The best things to do in Madeira

You don’t need to be a football fan to have heard of the island’s son, Cristiano Ronaldo. If for no other reason, you will have heard the name on landing at Madeira airport, which was named after the player in 2017. Madeirans love him – we challenge you to count the number of people you see wearing his No. 7 shirt while you are on the island. The CR7 Museum opened on the island in 2013, and is home to the hundreds of medals and awards Cristiano Ronaldo has won to date. There are also two full-scale wax sculptures of him: one of which has him wearing the colours of the Portuguese national team, and the other with him wearing the colours of his current team, Juventus. Shirts, boots, walls covered with gifts he receives from his fans all around the world, and an interactive timeline of the player’s life. There’s a little bit of everything. If you didn’t know his history and the awards he has won before you went in, you’ll come out an expert. Entry costs €5.

If it’s your first time on the island, then you can’t miss this experience. But be warned, it’s not for the faint hearted. The carreiros do monte (toboggans) first appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, when they were used as a means of public transport by locals who needed to get to the centre of Funchal quickly. Nowadays it is a tourist attraction that keeps the toboggans as they originally were. They are made of wicker and mounted on two wooden rails. They are pushed by two carreiros (drivers) who dress in white and wear straw hats. These are very experienced men who wear rubber-soled boots to slow the toboggans down whenever necessary (they assure us that accidents are rare, but they leave room for doubt so as to maintain the adrenaline rush). The ride begins below the steps to the Igreja do Monte and finishes at the Livramento terminal - and on the way it passes through steep, winding roads at speeds of up to 24 miles per hour, so remember to hold on tight and be careful while taking selfies as you descend. They take your photo half way down, which you can buy at the bottom. It’s a nice souvenir, so practice that smile, even if you feel like you’re in free fall.

If you enjoy being up high and having panoramic views, then cable cars are always a good experience, and Madeira has a number for you to check out during your stay. The Teleférico do Funchal (Funchal cable car) could be the first on your list. It travels from the old part of Funchal to Monte, at a height of 560 metres, and takes about 20 minutes. From there you can get back down on one of the carros cestos (wicker toboggans), which leave from nearby. The Teleférico do Jardim Botânico (Botanic Garden cable car) is quite short, taking only nine minutes; however, it does offer aerial views of the Ribeira de João Gomes valley and rises to a height of 100 metres. Then there’s the Teleférico das Achadas da Cruz (Achadas da Cruz cable car), one of the main attraction in Porto Moniz, on the north coast, which rises to a height of 450 metres. The fourth trip we suggest is the Teleférico do Garajau (Garajau cable car), which is a 15-minute drive from Funchal. This is next to the Cristo Rei statue, and has a vertical ascent of 150 metres, with a final destination on Garajau beach. Make this trip later in the day to enjoy the sunset. There is also the Teleférico da Fajã dos Padres (Fajã dos Padres cable car) at Quinta Grande. This descends 300 metres to an idyllic location where you can choose to spend the whole day. There is a restaurant with good petiscos (tapas) and a beach for swimming.

The piles of tropical and colourful fruits are impressive, right from the entrance. They are carefully arranged on the various stalls and are the first to be sold in a flash. The Mercado dos Lavradores first opened in 1940 and is in the style typical of the Estado Novo (“New State” - the authoritarian Second Portuguese Republic, installed in 1933). It became the city’s main source of produce and continues to be popular with locals and visitors alike in search of pure or hybrid passion fruits, mangos or other fruits never before seen. While filling your tote sack (remember to bring one with you), you should point your camera at the 1940s Batisttini de Maria de Portugal ceramic tile panels painted with regional themes that adorn the building’s façade and the main entrance and fish market.

You’ve already seen this name, because it also has a cable car. But you ought to know more about Fajã dos Padres, a heavenly refuge beside the sea. It is a beautiful tropical island, but once you get off the cable car that brings you here (you can also arrive by boat), you enter another dimension. Some call it the “small island within the island of Madeira”, which makes sense. It has tourist houses were you can stay overnight (eight villas and one bungalow), a private pebble beach with a small pier, showers and sun loungers, a seaside restaurant serving regional dishes, featuring tuna and other fresh fish, as well as desserts made with ingredients produced on the property. You can book a table at https://fajadospadres.com/faja/index.php/pt/restaurante-pt. After lunch, or whenever you want a break from all that swimming, relax by taking a walk through the grounds. All of Fajã’s produce has been certified organic since 2008, and there is a hectare of vineyards planted with the Malvasia Cândida grape (ask for a glass of Fajã wine in the restaurant - you won’t regret it), two hectares of mango trees with around 20 varieties, bananas, avocado pears, pitanga, prickly pears, passion fruit, tamarillos and a vegetable garden that supplies the restaurant.

