The moment I discovered Madeira - a Portuguese island, a lovely hidden gem in the North Atlantic Ocean, meant a visit to this paradise was forthcoming
- Vaishnavi Pattabiraman
- Jan 18
- 20 min read
Updated: Jan 19
Hawaii is very close to my heart, and my travel stories on Oahu on this blog are a testament to my endearing love for Hawaii. For my summer 2024 break, visiting Portugal was second in line after Iceland (one of my dream vacation countries which I hope to visit soon) got dropped off from my plans for a few reasons. Portugal, from what I learned in my research is not only a breath-taking country, but it is also one of the safest countries in the world for a female solo traveler and the Portuguese are known for their hospitality and affable nature to the visitors of their country. If you have been keeping up with my travel stories on this blog, you’d know that I travel to places that emotionally connect to me, that creates an innate desire to want to travel to that place, and after concluding the places of visit for any of my upcoming travels I give it my all to research and plan my travels. A similar thing happened while I was brainstorming the places I must visit in Portugal for 8 days.
Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, and a day trip to Sintra from Lisbon involuntarily got their places in my itinerary, however with so much to explore in the mainland Portugal, I was caught in an internal debate between the very picturesque Algarve, in mainland Portugal known for its world class beaches, and dramatic rock formations on the ocean and Madeira, a Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic ocean, sitting to the North West of Morocco, hailed as the Hawaii of Europe because of its stunning jagged mountains along the coastline, its fabulous hiking trails, marine life (dolphins and whales), temperate weather throughout the year and overall tranquility of the island. After poring over informative content on the internet about Algarve and Madeira, I was quite easily drawn to explore as much of Madeira as possible in a bare minimal 4 days during the second half of my Portugal vacation and hence concluded visiting Madeira. Now, let’s dive into my Madeiran travel stories.
Tip: Madeira by itself needs at least a couple of weeks for exploring its highlights at a relaxed pace. Unless you have a strong desire like I did to see what this island has got in a bare minimal 4 days while you are visiting Portugal, I would strongly recommend that you give at least 7 – 10 days to devour the various activities this island offers.
Cristiano Ronaldo airport, Funchal, Madeira – a unique runway
Cristiano Ronaldo airport in Funchal, named after the legendary Portuguese football player, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most dangerous airports in the world for landing and take-off because of its short runaway, next to the sea. In recent years, I learn that they have expanded the runway a bit and it is not as dangerous as it used to be Funchal airport. Fortunately, I had a window seat for the flight to Funchal from Lisbon and hence captured a few pictures as the pilot was successfully landing and simultaneously applauded by cheerful claps from the flight passengers. It was most definitely a shorter and smaller runway among the airports of the cities I have traveled so far. It is a smaller airport reminiscent of similar island airports, though the large terraces in the airport where passengers can sight the flights, or get their smokes, makes this a unique airport.
What are all the scary hypes about driving in Madeira?
I rented a car through Discover cars to have some flexibility when I explore the island on my own which I did for a couple of days. So, here is the story about driving in Madeira – there is endless content on the internet about the steep roads, sharp hair pin bends (which were true to the T) and how difficult it can be for a foreigner to drive these roads. I think I absorbed too much of this content during my research which in turn generated self-doubts about my driving abilities in Madeira if I were to rent a car. Nevertheless, I rented a car because my itinerary called for self-exploration for a couple of days for which I needed a car.
After driving in Madeira, which happened to be my first time driving in Europe, my experience says that if you are a seasoned, careful and a good driver in your country of origin then you will not have problems driving the roads of Madeira. If you are a novice driver, about to test your driving skills in Madeira, then I would strongly recommend you against driving for the reasons explained. The roads in Madeira, specifically those next to the coast, were so well made, extremely smooth, with intermittent long/super-long tunnels, numerous roundabouts which made me to completely enjoy my driving. These tunnels were constructed between the mountains and sometimes under them, which was simply mind blowing to me. Sure, when I was driving the mountains, the roads were steeper with sharp hair pin bends, and this is where the seasoned and careful drivers’ skills within me showed up naturally while navigating such areas.
