Madeira is one of the most beautiful islands in the world - visually a mixture of Hawaii, Ireland and the Canary Islands. The green travel destination in the Atlantic is characterized by a wild rocky backdrop, untouched nature, picturesque and lonely mountain villages and the lively island capital Funchal, where you can eat and shop very well. What is there to discover in Madeira? I have looked around the holiday island and would like to share some helpful tips and recommendations with you. In my travel report about Madeira I introduce you to the wonderfully beautiful island.

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At the very first glance, which usually falls on the island from an airplane, Madeira looks like a spectacular mixture of Hawaii Canaries and Ireland. The island will amaze you as soon as you land. The sharp, towering rocks, the green blanket and the Atlantic Ocean crashing against the shore:

It looks breathtakingly beautiful and almost a little unreal Island from above. You involuntarily ask yourself: Where are people supposed to live on the steep slopes and where are the streets? And I can say in retrospect: holidaymakers will receive the answer to these questions soon enough. I will go into this in more detail later.

Landing approach like a roller coaster ride

The second look then turns to the airport and the landing approach: Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport is world-famous and infamous for the difficult approach, for which pilots first have to complete special training. The airport is one of the ten most difficult airports in the world to fly to!

The runway is spectacularly built on stilts into the rock; the planes have to fly flat over the water just past the rocks to reach the airport. Before landing, the plane turned into a steep angle just a few hundred meters above the water while strong winds buffeted the jet. Madeira attracts attention as soon as you arrive and gives holidaymakers a wild welcome with all the drums and trumpets!

Madeira is indescribable – green, diverse, impressive and lively. The image of the flower island clearly falls short. It's an outdoor destination through and through - you can spend the whole day doing a variety of activities like Hiking and Diving spend. Go on a whale expedition. And don't forget to try some of the excellent fish restaurants, because Madeira eats fish.

Sascha Tegtmeyer

Video – Madeira is so beautiful

Unfortunately, my videos on Madeira weren't that successful. That's why I've picked out an inspiring and informative video about the island for you, which will certainly give you some helpful impressions of this wonderful travel destination.

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Madeira quickly reveals all its beauty

After landing, you stand there with shaking knees, but you're also happy to have landed on such a beautiful island. Shortly after your arrival, when you drive off the site in your rental car, Madeira reveals all its beauty. Green mountain slopes, cliffs towering hundreds of meters and flowers everywhere in between. The Flower Island – a Madeira buzzword – immediately lives up to its name.

The villages and smaller towns in the south of the island are built high into the mountain slopes and offer a spectacular view. Streets and highways often run over spectacular stilts, bridges and through eternally long tunnels. The scenery of nature and human-designed architecture seems unreal at first and you can hardly get enough of it.

I notice that Madeira is something very special

My impression upon arrival is therefore clear: Madeira is something very special and we have never seen anything comparable. The island is not like the Canary Islands, which are regionally very close. It's not like Cape Verde. More like the Azores, but only a little. It is also not like the holiday islands in the Mediterranean. My first association was to be completely confirmed on our Madeira vacation: the island simply stands completely on its own - and it is incomparably beautiful.

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Madeira is something very special

My impression of the island

My hotel is located in the very southeast near Machico at the foot of the Sao Lourenco headland, which is a popular natural park for hiking, jogging and climbing. The five star hotel Quinta do Lorde Madeira (unfortunately closed permanently since Corona) is practically at the foot of this region of the island. The area is an excellent starting point for all tours around the island. From here you can reach Funchal in no time and the north of the island is also easy to reach from here. During my Madeira vacation, I would like to explore the island from end to end and discover as many sights and activities as possible.

Before we go on a big tour, we are really excited about our Quinta do Lorde Hotel, which is modeled on a typical Madeiran village with a church, seawater pool and its own marina. A great place for a holiday in Madeira. And if you don't feel like touring the island by bus or rental car, you can easily spend a whole week with the hotel and the nearby nature park!

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Tour of the island by rental car – the driver should be free from giddiness

Some Madeira holidaymakers claim that the best way to explore the island is by public transport. I don't believe that at all: I borrowed a rental car immediately after arriving and wanted to use it to explore the rocky island. By car we stay mobile and can go wherever we want to be at any time. And that turns out to be a really exciting affair. That's easier said than done. The road network from the island is very well developed, with many highways and tunnels as shortcuts.

But on the other hand, there are also streets that can bring a capital P for panic into the eyes of a German vacationer. The cars sometimes struggle up the mountains with gradients of up to 20 percent on slopes that drop down hundreds of meters. And that's really intense. Choosing such routes is sometimes necessary to get to the beautiful and idyllic mountain villages that lie in the mountains. Some of the remote beach bays cannot be reached any other way. So you have no choice in Madeira. I don't necessarily imagine these journeys being more pleasant using public transport.  

