Top Things To Do In Madeira Portugal
This year I visited Madeira and here I’m going to share (you guessed it!) my top things to do in Madeira, Portugal.
There is so much to choose from when visiting Madeira, but one of the best things about this island is that it’s so small that things are usually never more than maximum an hour and a half away from you, no matter where in the island you are.
So let’s dive into the top things to do in Madeira Portugal.
1. Fanal Forest.
One of my absolute favourite places on the island. Mysterious and beautiful, it’s a great photography location and a lovely place to while away a few hours or have a picnic lunch. The views of the sea and the island from the top of the hills here is also incredible.
2. Seixal.
A gorgeous beach location! It’s a small village with a handful of cafes, ice cream parlours, restaurants etc. The black sand beach is gorgeous (although busy) and has THE most stunning cliff backdrops. It feels like Hawaii here. P.S Also an epic drone photography location, as you can see from the below!
3. Natural Swimming Pools.
Now there are lots of natural swimming pools in Madeira. However, by far the most natural and in my opinion, the most beautiful are the Porto Moniz natural swimming pools. Now be careful because there are 2 “natural” swimming pools in Porto Moniz. The other one is much less natural and you also have to pay an entry fee. It’s not expensive but in my opinion the free ones are much nicer! However, if you are looking for sun beds and food and drink options then the paid ones may be more up your street. They are also lovely, don’t get me wrong. The natural swimming pools are definitely one of the top things to do in Madeira Portugal so don’t miss out on these!
4. Hiking the epic trails and levadas!
The most obvious and well known route is PR1 or Pico do Arieiro. When I visited, there had been wildfires and much of the PR1 route was closed unfortunately. However, the first chunk of the route was still open, which has the infamous ‘Stairway to Heaven’ section within it. The whole route would have been pretty challenging judging from the landscape and the parts of the route I was able to do. There is a nice cafe here at the start of the route, so the perfect place (and ridiculous view) to recover by getting a few pastel de nata’s down ya.
I also highly recommend PR14, it was a lovely, easy trail which followed the route of a levada and had some stunning scenery. “What the hell is a levada?” I hear you cry! It’s a man-made irrigation channel (like a little stream) which carries water across different parts of the island. Below, you will see images from the PR1 route.
5. A Boat Trip.
Madeira is a top place to try and spot some ocean wildlife so I would highly recommend a boat trip. Lots of these seem to leave from Funchal. I recommend the Magic Dolphin company, they are an eco-focused tour agency and spot dolphins and whales on a pretty much daily basis. They also operate with the wellbeing of the wildlife as the priority. If you do find any wildlife, they will only allow 10 minutes in the presence of the animals and then the boat will leave them.
A really good resource to help find the top things to do in Madeira Portugal is the Visit Madeira website, so do make sure to also check that out.
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Wow! The landscape is breathtaking. It’s not a place I had considered visiting but after reading your experience, I feel like it ticks all the boxes for a perfect holiday
Yes it really is breathtaking, it certainly doesn’t feel like somewhere in Europe! It seems to be becoming much more popular in the last couple of years as a holiday destination.
It’s firmly on the ‘to visit’ list
Wow these pictures are truly stunning. I ‘ve always heard about Madeira and how it’s a beautiful place but had never really considered going myself however reading your blog I’ll definitely have to add it to my destination list!
Yes it’s so beautiful and there’s so much to do here! From the larger towns to the little seaside villages, it’s so picturesque. Glad to hear it’s added to the list!
I did not realise how beautiful Madeira is! Definitely going to look into visiting and hiking Pico de Arieiro is now at the top of my bucket list. Thank you for sharing your experience and stunning photos.
This is making me want to visit Madeira! Super handy, honest and easy to digest guide of what to do – taking out all the hard work and hours of planning that usually go into holidays. Thank you!
P.S. your photos of the natural pools are stunning.