Madeira

Funchal's cathedral, the Sé, was completed in the early sixteenth century, when sugar had made the island rich, and it remains the clearest reminder of that golden age. Its plain whitewashed front, trimmed in dark volcanic stone, hides a remarkable ceiling of carved cedar inlaid with ivory, one of the finest of its kind in Portugal, and a gilded Flemish-influenced altarpiece. The streets around it, with their black-and-white mosaic pavements, form the heart of the old commercial city, and the waterfront promenade and marina are a few steps away.

TipLook up from the nave at the ceiling, then walk round to the side to see the tiled spire.

The farmers' market, opened in 1940 in an Art Deco hall, is a showcase for the island's produce. Flower sellers, some in traditional dress, stand by the entrance under tiled panels, while upstairs the galleries are piled with passion fruit in several varieties, custard apples, tamarillos, bananas and vegetables from the terraces. Downstairs, in the fish hall, the catch is laid out on marble slabs, including the long, black, sharp-toothed espada, or black scabbardfish, which lives in deep water and is a Madeiran speciality.

TipStallholders often offer tasting slices of exotic fruit; ask the price per kilo before you buy, as market fruit for visitors can be expensive. Friday and Saturday mornings are the liveliest.

East of the market, the Zona Velha is the oldest part of the city, a grid of narrow streets that was once a district of fishermen and is now full of restaurants and bars. Its main lane, Rua de Santa Maria, became known for its painted doors, decorated by artists as part of a project to revive the area, so a walk along it is a kind of open-air gallery. At the far end, the yellow Fortress of São Tiago, built in the seventeenth century to guard against pirates, looks over a small pebble beach, and the lower station of the cable car to Monte is just behind the seafront.

TipThe Old Town is at its most atmospheric in the evening, when the restaurant terraces fill up; book ahead on weekends.

High above Funchal, the hill village of Monte was a cool summer retreat for wealthy families in the nineteenth century, and is still greener and fresher than the city below. The cable car climbs from the seafront in around a quarter of an hour, gliding over terraces and red roofs with the bay opening up behind. At the top, a broad stairway leads up to the white church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, the island's patron, where the last Austro-Hungarian emperor, Charles I, who died in exile on Madeira in 1922, is buried.

From just below the church, Monte's famous toboggans set off: wicker sledges on wooden runners, steered downhill along a steep road by two carreiros in white clothes and straw boaters, who use the rubber soles of their boots as brakes. The ride covers about two kilometres to Livramento, and it began in the nineteenth century as a quick way for residents to get down to town. It's touristy but genuinely fun.

TipThe toboggan ends partway down the hill, not in central Funchal, so plan on a taxi or bus from there. A second cable car links Monte with the Botanical Garden.

Next to the church, the grounds of an old hotel have been transformed into a steep, lush garden of tree ferns, cycads, camellias and native laurel forest plants, laced with paths, ponds and waterfalls. There are oriental gardens with pagodas, koi and stone lanterns, and walls of historic Portuguese azulejo tiles telling stories from the country's history. A small museum in the grounds displays modern African sculpture and a collection of minerals.

TipAllow at least two hours, and wear shoes with grip: paths are steep and can be slippery after rain.

On a hillside east of Monte, the Botanical Garden has been open to the public since 1960 in the grounds of a former estate. Its formal beds of succulents and colourful patterned plantings frame a sweeping view over Funchal's bay, and its sections include native and endemic Madeiran plants, cacti, tropical trees and economically useful crops such as sugar cane and coffee. It makes a calmer counterpart to Monte, and the two can be joined by cable car.

A short ride west of Funchal, this fishing town crowds round a little harbour of brightly painted boats drawn up on the shingle, with a rocky headland behind. Its name recalls the monk seals, or "sea wolves", that the first settlers found here. Winston Churchill came in 1950 and set up his easel overlooking the bay, and the spot is marked. Today the town is the home of poncha, the island's punch of aguardente, honey and lemon, served in small bars around the harbour.

TipWalk up to the viewpoint above the harbour for the classic view of the boats and the bay.

Just beyond Câmara de Lobos, the coast ends in one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe, falling around 580 metres to a narrow strip of terraced fields at the foot. A glass-floored platform juts out from the edge, so you can look straight down past your shoes to the waves. On a clear day the view runs east to Funchal and west along the coast. A cable car descends to the fields at the bottom, the Fajãs do Cabo Girão, which are still farmed.

TipThere is an entry fee for the skywalk. Arrive early in the morning or late in the day to avoid tour coaches, and check the sky: in cloud you may see nothing at all.

High on the western side of the island, below the plateau of Paul da Serra, the valley of Rabaçal holds two of Madeira's most popular levada walks. The PR6 follows the Levada das 25 Fontes through laurel forest to a pool in a green bowl of rock where water trickles down from many springs; the PR6.1 branches off to the Risco waterfall, which drops a hundred metres down a cliff. Both paths are fairly level once you've walked down the access road from the car park, though narrow and rocky in places.

The forest here is part of the Laurisilva of Madeira, a World Heritage Site since 1999: the largest surviving stretch of the laurel forest that covered much of southern Europe millions of years ago, now confined to a few Atlantic islands.

