Hi there, I'm starting a new travel journal with my itinerary and memories in mind, and maybe a few photos if I can find some.

The context:

April 2020, I was supposed to go to Uzbekistan, and October 2020 to Texas: both canceled due to COVID. Summer vacations in 2020 weren’t gonna be fun. Optimistic, I’d rescheduled both trips for roughly the same dates in 2021: the first was canceled again because of COVID, the second due to U.S. entry conditions (still COVID-related!). Summer vacations in 2021 *had* to be more fun, or I was gonna lose it!!! Plus, our parents are dealing with health issues, which is weighing us down—we really need to get away!

So I looked into where we could go, somewhere we could live almost normally. I saw that Madeira had implemented strict COVID measures but that life on the island was pretty chill afterward. For me, Madeira = sun + hiking + landscapes. BINGO.

Day 1: The flight and arrival on the island

Flight with TAP via Lisbon, departing around noon. We wore our masks properly on the plane. (My last flight was to Portugal, and I told myself I’d break the jinx and leave COVID behind us.) Layover in Lisbon, then an afternoon flight to Madeira. The landing went smoothly, no wind. Cristiano Ronaldo Airport in Funchal is known for being one of the trickiest in the world due to crosswinds. The checks were standard, except COVID added an extra step. Before the trip, I had to fill out a questionnaire (Madeira Safe). Once there, a group of young people—probably students—greeted us, each with a tablet. The health questionnaire and vaccine check were super quick. Then we saw a doctor, and just like that, we were wished a great stay. Honestly, it was so well organized that it only took 10 minutes. We wouldn’t put our masks back on until we returned!

A taxi took us to our hotel in the hills above Funchal—a pretty upscale place, which isn’t our usual style, but we needed it this time! Dinner on the hotel terrace with the city at our feet. Amazing!

HOTEL: Quinta da Bela Vista

The +: We’re traveling!!! The -: Nothing.

Hi everyone. Good evening! I’m back from Sententon. I’ve recovered now. What a beautiful, beautiful island—did it both ways. The crossing I’d call the "Madman’s Crossing" (a nod to another well-known one) is the one from Tarrafal to Ponta do Sol, which I did in 4.5 hours without speeding like Gonzalez. Then there’s what I’d call the "Grogue Diagonal"—the north-south route from Ribeira do Paul to the Janela Lighthouse, passing through Cova, Pico da Cruz, and Silva. A day and a half of pure enjoyment, wrapping up my visit to the island in supreme beauty. In my opinion, here are the island’s 7 must-dos: - The most stunning *bordeira* – the *bordeira do norte* - The most fantastic – the climb from João do Bento to Orgueiro - The most pleasant – the *vereda* Cova/Pico da Cruz/Silva - The most overrated – the northern coastal path - The most beautiful paved section – Ribeira de Penede’s lower part - The most grueling – Figueira de Cima to Chupador - The toughest – the climb to Salto Preto

And for any hiker, the Norte plateau is a must. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to Tope de Coroa—my only rainy day—but it was still good, even with the summit shrouded in clouds all day.

Here are my initial thoughts. I’m happy to share more with anyone planning the same crossings. I’m currently posting the route details on my blog and might share a few here. Though since the forum’s text editor isn’t top-notch without HTML, I’m not sure how it’ll turn out. In the meantime, you can check it out here --> Cape Verde. Should be of interest to hikers. Bye

Hi there,

We’re a family of five (our kids are 6, 15, and 19) and we’d love to go somewhere warm with our feet in the water during the first two weeks of August 2026. We’d also like to do some cultural visits and a bit of hiking. We were thinking of Guadeloupe—I know it’s not the ideal time of year, but we don’t have much flexibility. Is it really a bad idea, or can we still enjoy it despite the weather?

Another option for us would be Madeira, which seems more reliable weather-wise, but it sounds like the beaches are less accessible and not as nice.

We haven’t really looked elsewhere because everything else (except the Canary Islands, Balearics, or Corsica) seems way too expensive. But if you’ve got any recommendations, don’t hesitate—we’re just starting to look into it.

Thanks so much,

Pierre

Hi, is there a way to take a ferry to Madeira Island by van or small camper? If so, from which Mediterranean port? Thanks

Hi everyone, we’re thinking of spending the last week of March in Madeira. What do you think? Is the weather nice? Isn’t it too cloudy? Are there already flowers? We’re mainly going to explore the island and do some hikes. We don’t plan on swimming. Thanks for your suggestions!!

Hello 😊 If you're planning 10 days in Madeira and feeling unsure about the itinerary, my first tip would be: don’t try to “tick everything off.” The island is compact, but the roads are winding and hikes take time. For 10 days, I’d structure the trip into 3 zones:

East (Ponta de São Lourenço + Pico do Arieiro) for spectacular volcanic landscapes

Central (levadas + Fanal forests) for hiking

West (Porto Moniz, cliffs, sunsets) for raw panoramas And save Funchal for early mornings or late afternoons.

