Madeira

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Pocket Azores

$14.99

Shop Book

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

Getty Images/Hemis.fr RM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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…