therefore visited in the second half of April 2025 and stayed in a very nice 2 bedroom apartment in Funchal's hotel zone.
We found Madeira to be very beautiful and the people friendly. It helped that most people spoke fluent English. We really enjoyed our 2 week stay in Madeira but that was long enough.
I don't think we would go to Madeira again for the following reasons:
The hiking trails aren't the sort of trails that I enjoy. Most of the trails in Madeira are through forest and have limited views. I don't mind the odd forest hike but prefer expansive views for my efforts. See the Hiking Section for further information.
The few hikes in Madeira that appealed to me were too busy and parking was difficult.
The weather was usually fine on Madeira's south coast but overcast and cool on the north coast and in the mountainous interior of the island.
Madeira's weather isn't warm or dry enough in winter to make it a worthwhile escape from the UK's winter.
We have seen the main sights in Madeira and don't need to see them again.
We rented a car for our entire stay - see the section Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars. Some of Madeira's smaller mountainous roads were initially a bit challenging and sometimes I had to use first gear on the steep slopes. However, I soon got used to the roads and driving on the right side of the road.
Parking in Madeira's towns was usually very straight forward as there were good multi storey car parks with very reasonable rates. However, parking in mountainous areas was often very limited and congested.
2. When to Visit Madeira
We visited Madeira from 16 April to 29 April 2025 and had enough time to do everything that we wanted to. We could have made our trip a few days shorter but time wasn't of the essence.
We chose the second half of April as the rainfall in Madeira is usually less from mid April to the end of September. We were fortunate as March and early April 2025 was exceptionally wet in Madeira. May, June and September would have been a warmer time to visit Madeira but we had other travels planned for those months.
Another factor to consider when determining the timing of your visit to Madeira is cruise ships. Massive cruise ships blight many coastal cities around the world and unfortunately Funchal is no exception. It is strange that the main cruise ship season for Madeira is from October to April and cruise ships aren't a problem during the summer months.
During Madeira's peak winter cruise season up to 4 cruise ships a day berth at Funchal and there can be as many as 9,000 passengers. New year's eve seems to be the very worst day with 12 cruise ships and 22,000 passengers scheduled for 31st December 2025!
Funchal is only a small city and just one large cruise ship can crowd out the main tourist sites in Funchal. Cruise ships have the most negative impact on Funchal. Therefore do all you can to visit Funchal when there aren't any cruise ships in town.
There are several websites that show the cruise ships docking at Funchal. Cruisetimetables.com show both the vessels docking and the number of passengers.
3. Overview of Madeira's Main Sights and Activities
I felt that the main sights and activities for Madeira were:
Funchal city centre
Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, the cable car ride up and the toboggan ride down
Funchal's Botanical Gardens
The sea pools at Porto Moniz
The seafront promenade between Funchal and Camara de Lobos
The circular hike along the Levada Nova and Levada do Moinho
The Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike (Still closed at May 2025 due to land slips)
Watching the spectacular surfing at Paul do Mar
4. Funchal Town Centre
Funchal is a very pleasant small city when it isn't inundated with cruise ship passengers. Most visitors stay on the western side of Funchal in the hotel zone and walk into Funchal's city centre on the Avenida do Infante. The first place to visit is the Parque Santa Catarina which is on the south side of the Avenida do Infante.
The Avenida do Infante ends at a roundabout on the eastern edge of Parque Santa Carina. From the roundabout continue walking eastwards through the centre of Funchal along the main streets of Avenida Arriago and the Rua do Aljube.
From these 2 main city streets you can wander around and see several historical sights which are detailed below. Some of the side streets worth walking around are:
Rua da Carreira, a bustling street full of shops and restaurants.
Rua do Bispo and Rua Queimada for their shops, cafes and historic buildings.
After wandering around the western part of Funchal's city centre cross over the Levada and walk eastwards along Rua Fernao Ornelas to the market. After the market stroll along the lively, but touristy, parallel streets of Rua de Santa Maria and Rua Dom Carlos 1.
Both these streets lead to the Fortress which is at the far eastern edge of Funchal's city centre.
The specific sights to see in Funchal's city centre are:
Funchal's Gardens
There are 2 attractive and free gardens in Funchal.
The Santa Catarina Park is between the centre of Funchal and the hotel zone. It is situated on the hillside and has some beautiful plants and trees plus a good view over Funchal. There are pay toilets in the park (Eur 0.50).
