A Week In Madeira

Itinerary:

* = recommend

For our first trip in 2021, we chose to visit the Autonomous Region of Madeira. Madeira is a 3.5 hour flight from London and is located off the west coast of Africa. We rented a car and started off in Funchal, making our way around the island (anticlockwise) ending up in Santana. I think a car is necessary to explore the island fully - the other option is to sign up for group/private tours and day trips.

Day 1 (flight arrived in the afternoon)

Visit:

• Igreja Paroquial de Nossa Senhora do Monte Church

• Traditional Toboggan ride on wicker basket sledges (15 euros each) *

• Funchal and old town

Stay:

• Castanheiro Boutique Hotel *

Eat:

• Gaviao Novo Restaurant

Day 2

Visit

• Ponta de Sao Lourenco (3-4 hour hike) **

• Cascata dos Anjos, Ponta Do Sol (waterfall onto the side of the road) *

Stay

• Glamping at Canto das Fontes, Ponta Do Sol (Airbnb for 3 nights) **

Day 3

Visit:

• Lobosonda - Madeira Whale Watching, Calheta (great company - very experienced and respectful of wildlife) **

• Levada das 25 Fontes and Risco Waterfall (3-4 hour hike) *

Eat:

• Marina Azul Restaurante, Calheta

Day 4

Visit:

• Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo (6 hours but we only did 2 hrs of the trail - the Stairway to Heaven Ridge/ Miradouro do Ninho da Manta viewpoint as it was extremely cloudy) **

• Cabo Girão Viewpoint

Eat:

• Faja Dos Padres (with fun cable car ride down, 10 euros each)**

Day 5

Visit:

• Achadas da Cruz and Cable Car (Europe's steepest cable car, 3 euros each) **

• Natural lava pools and swimming pools (1 euro each), Porto Moniz **

• Seixal and Veu da Noiva waterfall viewpoint

Stay:

• Solar Da Bica, São Vicente *

Eat:

• Dom Peixe, Porto Moniz

Day 6

Visit:

• Revisited Porto Moniz and Seixal

• Miradouro de São Cristovão and small hike (be careful - well marked path but steep and gravelly)

• Miradouro das Cabanas

Stay:

• Quinta do Furao Hotel, Santana (for 2 nights) **

Eat:

• Restaurante São Cristóvão

• Quinta do Furao Hotel/Restaurant, Santana *

Day 7

Visit:

• Levada Caldeirão Verde, Queimadas Forestry Park, Santana (3-4 hour hike) **

• North Mills Rum Distillery, Porto da Cruz

• Rocha Do Navio Viewpoint * and cable car (5 euros each)

Fun fact: Madeira is often described as the Hawaii of Europe/ the Atlantic due to its dramatic and tropical landscape, but did you know that Portuguese immigrants from Madeira actually brought the ukulele to Hawaii in 1879?

Must eat: Limpets, Tamarillo fruit, Black scabbardfish, Bolo do Caco (sweet potato bread with garlic butter), Espetada, Madeira wine