Getting around · Madeira · Portugal
Getting around Madeira
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Madeira is about 57 km long and very mountainous, but a network of expressways and tunnels links the main towns: Funchal to the airport takes about 20 minutes and Funchal to Porto Moniz about an hour. There are no trains, so most visitors hire a car or combine buses, taxis and day tours. Strongly recommended if you want to hike or explore beyond Funchal, since buses to trailheads and villages are infrequent.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Car
- Airports
- FNC, PXO
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Car
A hire car is the easiest way to reach trailheads, viewpoints and the north coast. The VR1 expressway and tunnels are fast, but old mountain roads are steep and narrow with hairpin bends.
Choose a car with enough power for steep hills, and check where your hotel's parking is before arrival.
Bus
Yellow city buses cover Funchal and its hills, and regional bus companies connect Funchal with towns across the island, though services to remote villages and trailheads are infrequent.
Cable car
Cable cars link the Funchal seafront to Monte and Monte to the Botanical Garden, with others dropping to coastal fajãs such as Garajau and Achadas da Cruz.
Taxi
Taxis wait at ranks across Funchal and can be hired for full-day island tours or for one-way transfers to trailheads, avoiding the need to return to a parked car.
Ferry
The Lobo Marinho ferry links Funchal with Porto Santo in about 2 hours 15 minutes, carrying cars and foot passengers.
The crossing can be rough in winter; book ahead in summer, when it fills with holidaying islanders.
Walking
Central Funchal is walkable but very hilly, and levada paths give access to the mountains and forests on foot.
From the airport
Madeira's Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport is at Santa Cruz, about 18 km east of Funchal; airport buses reach the city in about 30–40 minutes and taxis in about 20–25. Its runway, partly built on columns over the sea, is known for strong crosswinds that occasionally cause delays or diversions. Porto Santo has its own small airport with flights from Madeira and Lisbon.
Do you need a car?
Strongly recommended if you want to hike or explore beyond Funchal, since buses to trailheads and villages are infrequent. If you stay in Funchal and use taxis or tours for a few excursions, you can manage without one.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Porto Santo | About 2 hours 15 minutes by ferry | Lobo Marinho ferry from Funchal, or a short flight |
| Desertas Islands | About 1 hour 30 minutes each way by boat | Licensed boat tour from Funchal or Machico |
| Curral das Freiras | About 30 minutes by car or bus | Car, taxi or regional bus from Funchal |
| Rabaçal and the 25 Fontes | About 1 hour by car | Car or taxi to Rabaçal on the Paul da Serra plateau |
| São Vicente and Seixal | About 45 minutes by car | Car via the tunnels north from Ribeira Brava |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Madeira?
Strongly recommended if you want to hike or explore beyond Funchal, since buses to trailheads and villages are infrequent. If you stay in Funchal and use taxis or tours for a few excursions, you can manage without one.
+How do you get from the airport to Madeira?
Madeira's Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport is at Santa Cruz, about 18 km east of Funchal; airport buses reach the city in about 30–40 minutes and taxis in about 20–25. Its runway, partly built on columns over the sea, is known for strong crosswinds that occasionally cause delays or diversions. Porto Santo has its own small airport with flights from Madeira and Lisbon.
+What is the best way to get around Madeira?
Car: A hire car is the easiest way to reach trailheads, viewpoints and the north coast. The VR1 expressway and tunnels are fast, but old mountain roads are steep and narrow with hairpin bends.