The Jardim Sao Francisco is much smaller and is just north east of Santa Catarina Park. It is is packed with interesting plants and trees. There are several benches in this garden and it is a pleasant place to relax.
Palacio de Sao Lourenco in Funchal
The Palacio de Sao Lourenco was Funchal’s first fortress and was built in the 16th century. Cannons were placed only on the sea side so French pirates attacking from the land easily occupied it in 1566. The fortress was later extended into today's form.
From the 18th to 19th centuries it was the palace of the governor of the island. The palace can be visited for free on specific days and times (Mon 12.30, Tues & Wed 10.00, Thur 10.00 & 12.20, Fri 15.00). There is a limit of about 20 people who can enter. Only a few rooms are available to the public, so the whole visit would take around 30 minutes.
Inside the fortress there is also a military museum where weapons and old uniforms are exhibited.
Even if you don't visit the palace or museum it is worth walking around the exterior.
Palacio do Governo Regional in Funchal
It is possible to freely enter the courtyard of the Palacio de Governo Regional and walk around to the front of the building where the cannons stand. It was built at the end of the 17th century.
Funchal's Cathedral
There is free entry to Funchal's Cathedral which dates back to 1517. It is open:
Monday to Friday - 07.15 to 18.30
Saturday - 09.00 to 12.00 & 16.00 to 19.00
Sunday - 07.30 to 12.00 & 16.00 to 19.00
Santa Clara Convent in Funchal
The Santa Clara Convent was constructed in the late 15th century and expanded over the following 2 centuries. It was reopened in 2023 after a 5 year refurbishment by the government.
The entry fee is quite high at Eur 10 although over 65's receive a 50% reduction. We didn't think that it was worth the Eur 10 entry fee but the Tripadvisor reviews are good. The convent can be quite noisy as the nuns are running a nursery for young children.
There are a lot of notices in English providing detailed information about the convent. We found that there was far too much detail and we couldn't absorb it.
The Santa Clara Convent is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00 - 12.30 and 14.00 to 17.00. It takes about an hour to tour the convent.
Funchal's Main Square
Funchal's main square is known as the Praca do Municipio. I thought it was the nicest part of central Funchal. The square itself is very spacious and its surface consists of a striking mosaic of black and white stones.
The main square is surrounded by impressive historic buildings. On the northern side is the 17th century Igreja de Sao Joao Evangelista do Colegio (Collegiate Church) to which entry is free.
On the eastern side of the main square is the Camara Municipal (Town Hall) which occupies an 18th century palace. There are some guided tours.
On the south side of the main square is the Museum of Religious Art which is housed in a former 17th century palace for the bishop of Funchal. There are apparently some outstanding paintings on view. It's open 10.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday and 10.00 to 13.00 on Saturday.
The Market in Funchal
The best time to visit Funchal's market is on Friday or Saturday when fishermen, farmers and traders from all over Madeira come to sell their wares. We didn't visit on these days and the market was very quiet and uninteresting.
There have been warnings about high prices charged for fruit by some of the shops and stalls in the market.
The Fortress in Funchal
When we first visited the fortress we didn't think it was possible to enter the interior as it appeared to be occupied by a restaurant. However, on a subsequent visit we noticed people on the ramparts.
We therefore walked past the restaurant sign and gained free access to the interior and ramparts. It is worth entering the fortress and wandering around.
Bela 5 Snack Bar in Funchal
We ate at this restaurant twice and had very good meals there. The portions are generous, the quality is good and the prices are reasonable. It is a popular restaurant and sometimes you may to have to wait a short while for a table. All the staff were very friendly.
The restaurant receives very good reviews on Google and Tripadvisor.
5. Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, Madeira
The most popular way of getting to the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens is by cable car. The Madeira Cable Car starts from an area west of Funchal's Fortress and terminates at the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. The cable car operates from 08.45 to 17.45 and it costs Eur 14.50 one way and Eur 20 return.
We only had to queue about 10 minutes for a cable car as there were no cruise ships docked at Funchal. I have read that when cruise ships are in port the wait can be over an hour!
The Monte Palace Tropical Gardens can also be accessed by car, taxi and bus. Bus numbers 20, 21, 22 and 48 travel between Funchal and Monte. See my section Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars for a map showing the location of the bus stops in Funchal.
The Monte Palace Tropical Gardens are open from 09.00 to 18.00 every day and the entrance fee is Eur 15. We really enjoyed the gardens. However, I think they would be crowded when there are cruise ships docked in Funchal and that could spoil the experience.
