45 Amazing Things to Do in Madeira in 2025 (Major Update)

Madeira is commonly called the “Hawaii of Europe” and for a good reason — this volcanic island off the coast of Morocco has the stunning beaches, lush forests, and reliable sunshine you’d expect from it’s year-round subtropical climate.

Even though the island is just 741 km² (286 mi²), there are so many amazing things to do in Madeira that you can easily spend several weeks exploring. But thanks to how compact and well-connected Madeira is, it’s totally possible to hit the highlights in just a couple of days if that’s all you have.

We’ve now been to Madeira twice and spent over a month on the island, first in June 2021 and again in April 2025. This guide has been fully updated for 2025, including prices, travel guidance, road closures, and activity availability.

Enjoy this beautiful place!

What to know before you visit Madeira

Before heading off in the Madeiran sunset, here’s what you need to know to prepare for your trip:

• In 2025, many roads are closed due to a fire in 2024. Nearly 30% of the island was affected, and many roads and hikes are closed for safety reasons. Check Reddit/Facebook for the latest.
• Best way to explore the island is definitely by car. Critically, you want to get a VERY SMALL car because streets are super narrow. We always book our cars through Discover Car's comparison portal to find the best deal on our car hire.
• Popular places are accessible by small group tour or Uber/Bolt. Cars are essential though for reaching certain places, so it’s ideal to get one if you can.
• You can pay by card almost everywhere. But a handful of places were cash or Portuguese cards only. Make sure to carry a small amount of cash, especially coins for parking.
• The best time to visit Madeira is May through August. I’ve been to Madeira in both April and June. Summer means less rain and more flowers. However, Madeira is a year-round destination and you can often drive from rain to sunshine.
• Use the webcams to plan your day. Madeira has many microclimates, and NetMadeira.com can help you see if an area is clear, cloudy, rainy, or sunny before you drive there.
• The most popular place to stay in Madeira is in Funchal. Our amazing villa (pictured below) was a 5 minute drive from the main highway, and a 15 minute walk to the city.

Things to do in Madeira

On our second trip to Madeira, we had three weeks to work with and ended up booking quite a few tours and activities. The variety was so much fun in addition to abundant hiking.

Here’s the exact tours we personally booked, paid for ourselves, and absolutely recommend. Photos shown are from our own experience:

1. Sea Safari from Funchal Fun for Everyone
The Sea Safari is activity anyone will enjoy: see dolphins, pilot whales, and other sealife from a highspeed boat zipping around the southern coast of Madeira.

We got soooo lucky on our tour, with how active the dolphins were, and I loved that our guide was an actual marine biologist. Since the boat is very small (and therefore fast), take care if you're prone to sea sickness like me.

Check availability →

★★★★★
(4.7/5 • 725 Reviews)

2. Offroad 4x4 Tour Personal Favorite
Basically real-life Mario Kart. We had so much fun rumbling through the forests of Madeira and checking out multiple stunning landscapes along the way. You drive up steep hills, splash through mud, and are engaged the entire time.

Ricardo, the business owner, was a fantastic guide and even offered do a 1:1 tour with us when the one we originally purchased was overbooked. Highly recommend.

Check availability →

★★★★★
(5/5 • 120 Reviews)

3. Canyoning Beginners Course For the Adventurous
For the adventure junkie, canyoning in Madeira 100% deserves a place on your itinerary. Rappel down 5+ waterfalls, slide down into pools of water, and climb through the canyon in this small group tour for first-timers.

Don't be fooled if it's your first experience and you think it'll be too tame. This tour was MUCH more intense than I expected given it supposed to be kid-friendly also.

Check availability →

★★★★★
(5/5 • 477 Reviews)

Ready for more details? Here are dozens of the best things to do on Madeira, nearly all of which I’ve personally tried and loved:

1. Go on a dolphin or whale-watching tour by boat

We took this fantastic Sea Safari Tour from Funchal , which was led by an actual marine biologist who’d previously worked in Tenerife. During the tour, we got very lucky saw both pilot whales and dolphins jumping out of the water like this:

The best time for whale watching in Madeira is between April and October, whereas dolphins can be seen year round. This means that no matter when you visit Madeira, you’ve got a great chance to spot some incredible marine life from a boat.