While most of the beaches on the island are pebbles, at Porto do Seixal beach in Seixal county, Porto Moniz, there is a volcanic sand beach. There are no lifeguards, so you must be careful, but it does have outdoor showers and is perfect for drawing pictures in the sand and watching the waves wash them away. You can also get a body scrub while you’re there. Forget the tropical Asian beaches with their white sand, this one also deserves to be known as a mermaid or a merman, the god of the sea and son of Poseidon and Aphrodite (the male version of a mermaid, of course).

A typical weekend for a Madeiran: set the alarm for 4am, put on winter clothes that have been in the wardrobe all season, head up to the highest peak to watch the sunrise with friends. Once the sun’s up, it’s time to head to a stall for some ponchas and to heat up those places the sun can’t reach. After that, it’s back to bed, because the day hasn’t yet started. Do as your Madeiran friends do: they know it all and on the island this is a lovely sight to see – at least once in your life.

After a day of visiting museums, walking through the levadas (water channels) and tropical gardens, end the day gently, listening to the birds as the mountains and valleys around you turn an ever darker shade of orange until the darkness takes hold. Pico do Areeiro, Paúl do Mar (here you will find bars beside the sea in which you can toast the end of another day), Cabo Girão, Cristo Rei viewpoint in Garajau or Ponta do Pargo are our suggestions for watching the sun go down.

Any time of the year is a good time to dive into the sea around the island, where the temperature is always fine. Why not jump in while in the middle of a boat trip? It’s one of Madeira’s unmissable experiences. There are a number of companies that organise half- or full-day cruises, and you are almost certain to see dolphins. With a bit of luck, you might also see turtles or whales, and always with an explanation from the skipper. Don’t forget to take an anti-seasickness pill, because, as much of a champion as you are, catamarans are not to be trifled with and we want you to be ship-shape and able to spot these marine friends.

There is no set time for drinking poncha, so you don’t need to plan your time for drinking Madeira’s most typical (and dangerous) drinks in the late afternoon or after dinner. Any Madeiran worth their salt will tell you that the day begins in the morning. The most traditional version of this drink, which is made with cane sugar brandy, sugar and lemon or orange juice, is available any small tavern.

Lapas grelhadas (grilled limpets) are a typical Madeiran dish, and you will find them as a starter in many of the island’s restaurants, such as the Pátio das Babosas (a good place for lunch after catching the cable car in Funchal and before descending in a carro cesto), at the Casa da Pedra in Madalena do Mar or at the Quinta do Furão – the list of places to eat them is endless, so it is better just to go to the place you want to visit and then find a place there that serves limpets. It shouldn’t be difficult. They are grilled in their shells in a frying pan and then seasoned with butter and garlic. It’s as simple as that. You can add some drops of juice from the fresh lemon on the table. Snails are often a second thought while visiting the island, but they deserve to be noticed. These edible molluscs, which are also known as caracol do mar (sea snails), are very common along the Portuguese coast and are cooked with water, salt and garlic. You can also add some lemon juice, as they do at the Vila do Peixe in Câmara de Lobos and in the restaurant as Fajã dos Padres. A taste of the sea is guaranteed with either of these starters.

These thatched roof houses are one of Madeira’s main tourist attractions and images of them adorn fridge magnets and postcards. They are in Santana, on the north of the island, and you can capture your own photo-postcard next to the town’s tourism office; but it is important that you know their story, even if only to tell your friends and family. These houses originally consisted of an attic, in which agricultural produce was stored, while the people lived on the ground floor, which was divided into two parts. Santana council, which in 2011 received a biosphere reserve award from UNESCO, is also home to the Parque Temático da Madeira (Madeira Theme Park) and the Rocha do Navio Nature Reserve, both of which you can visit. Here you will also find the Vereda do Pico Ruivo, Levada do Rei and Levada do Caldeirão Verde trails.

After so much bolo do caco (and it is impossible to resist the butter spread on this bread or the filled sandwiches), you will need the exercise to cull the calories. Stay active, burn the calories and get into some real nature. Here we explain the word levada. Levadas are small irrigation channels made of stone that channel water from one area to another. They date from the 15th century, when they were created to carry and distribute water from the wettest parts of the north of the island to parts farther south. During one of these walks, you will enter the countryside on the path that follows the levada. Many of the levadas run through the Laurissilva forest, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1999 and one of the seven wonders of Portugal. They have different levels of difficulty (depending on your level of physical fitness and that of those in your group: some are ideal for families while others are only suitable for those who are more fit). The best known include the Levada do Alecrim, Levada dos Cedros, Levada do Rei, Levada da Ribeira da Janela, Vereda dos Balcões and the Levada do Caldeirão Verde.

