There are tons of Madeira itineraries on-line, however few have been truly written by a neighborhood. As a Portuguese citizen who’s been in love with the island for over a decade, I’ll share my favourite spots with you on this 7-day itinerary.
We’ll dive proper into the itinerary however, first, let’s see the place Madeira is positioned, find out how to get there, and find out how to get round on the island.
The place is Madeira?
An archipelago with 4 islands (Madeira, Porto Santo, Desertas, and Selvagens), Madeira is positioned southwest of Portugal, within the North Atlantic Ocean. Sitting roughly 550 miles of the west coast of Morocco, Madeira is well-connected by air to most European airports, particularly in mainland Portugal and Spain.
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Easy methods to Get to Madeira
The easiest way to get to Madeira is by airplane, with each day flights to Funchal leaving from Porto and Lisbon usually costing lower than €100 per particular person. If you happen to’re touring from outdoors Europe, you could get monetary savings by discovering a flight to Porto and Lisbon after which going to Madeira from there.
Easy methods to Get Round in Madeira
Public transportation exists in Madeira due to each day bus routes, however these are usually not very environment friendly. To take advantage of your time on the island, I recommend renting a automotive and exploring by your self.
For brief journeys, Uber and Bolt rides make for an inexpensive choice (regardless that they’re generally unavailable outdoors the Funchal space). Alternatively, you possibly can join vacationer excursions with pick-ups and drop-offs to journey instantly out of your lodge to the principle vacationer websites.
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7-Day Madeira Itinerary Overview
- Day 1: Funchal
- Day 2: Funchal
- Day 3: Câmara de Lobos
- Day 4: Ponta do Sol
- Day 5: Santana
- Day 6: Santa Cruz
- Day 7: Funchal
One Week in Madeira
Seven days is on a regular basis that you must get to know the very best Madeira has to supply, however it’s a must to keep energetic! The next recommendations ought to make for the proper one-week Madeira itinerary in Portugal:
Day 1: Funchal
Driving the Funchal-Monte Cable Automobile is an ideal introduction to Funchal due to how simple it’s to entry the cable automotive (it’s proper within the metropolis heart). The experience itself can also be a terrific start line as a result of it means that you can get a chook’s-eye view of Funchal and the close by village of Monte, sitting three miles up within the mountains.
Because the cable automotive ticket solely prices €14.50 (it’s free for kids below 6), it’s additionally one of many quickest methods of attending to Monte Palace Gardens, one of many prime sights within the space. It is a must-visit Madeira location as a result of it has greater than 100,00 species of vegetation on show, a lovely view of town, and an abundance of cool sculptures.
The village of Monte can also be the proper place to attempt a Madeira toboggan experience. Now primarily utilized by vacationers, the standard toboggan (a kind of hand-made sled produced from wicker and wooden) was as soon as the quickest methodology for touring from the village of Monte to Funchal. And don’t fear: the experience is kind of protected, so it’s enough for households and adults of all ages.
If all that cable automotive and toboggan driving received you hungry, I recommend that you simply cease by Akua Restaurant to have lunch. With a singular menu curated by a well known Portuguese chef, it’s identified for its fish choices, which embody creamy seafood rice recipes and the most effective tunas on the town.
Within the afternoon, go to the Funchal marina and be a part of the Magic Dolphin catamaran dolphin and whale-watching tour to enterprise into the ocean for as much as three hours.
The spotlight of the tour, costing solely €35 per particular person, is the chance to see dolphins and whales up shut of their pure habitat. Nonetheless, the expertise additionally features a cease for swimming at Cabo Girão, a well-known Madeira cliff greatest identified for its skywalk viewpoint.
After that refreshing swim, it’s time to return to the middle of Funchal and take a look at the delicacies of the Horta Restaurant, one of many few respected eating places within the metropolis that serves largely vegan and gluten-free meals.
Earlier than, be sure you move by the Funchal Cathedral, the principle church in Madeira, to get a glimpse of classical Portuguese structure from the Manueline and Gothic durations.
