Travel

Madeira - A 6 Day Guide

3 and a half years later, I returned to the island of Madeira. This blog will cover what I did in 6 days, and the new experiences I had.

Jinal Shah

02 Mar 2026 • 10 min read

I first visited the island of Madeira in October 2022, after which I also wrote a few blogs (linked below). If you have a look through these they will give you the key points surrounding logistics, things to do etc. Almost 4 years on, I paid a second visit to the island, with this blog covering some of the new experiences I had over the 6 days.

I've also updated the map below to include additional points of interest from this trip:

When and where we stayed

Our base for the week was the Pestana Grand, an ocean resort located a 15 min drive / 1 hour walk from Funchal, the capital. Would I recommend the resort? Yes - they have a good range of facilities (gym, sauna, steam room, pool, games room, outdoor pools), and are also able to cater for a wide range of dietary requirements. Just make your needs known to the staff (especially the head chef), and they will look after you.

The Grand also has direct access to the coastal walkway that leads into town, and is on the south coast of the island - offering great views of the Atlantic and uninterrupted sunshine in their gardens.

Taking the bus 🚌

Last time I was in Madeira we had hired a car to explore the island. This time we opted to use the public transport system - a network of buses that can get you pretty much most places. A lot of the buses will terminate in Funchal, hence most of your trips to other parts of the island will require you to pass through the main town.

Cost: cheap compared to taxis / hiring a car. One journey costs between €2-4 (depending on where you go and if you pay at the bus or have a ticket - more on that below).
How do I pay for the bus? You have 2 options - pay with cash at the bus, or buy a reloadable travel card. The travel card can be pre-loaded with a set number of trips at a discounted rate to if you buy a ticket on the day. This is what we used, and is useful to have especially if you know you're going to be making multiple trips during your stay.
Frequency and timetable. This was the bit that was a little tricky to work out. However, the staff at the hotel reception were very helpful in printing off the bus timetables for various routes that we needed. Generally, buses arrive every 30mins - 1 hour, depending on the route and day.
Quality of transport - Pretty good I'd say. Bus drivers are friendly and more than happy to direct you if you are lost. Buses were safe, clean and easy to use. No issues there.

Hikes

São Lourenço Peninsula 🥾

How to get there: from Funchal, take the 113 bus to Baía d'Abra. Initially it wasn't obvious to us where to take the bus from, but after some Googling I found the location of the bus terminal where you can catch the 113 from. I've included this in the map above. At the bus terminal, there are staff at hand who are very helpful at providing you with directions or advice if you get stuck. Note that the 113 bus does not look like the buses that go around Funchal - instead it is more of a 'coach' style (think of it like the National Express coaches in the UK vs the red buses you see around London).
Hike length: 8km. We completed this comfortably in ~3.5 hrs.

From Funchal, the bus takes ~1 hour to get to Baía d'Abra, the last stop on the route. On the way, you will pass through the towns of Santa Cruz, Machico & Caniçal. The peninsula walk starts close by to where the bus stops - you can't miss it as it is a popular route amongst tourists.

I did this walk in 2022, and something which had changed was the introduction of a fee to do the hike. As of January 2025, Madeira has introduced a mandatory €3.00 to €4.50 fee for non-residents over 12 to access popular, official PR hiking trails to fund maintenance and manage congestion. Payment can be made on the spot to a member of staff who will be there, or in advance via the SIMplifica platform. We didn't even realise there was a fee until the day, but it wasn't hard to use the system to make the payment (an internet connection is required). From what it looks like, they are still rolling out the system across Madeira, so depending on where and when you hike you may not be stopped to pay a fee.

The São Lourenço peninsula hike was as I remember it - hot, rocky, ups and downs, and no shade! You get some great views of the easternmost part of Madeira and the Atlantic Ocean around it. There is a cafe at the halfway point with toilets (fee of 1 Euro to use them). Take plenty of water, and dress appropriately for the weather. This route has got more popular over the years, so if you're bringing your own car to the start point note that parking is limited. Nonetheless, I think it is still a walk worth doing and shows you one 'personality' of the island - which contrasts massively to some of the Levada walks elsewhere (which are more green, shaded and quiet).