TipThese are among the busiest walks on the island. Book an early slot on SIMplifica and arrive before the tour groups; a shuttle runs down the access road if you'd rather save your legs.

On the north-western edge of Paul da Serra, at about 1,100 metres, a meadow is scattered with ancient til trees, a laurel species, their twisted trunks and branches draped in moss and lichen, with cattle grazing between them. On a sunny day it's a peaceful place for a picnic; when the fog rolls in, as it often does, the trees loom out of the mist, and photographers come specifically for those conditions.

TipFog can arrive in minutes up here. Stay on the paths, keep the road in sight and don't disturb the grazing cattle.

At the north-western tip of the island, Atlantic waves crash against black lava rocks that have been shaped into natural swimming pools, filled and refreshed by the sea. The main pools have changing rooms, lifeguards in season and a small entry fee, and swimming in calm, clear water while the ocean booms against the outer rocks is a memorable experience. The town has a small aquarium and good fish restaurants along the seafront.

TipPools can close in big swells. The road along the north coast from here offers a dramatic drive past waterfalls and cliffs.

East of Porto Moniz, the small village of Seixal clings to a headland backed by sheer green mountains and vineyards planted on tiny cliff terraces. It has some of the island's most beautiful bathing spots: a beach of fine black volcanic sand beneath the cliffs, and its own natural rock pools by the harbour. Just along the coast, the Véu da Noiva, or Bride's Veil, waterfall drops straight from the cliffs towards the sea, visible from a roadside viewpoint.

TipThe Atlantic on the north coast is rougher and cooler than in the south; swim only in calm conditions.

Santana, on the north-east coast, is known for its little triangular houses, steep A-frames thatched almost to the ground, with whitewashed walls and red and blue doors and window frames. Once homes for farming families, a few are kept as a showcase in the centre of town, one open to visitors and others selling crafts. The surrounding countryside of terraced fields and orchards is lovely, and there's a cable car down to the coast at Rocha do Navio nearby.

From the forest park of Queimadas, above Santana, the PR9 follows a levada deep into the laurel forest to the Caldeirão Verde, the "green cauldron", where a waterfall drops into a pool at the bottom of a sheer, moss-covered amphitheatre of rock. Along the way, the path is cut into cliffs above deep valleys and passes through several short tunnels. It's about 6.5 kilometres each way and mostly level, but narrow and exposed in places.

The trail is periodically closed after storms and landslides; it reopened in May 2026 after repair work. Check its status with the IFCN before you go.

TipBring a torch or headlamp for the tunnels, a waterproof layer, and expect wet feet.

The island's most famous walk links its third-highest peak, Pico do Arieiro at 1,818 metres, with the highest, Pico Ruivo at 1,862 metres, along a jagged volcanic ridge. Steps cut into the rock, tunnels and stretches of path fenced along knife-edge crests lead through a landscape of red and black basalt pinnacles, often above a sea of cloud. You can drive almost to the summit of Pico do Arieiro, and sunrise from the viewpoint there is a popular early start.

The PR1 Vereda do Areeiro was closed for long periods after the wildfires of August 2024 and later rockfalls, and reopened in 2026 with new rules. The full route is now one-way only, from Pico do Arieiro towards Pico Ruivo, so you'll need to arrange a pick-up at the other end, typically at Achada do Teixeira, about 2.8 kilometres down from Pico Ruivo, or join a tour with transport. The first 1.2 kilometres, to the Pedra Rija viewpoint, can still be walked both ways. Count on five to six hours for the full route including the descent to Achada do Teixeira.

TipA reservation is required. In 2026 the full Arieiro–Ruivo route costs €10.50 per person and the short section to Pedra Rija €4.50, booked through SIMplifica. Check the IFCN for closures before you set out: works on the trail continued through 2026.

Madeira's eastern tip is a world apart from the green interior: a long, narrow, almost treeless peninsula of wind-scoured volcanic rock in shades of red, ochre and black, with cliffs dropping on both sides to a startlingly blue sea. The PR8 trail runs out from the car park at Baía d'Abra, about four kilometres each way, to a small visitor centre and café at Casa do Sardinha, with an optional steep climb up Pico do Furado for a view of the islets and the lighthouse beyond. It's a protected nature reserve, home to seabirds and rare plants.

TipThere's no shade at all; carry plenty of water, sun protection and a windproof layer, and go early. The trail requires a reservation.

Madeira's small neighbour, about 50 kilometres to the north-east, is everything the main island is not: low, dry and golden, with a beach of soft sand around nine kilometres long running along its southern shore. Its sand is fine and warm, and some visitors swear by its therapeutic properties. The little capital, Vila Baleira, has a whitewashed church, palm-lined square and a house where, according to local tradition, Christopher Columbus lived after marrying the daughter of the island's first captain. Short hikes climb the volcanic peaks of Pico do Castelo and Pico do Facho for views over the island.

TipThe Lobo Marinho ferry from Funchal takes around two and a half hours; there are also short flights. In July and August it's busy with Madeirans on holiday, so book in advance.