My most important Madeira tip at this point: At least the rental car driver on your Madeira vacation should be free from giddiness and a confident driver in order to be able to transport you safely.

Sascha Tegtmeyer

During our stay in Madeira we were actually driving our rental car the whole time. We drove all over the place, every day to Funchal and other villages for dinner. Actually, we were out and about the whole time and explored the island. Actually, we only really planned our route twice in advance. Apart from that, we always went off on luck and gradually discovered Madeira. That's probably why we love Madeira so much.

Car rental route 1: Via Machico to the north

If you want to orientate yourself and plan your tours, you can choose our favorite route from Machico to the north, for example. Even if you live closer to Funchal, you can drive north via Machico. The route from Machico via Porto da Cruz, Faial, Santana, Sao Jorge to Sao Vicente is probably one of the most beautiful routes on the island with many mountain villages, viewpoints and beautiful, hidden bays.

There is also the option of shortening the route through various tunnels. But that shouldn't be the goal. Only by driving over the mountains can one discover the beauty of Madeira. But beware! The serpentine roads in the north of the island are really tough.

Car rental route 2: the entire south coast of Madeira

The second beautiful route runs along the entire south coast of Madeira. Again, you can drive from Machico or Santa Cruz to the other side in the extreme west. Not only the capital Funchal is on the way, but also many other places like Ponta do Sol and Calheta that are definitely worth a visit. You can see how far you get on this tour. The ultimate destination on this route would be Porto Moniz.

Typical for Madeira, this tour is also a panoramic tour, where you can look down on the villages from the mountain slopes and enjoy a spectacular view - that reminded us a little of our holiday in Lanzarote. Along the south coast, however, we focused more on the cities and used the tunnels in between instead of the mountain passes.

Car rental route 3: once over the high plateau

The third possible route on Madeira leads west of Funchal over the island's high plateau to Sao Vicente. The route runs through the Serra de Agua. But you can also choose several roads on the plateau and look around there.

In this corner Madeira is completely different: windy and barren, the island shows a completely different face with a kind of steppe and scrubland. This reminds a little of the Harz mountains on the way to Torfhaus.

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Leisure activities and sights in Madeira

Tips for several days

The holiday island of Madeira places a large emphasis on tourism, but at the same time it is also an island that offers a high quality of life for its residents. Like the rest of Portugal, the cost of living is quite low and people have a pretty good work-life balance overall. Accordingly, there are many leisure activities and festivities that can bring joy to both locals and tourists.

Whether it's a visit to Funchal, sleigh rides, whale watching and dolphin tours, kayaking, diving and snorkeling, dining out or a visit to the island's national hero - there is an activity to suit everyone in Madeira. I'll introduce you to some of the best ways to spend your time on the island and give you helpful Madeira tips and tricks on leisure activities and sights.   

1. Lively island capital Funchal - between normality and tourism

The island capital Funchal is a sight in itself. The vibrant city with just over 100.000 inhabitants not only has many bars, cafés and restaurants, but also offers an incredibly diverse nightlife and various shopping opportunities. It is the daily port of call for other cruise ships from the major shipping companies that moor in Madeira.

Like many other places on Madeira, Funchal is picturesquely built into the mountain and runs almost cylindrically towards the bay with the harbor. The highlights of this city are definitely the harbor and the waterfront, the old town and the pedestrian zone, the Cristiano Ronaldo CR7 Museum, the botanical gardens including the cable car and overall the lively and fun-loving nature of this city. There are also numerous ice cream shops in Funchal that serve exceptionally delicious ice cream.

2. Funchal Market Hall – taste exotic fruits

The market halls in Funchal are as you would imagine them to be on a subtropical island. Lively and full of southern fire as people trade, haggle and sell. There are fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish and meat. You can find beautiful flowers there like orchids, azaleas, wisteria, camellias and roses.

But above all, exotic fruits are sold that are not necessarily known in this country. The passion fruit banana and passion fruit tomato are very tasty, each being very unique hybrids of the two fruits. You can just go to a market stall and you will be able to taste various fruits. Of course, the stand operator doesn't do this without ulterior motives - after you've tasted all the fruits, you should also purchase one or two copies. Be careful, it can be expensive.

3. By cable car to the Botanical Garden of Funchal

Clearly one of the highlights on Madeira is the cable car ride in Funchal up to the Botanical Garden. If the train ride alone isn't enough, you can also take a tour of the gardens, which are located at a considerable height on a plateau on the mountainside. There you will find all sorts of subtropical plants. The flower island of Madeira lives up to its nickname.

