Imagine visiting a destination that has ‘world best hikes’, cute European towns, picturesque beaches, waterfalls, lush forests, incredible views, tropical temperatures and lots of activities to do.. all in one place! Well imagine no more.. that destination is Madeira, and it is one of the most spectacular places in Europe! You might have seen images of Madeira popping up on your social media channels over the past few years as this Portuguese island has been booming.. and for good reason, it is one of the must visit locations in Europe (our humble opinion)! While no longer the ‘hidden gem of Europe’ it once was, Madeira is still off the radar for many. Welcome to guide to fuel the inspiration for the Madeira road trip itinerary of your dreams!
This guide covers our road trip of Madeira, highlighting some of the must see attractions, some hidden gems, great hikes, top beaches and more! Ky and his good mate Tim visited Madeira in Europe summer (July) for a week, hiring a car to explore every corner of this spectacular island. This complete Madeira guide should help you plan your itinerary so you make the most of your time on the incredible island!
What we loved about Madeira:
While Madeira has so much to offer, there are a few things that stood out as unique that we particularly loved during our visit!
- The views… oh the views were spectacular! Views on the hikes! Views from the beaches! Panoramic views from the towns! Viewpoints along the road trip! Madeira as a whole had more spectacular views than just about anywhere else we have visited (apart from Lofoten Islands perhaps).
- The hikes! Madeira is known for it’s challenging and picturesque hiking trails. From the famous PR1 hike to the levada waterfall hikes, there’s so many epic trails to explore. This was one of the things we absolutely loved about Madeira.
- The varied nature of the island: One day you can hike 16kms in between mountain peaks, and the next you can lie on a beach an sunbake. Madeira is very diverse, and while it is catered to adventure and road trip lovers, it has something for everyone!
5 do not miss places in Madeira:
- PR1 Hike – Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo: The iconic PR1 hike between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo is a must-do in Madeira, offering incredible views that have skyrocketed the island’s popularity. Allocate time for this hike on your trip—it’s worth all the hype!
- Seixal Black Sand Beach: Seixal’s unique black sand beach is a breathtaking spot where dark sand meets clear blue waters, framed by mountains and greenery. This picturesque beach is a summer road trip must for your Madeira itinerary.
- Sao Vicente Chapel (Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima):Nestled on a hill overlooking the lush town of Sao Vicente, this charming chapel offers panoramic views of the valley and coastline. It’s a hidden gem and one of the most scenic spots in Madeira.
- PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço: The PR8 hike on Madeira’s eastern tip features striking cliffs, contrasting orange rocks, and blue waters. This moderate trail offers spectacular views, making it a must-add to any Madeira road trip.
- Funchal Old Town: Funchal, Madeira’s capital, boasts a charming old town with seafood restaurants, a bustling market, and cable cars. It’s a lively hub and a great base for exploring Madeira—don’t miss it!
A few things to know before you visit Madeira:
- You need to hire a car on Madeira: Hiring a car in Madeira is essential for exploring day trips and hidden gems, as buses are unreliable and taxis are costly. Be sure to rent a car with enough power, as the island’s mountainous terrain can challenge smaller engines.
- Madeira island is bigger than you think: Madeira’s mountainous roads make travel slower than expected, often taking 1-2 hours to get from one side to the other. Plan accordingly to avoid overloading your itinerary, especially for trips from towns like Funchal to distant attractions.
- You need more than a couple of days in Madeira: Madeira’s size and variety of activities make a brief visit impractical. To fully experience the island’s attractions and hikes, we recommend staying at least 4-7 days to account for travel time and the island’s spread-out nature.
See our full guide on the top things to know before visiting Madeira here!
Our proposed Madeira itinerary
After spending months researching, and a week exploring Madeira, this is our recommended Madeira road trip itinerary. This covers off some of the best things to do in Madeira, also splitting this island up into different regions. We have split the island up into ‘East’, ‘Central’, ‘South West’ and ‘North West’, allowing a few extra days for the other regions, or catching up if you had poor weather or wanted to revisit regions. This is just a proposed order, and you could easily mix up the days or locations. We have also aimed to make the days ‘busy but not overloaded’ to allow you to enjoy the view, or complete the hikes (some are harder than you think!). We hope this planned Madeira road trip itinerary helps you plan that bucket list island vacay!
Day 1 / EAST MADEIRA
- MUST DO: PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço
- CUTE TOWNS:
- Faial
- Porto da Cruz
- Santa Cruz
- GREAT VIEWS:
- Miradouro do Guindaste
- Miradouro da Rocha do Navio
- BEACHES:
- Praia da Banda Alem (Machido) – cute local feel beach we loved.