The tour we took was tons of fun, and in a pretty small group. There are other types of tours you can do if you’re looking for less adventure and more of a wine/sunset type of deal. As with all the tours, be aware that you should book in advance to avoid battling crowds that’ve just unloaded from cruise ships.

2. Go offroad with a 4x4 tour through Madeira’s forests

There are two off-road options in Madeira: 1) Off-road buggies, which look and drive more like mini cars, or 2) Quads, which is more like driving in Mario Kart. We ended up on a quad tour with this awesome tour provider and we’re totally glad we did that option for a few reasons.

The things that we really appreciated about the exact tour we booked :

1. Quads are probably more fun. While more difficult to manage, you can go up steeper sections and really climb some of the terrain. Buggies would’ve likely been more flat/even in driving.
2. If you can’t drive, you can join the guide in their car. One of the groups in our tour was 3 people, so the third person went in the guide’s car. A great option for non-drivers.
3. Price is per car, not person. This felt very fair, and there’s a bit of a going rate for all of these tours that they’ll cost around 140€ per car.
4. Fabulous landscapes, forests, and views. We ended up with a fabulous view of Porto Santo from the top viewpoint. The forests were also very lush, green, and covered in ferns.
5. Small group and safety-conscious. There were 4 quads total plus the guide, and he paid a lot of attention to making sure people all made it up the hills and instructing how best to pass more difficult sections.

Overall, the total tour is 2.5 hours and you’re engaged the entire time. In terms of tips: 1) Bring a GoPro (your phone will get muddy/shaken out of your hand while driving), 2) Prepare for mud (or dust during summer), and 3) Book in advance (due to the possibility of overbooking!).

3. Try canyoning in one of the world’s best places for it

Canyoning involves donning a wetsuit, rappeling down waterfalls, climbing through the canyon, and sliding through narrow passages and landing in pools of water. For the adventure junkie or avid climber, it’s one of the most popular things to do in Madeira.

And if it’s your first time, there are tons of beginner-friendly canyoning tours like the one we did that you can go on with zero prior experience.

It was much more intense than expected, and one of the children had to leave crying because she was too scared (honestly, I was too). But as you progress through more and more of the 5+ waterfalls, you become more confident with how to get down and that the activity is safe thanks to the guides.

Overall, one of our most memorable experiences. Try canyoning in Madeira if you’re relatively fit, but you don’t need to be a star athelete to manage either.

4. See sunset at Pico do Arieiro

Pico do Arieiro is the third highest peak on Madeira, and a must-see viewpoint when the clouds are low enough to form a layer between you and the world below.

The best part? You can get these incredible views a 60-second walk away from a car park! That makes this an excellent location for people who don’t want to trek. There’s even a stairlift for wheelchair users or people who can’t get up stairs.

Pico do Arieiro is also a really popular places for sunrise, but with one drawback: this area is extremely prone to thick fog (AKA being inside a cloud!) meaning the risk of near-zero visibility is pretty high.

So if you plan for sunset instead of sunrise, you can use the webcams on NetMadeira to plan your trip during a clear time period. That’s how we landed these incredible views on our second attempt:

Packing tip: Stay warm! You’re at the top of a mountain, which is a very different climate than hanging out on the beach. A sweater and light outer layer worked perfectly against the windy conditions. Ladies with long hair, bring a hair tie or risk eating your mane while trying to take a selfie!

5. Go for one of dozens of famous levada walks

Levadas are an irrigation system used throughout Madeira to transport water from the wet and rainy mountains down to the dry areas most people live in. Over 1,300 km of levadas have been constructed throughout the island, and hiking next to them is undoubtedly a must-do activity for any Madeira itinerary. Over the course of two trips, we’ve done at least half a dozen levada hikes. These are my favorites, roughly in order:

1. Levada do Caldeirão Verde - Gorgeous, flat hike featuring multiple waterfalls, but quite long at 8.7km each way. You’ll need to bring a headlamp with you for the cave.

   

2. Levada do Rei - Also flat and rather short at 4km each way, this one involves getting very wet as you walk behind a waterfall. Bring a rain jacket and backpack cover.

   

3. 25 Fontes - The most popular (and busy) levada walk, which ends at a unique pool reputed to have 25 individual streams of water flowing into it. Come very, very early to avoid crowds.

   

4. Levada do Moinho and Levada Nova - Easy hike with a lovely double-waterfall after a short cave, and a favorite of photographers. Start with Levada do Moinho and return via Levada Nova.

   

5. Levada do Alecrim - 3km flat and easy hike, ending at a stunning waterfall where you can swim. Lots of young children on this walk.

   

Key tips for hiking in Madeira: Hiking is definitely one of the big reasons people come to Madeira. Here are some of the things you need to be prepared and have a fabulous time enjoying nature:

1. Wear proper hiking boots. Levadas can flood in the rain and you will encounter mud on every single hike. Don’t mess up your shiny white trainers by taking them hiking!
2. Bring a headlamp for caves. Many hikes in Madeira feature caves, and your iPhone isn’t going to be enough to safely illuminate them. This particular headlamp worked great.
3. Be careful of steep drops. A lot of Levada walks and hikes on the island have steep drops. You need to be careful, and if a path says it’s closed, they can fine you 200€+ for hiking it anyway.

6. Visit one of the world’s top botanical gardens, Monte Palace

Monte Palace is located right in Funchal, in the north of the city. These botanical gardens are sizable (70,000 square meters!). You can spend a lot of time here if you like taking pictures.

Perhaps unexpectedly, a lot of the gardens are inspired by traditional Japanese gardens. Having been to a lot of these in Japan, I can say there are similarities (apart from the palm trees 😉).

Rated in the top 13 most beautiful botanical gardens in the world by Conde Nast traveler, the main gardens after the entrance definitely stack up to some of the gorgeous gardens we’ve visited in our travels. Eventually, you’ll see “the palace” and from there be able to look out over Funchal to the sea.

Beautiful gardens, and definitely recommend for anyone who loves visiting botanical gardens on their travels!

7. Hike the Ponta de São Lourenço trail at sunrise

At the eastern most tip of Madeira, you’ll find Ponta de São Lourenço . This rugged, almost desert-like stretch extends into the Atlantic ocean and is commonly referred to as “The Dragon’s Tail” of the island.

In the distance, you can see the the Ilhas Desertas , an island that’s home to giant wolf spiders (google it if you dare). Luckily you’ll see no such critters on this trail, though you will encounter beautiful thistle flowers, bumble bees, and (once they wake up) locusts in the high brush.

Given there is virtually zero shade or coverage on this trail, hiking at sunrise works great to help you stay cool and avoid the crowds (and the stronger winds) which crop up in mid-morning.

The most famous viewpoint is beyond the “recommended trail”, a steep ascent to the very top of the island. As someone who’s not a super experienced hiker, this trail was pretty challenging for me! Still, absolutely worth it for these views.

If you opt against sunrise, you’ll find a restaurant and cafe at the end where you can put up your boots. Only issue is they open at 10:30AM, so it’s on you to bring your own breakfast if you go at sunrise.

8. Snap an iconic Madeira panorama at one of many Miradouro

If there’s any Portuguese word you’ll become intimately familiar with on your trip, it’s got to be Miradouro (or, “Scenic Viewpoint”). These dot the entire Madeiran coastline on all sides.

Miradouro do Curtado is one of our favorites, and you’ll spot this one when driving from Funchal to Santana. This view point really has it all. Mountains, sea, and some of the most popular purple flowers you’ll find gracing the roadside all across the Eastern coastal roads.

9. Enjoy drinks with a view at Miradouro de São Cristovão

A more off-beat Miradouro, Miradouro de São Cristovão involves a drive down some typically steep Madeiran roads in the small eastern town of Boaventura.

There’s a long line of seats, both covered and exposed, where you can take in the views and sip on a drink. It’s a great place to chill out after hiking in the eastern part of the island, and is where we went after our 4x4 tour in Porto da Cruz.

10. Hike to the island’s highest point at Pico Ruivo

Pico Ruivo is the highest point on Madeira, at 1,862 meters above sea level. You have two options for reaching the summit: from Pico do Arieiro in an intense hike known as the “Pico to Pico”, which is a 7km trail between the peaks of these two mountains (closed as of May 2025 due to fire damage).

Or you can do what we did, which is the easier Achada do Teixeira trail. It features a 300m elevation gain and 2.8km each way. On the path, you’ll spot wildflowers and butterflies, and there are places to fill up your waterbottle, too.

The trail itself is extremely well-maintained, with what is basically a rock pathway all the way up. You don’t have to do any climbing, though there are a fair number of stairs to contend with in the last stretch. At the peak, you can gaze down at your kingdown below!

11. Visit Madeira’s digital nomad hotspot, Ponto do Sol

About 20 minutes driving west of Funchal, you’ll find Ponto do Sol – a small, beautiful town with a picturesque waterfront painted in a variety of pastel colors. As the name suggests, Ponto do Sol is typically very sunny and has a number of cute spots to eat lunch or grab a drink.

In case you work remotely like us, Ponto do Sol also happens to be the digital nomad center of Madeira. We spent a week at Outsite Ponto do Sol , a coliving space for remote workers. We had fun meeting people and do some activities together, and the vibe is remote work friendly (as opposed constant partying you’d experience in a hostel).

But if you are looking for a party, Purple Fridays in Ponto do Sol has you covered. This weekly event features an electronic DJ set, dancing, and drinks. Plenty of people speak English if you want to introduce yourself and meet new people.

12. Look out over the Vereda dos Balcões

Probably the easiest hike we took on Madeira, Vereda dos Balcões is an ultra flat, 1.5 kilometer path from the street to this lookout point.

Right in the middle of Madeira is a big natural park, called Ribeiro Frio (which literally means “Cold Brook” in Portuguese). The mountains are covered in thick forest, and you’ve got a view all the way out to the sea on a clear day.

What’s important to know is tht this area is also very prone to mist and cloud cover! So you’ll want to plan in advance and check visibility on NetMadeira before making the drive through.

13. Stand over the highest cliff in Europe at Cabo Girão Skywalk

Cabo Girão is the second highest sea cliff in the world, and the highest in Europe. What better place to walk across just centimeters of glass separating you from a 580 meter drop?

Now, I wouldn’t say I’m scared of heights…but they kind of freak me out. Before heading to Madeira, I watched a YouTube video of a guy who wouldn’t walk across the Cabo Girão Skywalk because it freaked him out and honestly — I get it.

Even if heights scare you, the views from this vantage point are great for looking along the coast.

The Cabo Girão Skywalk is free to enter, and has a cafe nearby if you happen to need a drink after your brush with fate.

14. See a waterfall into the ocean at Miradouro do Véu da Noiva

This beautiful viewpoint at Miradouro do Véu da Noiva features a waterfall that leads straight into the ocean. If you look closely, you’ll see there’s an old road that used to lead right through this waterfall:

In 2008 there was a landslide that caused damage to this road, and today it’s closed off for visitors. You can see what remains of the landslide in the pile of rubble at the foot of the waterfall.

This viewpoint is beautiful, and extremely easy to reach. Just walk for a few seconds from the nearby parking lot, and this view is yours! Hopefully you’ll get more sunshine that we did.

15. Visit the black sand beach at Seixal

This is an excellent place to stop after visiting the Miradouro do Véu da Noiva (mentioned above), a nearby waterfall that pours into the ocean right next to Seixal (featured just a little further in this list!).