Rental car tips:
I rented an automatic car from Madeira rent (a rental car company) and purchased a full insurance coverage from them to protect myself if God forbid something were to happen to my rental car. I chose to buy this coverage in spite of the credit card benefit that would cover any rental car damages because I got educated by the online content that rental car companies in Madeira can be a little notorious and painful to deal with if one didn’t buy a complete insurance coverage from them and if any damages were detected in the rentals after the drop off. Under such circumstances, It may become a hassle to get it resolved through the credit card benefit after leaving from the island. Overall, renting an automatic car plus purchasing the insurance coverage turned out to be expensive but it gave me the peace of mind.
Locals can be impatient with the visitors driving on the roads, even when you are at the speed limit. I got tailgated a few times really close, including in the tunnels. I let them pass me which seemed to work.
If you are renting a car, document photos and videos of the external and internal appearances of the rental car before picking up from the rental company for your records.
The Views Oasis, a 4 – star hotel in Canico that I discovered and reserved through Expedia.com is an aesthetically pleasing hotel facing the North Atlantic Ocean, with a promenade, great amenities, spacious and modern rooms. I was so glad that I made reservations at this hotel even though it was a bit away from Funchal, the capital city of the archipelago, where many of the tourists stay because of the ease of access to tours, restaurants, etc.
Funchal
The capital of Madeiran archipelago, Funchal, is home to the lush Monte Palace Botanical gardens, Funchal to Monte/Monte to Funchal cable car, Rue Santa Maria – street of the painted door project, restaurants and cafes. The Monte Palace Madeira (Monte Palace) is described as a stunning display of exotic plant collections in its multi-level garden. I was in dire desire to catch glimpses of this beautiful garden, but because of the time crunch, I couldn’t visit this garden on the day I arrived in Madeira. However, I was thankful that I could get on the cable car from Monte to Funchal, on a bright, sunny and clear afternoon with impeccable views of Funchal, and the North Atlantic Ocean.
Mercado dos Lavradores, the Farmer’s market in Madeira, in Funchal is a living museum of the archipelago’ s extraordinary collection of a plethora of fruits and other produce Farmer's market. Many varieties of the passion fruit such as the banana pineapple passion fruit, and many other varieties was mind blowing. This was my first time seeing a passion fruit, leave alone the varieties of this fruit and hence it took me some time to take it all in. They carried tiny, delicious mangoes that were super mouthwatering, the tastes of which was my first time tasting the same. I bought a few fruits here whose prices added up to be quite expensive. The display of the produce in the market was simply enticing that can’t be ignored. If the visitors are in Funchal, I recommend a quick stop at this market to get a feel for the archipelago’s variety of produce.
Tip: I learned from a local after my visit to the farmer’s market that the rents in the farmer’s market for the farmers were exorbitant, hence the farmers make up for that by marking up the cost of their produce which was why just a few fruits I purchased at the market had cost me a bomb. The local suggested that it was best to buy fruits from street vendors on the streets of Funchal.
Rue Santa Maria – home to the painted door project.
Located in the Old Town, Art of Open Doors or Arte de Portas Abertas project in Rue Santa Maria (Santa Maria Street) is an exquisite work of art by more than 100 artists on 200+ doors of houses, cafes, shops, galleries, etc. (Painted door project). This cobbled street of 600 meters long lined with cafes, restaurants, bars and shops is just wide enough for pedestrians to walk or dine on the streets while enjoying glimpses of unique works of art on the doors. It is explained that each painted door has a story to it. This project was initiated in 2010 by the Madeiran government to revitalize the Old Town after a devastating event in 2010 when intense tropical storms caused immense damage and loss of life at Funchal. The painted doors in Rue Santa Maria and the wall murals dispersed throughout Funchal brings in a lot of vitality and creativity to revitalize Funchal. The painted doors are definitely worth checking out in Funchal, for their uniqueness and stories each of these doors have to share with its visitors. I have not seen anything like this before visiting this street.
I am magnetically drawn to charming road side cafes in Europe, hence I sat down and enjoyed a plate of garlic bread while taking in the the sights of Rue Santa Maria.