Located on the top of a hill offering fantastic views over Funchal bay. The estate was transformed into a farm by the British consul, Charles Murray, in the 18th century. After passing through several hands, in 1987 it came into the ownership of Joe Berardo, who donated it to the foundation he created and renamed it the Monte Palace Tropical Garden. Since its acquisition it has been renovated with the addition of exotic plants from a number of countries as well as plants native to the forests of Madeira. It also has ponds with koi carp, a collection of ceramics, a panel of glazed terracotta tiles that recount the adventures of the Portuguese in Japan, as well as an impressive gem collection. Along the way you will come across peacocks, chickens, ducks and white swans. It is open every day from 9.30am to 6pm, and on the way you can visit the Green House Coffee Roaster (Caminho do Monte, 174), for a specialty coffee or a light meal.

In 1566 an attack by pirates caused a group of nuns from the Santa Clara convent to flee with the convent’s valuables. They found refuge in this deep valley, which was named the Curral das Freiras, or Vale das Freiras (Valley of the Nuns). A road connecting this area with Funchal was built in the 1960s, and it is only since then that it has opened up to locals and visitors alike, who have discovered it to be a peaceful place surrounded by tall mountains. There are various fruit trees here, including orange, lemon, sour cherry, cherry, plum and, especially, chestnut. In fact, there is a big chestnut festival here in November, which is when the many different ways of cooking chestnuts are on display, including broas (cornbread), cakes, soups, liqueurs and jams, as well as the traditional roasted or boiled chestnuts. For a panoramic view, you can visit the Eira do Serrado viewpoint, at a height of 1,095 metres, which can be reached via a footpath that is part of the Eira do Serrado Inn.

At 580 metres, Cabo Girão is one of the highest points in Europe. This viewpoint has a glass platform, the Skywalk, which is ready to test the courage of even the bravest (you can also bungee jump or paraglide from here) and offers an incredible view of Câmara de Lobos, where you can eat fresh fish at Vila do Peixe (R. Doutor João Abel de Freitas, 30A) and drink some good ponchas in one of the small bars.

The trout is a slender fish that can reach up to 60 centimetres in length and weigh up to 2 kilos. Its back varies in colour from greenish to brown. And what exactly is the purpose of this chatter about a fish on a list of the best things to do in Madeira? Because there is a rainbow trout nursery in Ribeiro Frio in the Forest Park; this is a good place to visit before venturing out on the Levada do Furado or Vereda dos Balcões. The purpose of this aquaculture station is to produce trout to replenish the waters of Madeira, and it is a place where you can see the young and adult fish and the differences between them, all within the green of the forest. This fish nursery has been open since 1960, and admission costs €1.

It is not difficult to eat well on Madeira, but coming home and trying to replicate what you’ve eaten and drank here might not be quite so easy. You could combine a trip to the Mercado dos Lavradores with a cooking class taught by someone who knows what they’re talking about – Alexandra and Luísa, who even have their own restaurant, Entre Amigos, in the residential area of Nazaré, with a menu based on petiscos (tapas) and island produce. As they explain, the Madeira Cook Experience project is the result of a desire to showcase “the unforgettable flavours of Madeira” and provide a “particular and especially local perspective.” Everything happens in the Armazém do Mercado (R. Hospital Velho, 28), just a stone’s throw from the Mercado dos Lavradores – in fact, it all begins with a visit to the market to choose the fresh fish and best fruit and veg for the meal. They then show you how to prepare the fish, season it and cook it – from swordfish to tuna – and how to make tasty side dishes and, of course, how to prepare a real poncha. The experience is fully customisable and costs €50 per person, including the meal you cooked (if you don’t want to get your hands dirty, just keep taking notes and making remarks as Luísa cooks) – and there are discounts for families and groups of five or more people.

Update your social networks at Véu da NoivaThe Véu da Noiva (Bridal Veil) viewpoint, between the towns of Seixal and São Vicente, offers special views of the Véu da Noiva waterfall, a 30-metre curtain of water that cascades down the mountain and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The water strikes the rocks so hard as it falls that it turns into a white foam reminiscent of the white veils worn by brides at weddings. From the viewpoint there are views over the sea and the island’s northern coast, another picture postcard landscape for your smartphone.