As a volcanic island, Madeira has a number of beaches with volcanic rocks and stones. But the black sand beach at Seixal has smooth, fine sand you can relax on like any other beach.

Here you can also take surfing lessons, go paddle boarding, or go for a swim in the gentle waves.

16. Look over the Valley of the Nuns at Miradouro Eira do Serrado

As you drive through the mountains of Madeira, you’ll get several viewpoints over this valley. But Miradouro Eira do Serrado is great because it gives you an extremely high vantage point but without a ton of stairs or walking. Just a few minutes of walking from the carpark and…

These views over the valley known as the Valley of the Nuns .

You look out over terraces stacked like a layer cake up the side of the mountain and streets that look fit for a race track, zig zagging across the scene. It’s an impressive view with virtually no work to reach in comparison with many of Madeira’s hiking trails.

17. Visit Fanal Pond in mist

Fanal is one of the few places in Madeira where you’re hoping for that famous mist to set in, so you can capture some incredibly unique photos. This positively disorienting place is fun to wander about, but make sure you’ve got some GPS to help you find your car afterwards!

If you keep walking around, you’ll find cows chilling in a field (and lots of cow pies to dodge). Come here for some great photos to put on your alternative band’s next album cover 😉

If you happen to show up on a clear day, there’s a also a hike you can take, PR13 Vereda do Fanal.

18. See the best view of the mountains at Bica da Cana

It took us three atempts to see Bica da Cana without clouds, you tell me if it was worth it…

Bica da Cana viewpoint offers fabulous views of Madeiras highest peaks, including Pico Ruivo, Pico Arieiro, and Pico Grande. To reach this viewpoint, you’ll park in a small parking lot and do an easy, slightly uphill 15 minute walk to the lookout point.

This spot is definitely underrated. The parking lot was virtually empty every time we went. Bring a picnic and you can have your lunch at the table at the top.

19. Stay somewhere outside Funchal

On our first trip to Madeira, we spent three nights in a more rural part of the island in a town called Faja Da Ovelha . Getting to our guest house was a proper trek of approximately 300 stairs, but every day we were rewarded with stunning panoramic views.

Depending on the type of trip you’re looking for, a more remote accommodation option could work out. A second big benefit of staying further West is that you’ll actually be able to see the sunset dip into the ocean, as happened on our first night:

Madeira is small enough to stay just in Funchal, but for those who like variety (and stairs), rewards await! The exact place we stay didn’t have functioning internet though, so if you need connectivity you’d need to look elsewhere.

UPDATE: So many people have emailed me asking about where this is. The holiday home is called Joachim Wesler Madeira Ferienhaus and you can find it here on Google Maps . I am also not sure if the host speaks English (we communicated in German), but you could probably get by with Google Translate!

20. Visit the same fishing village as Winston Churchill

A lot of famous people have visited Madeira over the years, but Winston Churchill really put it on the map when he visited Câmara de Lobos . This small fishing village now even bears a hotel in his name.

This town works great as a stop after Cabo Girão , where you can stop at one of several harbor bars for an ice cold beer or Poncha. Around the corner, you’ll also find a popular beach complete with surfers and a beach bar.

Câmara de Lobos is also home to one of the best meals we ate in Madeira (grilled meat skewers called Espatadas), so keep scrolling for that tip a little later!

21. Stand under a waterfall at Cascata dos Anjos

Cascata dos Anjos (literally, “Angels Waterfall”) pours out over a now defunct section of the old highway, ER101. Referred to endearingly as a “free car cash”, this waterfall used to be open to cars when we first came in Madeira in 2021 but is now closed to car traffic. You can still easily reach it by walking from nearby Ponto do Sol .

A lot of people also park further way, and simply take photos under the waterfall. The most prepared bring swimsuits. While not the most beautiful waterfall in Madeira, it’s certainly a unique experience and easy to reach on any drive back from Western Madeira to Funchal.