Day 2: Funchal
Be certain that to get evening’s relaxation forward of day two in Madeira, because the morning might be spent mountaineering in Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo, two of probably the most lovely mountains on the island. I like to recommend signing up for this dawn mountaineering tour as a result of it features a handy switch from most Funchal motels and it’s self-guided (which means you’ve full freedom to discover).
Nonetheless, consider this isn’t a straightforward hike… The Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo are two of the tallest websites in Madeira. The hike is usually a bodily difficult five-hour expertise, and the tour doesn’t embody meals and drinks. Be certain that to pack some snacks and water with you.
For lunch, I recommend one other elegant Funchal restaurant combining conventional flavors with a contemporary gastronomic method: Restaurante Casual. Whereas closed on Sundays, this can be a good place to attempt nice meals in an off-the-cuff, stress-free setup. Fish and meat rule the menu, however there are additionally some nice vegetarian choices.
Within the afternoon, go for a stroll on the Madeira Botanical Backyard and be sure you get some relaxation after that tiring hike by means of Pico do Arieiro. Albeit not as spectacular because the Monte Palace Gardens, this vacationer attraction features a dreamy synthetic waterfall and a wide ranging flower backyard with a terrific view of the ocean.
For dinner, wrap issues up by consuming at Audax, yet one more progressive Madeira restaurant. Additionally impressed by conventional native flavors, the menu was designed to be served as “fully authentic artworks”.
Day 3: Full-Day Journey to West Madeira
There are tons of cool issues do in Madeira, and this waterfalls and forest tour encapsulates all these issues into one single expertise. Contemplating every part the tour provides, I imagine the value (often below €30 per particular person) makes it an actual discount.
You may select from 4 totally different pickup places, together with the charming parish of Câmara de Lobos, historically a fisherman’s city.
This excellent tour consists of brief stops on the Cabo Girão Cliff and Ponta do Sol seaside. Nonetheless, the highlights of the expertise are the pure swimming swimming pools of Porto Moniz and the Fanal Forest, most likely two of my favourite spots in the entire island.
The pure swimming swimming pools of Porto Moniz are a man-made construction sitting subsequent to the ocean the place you possibly can swim safely in recent seawater. In contrast to most diving spots in Madeira, even younger kids can swim comfortable.
The Fanal Forest, however, is an enormous plateau with centuries-old laurel bushes that appears like one thing you’ll see in a fantasy film. Don’t overlook to deliver a jacket with you, as a result of the forest may be very misty and windy even when it’s sunny elsewhere on the island.
The tour additionally passes by traditional Madeira viewpoints such because the scenic Véu da Noiva and the rocky seaside of Ribeira da Janela.
For dinner, I recommend you attempt the MadMarket Restaurant, a tapas-style institution the place you possibly can attempt inexpensive charcuterie, fish, and scrumptious sandwiches made with bolo do caco, Madeira’s conventional bread.
Day 4: Full-Day Journey to East Madeira
East Madeira will not be as busy or well-known as West Madeira, but it surely’s equally stuffed with fantastic pure sights to discover. To get to know this a part of the island, I recommend becoming a member of this full-day journey to East Madeira, with free pick-up and drop-off at a number of Funchal motels.
The eight-hour tour makes for a soothing and immersive expertise and features a cease at Pico do Arieiro, which you might have already visited on day two of your Madeira journey. Don’t fear, although, because the tour additionally passes by must-see places you haven’t seen earlier than, together with the Ponta de São Lourenço Cliff (boasting the most effective ocean views on the island) and the enduring village of Santana.
Whereas in Funchal, you’ve most likely seen some curious triangular-shaped homes in each memento store; properly, Santana is the place the place you possibly can see the precise issues! The Santana homes are one in every of Madeira’s best-known visiting playing cards, and so they have a really wealthy historical past.
The tour information can let you know all about it however, lengthy story brief, they’re charming thatched-roof constructions that have been initially constructed when Madeira was first found, in July 1419.
For dinner, I recommend the Hemingway Restaurant in Funchal, a neighborhood favourite that serves elegant Mediterranean meals at an inexpensive value (and sits near most of the metropolis’s prime motels).
