The 17 best things to do in Madeira

“Extreme” is the word that comes to mind when thinking of Madeira. With hardly a flat patch of land, rocky beaches accessible only by cable car, and peaks that mingle with the clouds, there's very little that's ho-hum about this island off the coast of Africa. 

Consider that Madeira is also home to thousands of miles of hiking trails, some of the most delicious wine in the world, one of Europe’s best beaches and an abundance of fresh fruit that can rival Brazil or Southeast Asia, and it becomes clear that this extreme geography welcomes rather than pushes away the visitor. 

Discover the best the island has to offer with 17 of the top things to do in Madeira. 

1. Hike a levada or vereda

Centuries ago, locals on Madeira needed a way to shift water from the fecund northern half of the island to the arid southern half. To do so, they built a series of aqueducts called levadas, and today there is an estimated 2500km of canals across the island. For maintenance purposes, the levadas are paralleled by walking paths, many of which have become destinations in their own right. Every day, hundreds of visitors and locals hike the levada paths, many of which pass through stunning forests and amazing vistas alike. Classic levada hikes include Levada do Furado (PR 10), which passes through a UNESCO-protected Laurisilva forest, or Levada do Risco (PR 6.1), which leads to various waterfalls.

The island is also home to more general trails, known as veredas, some of which pass through even more rugged territory. Vereda do Arieiro (PR 1) literally reaches cloud level and is thought to have some of Madeira’s most impressive views, while Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço skirts the coast – a rarity in this rugged landscape.

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Planning tip: Madeira’s mild climate means that levadas and veredas can be tackled at just about any time of year.

2. Ride a cable car

Madeira’s rugged terrain has led to some of the world’s most astonishing infrastructure. It’s thought that the island is home to more than 150 tunnels, and even the airport runway is essentially a bridge. But one of the most unique ways to get around Madeira is via cable cars, known locally as teleféricos.

Originally, cable cars served as a way to shift goods from some of Madeira’s more isolated coastal communities inland. Today, they serve mainly to shift tourists. There are seven cable cars on Madeira, and one of the more dramatic is the Teleférico das Achadas da Cruz in Porto Moniz, said to be the steepest in Europe. The Teleférico Rocha do Navio in the north of the island packs some utterly astounding views of the Rocha do Navio Nature Reserve. And the cable car at Praia de Garajau is an easily accessible option that escorts visitors to a handsome black pebble beach.

3. Sunbathe on the black sand beach at Seixal

Located just east of the town center, Seixal’s black sand beach is a stunner – it was even declared Europe’s third best beach in 2022 on the European Best Destinations website. Unfurl your towel on sand a shade of black you never knew existed and watch the waves roll in against a steep backdrop of vineyards tumbling down to the water. Directly north of the beach is a natural pool where kayaks and the like can be hired. 

Detour: A short walk west of “downtown” Seixal are the Piscinas Naturais (Natural Pools). Drive or walk down a super-steep descent to access the free swimming area.

4. Eat espetada with a view

Madeira’s signature dish is espetada, chunks of beef that have been seasoned with coarse salt, garlic and crushed bay leaves, skewered (traditionally on bay leaf branches) and grilled over coals. The centerpiece is absolutely delicious, but we also love the sides: milho frito, deep-fried cubes of polenta and bolo de caco, a type of flatbread that’s slathered with garlic butter. To serve, the espetadas are suspended on nifty devices, and pros know to position their bolo de caco below the hanging skewer so as not to lose out on any of those delicious dripping juices. 

Madeira’s most famous espetada restaurants are located in and around the town of Câmara de Lobos. Viola is our favorite, and serves local beef on bay leaf skewers, as well as vinho seco, a tasty locally-made wine. O Polar is inexpensive and casual, while Santo António is probably the most upscale-feeling option.

Planning tip: Other local specialties to look for include limpets, Madeira’s signature shellfish; bolo de mel, a regional spiced molasses cake; gaiado, salted and sun-dried skipjack tuna; and an amazing selection of tropical fruit. 

5. Explore the village of Curral das Freiras 

The village of Curral das Freiras (Nun’s Valley), set at the bottom of a huge cauldron of rock, is one of the most popular day trips from Funchal and is home to that typical Madeiran combination of awe-inspiring mountain scenery, an easygoing walk, regional specialities and welcoming locals. 

A scenic way to approach Curral das Freiras is to take the bus (mornings only) to the lookout point at Eira do Serrado, and hike down to the village from there. Enjoy the truly astounding views down to the valley floor before taking the downhill path from behind the hotel and souvenir stalls. Worth a visit is the pretty Igreja Matriz do Curral das Freiras church, which is interesting for its cliff-edge position just off the main road. Next, pop into the Museu da Castanha, a museum highlighting local life in the valley through every-day objects. While in town, sample traditional chestnut-based dishes (a local culinary specialty) at Vale das Freiras, located next to the museum.