22. Go snorkeling at Garajau Nature Reserve

Garajau Nature Reserve is a large, protected area of Madeira’s coast, designated to prevent the desertification of the seabed. It’s located to the East of Funchal, and is a fantastic place for both scuba diving and snorkeling. You can see tons of kinds of fish and aquatic wildlife here, including Atlantic Manta Rays, and large fish like the Mero and other coastal species.

23. See the traditional houses at Santana

Madeira was claimed by Portuguese sailors in the early 1400s, and was supposedly uninhabited at the time (though there’s evidence the Vikings may have visited a few centuries earlier).

Some of the early inhabitants built small, triangular houses with thatched roofs, best observed today at the cultural site called Casas típicas de Santana in the Northeast part of Madeira.

At this location, you’ll find several houses including some you can enter, such as the tourism office and a small flower shop. The houses are free to see, and a popular spot to spend 30-45 minutes wandering around.

There are tons of things to do in Madeira in the Santana area, you’ll most likely find yourself with several opportunities to stop by these houses on your Madeira road trip.

24. Enjoy some of Madeira’s best beaches

Most of Madeira’s beaches are rocky, comprising volcanic rock that has smoothed out over the years. This doesn’t stop people from sunbathing, Some of Madeira’s best beaches include:

• Praia da Calheta – A rare, white sand beach with sand imported from the Western Sahara.
• Machico – Located on the South coast of Madeira, this beach also has imported sand and is actually pretty close to the airport.
• Ponta do Sol – This extremely sunny part of Madeira is home to a small, 160-meter beach with excellent swimming conditions.
• Seixal – This black sand beach is unique for its surrounding jungle view and the fine black sand you walk on. The beach isn’t huge but you can enjoy gentle waves here.

25. Hike to the waterfall at Garganta Funda Viewpoint

Garganta Funda might look small in this photo, but it’s actually one of the tallest waterfalls on Madiera at a height of 140 meters. Walking to this viewpoint takes about 5 minutes each way and extremely easy. From here, you’ll look down into a carved out section of this cliff and find this:

UPDATE: When we tried to visit in 2025, the road was under construction creating quite the traffic jam in a very narrow area. You’ll likely need to park up the street as opposed to driving all the way to the parking area.

The best time to visit Garganta Funda is in Winter, because the extra rain makes the stream much mightier than what you see here during Summer. Especially if you can visit after a heavy rainfall!

26. Eat Espatadas at Restaurante O Polar

Espatadas are beef skewers, served on a spit that hangs over your table. These are drenched in garlic butter and served with fresh-cut fries. It was heavenly! We looked high and low for the best place to try them, and on our first time in Madeira we found and loved O Polar .

We even came back on our second trip. As a tip, O Polar doesn’t take reservations and can get very busy in the evenings. Show up before they open at 6PM and you won’t be alone waiting for a table.

27. Do a wild levada walk to Cascata Agua d’Alto

Not for those who are scared of heights, the levada walk to Cascata Agua d'Alto is no longer maintained but still accessible with a little determination and geo-sleuthing. You’ll walk next to a rushing levada, through the jungle to a waterfall at the end of the path.

UPDATE: This walk was not officially closed when we did it in 2021, but may be officially closed now. Please heed any official signage when hiking in Madeira!

To reach the trail, you will see a “dead end” sign when driving through the closest town, which is across the way from a bus stop. Technically you can drive up to this dead end and find a tiny parking lot, though we opted to park below and walk up. From there, you’ll find some stairs and an overgrown path. Be careful, as there are no railings and some very narrow spots.

Again, there are some short sections with steep drop offs and no railings, so not for kids or or people scared of heights. It only takes about 20 minutes, so it’s an easy trek as long as you stay on the path.

