Things to do · Madeira · Portugal
18 best things to do in Madeira
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
The essential sights in Madeira are Mercado dos Lavradores, Monte cable car and toboggan ride and Cabo Girão. Of the 18 picks below, 10 are free, 2 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Mercado dos Lavradores
- Free sights
- 10
- Good on a rainy day
- Blandy's Wine Lodge
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercado dos Lavradores | Funchal Old Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Monte cable car and toboggan ride | Monte | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| Cabo Girão | Câmara de Lobos | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike | Central mountains | 5–6 hours return | Free |
| Monte Palace Tropical Garden | Monte | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Madeira Botanical Garden | Funchal | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town | Funchal Old Town | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Funchal Cathedral | Funchal | 30 minutes | Free |
| Blandy's Wine Lodge | Funchal | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| CR7 Museum | Funchal | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Câmara de Lobos harbour | Câmara de Lobos | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Levada do Caldeirão Verde | Santana | 4–5 hours return | Free |
| Fanal laurel forest | Paul da Serra | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Santana traditional houses | Santana | 45 minutes | Free |
| Ponta de São Lourenço | Caniçal | 3 hours return | Free |
| Porto Moniz natural pools | Porto Moniz | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Whale and dolphin watching | Funchal | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Santa Catarina Park | Funchal | 45 minutes | Free |
The 18 best things to do
Market · Funchal Old Town
1.Mercado dos Lavradores
Funchal's 1940 Art Deco market hall has azulejo tile panels at its entrance, a courtyard of flower sellers in traditional dress, stalls of tropical fruit such as custard apple and passion-fruit varieties, and a fish hall where black scabbardfish and tuna are laid out each morning.
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.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Food
- Photo spot
- Shopping
Experience · Monte
2.Monte cable car and toboggan ride
The cable car climbs from the Funchal seafront to the hilltop parish of Monte, about 550 metres above the sea, in roughly 15 minutes. From near the Church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, where Emperor Charles I of Austria is buried, wicker toboggans steered by two drivers in straw hats slide about 2 km down the steep streets towards Livramento.
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
Viewpoint · Câmara de Lobos
3.Cabo Girão
One of Europe's highest sea cliffs, Cabo Girão drops about 580 metres to the ocean, with a glass-floored skywalk at the top looking straight down onto terraced fields called fajãs at the foot of the cliff.
Go early or late in the day to avoid tour coaches, and check the sky first; low cloud can hide the view completely.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Nature · Central mountains
4.Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike
The PR1 trail links Madeira's third-highest peak, Pico do Arieiro at 1,818 metres, with the highest, Pico Ruivo at 1,862 metres, along a dramatic ridge of stairs, tunnels and narrow ledges. Sunrise at Arieiro, often above a sea of clouds, is a popular early start.
Bring a head torch for the tunnels, warm layers and plenty of water; it is cold at dawn even in summer.
- Time needed
- 5–6 hours return
- Cost
- Free
- Book ahead
- Mountain trails close after storms, landslides or fires and some now require online registration; check the official trail status before you go.
- Views
- Active
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Garden · Monte
5.Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Next to the Monte cable car station, these hillside gardens wind through ponds with koi, tree ferns, cycads, Chinese and Japanese-style gateways and long panels of Portuguese azulejo tiles. A museum in the grounds displays minerals and African stone sculpture.
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
Garden · Funchal
6.Madeira Botanical Garden
On a hillside above Funchal, the botanical garden displays native Madeiran plants, succulents and tropical species, with patterned carpet beds and views over the bay. A second cable car links it to Monte across the valley.
Combine it with Monte by taking the connecting cable car across the João Gomes valley.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Views
- Outdoors
Street · Funchal Old Town
7.Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town
Funchal's oldest street runs through the Zona Velha, where the 'Arte de Portas Abertas' project turned hundreds of front doors into painted artworks. It ends at the yellow Fortaleza de São Tiago, a 17th-century fort on the seafront, with a pebble beach and sea-swimming spot beside it.
Walk it in the morning to see the doors, then come back at night for dinner and poncha.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Photo spot
- After dark
- Food
Religious site · Funchal
8.Funchal Cathedral
Completed in the early 16th century, the Sé is one of the few buildings in Funchal surviving from the island's early colonial era. Inside, its carved and inlaid ceiling of native Madeiran cedar and a gilded altarpiece contrast with the plain white exterior.
Look up as soon as you enter; the wooden ceiling is the highlight and is best seen in the morning light.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Experience · Funchal
1.Blandy's Wine Lodge
In a former Franciscan convent on Avenida Arriaga, Blandy's Wine Lodge shows how fortified Madeira wine is aged in casks in warm attics, with tours of the old lodge and tastings of Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey. The Blandy family has been making Madeira wine for two centuries.
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
Museum · Funchal
2.CR7 Museum
Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal, and his museum by the marina displays his trophies, awards and memorabilia; a bronze statue of him stands outside. The island's airport is also named after him.
