THE INCREDIBLE ISLAND OF MADEIRA
Are you thinking where to go this summer?
Do you want to experience something truly unique while enjoying the perfect climate?
Then you are at the right place, because I know exactly where should you go!
Madeira Islands (Ilha da Madeira in Portuguese) are an astonishing archipelago of small islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean and it is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal located just over 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Morocco and 968 kilometers (600 miles) from Lisbon (the capital of Portugal). The two inhabited islands are called Madeira and Porto Santo, in this blog post I will talk about the former as a destination. In 2021 Madeira Islands were chosen as the World’s Leading Island Destination for the 7th time. It is well known for its lava pools, mountainous region and beaches, which serve a fantastic view to the Atlantic Ocean. On the top of all that thanks to the Gulf Stream and the Canary Current Madeira has year-round warm temperatures, which makes it a perfect holiday destination throughout the whole year…
But when is the best time to visit and what should you do once you land in Madeira’s capital Funchal?
Don’t worry I’m here to help!
In July 2021 I was fortunate enough to spend 10 days on this beautiful island, which made me completely fell in love with its atmosphere. Before we dive into the details of the places you should visit, first I would like to show you the video I made so you can get a glimpse of how Madeira is like.
When is the best time to visit?
Madeira is always a good choice to visit if you want to avoid rain and enjoy as much sunshine as you can (either on the beach or on the top of the mountains). However, I would recommend to visit between June to September to enjoy the highest temperatures. To be honest I couldn’t ask for better climate when I was visiting in July, it was just perfect for both hiking and enjoying the beach (although I didn’t do the latter much but that’s only a personal choice). August is said to be the hottest month with an average maximum of 27 Celsius (80 Fahrenheit).
Where to stay?
I would go here with the easiest: Funchal. There are plenty of options to choose from and the furthest part of the island we drove was 1 hour 20 minutes, which is doable – I have to mention that you will constantly stop and take pictures because the views are awesome!
Do I need a car?
Absolutely! There are a few activities in Funchal but most of the destinations will require a car. Some trips can be done with tour companies but if you are a photographer like me I would suggest renting a car so you won’t depend solely on the tour offerings.
How hard are the hiking trails? What are the levadas?
The hikes I went in Madeira were some of the easiest ones in my life but they offered beautiful views either on the lush green forests or to the Atlantic Ocean (or both).
There are walking paths called levadas all over the island. Originally levadas were built to bring large amount of water supply from the west and northwest parts to the drier southeast part of the island and since the inland’s environment is very lush these paths helped to cross through the island without the need of going around on the coast.
Today they not only bring the water supply but also provide incredible and easy walking paths for tourists. There are some, which requires an expert tour guide but this isn’t the case for most of them, which makes them a perfect activity for any age group.
MY TOP 5 RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Pico do Arieiro
Probably visiting Pico do Arieiro is one of the easiest and fastest way to get a glimpse of how does Madeira look like. The winding roads take you through the forest and you will find yourself above the clouds in no time, it’s hard to say how much time does it take you to get to the parking space because you can literally stop at every other corner…
If you want to just enjoy the sunset without sweating through an intensive hike then Pico do Arieiro is the perfect choice for you. Although I would recommend to walk down from the main platform to avoid the crowds. You can find another platform from where you have a 360’ view and it takes only around 15 minutes to get down there.
Distance from Funchal: Approx. 30 minutes drive
Best time to visit: You can get one of the best sunset views from here.
2. Pico Ruivo
1862 meters above sea level you will find the highest peak of Madeira, Pico Ruivo. It offers the most stunning views on the whole island. While you can easily drive up and park at Pico Arieiro this isn’t the case with Pico Ruivo. You have a few options to choose from when visiting this incredible location. To be exact there are 4 different hikes, which takes you to the top but I have only tried one (although I walked up from there on 3 different afternoons). But I will briefly mention the others as well so you can decide for yourself which hike to take.
View from the top
PR 1 – Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo
If you search for recommended hikes in Madeira Island there is a very high chance that this will come up first, it’s one the most famous hikes on the island. Although it is important to mention that it’s also one of the most difficult hikes as well, but mostly because you go down and up again to the two different peaks. Most part of the hike is built out so you won’t have a problem with balancing.