East side tour of Madeira
One of the best ways to glimpse the larger of the two islands of Madeira was to travel with a local, preferably with a local tour guide to get a feel for the island before diving deep into exploring the parts that is of interest to a traveler during rest of their time on the island. Hence, I chose to discover the East side of Madeira through a day trip with Hit the Road Madeira (Hit the Road Madeira). We stopped and briefly explored the following beautiful sights on the East Side of the island.
Machico – Stunning viewpoints of the island were enjoyed from the city of Machico, in the Southeast part of the island. Legend says that two lovers were fleeing from England to France in 1346 when a violent storm drove them off their course on the coast of Madeira where they lost their lives. Hence the name Machico, named after one of the two lovers (Machico history).
Canical is a region in Machico, home to one of the most stunning hikes the Sao Lourenco (PR 8) trail, aka Dragon’s tail hike and to the stunning sunrise/sunset viewpoints on the island – Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto which is next to the PR8 hiking trail. The PR8 trail is an incredible 7.0 km coastal hike with rugged coastline that has stunning viewpoints of the eastern most tip of the island (Sao Lourenco hiking trail). I had really wanted to do at least a part of this hike during this visit but couldn’t make time to get to doing it which is a lingering upset in my mind. Though, I am really grateful that I got to see the trail from a distance during my east side tour of Madeira.
Banana plantation and a beautiful viewpoint in Porto da Cruz, a region in Machico.
Santana – Faial, is a region in the Northern coast of Madeira. The viewpoints along the coast were gorgeous, and we lucked out because it was a clear day minus the fog or winds, and hence took in the beautiful sights to out heart’s content.
The traditional thatched roof of the brightly colored houses in Santana are symbolic of this municipality of the Madeira archipelago. Our guide took us to the part of Santana, where these traditional houses were not thronged by the tourists. These brightly colored houses are wooden houses, with sloped thatched roofs (apparently from wheat or rye crops) that were impermeable to the rains (Santana homes). Agriculture, farming and raising animals for their produce such as chickens for eggs, pigs for pork, etc. were the livelihood for those living in these traditional houses.
After a sumptuous dessert and invigorating espresso following lunch at the Restaurante Calhau de Sao Jorge, a restaurant in the very scenic Sao Jorge, we stopped at a few jaw dropping viewpoints in Santana Calhau de sao jorge.
The final stop of the tour was at the much-coveted Pico de Areeiro, the third highest mountain (~5965 ft) on the island of Madeira, one of the most visited places on the island for sunrise or sunset viewing, for beginning or ending the very popular PR1, pico to pico (peak to peak) hiking trail which ends or begins at Pico de Ruvio, the highest mountain (~6105 ft) on the island. One of the most fascinating things about Pico de Areeiro is that after walking a few hundred feet from the parking lot one can view the clouds next to the mountains at almost a palpable distance. When we reached this peak, it was a clear and sunny late afternoon, that facilitated breathtaking views of the jagged mountains and clouds floating next to the mountains. It felt so surreal, and a manifested dream to be able to visit this peak even though I didn’t go on the difficult PR1 hike.
Views from Pico de Areeiro, another raw and unedited video After a long day of touring the East side of the island, I was dropped back at my hotel. I headed out to view a stunning sunset at Ponto Do Sol, which I will later describe in the sunsets section of this blog.
Cascata dos Anjos, Ponto Do Sol – is a scenic waterfall in Ponta Do Sol as one drives west from Funchal. Cascata dos Anjos means Waterfalls of the Angels and there is a legend behind the naming of this waterfalls as explained here Cascata dos Anjos. It is unique because it falls from the cliffs directly on the road next to the ocean, and it a stunning sight and experience that can be palpable only by being there, and yes some of this unique experience can be felt from the photos/videos. It is popularly known as a place for free car wash as the cars can drive underneath the waterfalls and get their cars washed, and it also very common for people to walk under these falls to feel its magic just like I did.