It takes under an hour; combine it with a walk along the marina and the seafront gardens.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Câmara de Lobos
3.Câmara de Lobos harbour
The harbour of colourful fishing boats is one of the most photographed scenes on Madeira; Churchill painted it in 1950, and a plaque marks his viewpoint. Small bars around the square serve poncha, the island's sugarcane-rum cocktail.
Try a freshly made poncha in one of the small bars by the harbour, where it is mixed with a wooden stirrer called a caralhinho.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Food
- History
Nature · Santana
4.Levada do Caldeirão Verde
Starting from the Queimadas forest park above Santana, this popular levada path (PR9) follows an irrigation channel through the Laurisilva forest and several dark tunnels to the 'Green Cauldron', a waterfall dropping into a pool surrounded by moss-covered cliffs.
Take a torch or headlamp for the tunnels and waterproof clothing; the path is narrow and slippery in places.
- Time needed
- 4–5 hours return
- Cost
- Free
- Book ahead
- Check trail status and any access requirements on the regional government's official trails information before setting out.
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
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Nature · Paul da Serra
5.Fanal laurel forest
On the north-western edge of the Paul da Serra plateau, Fanal's centuries-old twisted laurel trees, often wrapped in drifting mist, are among the most atmospheric parts of Madeira's Laurisilva, a UNESCO World Heritage forest of a type that once covered much of southern Europe.
Visit on a misty day for the classic spooky photographs, and bring a warm layer; it is much cooler than the coast.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Historic site · Santana
6.Santana traditional houses
Santana, on the green north coast, preserves the triangular thatched A-frame houses once common in rural Madeira, painted white with red doors and blue trim. A cluster beside the town hall is open to visitors, with craft shops inside.
Combine Santana with the Queimadas levada walk or the coastal viewpoints on the road to São Jorge.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
- Photo spot
Nature · Caniçal
7.Ponta de São Lourenço
Madeira's eastern tip is a bare, windswept volcanic peninsula of red, ochre and black rock, completely different from the green interior. The PR8 trail runs about 3 km each way along cliffs to a viewpoint over the islets at the end.
There is no shade; set off early with water and sun protection, and expect strong winds.
- Time needed
- 3 hours return
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Active
- Nature
- Outdoors
Beach · Porto Moniz
8.Porto Moniz natural pools
Volcanic lava rock forms a set of natural seawater pools at Porto Moniz, refreshed by Atlantic waves breaking over the outer rocks. The main complex has changing rooms, a lifeguard in season and calm, clear water for swimming.
Drive there via the north coast road through São Vicente and Seixal and return along the south for a full loop of the island.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Photo spot
Experience · Funchal
9.Whale and dolphin watching
Atlantic spotted, bottlenose and common dolphins are seen regularly off Madeira, and sperm, Bryde's and pilot whales pass at different times of year. Boat trips run from Funchal marina and Calheta, some on traditional sailing boats.
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
Park · Funchal
10.Santa Catarina Park
This terraced park above the harbour has flowering trees, a small lake, a statue of Christopher Columbus, who lived for a time on Porto Santo, and wide views across Funchal Bay to the cruise terminal and the Desertas Islands.
Visit at sunset with a drink from the park's café terrace.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town and CR7 Museum |
| History | Funchal Cathedral, Blandy's Wine Lodge, Câmara de Lobos harbour and Santana traditional houses |
| Views | Monte cable car and toboggan ride, Madeira Botanical Garden, Cabo Girão and Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike |
| Outdoors and nature | Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike, Monte Palace Tropical Garden, Madeira Botanical Garden and Levada do Caldeirão Verde |
| Food and markets | Mercado dos Lavradores, Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town, Blandy's Wine Lodge and Câmara de Lobos harbour |
| After dark | Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town |
| With children | Monte cable car and toboggan ride, CR7 Museum, Santana traditional houses and Porto Moniz natural pools |
| On a rainy day | Blandy's Wine Lodge and CR7 Museum |
What to book ahead
- Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike: Mountain trails close after storms, landslides or fires and some now require online registration; check the official trail status before you go.
- Levada do Caldeirão Verde: Check trail status and any access requirements on the regional government's official trails information before setting out.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Madeira?
Mercado dos Lavradores. Funchal's 1940 Art Deco market hall has azulejo tile panels at its entrance, a courtyard of flower sellers in traditional dress, stalls of tropical fruit such as custard apple and passion-fruit varieties, and a fish hall where black scabbardfish and tuna are laid out each morning.
+What can you do for free in Madeira?
Mercado dos Lavradores, Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike, Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town, Funchal Cathedral and Câmara de Lobos harbour. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Madeira when it rains?
Head indoors to Blandy's Wine Lodge and CR7 Museum.
+What is there to do in Madeira at night?
Rua de Santa Maria and the Old Town are best after dark.