Island Madeira

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Island Madeira Portugal

The small flower island Madeira has about 250,000 inhabitants on an area of 801 km².
Of these, 741 km² are on the main island of Madeira and 42.5 km² on the smaller island of Porto Santo, 14.2 km² on the Ilhas Desertas and 3.6 km² on the Ilhas Selvagens.
As part of Portugal, Madeira belongs to the territory of the European Union.
Madeira’s volcanic landscape is very hilly (highest mountain 1,862 m) and has the highest steep coast in Europe with the 580-meter-high Cabo Girao. Along the coastlines lead narrow serpentine roads,. Countless hiking trails invite you to hike.

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Our Mission

We spent 11 days on the beautiful island. If you want to see everything important you should plan at least 10 full days.

• Day 1 Arrival
• Day 2 Sightseeing Funchal, whale and dolphin tour from Funchal
• Day 3 Nuns Gorge (half day tour) Park Jardim Tropical Monte Palace, basket  sleigh rid
• Day 4 Nature Reserve Rocha do Navio, visit Santana village
• Day 5 Kayak tour Quinte des Lorde, Natural Park Ponta de Sao Lurenco
• Day 6 Nature park with laurel forest
• Day 7 Whale and dolphin tour from Calheta, visit Calheta town, hike de Ledava das 25 Fonte
• Day 8 Mountain climb peak Ruivo
• Day 9 Lava basin Porto Moniz, beaches of Seixal
• Day 10 Steep cliff Gabo Giaro
• Day 11 São Vicente Caves
• Day 12 Santa Catarina Park, whale and dolphin tour from Funchal
• Day 13 Departure

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Activities we have booked with Get Your Guide

Funchal: boat tour with dolphin and whale watching *
Half day tour to the Nonnental *
Kayak experience to the Ponta de São Lourenço *
From Rabaçal: Small group hike to the 25 springs *
Funchal: whale & dolphin watching tour by speedboat *

suitable for swimming?

Who spends his vacation on the island of Madeira and daily admires the crystal clear water would certainly like to feel the water on the skin.
Since Madeira (except for a few man-made sandy beaches) has mainly rocky beaches, it is advantageous if you get so-called swimming shoes before starting your vacation. These are available in all sizes and colors.

Quick drying water shoes unsisex *

Snorkeling in Madeira

Those who like to look at the beautiful underwater wildlife can get closer to the marine life by snorkeling.
We were very surprised how many fish there are to see very close to the beach. A regular color splendor in different sizes has fascinated us very much.
When buying a snorkel you should make sure to buy a dry snorkel. Otherwise you get water in your mouth when the waves are high.

dry snorkel *

Parasailing Madeira

– view madeira from above –
If you want to see Madeira from a different perspective and you are not afraid of heights, parasailing is a great activity.
We started from the port of Funchal. On the boat we were put on the safety equipment. Soon we were slowly driven up into the air. 15 minutes you can then watch the island from 80 meters above from the bird’s eye view.

our rating on google maps at that time:

,,We booked the attraction parasailing on site in July and were then allowed to climb a few days later in pairs in the height. Has its price, of course. But the experience is worth it. It’s nice to view Funchal from this perspective 80 meters above the sea. For a surcharge, you can, if you want to buy the shot pictures including SD card. There were about 100 shot pictures and very beautiful ones.“

explore parasailing

Day 1

Arrival and exploration of the hotel and facilities

Day 2

Sightseeing Funchal, whale and dolphin tour from Funchal

The city attracts with many sights. So there is the probably best known Katherale Sé in Funchal or also the botanical and tropical garden in Monte. Also for art and culturally interested guests Funchal offers something such as the photography museum or the church Nossa Senhora do Monte, where the last Austrian Emperor Charles I was buried.

What they should definitely see is the market hall of Funchal. Marvel at the variety of delicacies that are offered there. From fruits, vegetables, fish and spices, souvenirs and fresh flowers.