Fanal forest – a mystical, foggy and intriguing forest – MUST VISIT
Located near to the Seixal region of NorthWest Madeira, Fanal forestry station is an UNESCO World Heritage Site (Fanal Forest). It is situated 1150 meters above the sea level and hence it is expected to be foggy, however it may not always be foggy. This was a must visit place for me during this trip because I was completely captivated by its mystical and intriguing photos and videos during my research for this trip. As I was getting closer to the Fanal forest, the foggy conditions began to arise as a harbinger of the foggy conditions to be experienced in the forest soon. Parking and walking to the entrance of the forest were straight forward, and the entrance to the forest was underwhelming to what the visitors were going to experience after entering the mystical forest. Like anything else in Madeira that I had been to by this point, this stunning forest was super clean devoid of any visible trash despite being visited by tens of thousands of visitors every year.
Those twisted branches of the trees, those roots of some of the trees that were exposed, those cows grazing the large forest, and then all those sights blurred by blankets of fog, are still so alive in my memory like it happened today as I am penning these lines. My mind races back to those idyllic scenes where I spent almost an hour taking in as many sights as possible. Like I have in my previous blogs, it is for rare special and unique moments like these, the travel bug in me makes me want to travel to these amazing places on Earth, again and again. My hunger to explore and experience this beautiful world only increases substantially every time I step out of my house either for traveling for pleasure, or when getting lost in the hiking trails or sometimes while traveling for work as well. Fanal forest is known for its several hiking trails which I did not get to explore during this visit.
Madeira is a hiker’s paradise
Maderia is a treasure trove of fantabulous hiking trails, an ideal destination for hiking enthusiasts. For starters, when you are in the island, you would often hear the names of hikes beginning with Levadas and Veradas. Levadas are man-made irrigation channels only found on the island of Madeira; it brings large amounts of water from the island’s north side (that has abundant water supply) to the south side. I went on one of these levada hikes, and it was such a neat engineering concept leveraging the natural resources available to areas of need. Veradas mean footpaths, the more common hiking trails of the hikers.
I went on a couple of hikes during this trip, and very quickly I noticed the following,
The trails were super clean, and very well-maintained with clear signs and directions; and the non-dirt areas of the trails were laid with the beautiful and aesthetic Madeiran rocks.
There were small cafes for the hikers to rest, recover and refuel if needed in the middle of the mountains or forests on both the hikes I was on.
There were restrooms at the start of these 2 trails, and next to the small cafes.
Highly recommend checking out this blog for the hikes in Madeira - 25 Fontes and Risco waterfall hike. Interesting and informative reads about many of the hikes, much thanks to this blogger for capturing all the necessary details and more which the hikers would find very useful.
PR6 - Levada 25 Fontes and Risco Waterfall hike, ~4.0 km roundtrip from the parking lot to Risco Waterfall
In Madeira, the hikes begin with 2 letters PR which expands to Pequena Rota (a small route). The PR6 – Levada 25 Fontes and Risco waterfall is one of the popular hikes in Madeira and is usually very crowded during the peak times. The hike culminates at a weeping wall of 25 streams that pours down into a pool where the hikers can enjoy their swim. The giant Risco waterfall enroute to the 25 Fontes are both magnificent sights to take in, and it is a family friendly hike which are a few reasons for the popularity of this hike.
Tip: This is NOT an easy hike by any means. Per the locals, this is an easy hike but keep in mind though what is considered easy or moderate in intensity to Madeirans is likely an intermediate to difficult in intensity levels for the non-locals. Check out All Trails app, do your research online, watch YouTube videos to learn about the intensity of any hike in Madeira before going on any of them.
The walk alone from the parking lot to the start of the trail was quite long and steep. I started this hike late in the afternoon around 4 pm after exploring the Fanal forest, and to avoid the crowds. Knowing that was a later start than I had hoped for, I still went on the hike to get to see what was possible for me. I hiked at a slower pace because I was quite tired after a non-stop few days of exploring Lisbon and Madeira, and the steep walk from the parking lot slowed down my pace even more. After 55 minutes of hiking, I spotted a café in the middle of the forest plus a few rest rooms for the hikers to refresh as needed. This concept of a café in the middle of the trails seem to be popular and unique to Madeira, because I also came across a café during my second and final hike during this trip which I will describe next.