The map of the gardens (see below) is displayed in several locations in the gardens. However, it is useful to have the map with you. A map can be downloaded onto a cell phone from the official website for the gardens.
From the far western side of the gardens the famous toboggans can be seen sliding down the road to Funchal.
After visiting the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens there are a number of choices:
Take a toboggan back to Funchal but be aware it doesn't take you all the way to the centre of Funchal. It costs Eur 35 for 2 people. It looked fun but it's a bit expensive. We were going to do it but they closed early as it was a holiday the following day.
Return by cable car to Funchal. If you do that it is cheaper to buy a return cable car ticket.
Take the bus back to Funchal for Eur 1.90 which is what we did. To locate the bus stop walk down to the toboggan ride office and then take the path to the right. You soon reach the road and the bus stop is on the corner. I think there are buses at least every half an hour.
There are numerous taxis queuing at the garden exit but the taxi driver quoted a very high fixed rate.
There is another cable car near Monte Palace Tropical Gardens that goes to the Madeira Botanical Gardens. It costs Eur 13.50 for the round trip. We decided to visit the Botanical Gardens on a different day and drove there. The Madeira Botanical Gardens are worth visiting but seeing 2 gardens in one day could be too much.
6. Madeira Botanical Gardens
Entrance to the Madeira Botanical Gardens costs Eur 10.00 and they are open from 09.00 to 18.00 every day.
You can get to the Madeira Botanical Gardens by car, taxi, bus or cable car:
There is a free parking area on the other side of the road from the Botanical Gardens. About 20 cars can be parked there. When we arrived the parking lot was full but cars soon left. It is a short walk up the road to the Botanical Gardens' entrance.
Bus numbers 29, 31 and 31A travel between Funchal and the Madeira Botanical Gardens. Bus number 31A seems to be the best as it stops at the Gardens' entrance gate.
There is a cable car from the Monte Palace Gardens to the Madeira Botanical Gardens. It costs Eur 10 one way and Eur 15 return.
We really enjoyed the Madeira Botanical Gardens. They aren't quite as expansive as the Monte Palace Gardens but the gardens are of a very high standard.
7. Palheiro Gardens near Funchal
The Mini Rough Guide book says "Spend the day exploring the Palheiro Gardens, the most magnificent of Madeira's splendid gardens". There are also some excellent reviews on Tripadvisor.
We therefore visited the Palheiro Gardens but were very disappointed by them. The Palheiro Gardens aren't very extensive and we only spent 45 minutes looking around. There is a large area of Camellias which would have improved our experience if they had been flowering.
The Monte Palace Gardens and Madeira Botanical Gardens are far superior to the Palheiro Gardens. That's probably why there were very few other visitors during our visit to the Palheiro Gardens!
The entry price is a very steep Eur 11 and the Palheiro Gardens are open from 09.00 to 17.00. We drove there and it took 15 minutes from Funchal's hotel zone. There is limited parking outside the entrance but there is a very large free parking area past the entrance gate.
8. Curral das Freiras (Refuge of the Nuns), Madeira
It's a 30 minute drive from Funchal to Curral das Freiras. We parked on the main street but parking was limited.
There isn't much to see at Curral das Freiras except the church and the very pleasant mountainous scenery. We were fortunate that during our visit there was an interesting Easter parade through the village.
About 30 minutes should be sufficient for wandering around the compact Curral das Freiras. A lot of tours stop here and it would probably be better to visit either early morning or from mid afternoon.
9. Eira do Serrado Viewpoint, Madeira
The Eira do Serrado viewpoint is near Curral das Freiras and it can therefore be visited on the same trip. There is a large free car park that had plenty of space when we visited in the late afternoon. It is probably a lot busier in the morning. There are some shops near the car park and one shop has pay toilets.
It is a 10 minute walk on a good path from the car park to the viewpoint overlooking Curral das Freiras.
10. Santa Cruz, Madeira
The pleasant town of Santa Cruz is only a 20 minute drive east from Funchal. Santa Cruz has a 16th century church and the main square is surrounded by restaurants. We had a good meal at the popular Taberno do Petisco.
There is a promenade along the seafront that ends near the airport runway on the north eastern edge of Santa Cruz. It is interesting to watch the planes come into land.