28. Eat a delicious steak sandwich

Madeirans love sandwiches, and as luck has it, it’s one of the most affordable and filling items on a lot of menus. Made here with Bolo do Caco bread, this steak sandwich cost just 4.30€ and took the place of dinner! You can find these at a lot of restaurants in Madeira, but this particular one was at Ribeiro Frio Restaurant near the entrance to the walk to the Vereda dos Balcões.

29. Take the cable car over Cabo Girão

Called teleférico in Portuguese, cable cars are abundant on Madeira. You can take them to descend from the top of Funchal, and down from many cliffs, but perhaps the steepest on the island is the one from its highest sea cliff to the coast: the cable car at Cabo Girão.

It costs just a couple of euros for a round-trip ticket, and takes you to the bottom of the cliff quickly. At the bottom you’ll find black rock beaches, though when we were there, they were clearly cleaning up after a rockslide.

30. Tour the Miradouros on the Western Coast of Madeira

West Madeira is a bit off the tourist track, but this rugged coastline and smaller villages definitely give you a different perspective on the island than the East. As you drive along the coast, you’ll find a number of viewpoints to stop at, snap some photos, and learn about the local flora and fauna:

• Viewpoint Fio – First accessible viewpoint when coming from the south, depending on your accommodation. Also has a restaurant at the viewpoint.
• Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse – When we visited in June 2021, the viewpoint to see the lighthouse from afar was closed. But you can go right up to the lighthouse and walk down a small path in front for photos.
• Garganta Funda Viewpoint – One of the highest waterfalls in Madeira, and just a 5-minute walk in each direction.
• Boa Morte Viewpoint – Location of both a viewpoint and a church of the same name, walk past some chilled out cows to this viewpoint of the East Madeira costline.

31. Swim in the natural pools at Porto Moniz

Unfortunately we were here on a cloudy day, but don’t underestimate how beautiful these pools are. Fed by the ocean, you can enter these natural pools for just 3€. Even if you just want to access the cafe, the entry fee is totally worth it.

32. Photograph the rock formations at Mirador Illeus da Ribeira da Janela

I’ll have to write a separate photographers guide to the island of Madeira, but here’s a spot you’ll often see in Madeira photos in case you’re wondering where it is!

These rock formations are located on the north coast of Madeira, and make for a great spot for a long exposure photo. You can also take some stairs up to a small cave, giving you the best vantage point for pictures of this rock formation.

33. Visit the tomb of the last Austro-Hungarian Emperor

This church located just up the street from Monte Palace is called Igreja Paroquial de Nossa Senhora do Monte or the Church of Our Lady of Monte. Apart from the beautiful, golden interior, you’ll also see the tomb of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria.

He was exiled to the island of Madeira after his second failed attempt to reclaim the throne of Hungary, and was taken to Funchal in 1921 where his wife and children later joined him. Sadly, he died of a cold that turned into severe pneumonia and never left the island.

34. Try Scabbardfish (Espada), a local Madeiran delicacy

Scabbardfish, called Espada in Portuguese, is a local delicacy and deep-water predator fish that hangs out at a depth of 180-1,700 meters. Local fishermen use special equipment to catch these dish, which come up bearing pretty pointy teeth! Most commonly, Espada fish is served alongside banana but you can also find it alongside chips at pubs on the island.

35. Explore the old town of Funchal

Honestly, of all the places on the island, we probably spent least of our time in Funchal proper and instead explored outside the city. But at least one afternoon or evening should be dedicated to walking through the old streets! Just be aware that if you decide to dine in this area, you’ll be paying a premium compared to what a dinner outside the old town would cost.

36. Visit the CR7 Museum to Cristiano Ronaldo

Easily the most famous, modern Madeiran is Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary footballer and Funchal-native. Not only have the Madeirans renamed their airport after him, but they also created a dedicated museum to him called the CR7 Museum . While we didn’t go inside, if you’re a soccer fanatic this museum might be for you. You’ll find it near the Port of Funchal.

37. Explore the now defunct Royal Path, Caminho Real 23

Back in the 19th century, the King of Portugal commissioned Madeira’s very own Ring Road: a path that was designed to encircle and connect the entire island. It’s about 170 kilometers long and nowadays, many of the passages have decayed beyond use.