Day 3

Nuns Gorge (half day tour) Park Jardim Tropical Monte Palace, basket sleigh ride

The volcanic archipelago offers many breathtaking landscape scenes. The scenery is characterized by a topography similar to a medium to high mountain range, interspersed with deep valleys. Madeira is surrounded by rocky cliffs. By taking a bus tour or touring on your own with a rental car, you can take it back to the time of the nuns in Madeira.

From different starting points, old, narrow, very winding roads lead along the mountains, offering panorama after panorama on your tour to the Valley of Nuns in Madeira. The road leads up through a eucalyptus forest to Eira do Serrado, where you can enjoy a picturesque view of the mountain peaks.

At the viewpoint of Eira do Serrado in Madeira, for the particularly brave, there is a spectacular and hair-raising rocky outcrop which rewards you with a unique view of the Curral das Freiras. The Curral das Feiras in Madeira is a horseshoe-shaped valley surrounded on three sides by steep slopes that cut into the jagged peaks of Madeira. The shape of the valley was first mistaken for a crater, but it turned out that the local river carved it that way.

This panoramic view on your Madeira bus tour overlooks all the terraced fields where grapes, fruits and vegetables are grown and the chestnut trees on the mountainsides. From here, the tour by bus goes down to the village of Nuns Valley – Curral das Freiras, one of the rural settlements of the island. Madeira offers with Nuns Valley a natural amphitheater surrounded by some of the highest peaks. The village was founded in 1566 by the nuns of the Santa Clara convent in Funchal, when they had to flee from pirate attacks.

Day 4

Nature Reserve Rocha do Navio, visit Santana village

Santana is located on the north coast of the island. It is one of the smaller towns with about 3,400 inhabitants, but is still known for its traditional thatched farmhouses. In the past, these little houses were inhabited by the farmers, but today they are mostly empty and can be visited as a sight in Madeira. Typical for these cottages are the triangular shape as well as the colors, which are mostly red and blue. Due to the dense thatched roofs they offer a very good protection against bad weather – but the roofs have to be replaced every three to five years.

The village of Santana is one of the most fertile regions of the island, this is also due to the weather, because in the north of the island it can rain a little more often than in the south. Today, mainly corn is cultivated there.

Since there are only cliffs in Santana, it is impressive to stand at the cliffs and watch the natural spectacle when the high waves crash against the cliffs.

Many hiking trails start from Santana.

Day 5

Kayak tour Quinte des Lorde, Natural Park Ponta de Sao Lurenco

VEREDA DA PONTA DE SÃO LOURENÇO Nature Park is located on a narrow peninsula in the eastern end of the island. The trails are easily walkable, but up and down. Good footwear is an important requirement. With expired shoes there are so own unintentional slipping.

This trail runs along Ponta de S. Lourenço, the easternmost peninsula of Madeira, named after the ship of João Gonçalves de Zarco, one of the three discoverers of Madeira Island. The latter, as they approached the land, is said to have shouted to his ship, „Enough, São Lourenço, enough!“.

The peninsula is of volcanic origin and consists mainly of basalt. There are two islets off the peninsula: Ilhéu da Cevada, da Metade or dos Desembarcadouros and Ilhéu da Ponta de S. Lourenço, do Farol or de Fora. From the „Rock Wall of Baía d’Abra“ on, the entire area belongs to the Regional Government and is part of the Madeira Nature Reserve.The peninsula has been partially and the island of Desembarcadouro completely classified as a nature reserve. The entire land area and the marine zone adjacent to the north coast, to a depth of 50 m, belong to the EU system of protected areas for sites of Community importance – Natura 2000.

The semi-arid climate and the prevailing northern winds are responsible for the almost treeless landscape, covered mainly by creepers. This makes it different from the rest of the island and is considered a true natural heritage. Here the planar vegetation stage of Madeira Island is best preserved and some rare and endemic plants grow.

In the sea, with a little luck, you can observe the rarest seal in the world, known as the monk seal.

Day 6

 Nature park with laurel forest

Old laurel trees in the fanal
This old forest has been nicknamed the „Fairy Forest“. The Fairy Forest is located in the Fanal area in the northwest of the island and is part of the large laurel forest area on Madeira. In the Fairy Forest there are trees that are already a few centuries old. Some of them are said to have been here when Madeira was discovered in 1419. These old figures are covered with lichen and moss, it is cool and damp, often fog passes through here.

