Itinerary · Madeira · Portugal
One day in Madeira
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing Madeira, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 7. Day 1: Mercado dos Lavradores and Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town. Base yourself in Funchal Old Town.
Key facts
- Days
- 1
- Sights covered
- 4
- Day trips
- None
- Best base
- Funchal Old Town
- Book ahead
- Nothing essential
Day by day
Day 1: Mercado dos Lavradores and Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town
Mercado dos Lavradores, Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town, Monte cable car and toboggan ride and Cabo Girão, then Funchal Old Town in the evening.
Morning
Mercado dos Lavradores
Go on a weekday morning for the fish market at its fullest; be cautious of fruit stallholders offering tastings and then charging high prices per kilo. Allow 1 hour.
Late morning
Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town
Walk it in the morning to see the doors, then come back at night for dinner and poncha. Allow 1–2 hours.
Lunch
Lunch: Espetada
Traditional restaurants in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos and Santo da Serra are known for it, as well as many places in Funchal.
Afternoon
Monte cable car and toboggan ride
Ride the cable car up early in the day, then take the toboggan; taxis and buses wait at the bottom for the trip back to Funchal. Allow Half a day.
Late afternoon
Cabo Girão
Go early or late in the day to avoid tour coaches, and check the sky first; low cloud can hide the view completely. Allow 45 minutes.
Evening
Funchal Old Town
Rua de Santa Maria and the surrounding lanes fill with restaurant terraces and small bars until around midnight.
If it rains
- Swap in Blandy's Wine Lodge (Funchal): Book a guided tour with tasting to see the cask lodge; the walk-in tasting room alone misses the best part.
- Swap in CR7 Museum (Funchal): It takes under an hour; combine it with a walk along the marina and the seafront gardens.
Where to stay for this itinerary
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, food lovers and nightlife
Funchal Old Town
Painted doors on Rua de Santa Maria, the market and the cable car station
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–8 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10 hours in December to 14.3 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.
Getting between stops: Car. A hire car is the easiest way to reach trailheads, viewpoints and the north coast.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is one day enough in Madeira?
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 7. How many days Madeira needs.