Week in Madeira: a detailed itinerary (part 1)

Hello there, dear Hivers! I'm here with another travel blog post, this time back from Europe: the beautiful island of Madeira.

Madeira has it all: the city and the villages, the modern and the old, beaches, breathtaking mountains, beautiful trails, gardens, and waterfalls. It was my first time on this beautiful island. I was traveling with my parents (also first-timers) and was in charge of planning the trip to everyone’s satisfaction. We all wanted to discover as much as possible while at the same time having time to relax and unwind. Here’s what we did.

(note: since the original article I wrote was unbelievably long, I decided to cut it into two pieces. The second part is coming soon.)

Day 0: Our Arrival

We traveled to Madeira with TAP Air Portugal, as they offered the cheapest flights with carry-on baggage included in the price. The landing was a little bumpy as it was very windy. But from what I’ve read after, we were lucky even to land! I thought it was a normal thing but no, not in Madeira. The conditions of the airport make it so hard to land that the crew, especially pilots and navigators, have to have a special certification solely focused on Madeira. I didn’t know that before! But knowing this, you can feel safe as the pilots always know what they’re doing.

When we landed, we took an Airbus to Praia Formosa, where our accommodation was.

Day 1: Praia Formosa

If you’re staying in Praia Formosa like we did, congratulations! It is the perfect location for discovering the island and unwinding on one of its most beautiful beaches.

Praia Formosa is a black sand/stone combination beach strip close to the center of Funchal, the capital of Madeira. It is a hotel district with great public transport if you need it. The beach itself is beautiful, with the majestic cliff of Cabo Girao in its background. Since it is located on the south of the island, the weather there is usually nicer than in other parts of the island: it isn’t as windy and is probably the warmest. The ocean here is also relatively calm.

There are multiple bars and restaurants on the beach where you can eat and drink, and two parking lots if you’re coming from afar. This place is great for watching sunsets: in summer, the sun sets behind the Cabo Girao cliff; in winter, it might even dip into the ocean. The beach ends with a promenade leading to a neighboring town of Camara de Lobos on one side and a tunnel on the other. If you walk through the tunnel, you’ll find yourself at a restaurant, and Doca do Cavacas natural pools. We didn’t have time to visit, but we would definitely do the next time!

Day 2: Funchal

If you’ve relaxed after the journey, you can start discovering! It takes 1 hour of walking from Praia Formosa to the center of Funchal, or you can take a bus and be there in 15 minutes.

You can take a walk on the promenade in front of the port and visit the Museum of Cristiano Ronaldo with its famous sculpture there. Later, walk around the old town, stop by a restaurant or a café. We went to Art Food Corner Madeira; their coffee was great!

Right next to the café, a cable car was going to Monte, which was our next stop. But instead of taking the cable car, which was rather expensive, we decided to go by bus. Oh man, was it adventurous! The bus driver was apparently very comfortable on the narrow, steep road – unlike us, his passengers. His driving was absolutely mad, and I’m glad my mom sat on the other side of the bus than I did: she suffers from vertigo, and I’m pretty sure she would feel sick from the view. It was beautiful and scary at the same time.

We came to Monte because of its popular Monte Palace and surrounding gardens. They were built in the Eastern style, combining the elements of Japanese, Buddhist, and Hinduist symbols and architecture. The whole garden was covered in lush greenery and water streams, and there was also an exhibition on different minerals that were also absolutely breathtaking. In the end, we also got a shot of the famous Madeira wine (it’s included in the entrance fee of 12€ per person).

We then wanted to return to the town by taking the famous street slide in sort-of-sleigh, which Funchal is famous for. But unfortunately, we came late, so make sure to either reserve (if possible) or come before 5 in the afternoon (they operate until 6 pm.).

If you’d like to do some more tasting than just one shot of Madeira wine, visit a popular Madeira Rum House or a restaurant with Madeira wine (which is pretty much every restaurant on the island).