As much as I had wanted to see the 25 Fontes, I decided against it because of the time crunch and after learning that the tunnel connecting the trail from Risco waterfall to the 25 Fontes (or vice versa) was closed due to unsafe walking conditions. Hence, I decided only to check out the Risco waterfall which was nevertheless spectacular. Except for a few minutes of sharing the area with a group of young female travelers from France, I had the giant waterfall amid magnificent mountains and valleys, and a Levada all to myself. I canot even begin to explain those feelings of bliss, because I can’t put it in words. I have been on several hikes in the US including Hawaii and Alaska, in Cinque Terre in Italy, in Costa Rica, before this hike in Madeira, but this hike felt really special and unique in a lot of ways. Why, I asked myself? Maybe it was the neatly laid Madeiran rocks on the trail leading up to the waterfall, or the cleanliness of the trail, or the pretty flora and vegetation on the trail, or the café in the middle of a forest, or the loving embrace of the mountains and valleys at the Risco waterfall or it could be a combination of these reasons. This is an experience that can only be felt by being there, be walking the trail.
After capturing as many sights as possible both mentally and digitally, I started my walk back to the parking lot during when I bumped into an American family of 3 from Florida, who were vacationing for a week in Madeira after their UK vacation before heading back to the US. It is always interesting to chit chat with co-travelers during my travels, even if it means for fleeting moments. What caught my attention w.r.t this family was, their teenage daughter who seemed a little tired and out of gas after all the traveling and hiking they had done by then, was still compliant to her parents’ decision of hiking the trails with them. Their response was ‘she got to watch the Taylor Swift concert in London, in best seats possible, so she now must go with our flow of staying active by hiking these beautiful trails. She has no choice.’ We shared places of exploration in Madeira before we said goodbye to each other. As fate would have it, it was serendipitous when I bumped into this same family during my second hike the next day.
A levada next to the trail The Risco waterfall nestled between the lush mountains and valleys PR1.2 - Achada do Texeira to Pico Ruivo hike – a fitting alternate to the difficult PR1 Pico to Pico hike, yet equally promising sights throughout the trail
PR1 – Pico de Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike (aka the pico-to-pico hike, translated in English as peak-to-peak hike) is one of the most popular hikes on the island. It is a thrilling, breathtaking and arduous hike from Pico de Arieiro (the third tallest peak on the island at 1818 m or 5965 ft) to Pico Ruivo (the tallest peak on the island at 1862 m or 6109 ft), 7 km-each way, which passes along ridgelines of the mountains, man-made tunnels, with most of the hike is above the clouds hence calling for a stunning experience. Despite the difficulty level, this hike is very popular among the visitors of all ages.
A neat, and a much easier alternative nevertheless rewarding in many ways like the pico-to-pico hike is the hike from Achada do Texeira to Pico Ruivo with ~700 feet elevation gain, 3.3 km each way. I chose this alternative to reach Pico Ruivo, the highest point on the island. I started this hike mid-day, and it took me about 2 hours and 45 minutes to get to the peak including generous stops along the way to take in the stunning sights of the mountains, ridges, valleys, and floating clouds all along the trail. And yes, I am a slow-paced hiker. One of the best experiences on this hike was, one gets to see the floating clouds quickly after beginning the hike. Note that this trail is above the clouds, and so it feels completely surreal to hike this path next to the floating clouds, interspersing the magnificent ridges. I was fortunate to have done this hike on a bright and sunny day, not too hot, and with superb clarity of the sights throughout the hike. This was not an extenuating hike, nevertheless there is gradual incline on the way up to the peak, and there were several small, sheltered huts with benches on the trail for hikers to rest.
The sights of beautiful flora, standing dead trees amidst the magnificent ridges, make this hike a memorable one. There is a mountain hut towards the tail end of this hike, that sells drinks, snack bars, souvenirs, etc. This hut is another beautiful and useful break just before the final incline to the peak. By the time, one reaches this spot before the final ascent, they are usually spent of energy and a quick refuel by a drink or a snack is a welcome break. I certainly welcomed the carbonated drinks I had at this spot before my final ascent.
The final ascent to Pico Ruivo was not an intimidating one. I captured as many photos and videos of 360° views from the peak as possible while taking in the splendid views. Personally, I loved the experience of my journey along the trail the most with peaks and clouds next to me than the 360° views from the peak itself.
Fun fact: I came across another solo female tripper, a medical resident from Wisconsin, USA, who was exploring Madeira for a week, this being her maiden solo trip. It felt nice to personally interact with a fellow female solo traveler even though I often bump into digital content of female solo travelers which is an inspiration to me to follow my passion to explore our stupedous world.
As stated before I also bumped into the same family of 3 from Florida whom I had met during my hike to the Risco waterfalls the previous day on my way back to the parking lot. They were repeating this hike to Pico Ruivo, because their previous hike to Pico Ruivo happened on a cloudy day with unclear sights of the peaks. And yes, their dutiful teenage daughter was very much on this strenuous repeat hike as well.
The descent from the peak to the parking lot was far quicker since I only made a few stops along the way back. Achada do Texeira Hike
Views from Pico Ruivo, the tallest peak on the island
Sunsets in Madeira
I chased a couple of sunsets in Madeira – the first one was a magical sunset at Ponta do Sol beach, and the second one was at the Ponta do Pargo lighthouse, the island’s most coveted spot for a sunset.
Sunset at Ponta do Sol beach
Ponta do Sol is a municipality located in the southwestern coast of the island of Madeira, it was half hour drive from the hotel I stayed at.
As I am penning this sunset experience, my mind races back to those intangible yet vivid moments of bliss and magic in the dusk hours of June 21, 2024, where I watched the sunset against a blanket of dark orange hues on clear skies from sitting on a rock in the pebbled beach. It was one of those surreal moments from my travels which is imprinted in my thoughts forever. I could not take my eyes of the described feast from Mother Nature in front of me. I let the varied sights before, during and after sunset sink in to my being by just being in the moment for an hour – sight of the sunset, sight of a thin waterfall from the mountains falling directly into the beach, and sights of fellow humans in the beach engrossed in whatever they were doing.
Sunset at Ponta do Pargo lighthouse
Ponta do Pargo lighthouse is hailed for its stunning views of the sunset on the island, it is the western most point of the island coveted for its best sunset views. However, during my visit to this spot on June 22, 2024, as luck would have it cloudy skies had blocked the views of the sunset from the lighthouse viewing point, though the panoramic views of the ocean and lightly hued skies made up for it. On this chilly evening, I couldn’t miss to catch a woman sitting on a large rock beneath the light house writing in her notebook/journal. I can relate to that woman’s mindset even though we hadn’t exchanged a single word, being totally immersed in Nature can bring out such introspective activities from oneself.
And that my dear blog readers is my Madeira travel story. When I left the island on an early morning flight back to Lisbon, I felt very grateful for having trusted my gut to check out this island even if it was a super short visit for only 4 days. This is what they say trust your gut feeling. This is an island I would want to visit again for a longer time to go on hikes that I didn’t get to go during this visit – such as the Dragon’s tail hike, Pico to Pico hike, to watch the marine life from boat cruises, and many other highlights that remain to be checked out. Technically, visiting Madeira is teeny bit less expensive, and lesser travel time than visiting Hawaii from the East Coast of the USA which is a slight advantage to me given my absolute love for Hawaii and now Madeira has made it to that list of places that has a special place in my heart. I gather that the holiday season is fabulous around the island with Christmas vibes, so visiting during the holidays is a good option for a future visit.
Restaurants that I tried and liked:
Calhau de sao Jorge restaurant in the Calhau de Sao Jorge bathing complex serves delicious lunch and desserts nestled in the very scenic Sao Jorge in the municipality of Santana. I relished the dessert and espresso with frothing milk served in this restaurant, plus the scenic walks in this location. Highly recommend checking out this restaurant if you are in the area. Calhau de Sao Jorge
La Carbonara, the pizza place has several locations on the island. I enjoyed their delicious pizza. La Carbonara.
Blogs that I liked which I referred for my research:
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