Planning tip: Curral das Freiras is a short (but almost vertical) Horários do Funchal bus ride from the bustle of Funchal’s seafront.

6. Swim in the natural pools at Porto Moniz 

It’s hardly surprising that swimming is high on the list of things to do on Madeira. What is noteworthy is the diversity of the swim spots, ranging from rocky beaches to constructed swimming complexes. 

Natural pools formed from volcanic rock (assisted by some concrete here and there) can be found at both ends of Porto Moniz’s busy seafront and in nearby Seixal. Bask in the tranquility of secluded beaches scattered across the island by taking a cable car down to the isolated, almost tropical-feeling swimming spot at Fajã dos Padres, enjoying a plunge into a remote mountain pool at Caldeirão Verde or cooling down at the end of a hike on the São Lourenço Peninsula with a dip at Cais do Sardinha.

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Try other off-the-beaten path swimming spots such as cliff-backed Praia da Alagoa and the black-rock-lined Complexo Balnear da Foz da Ribeira do Faial. Head to Madeira’s sister island for a traditional beach experience, where you can wade in the turquoise waters and golden sands of Praia do Porto Santo. 

Those who prefer more curated amenities can take advantage of one of the island’s numerous constructed swimming platforms, such as Complexo Balnear Lido Galomar. Take the lift down from Caniço de Baixo’s Hotel Galomar to discover this secluded, sun-trapping bathing area with sea access and pools. 

7. Take an island day trip to Porto Santo

The natural escape from Madeira is the only other inhabited island in the archipelago, Porto Santo. You could spend all your time at the island’s highlight: the golden-sand beach, Praia do Porto Santo. 

Scale some of the island’s highest peaks on the Vereda do Pico Branco e Terra Chã, one of Porto Santo’s most accessible and rewarding hikes. Pack in as many local meals as possible at restaurants such as Mercado Velho which serves a menu that could also function as an encyclopedia of local dishes.

8. Look out (or down) from the Cabo Girão Skywalk

West of Câmara de Lobos, Madeira’s highest sea cliffs loom over the village of Cabo Girão and the Atlantic’s sapphire expanse. The panorama from the skywalk’s viewing platform is nothing short of spectacular, but if you look down – the platform floor is made of glass and is suspended over the cliff edge – it becomes a knee-weakening, toe-curling experience. 

9. Drink poncha in Serra De Água

Poncha, Madeira’s indigenous cocktail of white rum and fruit juice, was supposedly invented by fishermen in Câmara de Lobos, though inland Serra de Água is home to the island’s best poncha scene, with some of its most famous bars. Poncha is served in small, heavy-stemmed glasses and is always accompanied by a dentinho (snack), which is often little more than a pile of peanuts. 

Just south of Serra de Água, Taberna da Poncha is probably the island’s most famous poncha bar. Fresh pitchers of the drink are whipped up regularly, the floor is coated with peanut shells and the walls are plastered with business cards. In town, Tasquinha da Poncha is known for its scope of dentinhos. Taberna da Serra has something of a truck-stop vibe.

Detour: Sample one of Madeira’s other indigenous cocktails, pé de cabra (a combination of Madeira wine, cocoa powder, stout and sugar mixed with a hand blender and served over ice with a lemon peel) at Pé de Cabra, the bar credited with inventing the drink. 

10. Wander the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens 

One of the highlights of any visit to Madeira is the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, a vast area that blends semi-tropical gardens with contemporary art, uniting the best of the outdoor and indoor worlds. Don’t miss the centenary cycads, considered living fossils, the Orchidarium (in bloom from November to April) and the two Japanese-style gardens. 

A wander will inevitably trickle down to the compound’s central lake, home to an incongruously contemporary-feeling waterfall. Koi, swans and flamingos inhabit the lake, and peacocks and chickens strut around the greater compound. Interspersed among the gardens are numerous sculptures (including the world’s largest vase) and other art. A highlight is one of Portugal’s most extensive tile collections, scattered throughout the gardens. At the garden’s highest point, the Monte Palace Madeira Museum spans three stories, with the top two floors hosting an exhibition that changes every few years.

Detour: Glide back down the mountain on Monte’s carros de cesto, toboggans made of Camacha wicker. 

11. Travel back in time at the Convento de Santa Clara

Madeira’s convents were regarded as safe havens for the daughters of the nobility – strictly closed-off places where they wouldn’t be exposed to the dangers of the outside world. Convento de Santa Clara, in Funchal, functioned as such for four centuries, until a recent renovation opened its doors to the public. 

Inside, you’ll find ancient religious art, a recreation of a nun’s cell, hauntingly beautiful choirs and other spaces that were closed off to the outside world for centuries.