11. Machico, Madeira
Machico is a 25 minute drive east of Funchal. There is a very good, and reasonably priced, underground car park in the centre of town called Parking Forum Machico. There is a large supermarket above the car park and discounted parking if you shop there.
Machico is Madeira's first settlement and it's where Goncalves Zarco came ashore in 1419. Zarco ruled the south west of Madeira while Tristao Teixeira, his fellow captain, governed the north eastern half of Madeira.
The Igreja Matriz is Machico's 15th century church and a statue of Teixera stands in front of the church.
From the church it's a short walk to a small fortress on the seafront. It was built in 1706 and there is free entrance to the interior. There are are only a few cannons and a sea view to see.
Machico's main beach is stony. However, on the eastern side of Machico there is the sandy Banda Alem beach which had its sand imported from Morocco.
12. Pico do Facho Viewpoint, Madeira
It's a 30 minute drive east from Funchal to the 280 metre high Pico do Facho viewpoint. There is free parking for about 8 vehicles. It's probably best to avoid going at weekends and holidays as locals like to picnic there.
Pico do Facho looks down over Machico and has excellent views of the Sao Lourenco peninsular, the Desertas islands and the planes landing and taking off at the nearby airport.
13. Canical, Madeira
Canical isn't a very attractive town and the main reason people visit is to see the Madeira Whale Museum.
The Madeira Whale Museum is in a very impressive and spacious new building. There is free parking at the Museum which is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00. Tickets cost Eur 10 and over 65's pay Eur 8.50.
There are 2 main halls. The first hall depicts Madeira's whaling industry until whaling was banned. Automated audio guides are used in the first hall. The audio guides can be frustrating as you have to stand in the right spot for the audio to work and it isn't always apparent where to stand.
The second hall is about whale evolution, biology and survival and some life size models. 3D glasses are handed out for the videos. We didn't find this hall very interesting but many Tripadvisor reviewers liked it.
The videos displayed in the first hall are too gruesome for young children and the audio too long. Children prefer the second hall. I personally wouldn't take children to this museum.
At least 1.5 hours is required for visiting the museum and some visitors stay for up to 2.5 hours.
We had a good meal at Restaurante Bar Amarelo in Canical.
14. Santana, Madeira
The Mini Rough Guide to Madeira says that "Santana is home to an enchantingly picture book style of housing - A-framed structures known as palheiros".
Unfortunately the few palheiros in Santana have been built for the tourists and have shops inside them. Lots of guided tours visit Santana and bemused tourists mill around these tourist structures.
Santana is not an attractive town and there is nothing worth visiting. The few restaurants there don't receive good reviews and are probably frequented by tour groups.
Santana is an awful tourist trap. Don't bother visiting it!
15. Calhau de São Jorge, Madeira
Calhau de Sao Jorge is a 47 minute drive north of Funchal. There is a large free car park near the beach and restaurant.
Calhau de Sao Jorge is in the middle of the Rother Walking Guide's walk number 24. The sections of the walk before and after Calhau are steep! There is a pleasant very short walk northwards along the abandoned coastal road. It soon becomes blocked by rockfall.
Restaurante Calhau is very good but it is frequented by groups at lunch time. It also has a swimming pool that can be used for Eur 3.
16. Miradouro da Quinta do Furao in Arco de Sao Jorge
Arco de Sao Jorge is west of Santana. To reach the Miradouru da Quinta do Furao drive to the Hotel Quinta du Furao. There are parking places just outside the hotel and also a large car park in the hotel grounds. Walk to the Pizzeria il Furetto at the hotel. The viewpoint is signposted from there.
From the viewpoint there is short walk westwards along the cliffs.
17. Miradouro de Sao Cristovao
Restaurante Sao Cristovao owns the Miradouro de Sao Cristavo. There is parking for restaurant guests in front of restaurant and at a car park on the far side of the restaurant. Non restaurant guests can park along the road down to the restaurant. It does become congested and it would be better to avoid weekends and holidays.
The restaurant serves excellent food and the portions are very generous. We each had the fish platter for Eur 25 and it was fantastic
We had intended to do walk 26 in the Rother Guide but we were both too stuffed after the meal to contemplate climbing up the hill in the picture below. Instead we just enjoyed the fantastic view.
18. Sao Vicente, Madeira
The Mini Rough Guide says Sao Vicente is "perhaps the prettiest village on the island". We didn't think it was very special and there is very little to see.
There is parking in the main square and also in an underground car park on the other side of the main road. The underground car park is cheap but most of the parking places are reserved for residents. There are toilets above this car park.
