Save Saved

Active vacation

Madeira, ultimate guide: places, trips and tips

Explore the island of eternal spring with our complete guide. Discover the famous places and hidden treasures of Madeira.

Martin & Tina

Guide creator

Map of 62 places
Itineraries & trips around
Practical tips, accomodation tips

Guide price: xxxxx

Unlock Free preview

What to expect

Madeira is not just the island of eternal spring, it’s a place where you can walk through a Jurassic Park-like mist forest in the morning and have a coffee on a cliff above the endless Atlantic in the afternoon. It’s rightly known as the Hawaii of Europe – an incredible combination of dramatic mountains, breathtaking lava and great food. What’s more, Madeira is surprisingly accessible, and we’ll show you how to make the most of it while being smart in this guide.

In our complete guide, you’ll find dozens of carefully selected sites around the island, from the iconic to the ones only locals know about. We’ve added specific tips on tried-and-tested car rental companies, restaurants where you won’t get burnt, and practical parking advice. Plus, you’ll get some ready-made itineraries to guide you through the most beautiful parts of the island so you don’t have to worry about a thing and just enjoy the journey.

Before your trip

Car rental

The best way to get around Madeira is undoubtedly a rental car or scooter. You can do orders of magnitude more and you won't be limited by anything. The only thing to consider is that Madeira's roads, especially when travelling to the peaks, can be a bit of a challenge for novice drivers.

Půjčovny na Madeiře

Booking.com

Book

MadeiraRent

Directly at the airport

Book

Accommodation

Funchal is a great base for exploring the whole island. Not only does it offer plenty of places to stay, but also facilities such as restaurants and attractions. However, it's a short drive into the countryside.

Terrace Mar Suite Hotel

Funchal • $$

Book

<p>Nice and modern hotel in a quiet area of Funchal, offering a rooftop pool and spacious rooms with a small kitchen.</p>

Welcome Madeira Apartments

Funchal • $

Book

<p>Beautiful and spacious apartments right in the centre of Funchal, offering great facilities including a terrace. The accommodation is close to the cable car to Monte, the only drawback is the lack of parking. However, this can be solved through the nearby pay and display car park – Almirante Reis Car Park. </p>

How do our recommendations work?

We only recommend trusted companies and services we’ve personally tried. By clicking through and making a booking, you support Retkee and its continued development.

Places & trips

To show the map you need to unlock guide.

36 places

Levadas, viewpoints and beautiful hikes.

Outlook

Cabo Girão

Câmara de Lobos

Nature

Caldeirão do Inferno

Nature

Caldeirão Verde

Levada do Caldeirão Verde

To view more places, you need to unlock guide.

Itineraries & trips

Ready-made plans for your days on the island. Just choose.

Itinerary

How to get from the airport to Funchal?

1 day 2 places

Itinerary

Sunrise on the east of the island

1 day 3 places

Itinerary