Madeira is a real hiking paradise in the middle of the Atlantic – and different in every corner of the island. Jungle-like levadas, rugged peaks, black beaches and natural pools: here you’ll find all my tips for your trip.
Madeira in brief
- Climate
- approx. 20 °C all year
- Best time to visit
- April – October
- Accommodation
- Calheta (south)
- Getting around
- Rental car
- Highlights
- Levadas & peaks
- Longest drive
- approx. 1.5 hours
Climate & when to go
The climate is fairly consistently mild all year round, at around 20 degrees. Interesting: in the south it’s drier and warmer, in the north more often cloudy and rainy.
The best time to visit is from April to October. Spring is especially lovely – Madeira is known as the island of flowers , and then everything blooms even more.
Getting around the island
I can only recommend that you rent a car – otherwise exploring the island gets tedious. We never drove longer than 1.5 hours. It’s of course also doable by moped – the nature is so beautiful that there’s always plenty to look at. Only the countless tunnelsthat practically riddle the island aren’t so pleasant on a moped – but you can also go around them.
Where we stayed
We stayed at the Savoy Saccharum Resort & Spa in Calheta – right on the Atlantic with its own sea access. We were really happy, even though we didn’t use the pools, bars or spa at all. Breakfast was tasty and we lacked nothing. Okay, one thing: Tom loves his porridge! Luckily we had a small kitchen in the room.
Hikes on Madeira
Hiking on Madeira is incredibly varied: some routes feel like the jungle, others lead through dry landscapes. Especially stunning are the paths along the levadas (irrigation channels) and along the mountain range that runs right across the island.
Pico do Arieiro
Because you can drive almost to the summit, Pico do Arieiro is Madeira’s most visited mountain. In the mornings there’s often low cloud here – beautiful, but not the best place if you want to enjoy the sunrise in peace. From here you can hike on to Pico Ruivo in around 2.5 hours .
Pico Ruivo
The island’s highest peak, with a breathtaking viewing platform. The shorter option starts at Achada do Teixeira – from there it takes about an hour .
Ponta de São Jorge
Here you start by descending: along the cliffs down to about 50 metres above the sea. We couldn’t walk the last section because bridges had collapsed and it no longer looked safe. Still an extremely beautiful path with a stunning backdrop above the sea.
Laurisilva – the laurel forest at Fanal
We were lucky enough to experience this mystical forest in the fog . It’s best to park in Fanal and simply start walking.
Pico do Furado
The start is in Caniçal, then the trail goes gently up and down along the peninsula to its tip. Here especially: start early!
Levada loop in Calheta
We started opposite the Fatima chapel. The route: Levada do Alecrim – Lagoa do Lajeado – Pico Fernandes – Levada das 25 Fontes – Rabaçal – and back to the start.
Beaches & things to do
Our focus was clearly on hiking. We managed to do nothing for a single day (okay, I was a bit under the weather and we were practically forced to). Otherwise we were almost always in the mountains – and now and then at these beautiful places:
- Black beach in Seixal: One of the most beautiful (but very small) beaches I’ve ever seen. The completely black sand contrasting with the green mountains and the sea is unique. At 8 in the morning we had it all to ourselves.
- Piscinas Naturais Velhas: Swimming among volcanic rock! It was too crowded for us to swim, but it’s definitely worth seeing.
- Ribeira da Janela: The massive rocks off the black pebble beach are a well-known photo spot. Sitting here listening to the sea was simply wonderful.
- Whale watching: Quite spontaneously, at Calheta harbour we treated ourselves to a private tour with On Tales . Well … we’re clearly not lucky with whale watching: honestly, we didn’t even see a single fish, but we did see a supposedly super rare bird. Our amazement was limited, haha. Still, the tour was a dream – we learned a lot about the island and had a unique view from the water.
- Traditional houses in Santana: Once typical Madeiran homes, today they house small shops. The surrounding area is quite nice.
Food on Madeira
As a vegetarian (or if you hardly eat meat) Madeira isn’t that easy: traditionally it’s fish or meat with a side. Our biggest fail: in a traditional restaurant we only ordered sides – and nobody told us that one side would feed half a family. When we were completely stuffed, it looked as if we hadn’t even started. Carbs on carbs on carbs!
We ate at the hotel a few times or ordered room service after sunset hikes – okay, but not amazing. These are the restaurants I can recommend:
- Restaurante O Forno (Calheta) – one of the few restaurants with vegetarian and even vegan options. Sooo tasty!
- Manifattura di Gelato (Calheta) – going Italian in Portugal, I know! But we went three times because it was simply amazing.
- Basmati (Funchal) – Indian-Nepalese. The location put us off at first, but the food was great and the staff super friendly.
- Portaliano (Funchal) – yet another Italian … but goodness gracious, what delicious food!
My verdict
Madeira promises an unforgettable, varied time with indescribably beautiful nature and breathtaking beaches.
I hope I could give you a few helpful tips. Feel free to write to me if you have any questions!
Anna