If you're not really into flowers, you might be able to save yourself the entry fee. In general, the cable car ride and the entrance fee to the botanical garden are relatively expensive. There is also a combination ticket at the valley station, which is located directly on the waterfront. If in doubt, I recommend the cable car rather than the botanical garden, but that's a matter of taste.

4. Shopping in Funchal - shop to your heart's content

There are numerous opportunities for shopping in the city center and pedestrian zone of Funchal. We noticed that there are a particularly large number of international fashion brands and chains located here. We suspect this is due to cruise tourism. When a new ship arrives in Funchal, hundreds of passengers march into the city center. Of course, many of them spend their money shopping. There's basically nothing wrong with that. If you want to shop to your heart's content, you can do it very well in Funchal.

5. Eat well in Funchal – beware of tourist traps

There are a number of small restaurants, especially in the small streets of Funchal's Zona Velha. The Fortaleza de Sao Tiago is the reference point here. Many restaurants have settled around the old fort. Some of them are better in terms of quality and service, others are worse. Of course everyone there claims to be the best. You should therefore find out beforehand on the Internet who has received good reviews. Be careful of tourist traps, some shops are really bad. We tried a different restaurant every lunch and evening. In Funchal has us Oh Tapassol best liked.

The best restaurant in Madeira – in my opinion

In my opinion this is the best restaurant in Madeira Tasquinha do Pescador. However, this is not in Funchal, but in Canical and looks like a cheap snack bar. But the impression is deceptive: as the name suggests, it has the best fresh fish around. A real treat! 

5. Visit museums in Fuchal – a striking number of institutions

For a city with just over 100.000 inhabitants, Funchal really does have a very lively museum culture. From the Madeira Story Center, the historical museum, to the whale museum Museu de Baleia to the art museum Museu de Arte Sacra do Funchal, electricity museum, toy museum to the wine museum, Madeira has a strikingly lively museum culture. Fans of art and culture can really let off steam here!

6. Cristiano Ronaldo CR7 Museum – pay a visit to the national hero

If you're not really into museums but are into football, you have to go to a museum in Madeira - namely the one Cristiano Ronaldo CR7 Museum. Not only all football fans should definitely pay a visit to this homage to the footballer. The museum is practically a homage to football and to the national hero of Madeira.

The active footballer also regularly visits his homeland at Christmas or other occasions. Ronaldo grew up here and the people of Madeira love the most famous footballer in the world. The museum really brings you closer to this cult.

7. Wicker tobogganing in Madeira - a traditional pleasure

Anyone who has ever taken the cable car up the mountain can consider simply whizzing back down the mountain slope from the Monte on a basket sleigh. The Carros de Cesto have been in use since the 19th century and are truly a unique tradition on Madeira. Two men push a woven chair that can reach up to 50 kilometers per hour on runners. It is steered with the feet of the basket sled driver, the carreiro.

An interesting tradition

I don't want to say that sledding is the national sport in Madeira. But it is definitely an important and valuable activity for the islanders. The basket sleigh rides start below the pilgrimage church “Nossa Senhora do Monte”. From there it goes about two kilometers and over 800 meters down into the valley.

The basket sleigh ride can actually be quite an adventurous undertaking. The vehicles can pick up speed and the descent is sometimes very steep and steep - on normal roads that are also used by cars. Nothing is currently known about current basket toboggan accidents on Madeira.

8. Madeira's mountain villages - remote beauties

Madeira's mountain villages are picturesque and beautiful. Unfortunately, you have to have a head for heights to get there. We particularly liked Faial, Porto da Cruz and Sao Jorge. Once you're there, you see beautiful traditional houses, flowers everywhere and a really good piece of culture from Madeira.

The islanders have well preserved their traditions in the remote areas. You will also find one or two lighthouses from which you have a wonderful view.

9. Madeira's airport has it all

Yes, Madeira airport is a sight in itself! Madeira Airport is also named after Cristiano Ronaldo. But that is by no means the reason why we list it as an attraction here: the airport is built on stilts and is an impressive structure that you can take a look at because you don't see something like that very often in the world. From an aviation perspective, the airfield is the “terror of all pilots” and is often listed in the top 10 of the most difficult airports to fly to and the most dangerous airports of all.

The short runway and dangerous winds can make landing a real horror trip. Before the runway was extended on the stilts, there were several plane crashes at Madeira Airport with hundreds of deaths. Don't worry too much about it before the trip, otherwise you won't fly anymore. Nowadays, thanks to modern technology, the approach to Madeira is safe!