- Prainha do Canical – on the way to PR8 hike, very busy with locals
- Santa Cruz Beach – Popular, wide, busy main town beach in Santa Cruz.
The east of Madeira is home to one the second best hike, the PR8 trail (Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço). A challenging but relatively short hike (7kms / 2-4 hours), the PR8 trail offers spectacular views of rugged cliffs and sweeping Atlantic ocean views. You can see our tips and guide to the PR8 hike by clicking here! Either side of your visit to the PR8 trail you could consider checking out picturesque small towns like Faial (impressive views of the valleys), Porto da Cruz (cute seaside town with waterside restaurants), some of the impressive views, or even relax on the beach (Praia da Banda Alem is probably our pick). The eastern part of Madeira is definitely unique and well worth exploring. You can definitely make this 2 days worth of road tripping if you decided to add more hikes or spend additional time at the beaches / view points / towns etc.
Day 2 / CENTRAL MADEIRA – PR1 HIKE
The famous PR1 hike! This is likely going to be one of the reasons why you decided to visit Madeira in the first place. The PR1 Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruvio Hike is truly special and will go down as one of the best hikes we have ever done.
We have put together a complete PR1 hike guide (see guide here), as there’s some important things to know about this trail. The hike is between 14-16kms, 1km of elevation, and will take between 5-7 hours. It can get busy, there minimal facilities, no public transport, and you should try and catch a sunset there. Check out our guide to help you workshop the best way to do this must do hike in Madeira!
While you could probably add other things into this day, we have allocated the PR1 hike as it’s own day, such is the effort of the hike itself, and the distance it takes to get to/from (around 1 hour each way from Funchal).
Day 3 / SOUTH WEST MADIERA
- MUST DO:
- Cascata dos Anjos – waterfall walk near Ponto do Sol
- Ponta do Sol – gorgeous little seaside town
- CUTE TOWNS:
- Ponta do Sol
- Camara de lobos
- Ribeira Brava
- GREAT VIEWS:
- Miradouro do Espigão – Short hike with views
- Promenade Câmara de Lobos – Funchal
- Jardim do Mar Promenade
- Miradouro de Câmara de Lobos
- Cabo Girão Skywalk
- Miradouro de São Sebastião
- BEACHES:
- Ponto do Sol Beach – cute town beach
- Doca do Cavacas Natural Pools – near Funchal
- Praia Formosa – Popular wide sandy beach
This part of the island is home to cute seaside towns, lots of view points, and a couple of gems. In particular, the Cascata dos Anjos, waterfall which drops over the road near Ponto do Sol, is a must visit.
Day 4 / NORTH WEST MADIERA
- MUST DO:
- Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima – near Sao vicente
- Seixal Black Sand Beach
- Gondola – Teleferico das Achadas da Cruz
- CUTE TOWNS:
- Sao Vicente
- Porto Moniz
- GREAT VIEWS:
- Ribeira da Janela – excellent for sunrise or sunset
- Miradouro do Teleférico das Achadas da Cruz – perfect golden hour location
- Miradouro do Véu da Noiva – waterfall and ocean views
- BEACHES:
- Seixal Black Sand Beach – best beach in Madeira
- Porto Moniz Swimming Pools (Priscinhas Naturais do Porto Moniz & Priscinas Naturalis Velhas)
The north-west part of Madeira is home to some of the most popular and incredible locations. Namely, the Seixal Black Sand Beach, which is one of the best beaches on the island (see guide here). This part of your road trip will also take you through Sao Vicente where you can’t miss the hidden gem, Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima (see Sao Vicente chapel guide here). Like most of the island, there are a plethora of view points to check out, natural swimming pools (Porto Moniz), cute towns, and even a cable car you need to check out (Teleferico das Achadas da Cruz). At the base of the cable car you will see the incredible promenade with views called Miradouro do Teleférico das Achadas da Cruz. Overall, this is an action packed but seriously picturesque day road tripping Madeira.
DAYS 5-7: CATCH UP / EXTRAS / RELAX
- Explore Funchal Old Town: The biggest (and best in our opinion) old town on Madeira is Funchal. Home to cute old winding streets, a bustling food market, good coffee shops, excellent bakeries, top seafood restaurants, cable cars and much more. You can easily spend a lot of your time exploring this excellent town like we did! Funchal is the perfect town to base yourself for your Madeira road trips.
- Other hikes: Madeira has so many hikes, and you are unlikely to get through all of them during your visit However, you might choose to spend some of the other days adding another hike or 2 in. We recommend you check out hikes like PR11 (Levada dos Balcões), PR9 (inland Levada trail), PR10 (Ribeiro Frio – Portela – Levada do Furado), PR6 waterfall hike (Levada do Risco – 25 Fontes Falls), Faial Eagle Rock Hike (Penha d’Aguia). These are just a few of the great trails.. there are so many more!
