Madeira, often referred to as the Atlantic pearl, is an autonomous region of Portugal with 2 main islands (Madeira and Porto Santo) and a couple of uninhabited islands (Desertas and Selvagens).

The islands have volcanic origin, and offer such a diversity in terms of landscapes and activities in such a small portion of land – you can go around the main island in approximately 4 hours. There’s literally something for all types of travellers (solo or families, younger or older, if you just want to lay down on the beach or go on adventurous trails).

In this guide, you’ll find our top recommendations for your next visit, together with our 5-day itinerary perfect for families.

When to go? How to get there? Top 10 places you can’t miss! 5 days itinerary (kids friendly)

When to go?

Madeira is actually closer to Africa than to Portugal, so it has great weather most of the year. Of course, being a tropical island, you might get 1 hour of rain followed by a beautiful sun, but the temperatures never go too high or too low (with the exception of when you go high on the mountains).

These factors make Madeira an amazing destination to visit almost any month of the year.

How to get there?

The benefit of being a place with a lot of tourism is that there are several direct flights to Funchal from Portugal (Lisbon and Porto), from most of the countries in Europe (like Spain, France, UK, Germany, Italy, etc), from nearby islands (Tenerife and Azores), and even from New York. There are also plenty of low-cost airlines flying to Funchal, so if you’re flexible on dates you can get really great prices on your flights. Just make sure you always compare the prices with everything you need (luggage, etc). We typically start by searching on Google Flights, and then check conditions directly on airlines websites.

Landing in Madeira might be a bit challenging depending on the weather conditions, the landing lane is not that big and it’s an area with strong winds. So don’t be scared if before landing the plane start flying in circles for a while, it’s common so they can wait on perfect conditions to land. Because of that, it’s common for landings to end with a big round of applause.

Top 10 places you can’t miss!

⭐ Pico do Arieiro
⭐ Fanal forest
⭐ Nossa Senhora de Fátima church
⭐ Balcões viewpoint
⭐ Santana
⭐ Monte Palace Tropical Garden
⭐ Cabo Girão Skywalk
⭐ Porto Moniz pools
⭐ Seixal pools
⭐ Ponta do Rosto

5 days itinerary (kids friendly)

DAY 1

⭐ Early flight to Madeira (cheaper and you can still enjoy the rest of the day)
⭐ Pick up your car from the rent a car
⭐ Lunch @desertapequena (Câmara de Lobos)
⭐ Visit Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima (São Vicente)
⭐ Stop at the famous Véu da Noiva viewpoint (Seixal)
⭐ Relax at Porto Moniz pools (Porto Moniz)
⭐ Dinner and sleep @pestanahotels Churchill Bay (Câmara de Lobos)

DAY 2

⭐ Visit the Balcões viewpoint for birdwatching and an amazing view
⭐ Pass by the beautiful Faial old bridge
⭐ Lunch @quintadofurao and enjoy the views (Santana)
⭐ Take a picture with the typical houses in Santana
⭐ See the ocean at your feet at Guindaste Viewpoint
⭐ Visit the different landscapes at Ponta do Rosto
⭐ Relax at Prainha
⭐ Taste the famous Madeira skewers @restauranteviola or @restaurante_polar

DAY 3

⭐ Take a dip in the Seixal natural pools (Seixal)
⭐ Visit the beautiful Seixal beach (Seixal)
⭐ Have lunch @clube naval da praia do seixal (Seixal)
⭐ Admire the rock formations at Ribeira da Janela viewpoint (Ribeira da Janela)
⭐ Visit the magical Floresta do Fanal (Seixal)
⭐ Relax at Praia da Ponta do Sol (Ponta do Sol)
⭐ Have dinner at Docas do cavaco (São Martinho)

DAY 4

⭐ Watch the sunrise at Pico do Arieiro
⭐ Walk on the vertiginous Cabo Girão skywalk
⭐ Lunch @tabernadaserra with more local dishes
⭐ Taste the famous ‘poncha’ with peanuts @tabernadaponchadaserradeagua
⭐ Relax at Praia da Calheta

DAY 5

⭐ Visit Funchal downtown
⭐ Mercado dos Lavradores
⭐ Almoço Ákua
⭐ Monte Palace garden
⭐ Deliver your car at the rent a car and back to the airport to return home

We hope you enjoy Madeira as much as we did! If you have have questions or recommendations feel free to reach out here in the comments or in our instagram page @hasolemar.