Madeira: The Atlantic Island That Looks Like Someone Turned the Scenery Up Too High
Cloud forests, volcanic swimming pools, mountain roads, black-sand beaches and villages squeezed between cliffs and the Atlantic. Madeira doesn't do boring scenery.
This island has absolutely no interest in being subtle.
There are destinations that look lovely in photographs. Then there is Madeira, where photographs occasionally look as though somebody got carried away with the editing.
Mountains rise above the Atlantic. Roads disappear into tunnels and reappear beside cliffs. Forests, volcanic coastline and dramatic viewpoints can all appear during the same day's exploring.
And somehow, among all of this, there is still time to sit in Funchal with a coffee wondering why nobody warned you Madeira looked like this.
The Forest That Looks Like a Film Set
Fanal proves Madeira can change personality without changing island.
Madeira's forest landscape can feel worlds away from the sunny Atlantic coast.
Fanal is one of Madeira's most atmospheric landscapes. Old til trees form part of the indigenous Laurisilva forest, and mist can transform the scenery within minutes.
UNESCO describes Madeira's Laurisilva as the largest surviving area of primary laurel forest, a vegetation type that was once widespread across southern Europe.
Walking routes cross this part of Madeira, but conditions and closures can change. Check official trail information before setting off.
Swimming Pools Built by a Volcano
Porto Moniz makes the average hotel pool look slightly underambitious.
Volcanic rock and Atlantic water define much of Madeira's spectacular north coast.
Porto Moniz is famous for natural swimming pools formed in volcanic rock. Seawater enters the pools naturally, creating one of Madeira's most distinctive places for a swim.
The main complex provides a large bathing area and visitor facilities, while other volcanic bathing spots can be found around the north coast.
Wait... Madeira Has a Beach Like This?
Seixal ignores the standard holiday-beach template.
Dark volcanic sand gives Madeira's northern beaches a completely different atmosphere.
Seixal is known for dark volcanic sand backed by enormous green mountains. The combination of black shoreline, Atlantic water and steep scenery makes this corner of Madeira feel particularly dramatic.
It is also a reminder that a day on Madeira does not need to stay in one category. A mountain morning can become a coastal afternoon surprisingly quickly.
Welcome to Funchal
Do not treat Madeira's capital as somewhere you merely sleep.
Funchal adds cafés, restaurants, gardens and city life to Madeira's outdoor adventure.
Funchal gives the trip a completely different rhythm. Spend time exploring streets, gardens, markets, cafés and the waterfront rather than using the city only as a launch pad for excursions.
The Madeira “relaxing day”
Let's have a relaxing day.
Shall we go and explore?
Apparently there's an incredible viewpoint.
Apparently there's also a waterfall.
How have we crossed half the island?
Let's definitely relax tomorrow.
The Roads Are Part of the Adventure
Distances on a map never quite explain a Madeira road trip.
Allow extra time. Madeira has an inconvenient habit of putting another viewpoint around the corner.
Modern tunnels make many journeys much easier, while mountain and local roads can still involve steep gradients, bends and dramatic changes in elevation.
If you drive, plan conservatively, check parking and give yourself spare time. On Madeira, the journey frequently becomes part of the day's entertainment.
The Madeira Driving Translation Guide
The Levadas
Part engineering, part history and now part of Madeira's walking identity.
Walking reveals a greener and quieter side of Madeira.
Madeira's levadas are channels developed to transport water across challenging terrain. They form part of the island's water-management history and run through landscapes that would otherwise be difficult to access.
Paths alongside many levadas have helped make walking one of Madeira's best-known visitor experiences, from relatively gentle outings to considerably more demanding routes.
The North Coast
Mountains, forest, cliffs and Atlantic Ocean all competing for attention.
Madeira is often at its most spectacular where steep green land meets the Atlantic.
Porto Moniz and Seixal are obvious north-coast highlights, but the pleasure is often in the landscape between the headline stops: forest, steep slopes, ocean viewpoints and small settlements tucked into difficult terrain.
Do not turn the north into a race between pins on a map. Leave enough time to stop when Madeira inevitably puts something ridiculous outside the window.
Which Madeira Are You?
There is more than one perfectly sensible way to enjoy this island.
Make Madeira easier to enjoy
A little planning helps, but leave enough space for spontaneous stops.
Things worth knowing before you go
Madeira is easy to enjoy, but these practical details are worth saving before your holiday.
Madeira is part of Portugal and uses the euro (€). Debit and credit cards are accepted in most establishments, although carrying a little cash can still be useful.
Dial 112 for an emergency. It is the European emergency number and should only be used for genuine emergencies.
Madeira uses Portugal's European-style sockets with 220V / 50Hz electricity. UK visitors should pack a European plug adaptor.
Car and motorbike hire are popular ways to explore, while urban and tourist bus networks are also available. Mountain roads can be steep, so choose transport that suits your confidence.
Conditions at the coast can be very different from the mountains. Take layers, sun protection and rain protection when heading into higher ground.
Road sections can occasionally close because of works or adverse weather. Check current conditions when planning longer drives around the island.
Check Official Madeira Trail Status
Useful travel tools
Sort out the practical bits before Madeira starts distracting you with mountains.
Madeira's problem is choosing a favourite part.
The mountains compete with the coastline. The coastline competes with the forests. Porto Moniz competes with Seixal. Funchal reminds you that you have been staring at scenery for six hours and should probably eat something.
You arrive expecting a sunny Portuguese island.
You leave wondering how one island managed to fit quite so much scenery into the trip.