Today, some people still hike on this path though its original use pre-dates modern cars.

38. Visit one of the only white sand beaches at Praia da Calheta

Calheta is a sunny town to the west of Funchal, and one of the possible places to stay in Madeira if you’re exploring the Western part of the island.

Oen of its main attractions is a white sand beach, Praia da Calheta . Unlike most of the black sand beaches in Madeira, Praia da Calheta has white sand which was imported from the Western Sahara.

If you’ve ever been to Tenerife, you might known that their most famous beach, Las Teresitas also imported its sand from the Sahara.

39. Go for fresh fish and chips at O Ideal

Seafood lovers rejoice, because Madeira is an excellent place to eat fresh seafood. Though my boyfriend isn’t a big seafood fan so I had to exercise some restraint, one of the best places we had fresh fish and chips was at a tiny bar in Paul do Mar called O Ideal .

An excellent place to enjoy the sunset, eat fish for a great price, and down your own personal pitcher of sangria. Our entire meal was something like 20€ including salad and a starter of Bolo do Caco.

We even tried to go back the second day, but it was closed on Tuesdays!

40. Visit Funchal’s botanical gardens

While not as unique as Monte Palace , checking out Funchal’s botanical gardens is still worthwhile as a second stop. You’ll get a different view over the city, plus much more labeling of the actual plants if you’re curious what they are and where they come from.

41. See the Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse and lookout point

While you’re on the west side of the island, stop by the lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo. This is one of the most prominent lighthouses on the island, and its red and white color makes for a great photo.

When you arrive, you’ll see a couple of stairs from the car park leading to a dirt area in front of the lighthouse. You can walk here to snap some photos of the lighthouse, or of the coast itself.

42. Take a toboggan ride from Monte

One of the top things on any list of things to do in Madeira is to take a tobbogan ride from near Monte Palace down the street. While we didn’t do this ourselves, we did drive behind one of these rides to observe what it was like.

43. Eat at a (Michelin Star?) restaurant in Funchal

Despite being a small island, Madeira is home to two, Michelin-star restaurants. If you want, you can eat very cheaply in Madeira and turn it into a budget trip. But if you’re looking for luxury, these are the two restaurants that’ve been awarded a Michelin star:

1. William (One Michelin star) – This restaurant focuses on traditional Madieran and Portuguese food, and the menus will set you back between 120-160€ per person.
2. Il Gallo d'Oro (Two Michelin stars) – This restaurant was the first to receive a Michelin star in Madeira and features a lot of local incredients. Prices range from 130-245€ per person.

You’ll need to book weeks to months in advance to secure a table at one of these restaurants. If, like us, you didn’t have the foresight to do that, there are plenty of other fantastic dining options in Funchal.

44. Eat Bolo do Caco with virtually every meal

Bolo do Caco is essentially garlic bread, which is served or offered as an appetizer at nearly every restaurant in Madeira. Traditionally, Bolo do Caco is cooked on a caco, which is a flat basalt slab. The inside is then smothered with garlic butter and served warm.

Typically it comes sliced in to eight pieces, perfect for sharing before you dig in to the main course.

You can also often get sandwiches served in this bread, as it’s a really popular replacement for typical bread on the island. Simply delicious, after our first bowl we began ordering it as a precursor to just about every meal.

45. Drink a flight of Poncha at your local bar

Another must-have food, but this time as a drink: Poncha. Poncha is a traditional, very sweet alcoholic drink typically served in a small glass and made from sugar cane (specifically, an alcohol derived from sugar cane called aguardente de cana). It’s delicious. And potent.

There are many kinds of poncha, with the most popular being passionfruit poncha (maracuja), poncha pescador (fisherman’s poncha), even ponchas with kiwi, strawberry, honey and lemon.

Some places even offer poncha “flights”, so you can try and taste a variety of ponchas in one go.

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