Distance: 11 kilometres out and back with an elevation of 1180 meters
PR 1.1. – Ilha to Pico Ruivo
This trail isn’t easier than PR 1 but most part will be in the forest so the scenery is completely different.
Distance: 16.4 kilometers out and back with an elevation of 1376 meters.
PR 1.2. Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo
The easiest hike of them all, this is the one I took several times. I made it to the top in about 50-60 minutes each time with quite a lot of photography stops so if you aren’t a photographer you could probably do it in 35 minutes. Note that the parking spot is about an hour drive from Funchal.
First you will drove up to the parking space from where a relatively flat trail will lead you to the top. Only exception from this are the last few minutes when you will face some stairs, but take your time, stop and be amazed by the nature around. Since most parts are flat it makes it easy to watch the sunset on the top and make your way back in blue hour, I would suggest bringing a torch (or make sure your phone is charged) so you won’t get into any trouble on the way down.
Distance: 6 kilometers out and back with an elevation of 260 meters.
PR 1.3. Encumeada to Pico Ruivo
This trail starts from Miradouro da Encumeada and it offers breathtaking views but it is only recommended to trained hikers.
Distance: 20 kilometers out and back with an elevation of 2000 meters
Best time to visit Pico Ruivo: Another fantastic sunrise / sunset viewpoint. Make sure that the weather conditions are suitable otherwise you won’t see the mountain ranges around.
3. Ponta de Sao Laurenco
The views at Ponta de Sao Laurenco are quite a big change compared to the rest of the island. Since it is situated at the Southeast part of Madeira it won’t get nearly as much water as other parts so the green lush forest landscape is being replaced by beautifully colored rocks and dry land, which can look extremely beautiful!
If I want to be honest with you I didn’t have the best luck with this place because both of the times I went there it was extremely windy. Anyway, I would highly recommend to visit and go on a 3km (one-way) levada called “PR8 – Vereda da Ponta de Sao Laurenco“ (stop at “Ponta de Sao Laurenco Parking”), which will take you to the end of the peninsula and back. Also since the airport is pretty close some planes will go exactly above the peninsula, which can provide a great opportunity to take some images of them and make your shots pop a little.
Distance from Funchal: 30 minutes
Best time to visit: It’s a very good spot for sunrises, although the day I went it was cloudy but the sun comes up exactly behind the peninsula so you will get one of the best views and lights from “Ponta do Rosto” parking space.
4. Fanal Forest
Wanna get some “Moody af 🔥” comments on Instagram? This is the perfect place for that. Jokes aside this place was one of the main reasons why I wanted to visit Madeira so badly, walking among these ancient trees felt surreal. On the north side of the island you can find this mysterious forest, you will find the location of the parking spot easily (it’s called “Faial Parking”), trust me you will know when you arrived. Although you won’t need it much for the other places but I would suggest for you to bring a raincoat to this place because after spending there 10-15 minutes you can get pretty cold.
Distance from Funchal: approx. 1 hour by car
Best time to visit: It’s hard to predict when it gets foggy and when does the area has clear skies but it is said that you have better chances with a morning visit rather than an evening one. Important to notice that in Madeira if the sky is clear around the coast that does not mean that the Fanal won’t be covered in fog, so just take your chance.
5. Levada do Caldeirao do Inferno
This is probably the best levada walk - or at least it is my favorite – which you can visit during your stay on Madeira. It takes you through lush jungles and offers some of the best sceneries on the whole island and the opportunity to see beautiful waterfalls. On the top of all that it is relatively flat but in the same time it is adventurous. The Caldeirao do Inferno walk will probably fill most of your day since the whole hike is around 20 kilometers. During the hike there are some caves you have to cross (this is fairly common on the levadas) so I would highly suggest bringing a headlamp so your hands remain free in case if you lose your balance but you can use your phone as well. Since the above mentioned attributes this hike could be a perfect choice even with little children or dogs.
Distance from Funchal: 45 minutes by car, you will find a parking place there, which costs only a few Euros for the whole day.
Best time to visit: It’s pretty hard to determine, the small houses at the trailhead could look cool with some fog but overall I would say that you go there when it’s sunny outside (it makes the hike more enjoyable) and since you are mostly walking in the jungle you won’t see the sunset or the sunrise anyway so there is no point of being there super early or staying late. Although the trail itself is easy I wouldn’t recommend being there in dark or when the conditions aren’t suitable for the hike!
