For couples · Madeira · Portugal
Romantic things to do in Madeira
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Madeira is a favourite for couples: dramatic clifftop views, quiet gardens, sunset dinners over the ocean and a celebrated New Year's Eve fireworks display over Funchal Bay. Couples tend to stay in Funchal Old Town.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 4
- Area for couples
- Funchal Old Town
- Best months
- October
Romantic ideas
1.Sunrise on Pico do Arieiro
Drive up before dawn to watch the sun rise over a sea of clouds from 1,818 metres.
2.Madeira wine tasting
Share a flight of Sercial to Malmsey in a Funchal wine lodge.
3.Monte Palace gardens
Wander the koi ponds and azulejo-lined paths, then ride a toboggan down together.
4.Sunset at Ponta do Pargo
Watch the sun set over the ocean from the lighthouse cliffs on the island's western tip.
5.New Year's Eve over Funchal Bay
Book a seafront terrace or a hillside viewpoint for the fireworks that light up the whole amphitheatre of the city.
Sights couples love
Experience · Monte
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.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
Garden · Monte
Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Paths are steep; allow at least two hours and start at the top so you walk mostly downhill.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Experience · Funchal
Blandy's Wine Lodge
Book a guided tour with tasting to see the cask lodge; the walk-in tasting room alone misses the best part.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
- Couples
Experience · Funchal
Whale and dolphin watching
Choose an operator that follows responsible-watching guidelines and offers a free second trip if no cetaceans are seen.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, food lovers and nightlife
Funchal Old Town
Funchal's Zona Velha around Rua de Santa Maria is the island's most atmospheric base, with the art project of painted doors, small restaurants and poncha bars, the Fortaleza de São Tiago and the Mercado dos Lavradores. The lower station of the Monte cable car is on the seafront here, and the cathedral and marina are a 10-minute walk.
- Good
- Walk to restaurants, market and cable car; Lively evenings; Good bus links across the island
- Watch out
- Steep streets above the seafront; Restaurant touts on Rua de Santa Maria
- Nearby
- Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal cable car, Rua de Santa Maria, Funchal Cathedral
Romantic day trips
- Porto Santo (About 2 hours 15 minutes by ferry) — Madeira's small, dry neighbour has a 9-km golden-sand beach that Madeira itself lacks, and the house in Vila Baleira where Christopher Columbus is said to have lived.
- Desertas Islands (About 1 hour 30 minutes each way by boat) — These uninhabited islands south-east of Madeira are a nature reserve protecting one of the last colonies of Mediterranean monk seals.
- Rabaçal and the 25 Fontes (About 1 hour by car) — From the Rabaçal car park, levada paths descend into a green valley to the Risco waterfall and the 25 Fontes, a pool fed by many small cascades.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Espetada, Black scabbardfish with banana and Limpets. Book dinner for New Year's Eve and the Flower Festival weekend well ahead.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Madeira romantic?
Madeira is a favourite for couples: dramatic clifftop views, quiet gardens, sunset dinners over the ocean and a celebrated New Year's Eve fireworks display over Funchal Bay.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Madeira?
Sunrise on Pico do Arieiro: Drive up before dawn to watch the sun rise over a sea of clouds from 1,818 metres.
+Where should couples stay in Madeira?
Funchal Old Town: Painted doors on Rua de Santa Maria, the market and the cable car station.