Day 5: Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço
You have got already seen the Ponta de São Lourenço on day 4, however do you know that the cliff is surrounded by an enormous UNESCO pure reserve? This pure reserve may be explored in its full splendor by anybody who joins this Caniçal UNESCO Hike, a self-guided tour that takes you proper to the very best mountaineering route within the area.
The same old period of the tour is 4 hours however, because it’s self-guided, it’s as much as you to resolve find out how to take advantage of the time. Simply don’t overlook to hold all of the stuff you want, together with the conventional mountaineering must-haves: water, snacks, snug sneakers, and sunscreen.
A private tip? Attempt to begin the hike as early as attainable, because the pure reserve is particularly lovely throughout dawn.
For dinner, I’ve one thing a bit totally different: Desarma, a Michelin-starred Funchal restaurant proper subsequent to the ocean. The view at Desarma is breathtaking, however the spotlight is the meals. The menu consists of three experiences with six to 12 dishes, and the chef-curated recipes (such because the “Ancestral Wheat Bread” and “Crimson Scarlet Shimp”) are mouthwatering.
Day 6: 25 Fontes and Risco Levada Hike
Keep in mind Fanal Forest from day three of the itinerary? Properly, that stunning web site is a part of the better area of Paul da Serra, an excellent bigger plateau that makes for probably the most thrilling drives in Madeira. Simply be careful for the occasional cow crossing the highway.
The most effective mountaineering location in Paul da Serra is Rabaçal, the place the arid terrain and sparse vegetation of the plateau give option to a dense, lush forest crammed with lovely waterfalls. To get there as conveniently as attainable from Funchal, the 25 Fontes & Risco Levada Hike is the number-one choice. Just like the tour from day 5, it’s a self-guided tour, so be certain that to pack all of your mountaineering necessities.
The self-guided tour will take you proper to Rabaçal, the place you’ll hike for as much as 5 hours exploring two totally different routes: the Levada das 25 Fontes and the Levada do Risco. The routes are simply identifiable as a result of they observe the pathway of the levadas, an previous agricultural stone construction that’s used to hold water throughout the Rabaçal space.
These historical irrigation channels can be utilized as “bodily maps” by hikers, main them to places as unmissable because the 25 Fontes Waterfall, arguably one of many prettiest pure websites on the entire island. Following a refreshing post-hike swim on the waterfall, you have to be 100% prepared to return to Funchal with a smile in your face!
And since hikes may be tiresome, you possibly can all the time recharge batteries in model by eating on the charming Il Vivaldi Restaurant, which serves scrumptious recent fish and features a beautiful terrace (it’s additionally a terrific place to share a romantic night together with your vital different).
This time round, your each day schedule doesn’t finish after dinner. Funchal is nothing like Ibiza, but it surely’s nonetheless a bustling metropolis with loads of enjoyable actions to get pleasure from after hours. These are a few of my favourite spots to get pleasure from a late-night drink in Funchal:
- Madeira Rum Home: Proper within the heart of Outdated City Funchal, this rustic yellow-stoned bar is equally beloved by locals and vacationers and holds the most important rum assortment on the island.
- Revolucion Cocktail Bar: Proper subsequent to Madeira Rum Home, partygoers can attempt distinctive drinks at Revolucion Cocktail Bar, one of many few Funchal institutions with a menu of designer cocktails, usually impressed by seasonal fruits and native Madeira elements.
- Sprint Cocktail Bar: A sublime different to Revolucion, this cocktail bar is all the time stuffed with vacationers, which means it’s the proper place to mingle with like-minded vacationers.
- Barreirinha Bar Café: A comparatively forgettable snack bar/café by day, the Barreirinha Bar Café indicators one of many busiest nightlife spots in Funchal. A whole bunch of children meet close to the seaside that fronts the bar each Friday and Saturday evening. If you happen to’re fortunate, you possibly can even hearken to the cool outside DJ units often supplied by native artists.
Please needless to say Funchal nightlife may be non-existent throughout some weekdays. Attempt to go to these bars on the weekend.