A car is essential, and checking the weather ahead is key—it changes quickly with altitude. I’ve broken all this down (optimized route, travel times, parking spots, hike difficulty, what to do based on weather, mistakes to avoid…) in this post: 👉 https://aventures-sans-mesaventure.com/visiter-madere-1-semaine/ Even though it’s built for a week, it adapts easily to 10 days by adding more hikes or slowing the pace. If you’re looking for a balance between breathtaking nature, hiking, and quieter moments, Madeira is a real safe bet.

Introduction

We arrived on the island of Madeira (Portugal) at the beginning of May 2023 and stayed for 5 weeks.

This island is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, its famous hikes through lush landscapes, and its seaside resorts. It offers an unforgettable experience for nature lovers.

In this travel journal, you’ll find a list of the many activities we did during our stay to explore the different attractions of this magnificent island.

These attractions are categorized to make it easier to search based on your interests, if needed.

Videos are included throughout the summary. Please click on the image to start the video.

To jump to a specific post, here are the appropriate links:

HIKES:

Calheta - PR19 Caminho Real do Paúl do Mar Santana - Ribeiro Frio - PR11 Vereda dos Balcões Sao Vicente - Gingas - PR16 Levada Fajã do Rodrigues Rabaçal - PR6.1 Levada do Risco & PR6 Levada das 25 fontes Rabaçal - PR6.2 Levada do Alecrim & PR6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento Caniçal - PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço São Jorge - PR18 Levada do Rei Ponta do Sol - PR7 modified - Levada Nova & Levada do Moinho Machico - PR5 Vereda das Funduras Funchal - PR1 Vereda do Areeiro (Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo) Funchal - PR1 Vereda do Areeiro (Pico Ruivo to Pico do Areeiro) Funchal - PR1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo (outbound) Funchal - PR1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo (return) Porto Moniz - Fanal Forest Porto Moniz - PR14 Levada dos Cedros Ribeira Brava - PR17 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal (Encumeada) Ribeira Brava - PR17 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal (Lombo do Mouro) Ribeira Brava - PR17 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal (Bica da Cana) Santana - PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde Lamaceiros - Levada Ribeira da Janela Ribeiro Frio - PR10 Levada do Furado Tabua - Levada da Nova (Eastern Sector) Tabua - Levada da Nova (Western Sector) Boa Morte - Levada do Norte Verada da Levada do Facho - Levada do Norte (South) Vale Paraiso - Levada da Serra do Faial Porto Moniz - PR13 Vereda do Fanal Referta - Levada do Castelejo Porto da Cruz - Levada do Castelejo Estanquinhos - Pico Ruivo do Paul da Serra Boaventura - Levada de Cima & Levada da Acha Grande

SEASIDE RESORTS & NATURAL POOLS:

Natural pools of Seixal Seixal Naval Club Seaside Resort - Natural pool Natural pools of Porto Moniz Funchal - Lido Seaside Resort Santana - Foz da Ribeira do Faial Seaside Resort Câmara de Lobos - Salinas Seaside Resort Porto Moniz - Aquário/Cachalote Natural Pools Funchal - Doca do Cavacas Seaside Resort Funchal - Ponta Gorda Seaside Resort Caniço - Roca Mar Hotel Seaside Resort Caniço - Lido Galoma Seaside Resort Calhau de São Jorge Seaside Resort Ribeira Brava Seaside Resort

BEACHES:

São Jorge Beach Calheta Beach Seixal - Laje Beach (Jamaica) Porto de Seixal Beach Caniço - Reis Magos Beach Machico - Machico Beach (Banda d'Além) Machico - São Roque Beach Machico - Ribeira Natal Beach Caniçal - Prainha Beach Porto da Cruz - Alagoa Beach

TOWNS:

Stroll through the town of Ponta do Sol Stroll through the town of Câmara de Lobos Stroll through the town of Ribeira Brava Stroll through the town of Funchal Funchal - Wicker toboggan ride Stroll through the town of Machico Stroll through the town of Santana Stroll through the town of São Vicente São Vicente Caves Park

VIEWPOINTS:

Calheta Region Ponta do Sol Region Ribeira Brava Region Câmara de Lobos Region Funchal Region Santa Cruz Region Porto Moniz Region São Vicente Region Santana Region Machico Region On the road in Madeira

WATERFALLS ALONG THE WAY

Ponta do Sol - Anjos Waterfall Sao Vicente - Água d'Alto Waterfall Seixal - Córrego da Furna Waterfall

Hi there, Has anyone taken a cruise to the Canary Islands and Madeira with Costa? Thanks for your replies! Jibé

Outrageous and completely unacceptable experience with SIXT Funchal! JUNE 2026 During our trip to Madeira, we had pre-booked and prepaid a deposit online for a vehicle to pick up at the SIXT agency in Funchal via the "discovercar.com" website. Upon arrival, we were faced with an employee whose behavior was unacceptable, aggressive, disdainful, and completely contrary to what you’d expect from a hospitality professional. She outright refused to hand over the vehicle, claiming that my husband’s paper driving license wasn’t allowed under SIXT’s rules. The most shocking part is that the explanations given on the spot seemed dishonest and in bad faith. We’ve rented vehicles in several European Union countries with this same license without ever encountering any issues. If SIXT doesn’t accept paper licenses, this condition should have been clearly stated before booking—and especially before taking our money. We only discovered this so-called condition once we were there, after traveling and having already paid part of the rental. What followed was particularly painful: we had to return to the agency to get a refusal certificate. Fortunately, we had recorded the conversation, which allowed us to keep proof of the exchanges and push forward with our complaints. After many back-and-forths and three months of waiting, we finally got our money back thanks to discover.com’s customer service, who supported us in our efforts—otherwise, the SIXT agency would have continued to deny our visit, and we would have considered legal action. This situation is simply scandalous. When you arrive in Madeira for a vacation, you certainly don’t expect to be greeted with such aggression, disdain, and bad faith. We sincerely hope this person will no longer be in contact with customers, as her behavior was particularly shocking and seriously ruined our experience. We strongly advise against using the SIXT agency in Funchal. If you want to avoid bad surprises, conflicts, and a terrible customer experience, steer clear. For our part, SIXT Funchal: NEVER AGAIN!

Hi everyone,

We'd like to go on a week-long trip next February with our two kids (13 and 4 years old) to either Madeira or the Canary Islands.

For this vacation, we're looking for a relaxing week with the option to go hiking, and where the kids can enjoy the pool... We were thinking of an all-inclusive package, even though it's not really our thing (we usually prefer road trips and organizing everything ourselves) just so we don’t have to do anything—especially not cooking! 😎

But I looked into it, and hotels with this package are just massive: 500, 800 rooms 😮, that’s not going to work at all!! And the price for four of us—yikes! So we thought about half-board instead, in a smaller resort. Really, we’d like to avoid concrete everywhere—we prefer nature!

Anyway, I’d love to hear your tips for planning our trip. If you have other destinations that might fit, I’m all ears. We don’t want to go too far, and temperatures around 15°C would be perfect. We want to relax, have a pool for the kids, but still have the chance to explore the area (hiking, etc.).

Thanks, and have a great day

Hi everyone,

We’re leaving in 9 days for a two-week trip to Madeira, mainly to hike.

From my research, I’ve found that since last year, access to most trails—and systematically for the most popular ones—is now paid. You have to pay an access fee of 4.50 € per person per classified hike in 2026, and even 10.50 € for the most iconic hike: Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. When paying, you also have to choose a day and a 30-minute time slot for your start time. Of course, this reservation is neither changeable nor refundable, even if the weather that day is terrible.

Personally, given the massive influx of tourists to the island in recent years, I don’t mind paying a fee to help maintain the trails. Similarly, setting a limit on the number of people who can hike them per day is certainly preferable to preserve this priceless heritage.

However, what’s much less fair is that in reality, most of the available spots are reserved: 1/ for Madeira residents (which is normal); 2/ for "economic operators" (meaning local tour operators). For example, if you’re a non-resident (independent tourist), no booking is possible for the Pico Arieiro hike for an early morning start before September! So, unfortunately, we’ll have to skip this hike. It’s the same issue for Ponta de São Lourenço, the 25 Fontes, Pico Ruivo... in short, all the most popular hikes. Oh well, we’ll skip those too!

So my question is: which hikes do you recommend where we won’t face the huge crowds that the others get? And where we can book the day before for the next day, taking the weather into account?

Finally, a quick accommodation question: we’ve booked the first week in Funchal, but I haven’t decided yet for the second week. Do you have any advice on where to stay in the south or north, preferably avoiding overly concrete-heavy and touristy spots?

Thanks in advance for your tips! 🙂

Pascal

Hi there, we're heading to Madeira next week. We don’t plan to rent a car directly at the airport. We have 19 km to cover to get to our hotel—is taking a taxi a good deal in Funchal?

Thanks, have a great day everyone

Hi, I need to take a trip to Madeira from November 16th to 23rd and I'm looking for tips and advice. Thanks

Hi there! We’d love some tips on organizing stopovers on our own in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Arrecife, Puerto del Rosario, Santa Cruz de La Palma, Las Palmas, and Funchal. Thanks so much for your help