- Fanal Forest: Located in the central/north of Madeira, this fairytale like forest is another must visit location that could be added onto one of the days above (e.g. North West) or completed separately.
- Visit the historic town of Santana: Home to picturesque traditional houses with triangular shaped rooves. Situated near Faial, it’s a possible addition to the East, or good for a separate day trip!
- Check out the cable cars: There a 7 great cable cars on the island, with some of the best including Rocha do Navio, Teleferico das Achadas da Cruz, Cabo Girao cable car (Teleferico do Rancho).
- Madeira Botanical Garden (Jardim Botanico) and Monte Town: Located above Funchal, the town of Monte is home to the popular Botanical Garden, along with other attractions like the Madeira taboggan run. You reach this via the cable car from the Madeira old town.
- Relax on the beach – Madeira is home to so many excellent beaches. See our list below of some of the best beaches to consider for your visit.
Places to check out in Funchal old town:
- Best coffee in Madeira: Art Food Corner Madeira
- Best Pastel de Nata in Funchal: Nata 7
- Great local experience: Funchal food market
- Excellent Seafood Restaurant: Dona Joana Rabo-de-Peixe
- Good day trip activity: Cable car to Madeira Botanical Garden in Monte
- Beach spot: Doca do Cavacas Natural Pools
Where to stay in Madeira:
We recommend basing yourself in Funchal and doing day trips from there. We stayed in Funchal for our entire stay, finding it a great spot for the range of accommodation options, budget friendly food and it is in a relatively central location. However, we have also provided a few excellent accommodation options in other well located towns that you may want to consider.
Funchal:
- Three House Hotel – Highly rated hotel in heart of the old town.
- Good Memories Lodge – Beautiful studio apartment in Funchal.
- Edificio Charles 103 – Deluxe apartment in heart of Funchal.
- Jaca Hostel Funchal – Well located hostel with private rooms and dorms.
Porto Moniz:
- Pérola Views Inn – Located in the heart of Porto Moniz.
- Aqua Natura Bay and Aqua Natura Madeira are beautiful hotels
- Village Center One Bedroom Apartment
Ponto do Sol:
- Enotel Sunset Bay – Beautiful hotel located opposite the beach.
- Estalagem Da Ponta Do Sol – Perched on a cliff with panoramic views.
- Villa Ponta do Sol Apartment – Apartment set opposite the beach.
Santa Cruz:
- Santa Cruz Village Hotel – A well priced hotel in heart of town.
- Santa Cruz I by An Island Apart – Apartment in Santa Cruz.
- The Balcony – Whole 5 bedroom home in a great location.
Best Beaches in Madeira:
- BEST BEACH ON MADEIRA: Praia do Porto do Seixal (Seixal Black Sand Beach)
- HIDDEN GEM: Praia da Ponta do Sol – cute little beach in a gorgeous town.
- OTHER TOP PICKS:
- Porto Moniz Swimming Natural Pools – Priscinhas Naturais do Porto Moniz & Priscinas Naturalis Velhas.
- Praia da Banda Alem (Machido) – great local vibe beach in Machido.
- Praia do Sardinha – A tiny but gorgeous beach at end of the PR8 hike.
- Doca do Cavacas Natural Pools – Funchal – a less busy, close to Funchal, natural swimming pools option similar to the busy Porto Moniz.
- Prainha do Canical – on the way to PR8 hike, very busy with locals
- Santa Cruz Beach – Popular, wide, busy main town beach in Santa Cruz.
- Praia Formoso – wide stony beach spreading out along the coast near Funchal.
- Praia da Calheta – A picturesque little sandy beach in the tiny town of Calheta.
Best hikes in Madeira:
- BEST HIKE: PR1 Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruvio
- 2nd BEST HIKE: PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço
- HIDDEN GEM: Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima – near Sao vicente
- Other top options:
- PR11 (Levada dos Balcões)PR9 (inland Levada trail)
- PR10 (Ribeiro Frio – Portela – Levada do Furado)
- PR6 waterfall hike (Levada do Risco – 25 Fontes Falls)
- Faial Eagle Rock Hike (Penha d’Aguia)
Want to explore more of this incredible island? See our Madeira guides below:
- Our ultimate guide to the famous PR1 hike
- PR8 hike – see why we think this is a must do hike in Madeira
- Check out why we think Seixal Black Sand Beach is the best in Madeira
- Don’t miss this hidden gem – Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima
- The charming beach town of Ponta do Sol is a must visit
- 9 things you need to know before you visit Madeira
- 5 do not miss locations in Madeira
- Faial gallery – this picturesque town and valley is incredible
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