There is an amusement park below the airport between the pillars. This makes it clear what dimensions this building has.

Travel pictures from Madeira - tips and impressions of a beautiful island

We would like to share our most beautiful travel pictures of Madeira with you and give you an impression of this beautiful island. You will see how enchanting and beautiful this island is and why we are considering going back there.

Leisure activities in Madeira

Tips from kayaking and SUP to whale watching

In Madeira you can really enjoy a whole range of leisure activities. We have the best tips and ideas for you on how you can make the best use of your time on the subtropical dream island. From kayaking, stand-up paddling, diving and snorkeling to whale and dolphin tours and trips to the neighboring island of Porto Santo!

1. Kayak tours and stand up paddling along the rocky coast

Here in Sao Lourenco you could book very exciting kayak tours that took place along the rocky coast in front of the peninsula. You could really do kilometers there by kayak and discover the rough Atlantic and the wild beauty of Madeira by kayak. A great experience and a nice workout for the shoulders at the same time! 

2. Stand Up Paddling in Madeira

The situation is similar with stand-up paddling in Madeira. You can go on exciting tours on the board and discover the island with the SUP board. However, stand up paddling here is more of an affair for advanced users because the Atlantic makes a lot of waves.

You should pay particular attention to the weather conditions when SUPing. The sea around Madeira is difficult to predict and appropriate safety precautions should be taken. Currents, waves and winds can really put a strain on you while stand-up paddling on Madeira!

3. Diving in Madeira - wonderful spots in the nature park

Diving is one of the best leisure activities in Madeira. The underwater landscape around the island is simply wonderful. In the Garajau Underwater Natural Park, where there are several spectacular sports, you will encounter spectacular rock formations and a wide variety of marine animals such as huge groupers, baracudas, rays and large schools of fish.

If you're really lucky, manta rays can even appear here. Diving in Madeira is really worth it. And if you don't have a certificate yet, you can get one at one of the two German-speaking diving schools Madeira Diving Center or Manta Diving Center Madeira.  

German-speaking dive centers on Madeira

There are two German-speaking diving centers on Madeira, both of which offer excellent, friendly service and dive to the highest diving standards. Both dive centers offer excellent, friendly service and maintain the highest diving standards. No wonder that both bases have already received the TAUCHEN Award from TAUCHEN magazine several times. These are available for selection Manta Diving Center Madeira and Madeira Diving Center.

4. Whale and dolphin tours - from bottlenose dolphins to sperm whales

The whale tours and dolphin tours on Madeira are also a spectacular experience. The ships set off out to sea from several locations and encounter whales and dolphins in the wild. Dolphins are almost always spotted. Larger groups of bottlenose dolphins are sometimes reported. For whales, the success rate can vary depending on the time of year. The species also differ depending on the season.

When we were there, sperm whales had been spotted a few days before. However, we were assured that this would be the exception. There is, among other things, the opportunity to go whale watching in Canical, Funchal and Calheta. We were with Lobo probe from Calheta because the company takes a strong marine biology approach and always has an expert on board. The provider is located there at the sports harbor (Porto de Recreio de Calheta). We googled Lobosonda and were very satisfied with the tour provider, who also spoke German well.

5. Island tours by bus and jeep

If you don't dare drive across the island, you can easily book Madeira tours by minibus or jeep. The advantage of this is that the drivers of course have their own fixed routes and know all the sights inside and out. The disadvantage is also clear: any adventure factor is completely lost on a bus tour of Madeira. Tours can be booked in all hotels and tourist centers in Funchal and other locations.

6. Discover fantastic sandy beaches - trip to the neighboring island of Porto Santo

If you can arrange it in time during your Madeira vacation, you should definitely take a trip to the small neighboring island of Porto Santo. While there are very few small sandy beaches on Madeira, Porto Santo has a real, seven-kilometer-long dream beach that is said to be one of the best beaches in Portugal. There is also the small Calheta beach, which is a real insider tip. But Porto Santo isn't just about the beach: the small villages like Vila Baleira (Whale Village) are also beautiful to look at and easy to explore. You can also go hiking and enjoy incredible panoramic views from various viewpoints. 

The crossing is by ferry from Madeira to Porto Santo. The ship's travel times are timed so that you can have a wonderful and unforgettable day trip to Porto Santo. It's going to be a long day, but it's worth it! The day trip, including ferry ticket, food and transport, costs around 90 euros per person. Unfortunately it won't be much cheaper. You will also experience an unforgettable day!

7. Hiking in Madeira - better be free from giddiness

Everywhere on Madeira there is the opportunity to go on exciting hiking tours. For example, we went on foot to our hotel in the Sao Lourenco National Park and explored the exciting landscape. However, the tour over the partly steep and poorly paved paths was quite challenging!