At first we had reservations, as many visitors report it took several visits to have fog. On our first visit we saw dense fog in the old trees – which creates a mystical atmosphere.

To discover the Fairy Forest, you can start directly at the Posto Florestal Fanal forester’s lodge. At the forester’s house there is a small parking lot. Here the parking lots are often occupied. In this case, just turn left from the upcoming clearing. There are enough other parking places there.

Day 7

Whale and dolphin tour from Calheta, visit Calheta town, hike de Ledava das 25 Fonte

We reached the two trails via the regional road E.R. 110 and then descended to the mountain hut Rabaçal. The trails follow two levadas that run parallel to each other at different altitudes.

Trail PR 6.1 follows Levada do Risco, which runs at an altitude of 1000 meters, and leads the hiker to an impressive waterfall that plunges vertically into a crevice.

Descending PR 6, we can see the Lagoa das 25 Fontes, which feeds from over 25 springs located on the Paul da Serra plateau.

Up here, heather and Madeira blueberries predominate. Also on the rare Madeira clover seed can be found. These plants are part of the Madeiran laurel forest, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 8

Mountain Pico do Arieiro

On day number 8 we got up early in the morning to take the rental car to the top of Pico do Arieiro. The mountain is the only one which is drivable up to almost the top. So if you don’t want to venture out in the middle of the night and still want to see the sunrise, you are well served with a car.

The Pico do Arieiro is with a height of 1818 m the third highest mountain of Madeira. Below the summit, to cope with the daily flow of tourists, there is a large parking lot and a cafeteria with a souvenir store; the pousada is in disrepair.

Immediately next to the summit is a radar station of the Portuguese Air Force, visible from afar.

The neighboring island of Porto Santo, about 50 kilometers away, can then be seen on the horizon, as can the closer Ilhas Desertas.
From the summit of Pico do Arieiro, a hiking trail leads around Pico das Torres to the highest peak on the island, Pico Ruivo. Such a hike takes two and a half to three and a half hours. With the construction of secured stairways over the ridges and the tunnel through Pico do Gato, it remains strenuous, but is doable for reasonably giddy hikers of average fitness. In the middle section, only the easier way through the tunnel Pico das Torres is currently available. From Pico Ruivo, you can descend in one hour to Achada do Teixeira or in five hours to Boca da Encumeada, from where there is again a road connection.

Day 9

Lava basin Porto Moniz, beaches of Seixal

Porto Moniz seems to have fallen from above into the northern sea and has long been known for its natural pools and pure, beautiful scenery.

If you start from Funchal, as we did, you should plan a full day for this excursion. The most scenic route to Porto Moniz is probably the one from Santana along the north coast.

Porto Moniz is the most northwestern point of the island and also one of the most spectacular, and again it has its own unique flair of scenery.

The natural pools in Porto Moniz are freely accessible and a real treat for all visitors – surrounded by large and small lava rocks embedded in the sea, they are filled with crystal clear water by the tide. If the weather is not so good for swimming, take time to visit the „Center for Living Science“ and the Madeira Aquarium. You’ll be through the aquarium pretty quickly. Still, you shouldn’t miss the little tour.

Wine growing and fishing are economically important activities for the Porto Moniz region.

Leaving Porto Moniz by road towards Paul da Serra, a high plateau 1,600 meters above sea level, you can round off your island excursion with spectacular views all along the way.

The beach Praia do Porto do Seixal is a black sand beach. The dark sand beaches in Madeira come from the erosion of the volcanic black rock. Apart from the color, the dry or wet sand has a similar consistency and feels similar to the ordinary white sand. Due to the beach’s convenient location, you can enjoy the spectacular view either from your bath towel or while swimming in the gentle waters, protected by the pier. The pier ensures relatively calm waters, making it a safe beach.