Walk into Funchal 🚶

Not really a hike, but a nice walk to do regardless. The south side of the island has a nice coastal trail that runs from Funchal to Câmara de Lobos. If convenient, you can catch this walk and make your way into town. The walk goes through Funchal's hotel district, before finishing at the promenade near the cruise ships. We were staying at the Pestana Grand hotel, and it took us about an hour to walk into town. Don't want to walk back? No worries - there are plenty of buses which run out of Funchal, most of which can be caught from the main road, Av. Do Mar.

Câmara de Lobos to Cabo Girão 🍇

How to get there: Take the number 96 bus as far as to Levada do Norte bus stop. The walk then starts on the Levada next to the bus stop.
Hike length: 10km. It took us around 3 hours to complete.

This hike took us along the sides of valleys, through vineyards and behind local houses as we followed the Levada do Norte route towards Cabo Girão. This was my favourite hike of the trip - very few tourists, some stunning views across the south of the island and relatively flat (not too taxing on the knees).

The walk starts in Câmara de Lobos. and immediately follows the Levada do Norte Route. This will take you into the Ribeira da Caixa valley, with the path following the edge of the valley as it winds its way west and then south. You'll pass many vineyards and other crops, often located close by to small villages who tend to the fields. For those unfamiliar with the Levadas - these are narrow irrigation channels that cover the whole of the island in a cleverly devised network, to transport water to people, crops and towns. Just before reaching Cabo Girão, the highest coastal cliff in Europe, you'll get some great views across the island.

Upon arrival at Cabo Girão, the increase in tourism to Madeira now means it is 5 Euros to go onto the viewing platform - we didn't bother as the views we got along the hike were far better. At this point, I would recommended ending your hike here and either catching a bus or taxi (Bolt & Uber both work in Madeira), back to your accommodation.

Vegan in Madeira

Fala-Fala

I visited this place last time I was in Madeira, and would happy go again (and again!). Fala Fala is a fully plant based restaurant in the heart of Funchal, serving some delicious falafel as well as other dishes. They also do a vegan version of Pastel de Natas (a Portuguese custard tart) which was awesome - but be warned these sell out quick! Friendly service and happy to accommodate any allergies (as they make their food fresh), Fala Fala is a place I would highly recommend.

Gela-Tó Artesanale 🍨

Vegan and looking for ice cream? Look no further than Gela-Tó Artesanale - an ice cream shop located close by to the Forum Shopping Centre (a short walk from the Pestana Grand if you're staying there). They offer a range of flavours, and the 2 we tried were the pistachio and custard apple. I preferred the former, but both were made fresh and tasted great. A nice sweet treat after a day of hiking 😋.

Other things to do

Visit the Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmers Market) - located in Funchal, this building with an internal courtyard features various sellers of fruit, fish, meat and souvenirs. If you're in town it's nice to visit and walk around - although note that prices are usually marked up for tourists. If you do want to get some of the local fruit, supermarkets are often cheaper (but may not have the full range of products you're after).

Try local fruit! - During the week I had 3 types of passion fruit, mango, custard apple and bananas. These were all locally grown on the island and tasted amazing. Something about being in the sun and eating fresh fruit that does wonders for your mood and body...

Final Thoughts

My second trip to Madeira was equally as enjoyable as my first. I managed to tick off some new experiences with my parents (I visited with my cousins the first time), do some new hikes and revisit experiences and locations that were great the first time. Staying at the Pestana Grand provided a nice base from which we could do our sightseeing, or alternatively just chill out at the hotel.

I did sense a change in the way tourism exists on the island now - with Madeira becoming more famous and popular there was definitely a larger number of tourists on the island. This has meant some aspects of the island have become busy, more commercialised or expensive - however this is not the case for all things and you can still get away from the crowds if you wish.

Would I visit again? Maybe - If I did go back I'd like to see more of the west and north coast of the island and get away from the crowds. There are plenty of Levada walks that I haven't explored, but then again my list of countries to visit is always expanding!

Nevertheless, obrigado (thank you) Madeira! Until we meet again.