There are also many hiking trails around Funchal. However, you should inform yourself well beforehand, because... Hiking in Madeira can also be very dangerous on some routes. You always read about hikers who died. You should always be free from vertigo on many routes.

Exclusive hotel inspirations for you from me

As far as the hotels on Madeira are concerned, we would say: overall a solid affair. The facilities we saw didn't blow us away. Anyone who books five-star plus will certainly receive the corresponding service, but overall the island's resorts are rather unspectacular. We stayed at the five-star hotel (national category) Quinta do Lorde.

The resort is really impressive as it is modeled on a typical Madeiran village and consists of several low-rise buildings as well as a large main building, has its own church and a small marina. The premium resort also has several pools on the roof and a seawater pool directly on the coarse rocky beach.

The food and the rooms at the Quinta do Lorde Resort were really top notch. The complex itself is really beautiful and we found the quiet location - thanks to the rental car - very advantageous. The only thing I really dislike is the slight cockroach infestation in the resort (as of December 2017) - as is the case again and again in many resorts around the world. Cockroaches are the only reason we won't book a hotel again in the future. It is unclear whether the infestation continues. Without these little roommates, the hotel would be highly recommended!

Travel facts about Madeira - arrival, hotels, best travel time

We have put together the most important travel facts about Madeira so that you can start your vacation well prepared. In this article you will find out everything you need to know about getting there, the hotels on the island and the best time to travel to get the most out of your trip to Madeira. Let's go!

Getting to Madeira by plane

Getting to Madeira is child's play: There are direct flights to the idyllic island in the Atlantic from all major German and European airports. But what awaits you at the airport? As soon as you land you will notice that everything is different here than on other islands:

Madeira airport is located on a cliff and the final approach is a real challenge for many passengers. But don't worry - the pilots are specially trained and usually manage the landing without any problems. Anyone who has mastered this challenge will be rewarded with a fantastic landscape.

Who is a Madeira vacation suitable for?

Families in particular get their money's worth in Madeira. The cost of living is relatively cheap (as in the rest of Portugal) and so you can go on holiday here as a family very cheaply without sacrificing even the slightest in the quality of your holiday. In our opinion, the rental car wasn't too expensive. A vacation to Madeira is not as cheap as a vacation to Egypt or a trip to Turkey, but it is really affordable by European standards.

In addition, the locals and hotels are very open to children and are not very sensitive about them. On a Madeira vacation with children, you not only get relatively cheap food, but also many entrance fees and leisure activities. Discounts for children are actually commonplace everywhere. 

Best time to visit Madeira - all year round

In our opinion, the best time to travel to Madeira is clearly all year round. But depending on your taste and preferences, it can vary slightly. In winter it is pleasantly warm with temperatures between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius during the day and around 10 to 15 degrees at night. Occasionally there is some rain in winter, but it is often clear and sunny.

This time is really ideal for hiking and doing sports. Summer in Madeira is warm and dry from May to September. This is the peak season and there are particularly many tourists on the small holiday island. If you want to go on a beach holiday in Madeira, this is the perfect time to go.

Climate table Madeira - best travel time all year round

Month	high	Rainydays	Hours of sunshine	water temperature
January	19	8	4	18
February	19	8	4	17
March	20	7	7	17
April	21	5	8	18
May	22	3	10	18
June	23	2	11	20
July	25	0	12	21
August	26	1	12	22
September	25	3	9	23
October	24	6	5	22
November	22	8	5	20
December	20	8	4	19

FAQs Madeira - the most important questions and answers

Anyone who travels to Madeira for the first time will certainly have many questions about the small island in the Atlantic. I have put together the most important questions and answers about your Madeira vacation for you.

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Madeira tips and experiences – simply a beautiful island

My conclusion

When we booked our Madeira vacation, we honestly never imagined that we would like the island so much. But our Madeira experiences are clear: the holiday destination is not comparable to any of the typical travel destinations. Neither with the geographically close Canary Islands such as Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Co., nor with the typical Mediterranean travel destinations such as Cyprus, Mallorca or Malta.

The island is a species all its own. And that is exactly what makes this destination so special. We want to discover so much more in the world and therefore rarely come to the same travel destination twice. But our Madeira experiences were so positive and so unique that we will probably come back here very, very soon. Madeira is a breathtakingly beautiful island that is worth more than just a trip!

Our trip to Madeira was our private vacation and fully self-paid. 

Have you already been to Madeira or are you planning your first trip to the beautiful island? Which places have you discovered? Do you have any insider tips for us? Share your experiences in the comments.

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