Day 3: Levada

This would be the perfect day to rent a car as you can’t really get everywhere without one. We rented with Plus Car as they were much cheaper than other rentals, but then we figured out it was because they don’t offer insurance. We were lucky that nothing happened to our car, but if you prefer to feel secure, you might consider a different rental company.

We made plans to go to the most popular levada on the island: The 25 Fontes (which means 25 springs). But the weather was getting worse as we were getting closer. Up in the mountains, where the levada is, it was terrible: you couldn’t see anything through the cloud, it was wet and super windy. We decided to go to a different place instead: a village called Prazeres.

Prazeres is located in the Southwest of the island, and I think it is one of the less popular places on the island. First, we stopped by a great café called XS café (and it really is very small & pretty and has great coffee). Then, we decided to get lunch, and as there was a local restaurant just in front of the café, we went there and ordered the famous local dish: a fish with banana. As weird as it sounds, it was actually very good!

Very close to the restaurant, we started walking a different levada passing through the village. It was a very long one, so we knew we would only walk a little there and back again, but it was amazing. The levada went through the village’s gardens, then took a turn, and we ended up in a beautiful eucalyptus forest.

Since it was still quite early when we finished, we decided to continue west. Our first stop there was Miradouro da Garganta Funda, which is also very famous on Instagram now: you watch a huge waterfall fall down into a hole beneath your feet. That is – when there is enough water to make the water actually fall. We were unlucky on that front: we only saw a hole where the waterfall normally is. Well, you can’t have it all.

Then, very close to the viewpoint is the famous Ponta do Pargo lighthouse – the westernmost point of the island. It is surrounded by breathtaking cliffs, and from what I hear, it’s the best spot to watch sunset on the island. We didn’t wait that long, but it was beautiful anyway.

Our last stop on the way home was Cascata dos Anjos: a waterfall famous for falling straight onto an old road. It was quite adventurous because, as the thing in Madeira is: the old roads below cliffs are very often prone to damage from falling rocks and landslides, and it sometimes shows significantly. Unfortunately, I gotta say, the road was more interesting than the waterfall itself: it was barely pouring down, and there were many people waiting for a photo. Instagram tourism is sometimes taking a toll on places like this because this place in this state wasn’t even worth visiting.

A place we didn’t visit but you could, driving in this area, would be Calheta Beach. It is one of the few yellow sand beaches on the island, as it is imported from Sahara. You can also stop by a tiny but picturesque town of Ponta do Sol.

Day 4: The Northwest

I was really excited about this part of the island. From what I’ve seen in pictures, I was sure the dramatic green cliffs on the island's northern side would amaze me. And they did.

But not only was the landscape surprising, but so was the weather. Although it was supposed to be sunny, it started raining when we got to the northern side. We still saw the beautiful Véu de Noiva – a waterfall called „the Bride’s Veil. “

Then we continued to Praia do Seixal, a stunning beach nearby. The backdrop of the cliffs, the games the sun and clouds played on us, the waterfall on the beach, and the wild waves – it was all breathtaking. Unfortunately, it was too cold for swimming, so we continued to another viewpoint called Miradouro Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela. We then wanted to continue to Porto Moniz to bathe in the natural pools, but the weather didn’t look like it would improve, so we returned to our apartment at Praia Formosa. Next time, north, next time!

Since we were dressed for much warmer weather, we didn’t continue to another destination that day. But if you’re in Porto Moniz and its surroundings, this is a perfect place to visit the beautiful laurel forest of Fanal. It is famous for its ancient trees and seemingly everlasting fog, and when we actually visited, I felt like I was in the Lord of the Rings. It would even feel almost creepy if it weren’t for many birds chirping constantly. It was one of the most unique places we visited in Madeira.

PART 2 COMING SOON.

Soo... did I make you wanna go to Madeira? 😉 Which of these places would you visit first? Let me know!

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