Porto Moniz, just 35 minutes from the centre of Funchal, is a must-visit location while you are on Madeira. The natural saltwater volcanic pools are the town’s calling card, where crystalline waters (always at a nice temperature) burst through the lava rocks. The bathing complex has a paid area (€1.50) with a children’s playground, showers and lockers for personal belongings. Open all year round. There is also a free zone, without lifeguards, where you can also swim safely. This area also has a promenade with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops, as well as the Centro de Ciência Viva (Living Science Centre), which is the perfect place when you can no longer keep the kids in the club. Once you are finished at the pools, you can go to the Miradouro da Santa, which offers views over the whole of Porto Moniz.

There are 28 restaurants with Michelin stars in Portugal. Two of these are on Madeira: Il Galo D’Oro and William. The Bib Gourmand, which features restaurants offering good food at more moderate prices than those featured in the main guide, believes the Armazém do Sal, Casal da Penha, Villi Cipriani, The Dining Room and Avista are all worthy of mention.

Despite being formed several thousand years ago by a volcanic eruption at Paul da Serra, the caves at São Vicente were not opened to the public until 1996. This might not be the place for you if you’re claustrophobic, but if enclosed spaces don’t bother you, then this is a very different and beautiful experience. The underground route (€8 per person) is about one kilometre long and varies between five and six metres in height, with a guide always on hand to tell you the story and to calm your nerves if required. Along the way you will find springs and small pools of crystal-clear water, all with background music. At the end of the route you can visit the Centro do Vulcanismo (Volcano Centre), where there are audio-visual shows that recreate the geological development of the caves and a simulation of the birth of the Madeira archipelago.

While it can be a tourist trap when it comes to restaurants – but we tried and recommended the fresh sushi at the Hostel Santa Maria (R. de Santa Maria, 15) – Funchal’s Old Town is a beautiful place to visit, day and night. At night it is like Lisbon’s Bairro Alto: perfect for a drink with friends. We recommend Venda Velha (R. de Santa Maria, 170), which makes poncha in the traditional way, and always has live music and entertainment.

There are at least five places you can visit and watch things being made in loco while getting to know the history of the island’s products better. We’re talking about vastly different items, ranging from rum to Madeiran embroidery. At Blandy's Wine Lodge (Avenida Arriaga, 28) you can explore the 200-year history of Madeira wine; the Lodge is still run by the Blandy family, now with Chris Blandy at the helm. Here, from Monday to Friday, you can ask for a guided tour (in Portuguese, English, German, French or Spanish) and come face to face with the 650 barrels and vats in which the best wines are aged, using the traditional cellaring method. And there is a tasting at the end. In the drinks championship, and we do not recommend that you make these visits in one after the other, you can also visit the Companhia Engenhos do Norte (Sítio Casas Próximas), in Porto da Cruz, and discover how sugar cane brandy/rum is produced in the old way, and then taste the white brandy and the aged 970 Reserva, among others. At Bordal (R. Dr Fernão Ornelas, 77) there is a shop floor where you can start making or complement your trousseau, and a factory floor, where you can see how everything is made, just as it was in the past, with real embroiderers, without machines, and with much love and care. You can visit the Fábrica Santo António (Travessa do Forno, 27), another shop that makes its own products. It was founded in 1893 and is dedicated to the artisanal manufacture of Madeiran sweets, which are on sale in many shops and even at the airport, but here you can ask to taste and have a look at how they are made. Don’t leave without a bolo de mel (honey cake). Finally, the newest factory is Tony Fernandes’s UAU Cacau, whose first shop is located on R. da Queimada de Baixo, in the centre of Funchal. The chocolatier’s turnover increased substantially in the past year and a larger shop was opened, a “chocolab” in the city's industrial area, where, armed with a cap and a guide, who may even be the head chocolatier, you can see how the chocolates are hand painted, how the moulds are made and discover the impressive chocolate fountains. They will soon also offer workshops and a shop, so you don’t leave empty-handed.

While the flight between Madeira and Porto Santo island takes about 15 minutes, it is a fun experience to make the trip by ferry. That’s if you are in no hurry and you don’t suffer from seasickness. The ferry has been plying this route since 2003 and is impressive in its own right, with space for 1,153 passengers and 145 cars, so you can carry your home on your back if you want. Inside the ferry there are restaurants and bars, a tobacconist, a gift shop, games rooms, a cinema and multimedia rooms, just like a Madeiran cruise liner. Return tickets cost from €30. The trip takes approximately two and a half hours. Once in Porto Santo, make your way to Pico de Ana Ferreira, lick some lambecas (the island's most famous ice-cream, open only in high season), taste some Porto Santo wine, go hiking or just relax on the golden sand.