19. Seixal, Madeira
There is only street parking in Seixal. In terms of the actual village there is very little to see. However, it is pleasant walking westwards along the coast.
There are a few basic restaurants in Seixal but it is better to drive 2 kilometres west to Restaurante Las Caraibas where there is plenty of parking on the road. It's a popular restaurant. The food was good but perhaps a bit pricey.
20. Ribeira da Janela, Madeira
There is a spectacular rock formation off the beach at Ribeira da Janela. There is a large car park nearby. Many people park on the road leading to the car park and this can give the false impression that the car park is full.
There is a viewpoint with parking in the upper part of Ribeira da Janela that has nice coastal views.
21. Porto Moniz, Madeira
Porto Moniz is in the far north western corner of Madeira and is a 50 minute drive from Funchal. There are several car parks in Porto Moniz but most of them were full when we arrived. We finally found parking at Porto Moniz Public Parking. It is a large car park and I thought there was an hourly charge. However, the Google reviews say it costs Eur 5 for the day.
Porto Moniz is known for its natural sea pools. They were formed by the sea eroding areas of a volcanic lava flow. We didn't swim in the pools but they were very interesting to see. It would be a good place to relax in sunny weather and I think it would become crowded at weekends and holidays.
The old natural pools on the eastern side of Porto Moniz are free whereas there is an entrance fee for the new pools on the western side. The entrance fee is Eur 3 and sun umbrellas (Eur 5) and sun loungers (Eur 8) can be hired.
There are numerous restaurants along Porto Moniz's sea front.
22. Cabo Girao, Madeira
Cano Girao is the only viewpoint in Madeira that has an entrance fee and the views aren't any better than most of the other viewpoints on Madeira. The big attraction at Cabo Girao is the glass floor of the platform but you can't see much below and there are usually far too many people on the platform!
It is a steep drive up to Cabo Girao and there isn't a car park there. You have to park on one of 2 roads and they both become very congested. The entrance fee to Cabo Girao is Eur 3 and it is payable at one of 2 machines before the entrance gate. There are paid toilets (Eur 0.50) and tourist shops.
In my opinion Cabo Girao is a tourist trap and best avoided. There are plenty of other free viewpoints with similar views, better parking and fewer tourists.
23. Ribeira Brava, Madeira
Ribeira Brava is a 20 minute drive west from Funchal. The ornate Sao Bento church is adorned with gilded and carved woodwork. Otherwise there isn't much else to see apart from the seafront and the promenade.
24. Paul do Mar, Madeira
Paul do Mar is a 45 minute drive west of Funchal. It is a very spread out town with the centre in the east and the surfing beach to the west.
The surfing and waves were very impressive when we visited Paul do Mar and lots of people were watching. Sometimes the surfers were going through tunnels in the waves.
The main things to do at Paul do Mar are watching the surfers, walking along the seafront promenade and having a good meal.
We had a very good meal at the Sabor aMar Fish Factory on the west side of Paul do Mar and from the restaurant we could watch the surfers. There is parking at the restaurant and also plenty of free parking along the seafront road.
25. Calheta, Madeira
Calheta is a 35 minute drive west of Funchal and the main attractions are the 2 sandy beaches. Calheta is a tourist resort but it's well laid out and it's very pleasant walking along the seafront.
There is a large underground car park on the eastern edge of Calheta and the cost was very reasonable. There are free toilets along the seafront.
26. Lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo, Madeira
The lighthouse at Ponta do Parga is on the most westerly point of Madeira and has excellent views.
There is a small parking area by the lighthouse and free parking on the road. It is a 50 minute drive from Funchal.
27. Miradouro da Encumeada, Madeira
The Miradouro da Encumeada is 35 minute drive north of Funchal on the road to Sao Vicente. There are 2 small viewing platforms, a shop and toilets at Encumeada. The views aren't that good.
The viewpoints on the way from Funchal to Encumeada are better. The first viewpoint is on the on the right side of the road and is signposted. There is parking there.
Further up the road there is a layby on the right hand side with space for 2 or 3 cars. Shortly afterwards on the left hand side there is a small building with a parking area in front but there isn't a sign. There are steep steps leading to a viewpoint with good mountain views.
28. Fanal, Madeira
Fanal is in the north west corner of Madeira. We drove to Fanal to do a short walk which is number 57 in the Rother Walking Guide.
