Madeira is a mountainous Atlantic island and autonomous region of Portugal, known for its mild climate, levada walks and steep green valleys. It lies closer to Africa than to Lisbon. The main island covers about 740 square kilometres and is home to roughly a quarter of a million people, around 106,000 of them in Funchal, the capital, on the sunny south coast. The archipelago also includes Porto Santo and the uninhabited Desertas and Selvagens islands.
Visitors come less for beaches than for walking, views and gardens: paths beside centuries-old irrigation channels, a laurel forest listed by UNESCO, peaks above 1,800 m and sea pools carved from lava. It suits hikers, couples, families and long-stay winter visitors escaping colder climates. Vacation rentals range from apartments in Funchal with harbour views to quintas, the island's traditional country houses, and cottages perched above the sea on the north and west coasts.
Funchal is the most convenient base: restaurants, markets, gardens, the cable car to Monte and bus links to the whole island. The Zona Velha, the old town, suits travellers who want character and evenings out, while the Lido area of São Martinho to the west has sea-view apartments, sea pools and a promenade. Câmara de Lobos, a fishing town just west of Funchal, is quieter and good value.
On the sunny south-west coast, Calheta and Ponta do Sol suit visitors looking for calm villages, sunsets and cottages with terraces. The north coast, around Santana, São Vicente and Porto Moniz, is greener, cooler and wilder, ideal for hikers who want trailheads close by. Many homes on the island sit on steep slopes, so a car and confident hill driving are useful outside Funchal.
Levadas are narrow irrigation channels cut along the mountainsides to carry water to farms and towns. More than 2,000 km were built over the centuries, including about 40 km of tunnels, and the maintenance paths beside them have become Madeira's best-known walking routes, many of them fairly level. Official waymarked routes include the Levada do Rei, the Levada dos Cedros and the short Levada do Risco at Rabaçal.
Many of these walks pass through the Laurisilva, a humid laurel forest that once covered much of southern Europe and survives here on the island's northern slopes. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and lies largely within the Madeira Natural Park. Bring a torch for tunnels and a rain layer, and stick to open, signposted routes, since paths can close after storms.
The island's spine rises to Pico Ruivo, at about 1,862 m the highest point, and Pico do Arieiro, about 1,818 m, which can be reached by road and is famous for sunrise views above the clouds. A mountain trail links the two peaks, and the bare eastern peninsula of Ponta de São Lourenço offers a very different, windswept walk.
On the coast, Porto Moniz in the north-west has natural swimming pools formed in black lava rock, filled by the Atlantic tide. Near Câmara de Lobos, the sea cliff of Cabo Girão drops steeply to the ocean, and Santana is known for its traditional thatched houses. In Funchal, ride the cable car up to Monte, walk through the Monte Palace Tropical Garden and watch the toboggan drivers who steer wicker sledges down the hill.
Funchal grew from a settlement founded in the 1420s and became a city in 1508. Its cathedral, markets and narrow old-town streets, where the painted doors of Rua de Santa Maria have become an open-air gallery, are easy to explore on foot. The city is a popular place to spend New Year's Eve, when fireworks light up the bay.
The island's calendar is full of festivals, from Carnival and the spring Flower Festival to the Atlantic Festival, the Wine Festival and the Christmas and New Year season. Madeira wine, a fortified wine that replaced sugar as the island's great export in the 18th century, is still made and aged here, and the Funchal waterfront and local restaurants are good places to try fresh fish from the surrounding Atlantic.
Portuguese navigators reached the uninhabited archipelago in the early 15th century: João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira landed on Porto Santo after a storm around 1418, and the following year they and Bartolomeu Perestrelo sighted Madeira. Settlers arrived in the 1420s, cleared land with fire, and the island soon became a major producer of sugar.
When sugar declined, wine took its place, and the 18th-century trade in Madeira wine made the island a regular stop for ships crossing the Atlantic. Over time Madeira became a winter resort for travellers from northern Europe, drawn by its climate and gardens. Since 1976 it has been an autonomous region of Portugal with its own government, and it is also an outermost region of the European Union.
Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC), also called Madeira Airport, is in Santa Cruz on the east coast, roughly 15 to 20 km and about 20 minutes by road from Funchal. Its runway extends partly over the sea on a platform supported by about 180 columns, and strong crosswinds sometimes delay or divert flights, so allow some slack in your plans. Flights from Lisbon take around an hour and a half.
A network of expressways and tunnels links the coasts, and buses connect Funchal with most towns. For walks, viewpoints and the north coast, a rental car gives far more freedom, though mountain roads are steep and narrow. Porto Santo, the archipelago's second inhabited island, is reached by ferry from Funchal or a short flight.
Madeira has a mild subtropical climate, with dry summers and most rain in the cooler months. Funchal's average annual temperature is close to 20°C, so the south coast rarely feels cold. The north is wetter and greener, and the mountains are much cooler, often cloudy, and occasionally see frost or snow on the highest peaks.
There is no bad season, which is why many visitors come in winter, especially for Christmas and New Year. Spring, around April and May, brings flowers and the Flower Festival, and September and October are good for warm seas and walking. Summer is the driest time and best for swimming in the sea pools. Mountain weather changes quickly at any time of year, so check forecasts and trail status before setting out.
Funchal is best for a first visit, with restaurants, gardens and buses across the island. The Lido area suits sea-view apartments, and the Zona Velha suits evenings out. Calheta and Ponta do Sol suit calm, sunny stays, while Santana and Porto Moniz suit hikers on the north coast.
Madeira is pleasant all year. April to June brings flowers and good walking, summer is driest and best for sea pools, and September and October are warm and calmer. Winter is mild on the south coast, and Christmas and New Year in Funchal are very popular.
Five days give time for Funchal, a couple of levada walks and a drive along the north coast. A week to ten days lets you add the peaks, Porto Moniz, the Ponta de São Lourenço walk and a day trip to Porto Santo without rushing.
Madeira's coast is mostly cliffs, with pebble and dark-sand beaches and natural or man-made sea pools, such as the lava pools at Porto Moniz. For a long sandy beach, visitors take the ferry or a short flight to the neighbouring island of Porto Santo.
In Funchal you can manage on foot, by bus and with the cable car. To reach levada trailheads, mountain viewpoints and the north coast at your own pace, a rental car helps a great deal. Roads are steep and winding, so choose a car with enough power.
Many levada walks are fairly level and suit beginners, but some run beside steep drops or through dark tunnels. Choose official waymarked routes, bring a torch, good shoes and a rain layer, and check whether a route is open, since storms can close paths.
Yes. Holiday rentals in Portugal, including Madeira, operate as alojamento local and must be entered in the national register, the RNAL; in Madeira the registration is handled by the regional tourism directorate (Direção Regional do Turismo). The registration number has to appear in every advertisement and on booking platforms, so you can check it before you book.
Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC) is in Santa Cruz, roughly 15 to 20 km east of Funchal, usually about 20 minutes by car or taxi. Airport buses also run to the city. Strong winds occasionally delay or divert flights, so build some flexibility into your travel plans.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .