In a nutshell
- Planning a trip to Madeira on your own? Perfect! In this article, we’ll share our suggested 1-week itinerary for Madeira, based on our own experience.
- Our top tip: Book a rental car and stay in one place for the whole week. Madeira’s super easy to explore by car, and this way you don’t have to pack up every day.
- Let’s get into it – here’s our Madeira itinerary for 7 days on the island, with personal tips, ideas on where to stay and the best things to see and do.
How Long to Stay in Madeira?
You should plan at least one week to explore the best places to visit in Madeira by car.
In 7 days you can easily explore the most important highlights of Madeira on your own. If you want to take a more relaxed approach to your Madeira trip, stay on the island for at least 10 days.
How to Get Around in Madeira?
We definitely recommend a rental car.
A rental car gives you the most flexibility and you can get everywhere quickly. If you book your rental car in good time, you’ll often find great deals.
Book a rental car for Madeira here
You can also make your individual Madeira round trip with buses and guided tours. In this case, however, we definitely recommend staying in Funchal, as most excursions in Madeira are offered from there.
At the end of the article, we give you our tips on how to explore Madeira without a car.
Itinerary for 1 Week Madeira by Car
Here’s a detailed look at our 1-week Madeira itinerary. For the sake of simplicity, we assume that you will stay in Funchal. The city is the best starting point for a round trip in Madeira.
Our hotel tips in Funchal for our 7-day Madeira itinerary:
Three House Hotel: apart-hotel in the center of Funchal with free parking.
Apartamentos Turisticos Atlantida: affordable accommodation in Funchal with cheap private parking.
Arts In Hotel Conde Carvalhal: stylish hotel in Funchal with free parking.
Our itinerary for 7 days Madeira at a glance
- Day 1: Arrival and old town of Funchal
- Day 2: Tour in the west of the island
- Day 3: Pico do Arieiro hike and botanical garden
- Day 4: Trip to Monte and the statue of Christ
- Day 5: Cabo São Lourenço, Machico and Santana
- Day 6: Levada das 25 Fontes and Praia do Seixal
- Day 7: Levada dos Balcões and departure
Day 1: Arrival and Old Town of Funchal
Arriving at the airport in Santa Cruz
Madeira Airport is located in Santa Cruz in the south of the island, not far from Funchal. After landing, pick up your rental car and drive to your accommodation.
Note: Remember that you will need a credit card to collect your rental car.
Sightseeing in Funchal
If you land in Madeira in the morning or at midday, you will have enough time in the afternoon to explore the center of Funchal. The highlights are all close together and you can easily explore them on foot.
Places to visit in the center of Funchal
- Rua Santa Maria: Pretty street in the old town.
- Mercado dos Lavradores: Market hall with fresh and local products.
- Funchal Cathedral: Madeira’s oldest church.
- São Tiago Fortress: Old fortress with a yellow façade.
- CR7 Museum: Museum about the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
In Rua Santa Maria, you have a huge selection of restaurants for dinner. For a drink, we recommend the Rei da Poncha bar, where you can try a traditional poncha.
Day 2: Tour in the West of the Island
On the second day, you’ll take a road trip across the western part of Madeira. It’s best to set off early for this.
The morning: Skywalk Cabo Girão, Ponta do Sol and Ponta do Pargo
Your first stop is the Skywalk in Cabo Girão. This is probably the most famous viewpoint in Madeira, as it has a glass floor through which you can look down 580 meters into the depths. Entry costs €2 and there is free parking.
From the Skywalk, continue to the small village of Ponta do Sol, which is situated between cliffs by the sea and looks really charming. There is also a beautiful stone beach there.
From Ponta do Sol, take the ER101 road, which runs directly along the sea. There you will pass a cool old bridge and the Cascata dos Anjos waterfall.
Note: You can drive the entire south coast of Madeira on the highway. It’s super fast, but you’ll drive through a lot of tunnels. We therefore recommend that you always take a detour onto the country roads.
You will arrive in Ponta do Pargo around midday. There you can have a cheap lunch at the typical Portuguese Restaurant Domino and take a detour to the viewpoint at the lighthouse (Farol do Ponta do Pargo).
The afternoon: Porto Moniz and Fanal
After your lunch break, continue on to Porto Moniz. Here you take a swimming break in the lava pools. There are two natural pool areas to choose from.
There is a private area, for which you pay €3, and public pools, which are free of charge.
Check out all our tips for the natural pools in Madeira here
After the swimming break, head for Fanal. On the way, you will pass by Ribeira da Janela. It’s worth stopping here for a short photo stop by the sea.
Ribeira da Janela is just a 30-minute drive away from the Fanal fairy forest. There you can park in the large parking lot and walk across the extensive grounds with mystical trees and great views (if it’s not foggy).
Day 3: Pico do Arieiro Hike and Botanical Garden
The morning: Pico do Arieiro – Pico Ruivo hike
Important note: The hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo is currently closed. For the latest information on trail closures, see VisitMadeira here and here.
On day 3, set off early in the morning to hike to the highest peak in Madeira. It’s best to start in Funchal at around 7 am so that you can start hiking at 8 am.
There is a large parking lot at Pico do Arieiro. If the lot is full, park along the roadside behind other cars.
From the parking lot, hike to Pico Ruivo and from there back to Pico do Arieiro. You should allow 5 to 8 hours for the hike. It’s a 10.6 km trail with around 1,000 meters of elevation gain.
The afternoon: Botanical Garden
If you still have energy and time in the afternoon, make a detour to the Funchal Botanical Gardens on the way back to Funchal. The entrance fee is €7.50. Note that it closes at 6 pm.
Our insider tip: You will find the Alta Vista restaurant near the botanical garden. Depending on how late it is after your visit to the Jardim Botánico, you can stop here for a coffee or dinner.
Day 4: Trip to Monte and the Statue of Christ
The morning: trip to Monte
On day 4, take it easy and take the cable car from Funchal up to the Monte district in the morning.
Note: If cruise ships are docking that day, make sure you go up in the morning. Otherwise, you can expect long lines almost everywhere. Or you can swap the program for another day and visit Monte when there are no cruise passengers.
Once you arrive at the top of Monte, the first thing you should do is visit the Tropical Garden. The entrance is right next to the cable car station. You pay an entrance fee of €10.
It is only a few minutes’ walk from the Tropical Garden to the start of the famous basket sledge ride. The baskets used to be an important means of transport to get down from the mountain to the center of Funchal. Today they are a popular tourist attraction.
A ride on the basket sledges costs €35 for two people, and you whizz down the mountain for around 10 minutes. It’s great fun!
From the end station, you can either walk back to Funchal or take a bus.
The afternoon: Christ the Redeemer statue and Praia do Garajau
You’ll be back in Funchal around midday and can enjoy a leisurely lunch here. Afterward, take the car to the Madeira statue of Christ. Visiting the statue is free and you can walk down the cliff behind the statue via a small path.
From the statue, gondolas take you down to Garajau Beach – one of the most beautiful beaches in Madeira.
Alternatively, drive halfway down the road and walk the last stretch.
At Praia do Garajau, you can go for a swim, lie in the sun or have a coffee at the beach bar.
Day 5: Cabo São Lourenço, Machico and Santana
The morning: Hiking at the Ponta de São Lourenço
On day 5, it’s best to set off early again, around 8 am. Take the car to the Baia d’Abra parking lot in Caniçal. It takes about 30 minutes to get there.
The Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço hiking trail starts at the parking lot – one of the best hikes in Madeira. The trail takes you over the impressive cliff landscape of São Lourenço.
It is also suitable for beginners. It will take you around 3 hours in total.
Lunchtime: Prainha and Caniçal
Back at the Baia d’Abra parking lot, take the car to Prainha. This is a black sand beach that is only a 5-minute drive away. It’s worth a quick photo stop.
For lunch, head to Caniçal. We recommend the restaurant O Recante – we ate the best fish in Madeira there.
The afternoon: Machico and Santana
From Caniçal, you drive to the neighboring town of Machico – the former capital of Madeira. Here you make a short sightseeing stop in the center and walk through the beautiful old town.
From Machico, you continue to Santana, one of the most beautiful towns in Madeira. Santana is known for its traditional thatched-roof houses. You can even visit some of them, as they are souvenir stores.
Another highlight in Santana is the Rocha do Navio viewpoint.
Day 6: Levada das 25 Fontes and Praia do Seixal
The morning: Levada das 25 Fontes
On the sixth day, one of the most stunning levada hikes in Madeira is on the agenda – the Levada das 25 Fontes. The trail starts in Rabaçal on the Paul da Serra plateau.
It is best to combine it with the hike to the Risco waterfall, which runs right next to it. Both trails together are around 10 kilometers long.
Note: Bear in mind that the start and end points of the 25 Fontes hike are not the same. You have to walk about 2 kilometers from the end back to the car.
The afternoon: Praia do Seixal
After the hike, it’s time for the leisurely part of the day. You head to Praia do Seixal in the north of the island. For us, this is the best beach in Madeira. It consists of black sand and from the beach you have a great view of the green cliffs.
Day 7: Levada dos Balcões and Departure
Day 7 is your departure day. If you’re not flying back in the morning, make a detour to the Levada dos Balcões. To do this, drive from Funchal to Casa do Ribeiro Frio and park your car there.
This is where the short, leisurely hiking trail starts, which is only 1.3 kilometers long there and back. When you are back at the car, you can head straight to the airport and return your car there.
7 Days in Madeira Without a Car
You can explore all the highlights of our 7-day itinerary in Madeira without a rental car. But it takes seven full days to do so.
Day 1
You can plan your day of arrival in almost exactly the same way as for the round trip for self-drivers. Take the bus transfer from the airport to Funchal for €5. You can explore the old town of Funchal on foot in the afternoon.
Day 2
Book a guided tour through the west of Madeira. You will pass all the important highlights that you also explore in our program by rental car.
To the guided tour through the west of Madeira
Day 3
For the Pico do Arieiro hike, you can book a transfer or a guided tour from Funchal.
To the guided hiking tour from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo
Transfer to the Pico Ruivo hike
If you still have time in the afternoon, take the bus (line 29,31) to the botanical garden or ask the driver of your transfer to drop you off at the entrance to the garden.
Day 4
In the morning, take the cable car to Monte – you don’t need a car for this. In the afternoon, you can take the bus (line 136, 155) to the statue of Christ. You can get down to Praia do Garajau from there by cable car or on foot.
Day 5
In the early morning, take a bus from the provider SAM (line 113) to Baia d’Abra. The bus stops right at the start of the Ponta de São Lourenço hike.
When you’ve finished hiking around midday, take the same bus back, but only go as far as Machico and take a leisurely look around the old town.
Bonus tip: From Baia d’Abra, you can also walk to Prainha beach on the way back, go for a swim and take the bus to Machico from there.
Day 6
For the Levada das 25 Fontes hike, book a transfer or a guided hike.
To the guided hike: Levada das 25 Fontes
To the transfer: Levada das 25 Fontes hike
Day 7
In the morning, take bus no. 56 to Ribeiro Frio. Get off there and hike to the Balcões viewpoint. Catch the next available bus to Santana and take a look at the little houses. From Santana, take the last bus back to Funchal.
Note: Make sure you check when and how often the number 56 bus runs before you get stranded somewhere. It only runs very rarely.
FAQs About a Madeira Itinerary
Is 1 week in Madeira enough?
It’s enough to visit the best places in Madeira by car. However, if you want to take your time and explore some hidden gems in Madeira, we recommend staying for at least 10 days.
Is a road trip in Madeira expensive?
No. If you book your rental car early and don’t go out to eat in fancy restaurants all the time, you can make your trip in Madeira really cheap.
Are there tolls in Madeira?
No. All roads are free of charge.
Is driving in Madeira dangerous?
If you’re an experienced driver, you should be fine.
Many roads are steep and curvy, so it takes a bit of getting used to.
When is the best time to travel to Madeira?
You can travel to Madeira all year round, as the climate is always mild.
Spring (April – June) and fall (September – October) are best. There is little rain and it is not too hot.
These were our tips for a 1-week Madeira itinerary
Have you already explored Madeira by car? Share your experiences and tips with us in the comments. We are curious!