The Rother Walking Guide says that "on most days of the year dense fog provides for a primordial atmosphere". Fanal was certainly like that when we got there! To make matters worse the temperature was only 8 centigrade and there was a biting wind. When we had started driving to Fanal from nearby Ribeira da Janela the temperature was 21 centigrade!
We decided not to bother doing the hike! I hadn't realised that Fanal was a popular destination due to the ancient laurel trees. There are 2 large car parks on either side of the road to accommodate visitors.
We therefore parked and walked a couple of hundred metres in the fog to see Fanal's laurel trees. It was a bit muddy in places due to the climate and number of visitors. It seems most visitors just have a quick stop at Fanal to take photos like we did.
29. Hiking in Madeira
As I stated in the introduction we were disappointed with the hiking in Madeira. The best hikes are far too busy and the parking inadequate. In addition the majority of hikes are through forest with poor views and the weather in the interior of Madeira is very unpredictable.
Unfortunately the very popular hike from Pico do Areiro to Pico Ruivo has been closed since the fires in August 2024. The fires have destabilised slopes and created a risk of rockfall. The fires have also affected other trails going to Pico Ruivo. This means that there will be more hikers than usual on Madeira's other top trails.
We did 4 hikes in Madeira and details are provided below. We didn't do the very popular Levada of the 25 Springs hike as it far too busy and there aren't good views.
I used the Rother Walking Guide book and the website Walkmeguide.com to plan our hikes in Madeira. Walkmeguide.com is a Madeiran website detailing over 50 hikes in Madeira and it is free to use. However, if you want to use the GPS facility you have to subscribe.
One of the most useful aspects of Walkmeguide.com is the numerous user comments for each trail. This enables one to determine other hikers' opinions of the trails and obtain up to date information on the state of the trails, parking, crowds, trail closures etc.
Porto da Cruz to Machico (Verada do Larano)
The Verado do Larano hike is walk number 16 in Rother's Madeira Walking Guide. The hike is rated difficult as it states "A cable fence provides security for the exceptionally vertiginous sections but still, you have to be extremely careful here". I am surprised by the comment as this section isn't at all dangerous or difficult.
The reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com really liked the middle section of this hike. They weren't so keen on the section near Machico nor the walk on the road near Porto da Cruz.
We therefore decided to drive up the road from Porto da Cruz and park where the road ended. We entered Miradouro de Cabo de Larano in Google Maps for directions. We parked on the road and a lot of other hikers had done the same.
We walked to the viewpoint at Boca do Risco and then back again. This meant that we cut out both sections that the reviewers didn't like. The walk took 3 hours.
We enjoyed the walk and there were excellent coastal views at several places. Most people turned round at the first viewpoint at Ponta de Espigao Amarelo. I would recommend doing this as the trail from there to Boca do Risco is through forest and there are few views until Boca do Risco. This would reduce the walking time by an hour.
Sao Lourenco Peninsular Hike
The Sao Lourenco Peninsular Hike is number 14 in Rother's Madeira Walking Guide. This is probably the most popular hike in Madeira as there are spectacular coastal views the entire way and the weather is more reliable than for the hikes in the interior of Madeira.
Unfortunately this means that there are masses of people hiking the Sao Lourenco peninsular and it doesn't help that the trail isn't circular. Most advice is to start hiking early as otherwise the masses of tourists spoils the hike. In addition parking becomes difficult and it is only possible to park a long way from the trail head.
The trouble is that too many people follow this advice! Also unless you start the Sao Lourenco hike very early you will meet masses of trekkers when hiking back. If you do start early then I would recommend starting at 08.00 at the very latest but 07.30 would be better.
We didn't fancy a very early start and had read that the number of hikers, and availability of parking, wasn't bad from around 16.30. We therefore arrived at the Sao Lourenco peninsular trail head at 17.00. We found plenty of free parking places near the trail head.
I had read that you had to pay an Eur 3 entrance fee for the Sao Lourenco peninsular hike and that fines of Eur 50 were issued to hikers who hadn't paid. I therefore tried to pay at the trail head but there wasn't a ticket office nor any notices about an entrance fee. It could be that the officials collecting the entrance fee had finished work for the day.
For the first half hour of the Sao Peninsular hike we passed quite a few other people finishing the hike. After that there were always a few other hikers in sight but it wasn't at all bad.
The Sao Peninsular hike took us 2.25 hours but we didn't do the final climb up the hill as there was a sign stating access was prohibited. Quite a few other hikers ignored this sign but my wife didn't want to continue.
