If you’re a nature enthusiast, Madeira will make you completely fall in love. From the ocean over lush forests to the mountains, it offers something for everyone. Below are the highlights of our 2-week-trip:
| Location | What? | Parking | Facilities | Coup de coeur |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo | Hike, 11km return | See location | Café + toilets at parking lot and close to Pico Ruivo | Start at sunrise and see the sky gradually change its colors over the clouds! |
| 25 Fontes Falls | Hike, 11km return | See location | Café + toilets at Casa do Rabaçal | Take a lunch to enjoy at the waterfalls; visit during low season to avoid big tourist groups |
| Achadas da Cruz | Cable car | See location | Café + toilets next to cable car | Take some time to just wander around/ Vegan food close to Achadas da Cruz |
| Fanal Forest | Explore the area | See location | Picnic tables + public toilet | Bring your camera! Know that the fog can be unpredictable, but either way it’s a unique experience |
| Ponto de São Lourenço | Hike, 8km return | See location | Café + toilets at Casa do Sardinha | Start early to avoid crowds and heat |
| Porto Santo | Beach | Go by Ferry | Cafés and hotels | Go for 1 night to have enough time to explore and relax on the beach |
| Funchal | City | Easy to find paid parking everywhere in town | Cafés and hotels | Check out the old town, Monte, stroll around the coastline |
1) Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo
From all the hikes we had planned in Madeira, this was probably the one we were most excited about. As we didn’t want to be disappointed by unfavorable weather conditions, we planned to do it right at the beginning of our holidays – this way, we were still flexible enough to move it to another day if needed.
We started our day at Pico do Arieiro before sunrise and the short night of sleep was definitely worth it. Together with a bunch of other early birds, we watched the sun rise from Miradouro do Juncal. Seeing the first rays of light appear over the sea of clouds was truly an unforgettable experience!
But we made sure not to get too comfortable in our outdoor cinema, as the real challenge still lay before us. The hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo and back is 11km long and has a total incline of about 1000m. The path is super diverse, with lots of ups and downs, stairs, narrow paths and tunnels, making both your body and brain work, and turning this hike into a series of exciting discoveries. And time and time again, you will be rewarded by the most stunning and breathtaking (both metaphorically and literally, thanks to the inclines 😉 ) views! For us, this hike was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
2) 25 Fontes Falls
The time to go chasing waterfalls! The hike around the area of Rabaçal will take you along multiple fountains, lagoons, small waterfalls and finally the 25 Fontes Fall. Take a picnic to enjoy while sitting at the foot of the waterfall and taking in the peaceful scenery! You should also take the detour to the impressive 100m high Risco waterfall.
Keep in mind that the area is very popular and will often be visited by large tourist groups. To avoid them and make the most out of your trip, it’s best to start in the early morning or go during off-season.
3) Achadas da Cruz
Achadas da Cruz was our starting point to explore the western part of the island. Approaching it from Funchal and the southern part, you can notice the landscape getting wilder, with even more lush, green forests and dramatic cliffs. There are also some cute towns (with amazing views), but the area still seemed to be less busy than the more famous Porto Moniz more in the north. A unique spot and big coup de coeur from our side was the Fajã da Quebrada Nova – a remote place than can only be accessed by hiking (we didn’t try that one) or taking the cable car from Achadas da Cruz. As it turned out, the cable car was an adventure in itself, as the ride is one of the steepest in Europe. However, we were surprised by how stable and secure the trip felt! Arriving at the bottom, we walked around for 1 or 2 hours, soaking in the impressive coastline and exploring the pathways and small houses that belong to local farmers.
4) Fanal Forest
The Fanal Forest is an area located on the north-western side of the island. Due to its unique atmosphere created by the old trees and their unusual, wind-blown shapes, it appeals to hikers and photographers alike. A particularly magical moment is to experience the Fanal Forest when the area is enveloped in fog, a phenomena that can be most likely encountered in the early mornings.
On the day we visited the Fanal Forest, we arrived shortly after sunrise. Unfortunately, we didn’t experience any fog on that day, but still had a lot of fun playing around with the shapes of the trees and the early rays of light.
5) Ponto de São Lourenço
Ponto de São Lourenço is a fun, pleasant walk on the east side of the island. As it is situated on a long, stretched-out peninsula, you basically have a view on the Atlantic ocean from both sides during almost the entire hike. All in all, the path is not too difficult and on a well maintained route, so it can be done in every pace by everyone that enjoys walking. Due to its openness to the ocean, as well as the fact that there are no trees or other protection, the walk is exposed to wind as well as sun. During high season, the place can get pretty busy, so it’s best to start your hike early in the morning before the crowds come in.
6) Porto Santo
Porto Santo is known as the “little sister” of Madeira, most famous for its 9km long, sandy beach. You can visit it in a day trip, with the ferry leaving from Madeira in the morning and returning in the evening, allowing you enough time to relax on the beach. During our holidays, we decided to stay for one night, giving us 2 full days on the island.
When we arrived on the first day, the sky was cloudy and so we decided to rent some bikes to explore the place. The shop owner gave us the choice between e-bikes (good choice) and normal bikes (bad choice, our choice). As it turned out, the island known for some of the best beaches in Europe, contains some serious hills and we quickly found ourselves pedaling and struggling much more than we had expected – always with stunning views though to be fair. And the steeper the climb up, the more fun the rides downhill!
On the 2nd day, the sun was out in full form, and so we spent most of the time relaxing on the beach and finally experiencing that famous turquoise sea color.
All in all, the little getaway to Porto Santo was the ideal ending for our 2 weeks in Madeira, as it allowed us to unwind and offered a welcome change from all the hiking and exploring. If you have less time, we would probably suggest to first tick off all the places you want to see on the main island, as Porto Santo simply doesn’t have as many exciting places to explore. If however you’re looking for a few relaxing days on the beach, it will be your perfect destination!
7) Funchal
We stayed the first two days of our trip in Funchal, as well as the last. It was also the departure point for our ferry trip to Porto Santo. During our stay, we found Funchal to be a relaxed and cozy place with lots of greenery around and with a charming old town in its center. A highlight was clearly the visit of Monte, nestled on the hills and with stunning viewpoints overlooking the city. A famous and fun way to go all the way up to Monte is to take the cable car. We skipped this option and opted for a mix of local busses (lines 20 or 21 – but better double check!) and walking to reach our destination. When looking for things to do in Monte, you will most likely come across the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens and the Botanical Gardens. While they seem like a great option to spend some time, we didn’t visit any of them, but rather chose to wander around as far as we could on the paths around the gardens and allowed ourselves to get immersed in the jungle-like feeling.
Funchal’s dining scene also offers many vegan options and even a completely vegan restaurant! Check it out here.
Have you been to Madeira? What was your favorite place? Tell us in the comments!