Day 7: Funchal
To your ultimate day in Madeira, I ready a particular itinerary that may be totally finished on foot. There are various cool issues to see in Funchal, so why go away town for yet one more mountain hike? Day seven of the itinerary is all about mingling with residents, attending to know the native tradition, and having fun with stress-free seaside strolls.
To start out the day, I recommend passing by the Funchal Market, also referred to as the Mercado dos Lavradores. There, you will see the very best meals and drinks in Madeira and, who is aware of, even one or two nice souvenirs to take again house.
The market is just some minutes away from the Funchal Metropolis Corridor, probably the most iconic buildings of the Outdated City, so be sure you go there too (the inside patio is beautiful).
To additional discover Funchal Outdated City whereas strolling, I like to recommend signing up for a meals, wine and cultural tour. In any case, is there any higher option to get to know a metropolis than by strolling round making an attempt totally different meals and drinks within the firm of a well-informed information?
The tour can value over €80 per particular person, however the value is well-justified contemplating that every one the meals and drinks (that includes each alcoholic and non-alcoholic choices) are included. The tour may be very thorough, so it’s an ideal means of creating certain that you’ll attempt all of Madeira’s greatest conventional meals and drinks by the point your journey is over.
However don’t get unhappy simply but… Earlier than going again house, you possibly can nonetheless move by two must-seen Funchal sights: Cristo Rei and the São Tiago Fortress.
Cristo Rei is a shocking viewpoint the place you’ll find a statue of Jesus Christ harking back to Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer (however, naturally, a lot smaller). The São Tiago Fortress, however, is an previous seaside fort the place many locals be a part of to drink beer, eat limpets (a standard Madeira appetizer), and benefit from the sundown.
My final dinner suggestion in Funchal? The trendy Kampo, one other elegant institution run by chef Júlio Pereira, the identical man behind the Akua Restaurant from day one of many itinerary.
The place to Keep in Madeira
Deciding on a terrific place to remain is usually a game-changer in your Madeira journey, so don’t simply join any run-of-the-mill Airbnb… You need to be well-covered with any of those three nice choices:
NEXT – by Savoy Signature Resort
A seaside lodge with swimming pool and stairs that go proper into the ocean, NEXT by Savoy Signature combines comfort, luxurious, and accessibility into one package deal. With breakfast included, a spa and wellness heart, and a devoted restaurant, NEXT actually has every part you possibly can hope for. And, for a plus, the lodge occurs to be tremendous pet-friendly!
The Views Baia
The Views Baia Resort is arguably the most effective Madeira motels for {couples}, with trendy rooms that may promote for below €200 an evening regardless of trying far more costly. Perks embody two swimming rooms, a spa and wellness heart, and free parking. The outside swimming pool is especially iconic, boasting a beautiful view of the ocean.
Resort Alto Lido
The Resort Alto Lido is among the top-rated motels on the island of Madeira, and the one draw back I can consider is that it may be very laborious to ebook (rooms are nearly all the time full, so hurry up making that reservation!). Along with being probably the most elegantly embellished motels in Funchal, Alto Lido comes with three swimming swimming pools, continental breakfast, non-public parking, a wellness and spa heart, and its personal restaurant.
Madeira Itinerary FAQs
To completely discover town of Funchal and the pure sights in West and East Madeira, I like to recommend spending at the very least seven days on the island.
The island of Madeira is at the moment not reachable by ferry, however direct flights from Lisbon and Porto to Funchal solely take roughly two hours.
To catch some glorious climate and discover outside sights, July to October is the very best time to go to Madeira. Nonetheless, in the event you’re an enormous fan of Christmas and New Yr’s Eve, you’ll love spending December in Funchal.
Direct flights from mainland Portugal to Madeira take roughly two hours.
Conclusion
Regardless of being a vacationer favourite, Madeira nonetheless holds the attraction of a little-known, unexplored location, and has every part vacationers might hope for. From mountain hikes and maritime experiences to Michelin-starred eating places, Portugal’s ever-sunny archipelago makes for an unforgettable seven-day journey.
So, what are you ready for? Now’s the time to ebook your dream trip. Benefit from it with our information to the prime sights and actions in Madeira!
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