A few reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com website had complained about the upkeep of this closed part of the trail! The metal rope is in poor condition and can cut your hand. Another hiker had to go to hospital as he injured his foot on the steep descent. The slope didn't look difficult to me if hiking poles were used for the descent.
We really enjoyed the hike and the scenery was excellent. However, I think that you have to start early or late or the sheer numbers of hikers will spoil the hike.
Levada do Moinho - Levada Nova Circular Hike
The Levada do Moinho - Levada Nova hike is number 12 in the Rother Walking Guide and is rated as difficult. It really isn't a difficult hike and it's mostly flat. However, Levada Nova doesn't have barriers along all the sections with steep drop offs.
Most of the reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com don't have a problem with the lack of railings and neither did we. We thought is was a very good hike and we particularly liked the section of the trail behind the waterfalls. The hike took about 2.25 hours.
To get to the trail head enter Igreja da Lombada in Google Maps. There is parking on the street by this church although in peak times it could be difficult to find a spot.
As with many of Madeira's hikes it is best to start early or late to obtain parking and avoid crowds. We started at 15.15 and easily found parking and there weren't many other trekkers. We started hiking on the closer Levada do Moinho but the hike can be done either way. Bring a torch for the tunnel.
Pico do Facho to Canical Hike
Walk 15 in the Rother Walking Guide is a hike from Machico to Canical via the Pico do Facho viewpoint. This involves a steep climb up from Machico to the Pico do Facho viewpoint and then a descent to Canical.
We decided to be lazy and drove to Pico do Facho viewpoint where there are about 8 parking spots. Most vehicles don't stay long there except at weekends and holidays when locals like to picnic there.
We walked down from Pico do Facho to Canical and it took us an hour. It is all through open terrain and there are good views of the Sao Lourenco peninsular and Desertas islands.
We had lunch in Canical and then took a taxi back to Pico do Facho for Eur 8. Very few taxis wait in Canical and we had to ask the restaurant to call one for us.
Funchal to Camara de Lobos Walk
There is a paved sea front promenade from the hotel zone in Funchal to Camara de Lobos. Unfortunately the final section near Camara de Lobos was closed in April 2025.
It is a very pleasant walk with excellent sea views. One section goes through a tunnel in the cliffs but there is lighting. There are free toilets at the beach after the tunnel.
It seems to be popular with locals so it would be best to avoid weekends and holidays.
30. Madeira Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars
We paid Eur 24 for a taxi with Madeira Island Tours for our journey from Funchal airport to our apartment in the hotel zone. Madeira Island Tours were recommended on the Tripadvisor Forum and we booked on their website. A driver met us at the airport and we were pleased with their service.
We then rented a car from Driving Madeira for 11 days for Eur 242. They had very good reviews and had offices near the airport and at 2 locations in Funchal. We obtained a good rate as we booked 3 months in advance.
We obtained maps (see below) showing the bus routes and the location of bus stops from Funchal's tourist office. The cost was Eur 1.90 for local journeys. We only used the bus to get from Monte to Funchal and from Funchal to the hotel zone. Bus numbers 1 and 2 run between the centre of Funchal and the hotel zone.
31. Madeira Guide Books
For planning our trip to Madeira we used the Mini Rough Guide to Madeira, the Rother Walking Guide and the Sunflower Madeira Walks & Drives Guide. Unfortunately the May 2025 Rough Guide to Madeira & the Azores was only available after we returned from Madeira.
I preferred the Rother Guide to the Sunflower Guide for walks. I thought that Sunflower's information on drives would be useful but it wasn't. There aren't maps for the drives and it was therefore difficult to determine the routes. The drives were also far too long if you did some of the recommended stop offs and walks.
The Mini Rough Guide was quite good but I was annoyed that they sung the praises of Santana, Sao Vicente and Palheiro Gardens. Santana is a horrible tourist trap, Sao Vicente isn't the prettiest village and the Palheiro Gardens are certainly not the best gardens in Madeira.
There is a Lonely Planet Pocket Guide for Madeira. I used to like Lonely Planet Guide books but a few years ago they were bought by a private equity company. They reduced costs by researching on the internet rather than visiting countries. The quality of Lonely Planet Guide books deteriorated and the number of pages was reduced.
However, Lonely Planet's Pocket Guide for Madeira might be alright as there were good reviews on Amazon.
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