Day 10

Steep cliff Gabo Giaro

Cabo Girão on Madeira is located about 3 km west of Câmara de Lobos in the south of the island. With a height of 580 m, the cape is the highest cliff in Europe and nothing suitable for people with a fear of heights. But those who can handle it well will be impressed by the view.

The panorama from the viewing platform is spectacular and a real MUST for every vacationer. The skywalk offers an incredible view down to the coast thanks to their glass floor.

When the weather is good, there are a lot of tourists on the platform. It is best to go there early or late in the afternoon. On some days there is a small entrance fee.

There are also buses from Funchal to Cabo Girão operated by Rodoeste. The best line is the 154, which also stops in Câmara de Lobos. Prices for a one-way trip are 2 to 3 euros. Ample parking is available for those driving.

Cable car
Very close to Cabo Girão is the Rancho cable car. Originally it was a means of transportation for farmers, today it brings tourists down to the Fajãs Cabo Girão. On the ride you will get beautiful panoramic views over the typical terraces of Madeira. At the bottom, a beautiful beach awaits you, which cannot be reached on foot.

Hiking and paragliding
Above Cabo Girão runs the Levada do Norte hiking trail. You can hike to the cape from Boa Morte or Estreito de Câmara de Lobos.

For the more daring: Paragliding is also possible from Cabo Girão. The cable car will take you up again.

Day 11

São Vicente Caves

On the last day before departure, a visit to the caves of SÃO VICENTE was planned. Unfortunately, we had to find out via Google Maps that at the current time the caves are closed due to safety regulations. Grottos of São Vicente were formed over 890,000 years ago, they are the first caves of volcanic origin that were open to the public in Portugal.

The grottos of São Vicente were formed a volcanic eruption in Paul da Serra. The outside, exposed to lower temperatures, solidified very quickly, while inside the lava continued to flow with a lot of gases, forming innumerable lava channels.

They are the first caves of volcanic origin that were open to the public in Portugal. They can be visited through an underground circuit of more than 1000 meters total length. The height of the caves varies between 5 and 6 meters.

But what was open 🙂
At the end of the circuit, visitors can still visit the center on volcanism. This center consists of a hall where visitors can participate in audiovisual demonstrations in an educational and fun way. They show the geological evolution of the caves, a volcanic eruption and still a simulation of the formation of the archipelago of Madeira.

Day 12

Santa Catarina Park, whale and dolphin tour from Funchal

On day 12, we took a short detour to Santa Catarina Park. There is no entrance fee. A spacious lawn, surrounded by well-tended flower beds, marks the center of this garden and invites you to take a rest. Nearby are two old machines that were once used to crush grapes and asphalt the streets.

With a total area of 36,000 square meters between Avenida do Infante and Avenida Sá Carneiro, in the western part of Funchal, Parque de Santa Catarina offers you beautifully landscaped flower beds, green areas, a café, lots of shade trees, fantastic views of Funchal Bay and the surrounding hills, and a small central lake with a tiny island where swans and ducks hang out.

Santa Catarina Park, located immediately above the harbor, with its extensive green spaces and walking paths, is a popular place to stay for those who want to relax a bit, take a walk or just sit on a bench and read a book or indulge their thoughts while listening to the splashing of the fountain, in a beautiful setting with magnificent views.

Among the many trifles that you can see in this park, we should also mention the aviaries, the sculptures dedicated to different personalities and the Santa Catarina Chapel, unfortunately closed to the public and dedicated by the wife of João Gonçalves Zarco, the first captain of the island in honor of Saint Catherine of Alexandria in 1425.

Day 13

Departure

Book Online

Estrada Monumental, 316, Sao Martinho, 9004-529 Funchal, Portugal

We fell in love after just a few minutes at the Hotel Aldo Lido. The hotel is very modern. You discover something new in every corner. Breakfast and dinner (buffet) were simply delicious. The hotel staff were always friendly and very accommodating. The hotel made what was already a wonderful holiday even better.

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Rental car

So that YOU don’t have to rely on public transport on Madeira Island – book a suitable hire car today, which you can pick up directly at the airport

Find a rental car*

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