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Madeira

Portugal Travel Guide

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Portugal, Madeira island, hike from Boca da Corrida to Encumeada, Caminho Real or Royal Path, old paved path used by landed gentry on horseback

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Overview

Geologically dramatic, bursting with exotic colour and warmed year-round by the Atlantic sun, Portugal’s most enchanting island is a place that keeps all its subtropical holiday promises. Pearl of the Atlantic, island of eternal spring…Madeira well deserves its fanciful nicknames and the affection visitors and locals alike feel for this tiny volcanic island that offers so much.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Quinta das Cruzes

    Quinta das Cruzes

    Funchal

    Now a museum, the Quinta das Cruzes is a quintessential old Madeiran manor house complete with gardens and a private chapel. Originally the home of João…

  • Zona Velha

    Zona Velha

    Funchal

    Once a run-down area between the Mercado dos Lavradores and the Fortaleza de Santiago, in recent years the 'Old Zone' of merchant's houses and 19th…

  • Mercado dos Lavradores

    Mercado dos Lavradores

    Funchal

    Built in 1940 by architect Edmundo Tavares, Funchal's art deco market is one of its top attractions as well as still serving as the island's best fresh…

  • Sé

    Funchal

    Funchal's 16th-century cathedral once oversaw the world's largest diocese – all of Portugal’s overseas territories from Madeira to Brazil to Angola – and…

  • Praia Formosa

    Praia Formosa

    Funchal

    Anyone who says Madeira has no beaches should hop on bus 1 or 43 to the boulders and browny-black sand of this wild strand in Funchal's western suburbs…

  • Camacha Wicker Factory

    Camacha Wicker Factory

    Madeira

    Camacha is the epicentre of Madeira's wicker industry, showcased at the O Relógio (The Clock) building in the centre of the village. The complex has three…

  • Jardins Botânicos da Madeira

    Jardins Botânicos da Madeira

    Funchal

    One of the island's top tourist attractions, Madeira's famous botanical gardens are a must for most visitors. Extending over 80,000 sq metres, the gardens…

  • Grutas e Centro do Vulcanismo

    Grutas e Centro do Vulcanismo

    Madeira

    Top billing on Madeira's north coast goes to this two-for-one attraction just south of São Vicente. The first part of the experience is a guided tour of…

Planning Tools

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Best Things to Do

An expert's guide to the Portuguese island.

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