The island of Madeira, nestled just off the northwest coast of Africa on the Atlantic Ocean, is an incredible ‘hidden gem’ that we think you should seriously consider for your next adventure. Ky visited with his friend in July 2024 and were blown away by the jaw-dropping natural beauty, incredible bucket list hikes and hidden gems that far exceeded their expectations. Madeira had been on the radar as a potential destination for awhile, and we were so happy to finally make it there. This guide overs off a number of the things we thing you need to know before you visit Madeira that will help you have the best time possible! Read on to hear our tips and discover why this island should be on your travel bucket list!
9 things to know before you visit Madeira
You need to hire a car on Madeira
Madeira is home to a plethora of differing day trip options, all scattered around the island. While Madeira does have a bus system, it isn’t that reliable, and the bus often won’t take you to the exact trail head (start of the hike) or town you might be searching for. Additionally, taxis and tours are also aplenty, but be prepared to pay for them. After visiting for a week, we think hiring a car in Madeira is an absolute MUST if you are planning to hike, do day trips, and visit all of the best hidden gems of the island. When hiring a car, we think it is essential to make sure you hire one with enough power. What most of the online hire companies won’t tell you is that the island is very mountainous, and some of the ‘cheap cars’ have engines as small as 1 cylinder. We would recommend you book something with at least a little power to avoid getting stuck on a hill in the middle of nowhere.
The weather in Madeira is unpredictable
The island of Madeira has it’s own ‘microclimate’. Boasting a very tropical feel, there is often high humidity, but the average temperature stays similar all year round. Think of it a little like other tropical islands such as Hawaii. This can lead to good weather at many times of the year, but it can also mean there’s rain, even in summer. Be prepared for periods of brief rain, which may come on suddenly, and pass quickly. The extended forecast may be vastly different than the actual forecast, and parts of the island will likely differ in weather to other regions. Keep this in mind when considering your hikes, and what clothing you bring on your trip!
Note: the unpredictable weather can also include ‘heat waves’, extreme winds, and occasionally bushfires/wildfires (this is unusual but did happen in the 2024 Madeira Wildfires).
The Madeira hikes are quite challenging
For seasoned hikers, Madeira will be nothing too challenging. However, many have seen Madeira on their Instagram feeds and decided to visit and check out the spectacular views. What many ‘casual hikers’ may not have anticipated is the difficulty of many trails, including the most popular PR1 hike. For example, the PR1 Hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruvio is over 15kms, contains 1km of elevation, has 1000s of stairs, and is exposed to the elements. Even smaller trails like the PR8 hike boast decent elevation and distance. Hiking shoes are a must. A reasonable level of fitness is also likely required. During the PR1 hike we observed someone having to be airlifted out of the trail, so we aren’t joking when we say that it’s a reasonable challenge for inexperienced hikers. Preparation and knowledge is key here!
Madeira is budget friendly
Overall, we found Madeira to be quite budget friendly. Yes, it can be tough to get there, and you typically need to hire a car, however, many of the activities are free (e.g. beaches, hikes etc), and going out for dinner is typically quite reasonable. Many of the restaurants have great dinner options for between 8-15 euros (yes, things like steak and some seafood will cost more, as will main square restaurants). Accommodation is quite affordable, however we urge you to book in advance as Madeira gets quite busy these days!
The Funchal airport is tiny.. and spectacular
The Madeira airport (Funchal Airport) is one of the smallest in Europe, and definitely one of the most challenging for pilots to land on. Due to the lack of space on Madeira, a runway has been built out over the water. Pilots need to undergo specialized training to be able to land on the short runway. Winds are often strong and conditions challenging. However, grab a window seat for your flights, because the views as you land are truly spectacular. Soaring mountains, tiny towns, clear waters, and lots of greenery.
Madeira island is bigger than you think
Madeira is an island, but that doesn’t mean it’s small. Due to the mountainous nature of the island, getting around occurs often via the highways encircling the island, or a series of small road which wind up the mountain, or through the valley. This means it isn’t as easy as you think to get from one side of the island to the other. It will often take up to 1-2 hours to drive from one town, to the attraction at the far east or west of the island (e.g. Funchal to Porto Moniz). Keep this in mind when planning your road trips, as you may not fit in as much as you had originally planned each day.
Getting to Madeira is tougher than you think
When you see Madeira as being part of Portugal, naturally you think it ‘isn’t that far away’. However, a flight from the capital of Lisbon will take around 2 hours. Getting to the island can be challenging, as most ned to fly through Lisbon or Porto to get to Madeira. However, there are a few exceptions. Destinations like Brussels, London, Paris, Amsterdam and more run limited flights to the island. Be prepared to pay a decent fare, even for budget airlines (e.g. Ryanair) to fly to Madeira from an airport other than Lisbon or Porto.
Hikes can get very busy!
Due to the surging popularity of Madeira, some of the hikes can get quite busy. Cark parks can fill quickly, and the trail can easily become crowded. While you may not be able to completely avoid the crowds, here’s a few tips to consider:
- Go in shoulder season: summer holidays in Europe will always be busy, and Madeira is no exception. Aim to go in shoulder season (spring/autumn) for less crowds.
- Do the hikes at a ‘less popular’ time: look into the popular hike times, but in particular, PR1 is very popular at sunrise and sunset. Therefore, we recommend you aim to head to the trail in early afternoon, where you can tackle the hike in the day, and finish the trail just before sunset to experience the incredible views from Pico do Arieiro. We started at 2pm, and completed the hike in the perfect time to watch the sunset. There was significantly less crowds than some of the videos we had seen online about the sunrise hike at PR1.
You need more than a couple of days in Madeira
Madeira isn’t a fly in, see it quickly, and fly out destination.. for a couple of reasons. Firstly, getting to the island can often take awhile, and potentially be a little costly. Secondly, as mentioned above, the island is quite spread out, meaning it isn’t as easy to go from one area to the other. Thirdly, there’s so much to do and see on Madeira, therefore visiting for a couple of days would mean you miss some of the best attractions. Additionally, if you plan on doing hikes, these can easily take up half or even a full day (in the case of PR1). We recommend a minimum of 4 days, and you could easily spend up to 7 days here without feeling like it was too much.
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