Detour: If exploring old residences is your thing, tack on visits to the nearby Museu da Quinta das Cruzes and Casa-Museu Frederico de Freitas, both homes formerly belonging to Madeira’s wealthy class.

Planning tip: Porto Santo Line runs a daily ferry (twice daily during summer) to/from Funchal.

12. Visit the Jardins Botânicos da Madeira 

Buy a round-trip ticket for the Botanical Garden cable car bound for the Jardins Botânicos da Madeira. Spanning a whopping 80,000 sq m (nearly 20 acres), the 1950s compound is home to the most exotic collection of plant life in Europe. See huge cacti, flowers bursting in color and weird-and-wonderful shrubs and trees.

13. Delve into history, art and culture at Madeira’s museums 

Madeira’s museums range in topic from photography that would stand out in any major city to a close look at bananas, with a few unexpected stops in between. One of the island’s most interesting cultural institutions is the Museu Etnográfico da Madeira in Ribeira Brava. It provides an engaging look at Madeira’s traditional life. 

In Funchal, you can see a snapshot of old Madeira in the exquisitely preserved photographic studio at the Museu de Fotographia da Madeira - Atelier Vincente’s and be awed by the work of the Flemish masters at the Museu de Arte Sacra. Get your contemporary art fix at the hyper-modern MUDAS in Calheta. You can even learn all about whales at Museu da Baleia in Caniçal. The highly interactive Centro da Banana da Madeira (BAM), located between Ponta do Sol and Ribeira Brava, tells the story of the fruit and also grants access to a working banana plantation. 

Planning tip: Museu da Baleia is one of the best rainy-day activities if you’ve brought the kids to Madeira. The 3D and interactive section covering sea life is the most popular with children. 

14. Taste Madeira wine in Funchal

The story goes that, centuries ago, while transporting fortified wine from Madeira to Asia, barrels would heat up while in the holds of sailing ships, a happy accident that made the wine taste even better. Madeira wine houses are scattered across the island, but Funchal is home to three houses that also offer tours and tastings.

Once a 16th-century convent and then a 19th-century wine cellar, Blandy’s Wine Lodge is the best known of Madeira’s wine experiences. H.M. Borges is the smallest of Funchal’s Madeira wine operations and its diminutive, timber-rich tasting room feels the furthest from the tourist crush. Pereira D’Oliveira offers Funchal’s most easily accessible wine experience. Anyone can walk into the aromatic barrel room in central Funchal and try three types of Madeira wine.

Detour: Located northwest of Câmara de Lobos, tour the facilities and taste Madeira wine at Barbeito, the island’s most progressive-minded producer.

15. Climb to new heights at Pico do Arieiro 

Arguably the most dramatic high-altitude walk on Madeira, this occasionally challenging 7km (4.3-mile) mountain route, Vereda do Ariero, links the island’s three highest peaks. Above the clouds, the views are astounding. Come prepared – sturdy footwear, warm clothes, a torch (flashlight), water and food are essentials. The walk can be done independently, but with rock falls along the trail an issue, a guide is recommended.

Planning tip: Check the Visit Madeira website for up-to-date information regarding trail closures and repairs.

16. Peruse the vibrant Mercado dos Lavradores 

Built in 1940 by architect Edmundo Tavares, Funchal’s art deco market is one of its top attractions while still serving as one of the island’s best fresh-food markets. The market’s amazing color begins at the entrance where local women sell all kinds of exotic flowers, but the fruit stalls around the open central courtyard are the real highlight. 

Look for the island’s famous sweet miniature bananas. Pass through the fruit market and up the steps for a grandstand view of Funchal’s main fish market where you’ll find fishmongers nonchalantly filleting the day’s catch.

Planning tip: To see everything, set aside around one hour. The market is closed Sunday and Monday.

17. Hike the Ponta de São Lourenço península

The snaking Ponta de São Lourenço península forms the eastern extent of Madeira. Most of its highlights are found along an 8km (5mi) trail that features swimming spots and amazing vistas. It’s worth noting that this hike is a very different beast from the island’s levada walks, with lots of ups and downs and no shade. 

Located before the trailhead, stop at the romantically secluded Prainha do Caniçal black-sand beach. On the trail itself is Praia de São Lourenço, an isolated beach that’s good for a dip in the sea and views of the Ilhas Desertas. Stop to admire the views from the Miradouro de São Lourenço looking out over towering stranded chunks of volcanic rock. Behind the Casa do Sardinha rises the Morro do Furado, a huge hillside marking the end of the peninsula’s accessible section. It’s a bit of a slog on crumbly and slippery ground, but the Atlantic panoramas from the top are magnificent.

Planning tip: Buses and taxis leave hikers at the Baía D’Abra car park, where you’ll find a route map (numbered PR 8). The trail should take around four hours. 

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Pocket Madeira guidebook, published in March 2025.