Madeira in 7 Days
This route shows you Madeira in moving images: in the morning above the Atlantic, at midday between market stalls and old alleys, later on high-level paths with views into deep green valleys. You ride the cable car over Funchal, walk along levadas and stand at viewpoints where wind, clouds and sea constantly change the mood. Add to that quiet gardens, small museums and places where the island feels close and everyday.
What is special about this trip is the alternation of city and landscape without the days feeling overloaded. You start in Funchal, then dive into the north and the mountains and end with water, rocks and wide views in Porto Moniz.
Who is this trip for?
This trip is ideal for you if, on a city trip, you don't just want to stroll through streets but also head out into nature. It suits active travelers who like to combine viewpoints, easy to longer walks and cultural stops.
What to expect
Expect a varied rhythm of city walks, drives to viewpoints and several hiking days. Some stages are relaxed, others call for an early start, sure-footedness and an appetite for longer distances. It is exactly this mix that rounds out the week: sometimes urban and compact, sometimes wide, green and open.
Day 1 · Funchal
Arriving above Funchal
To start, with the Funchal Cable Car you rise straight above the city's roofs and get a first feel for the slopes, the sea and Funchal's special setting. Then you continue on foot through the Zona Histórica do Funchal, where narrow streets, painted doors and old facades set the beat. In the Mercado dos Lavradores it turns colorful, loud and fragrant, a place where the island's everyday life becomes tangible.
- Funchal Cable Car
- Zona Histórica do Funchal
- Mercado dos Lavradores (farmers' market)
- CR7 Museum
© Sérgio Horta (SVG by Hurfer (talk · contribs)) · CC BY-SA 3.0
© Luke H. Gordon · CC BY 2.0Day 2 · Funchal
Views, garden, coast
The day begins high up at the Pico dos Barcelos viewpoint, where Funchal opens like an amphitheater toward the Atlantic. In the Jardim Municipal do Funchal it turns quieter afterward, with shade, paths and a little break in the middle of the city. Later you switch to the water at Praia do Garajau, where the coast gets rougher and the view belongs entirely to the sea again.
- Pico dos Barcelos viewpoint
- Jardim Municipal do Funchal
- Funchal Cathedral
- Praia do Garajau
Day 3 · Funchal
Gardens and old paths
In the morning the Madeira Botanical Garden leads you through an ordered, green world with wide views over the slopes. Then it turns lush and many-layered again in the Monte Palace Madeira Museum, with art, garden grounds and repeated perspectives over the city. With the Associação dos Carreiros do Monte you finally get one of those very typical Madeira moments that connect tradition and pace in an unexpected way.
- Madeira Botanical Garden
- Monte Palace Madeira Museum
- Associação dos Carreiros do Monte
- Forte de São Tiago
© H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0
© Dr. Thomas Liptak · CC BY-SA 4.0Day 4 · Santana
Levadas and north coast
Today water at the wayside takes center stage: the Levada dos Tornos leads you step by step into a quiet, green Madeira. On the PR11 Levada dos Balcões the landscape grows even more concentrated, with forest, gorges and a viewpoint that suddenly opens everything up. At the Miradouro da Portela the perspective shifts again, wider, airier and with that feeling that the island looks different around every bend.
- Levada dos Tornos
- PR11 Levada dos Balcões
- Miradouro da Portela
- Miradouro do Guindaste
- Fortress of Faial
Day 5 · Santana
Up high to Santana
Setting off early pays off, because at the Viewpoint Pico do Areeiro the day begins above the clouds and with rocks that command respect at once. From there you are drawn on toward Pico Ruivo, where Madeira feels rough, clear and almost alpine. Afterward the island's cultural side catches up with you in the Casas Típicas de Santana, small, striking and a strong contrast to the heights of the morning.
- Viewpoint Pico do Areeiro
- Pico Ruivo
- Levada do Caldeirão Verde PR9
- Casas Típicas de Santana
- Reserva Natural da Rocha do Navio
© Krib · CC BY-SA 4.0
© Kogo · GFDLDay 6 · Porto Moniz
West with waterfalls
With Cabo Girão you start at a dramatic height and see how steeply Madeira rises straight out of the sea. Then the day turns greener and more lively: Risco Waterfall and Lagoa das 25 Fontes lead you into a damp, shady landscape where water is present everywhere. To wind down, the Natural public swimming pool awaits, a lovely switch from hiking to water.
- Cabo Girão
- Risco Waterfall
- Lagoa das 25 Fontes
- Miradouro do Véu da Noiva
- Natural public swimming pool
© Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 3.0
© Bucktrout & Co. Ltd. -- Publisher · Public domainDay 7 · Porto Moniz
Laurel forest and lava pools
In the Fanal Forestry Station the last day begins almost mystically, between old trees, misty moods and a calm you don't forget on the island. From the Miradouro da Eira da Achada the view then reaches far out over the north coast, before at the Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela rock and sea define the picture. In the Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools the trip ends fittingly: right by the Atlantic, clear, rough and wonderfully uncomplicated.
- Fanal Forestry Station
- Miradouro da Eira da Achada
- Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela
- Aquário da Madeira
- Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools
Free – swap sights, rearrange days, add hotels & restaurants.