de-DEen-US
de-DEen-US

Madeira

Madeira captivates with an impressive mix of dramatic cliffs, lush green mountain landscapes, and charming coastal towns in the Atlantic. The Portuguese island is known for its year-round mild climate, its famous levadas, and its incredible natural diversity. All of this makes Madeira one of the most beautiful destinations in Europe for anyone looking to combine nature, hiking, and relaxed island days.

24/04/2025

dear(travel)diary,

for Easter 2025, my best friend and I wanted to travel together again. The idea: blind booking with Eurowings. We loved the concept—choosing a general region but only finding out the exact destination later. The package that included places like Madeira sounded especially tempting, since the island had already been on our bucket list for quite a while.

While we were debating whether to actually go through with the blind booking, we kept casually checking flights to Madeira on the side. And at some point, we just looked at each other and said: why don’t we just book Madeira? If we were being honest, that’s where we both wanted to go all along.

So instead of going for the surprise trip, we followed our gut feeling and consciously chose Madeira—and looking back, it was probably the best decision we could have made. The island completely amazed us from the very first moment: the incredible variety, the lush greenery, the dramatic coastal roads, and viewpoint after viewpoint that just make you stop and think: wow.

Add to that beautiful levada hikes, natural rock pools to relax in (even in April!), and that constant feeling that a new, breathtaking landscape is waiting just around the corner. Madeira truly surprised us and is definitely a destination I can wholeheartedly recommend.

xx Chiara

Overview:


What to Discover:

  1. Sunrise at Pico do Arieiro
  2. Fanal Forest
  3. Hiking: Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço, 25 Fontes Waterfall, Levada do Caldeirão Verde
  4. Viewpoints: Cristo Rei, Miradouro Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela, Farol da Ponta do Pargo, Ponta do Rosto, Miradouro do Véu da Noiva
  5. Natural pools: Doca do Cavacas, Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools, Piscinas Naturais do Seixal
  6. Beaches: Praia da Ponta do Sol, Prainha do Caniçal, Praia Formosa, Calhau de São Jorge, Praia do Seixal
  7. Waterfalls: Cascata dos Anjos, Ribeiro Frio waterfall, Lagoa do Vento, Cascata da Água d'Alto
  8. Funchal: Carros de Cesto do Monte, Monte Palace Tropical Garden, Parque de Santa Catarina, museums
  9. Casas Típicas de Santana 


Where to Eat & Drink:

In Madeira (and Portugal in general), you can eat incredibly well without spending a lot. During our stay, we didn’t have a single bad meal.

For breakfast, I highly recommend Prima Caju and NOMADE. If you’re in the mood for a good coffee (or matcha), check out The Studio, Motya Coffee Shop, or Arbor Food & Coffee in Funchal. For small treats and pastries, A Confeitaria is a great stop.

If you want to try traditional dishes, head to Abrigo do Pastor, O Regional, or O Forno. We also had a really good meal at Palm Spot.

You should definitely try Poncha at least once — a traditional alcoholic drink made from sugarcane rum, mixed with honey and fresh lemon or orange juice. We tried it at the bar Venda Velha.

I also got plenty of other café and restaurant recommendations, which I’ve saved for you here.


WHere to Sleep:

For our stay, we booked Casa D’Além II by LovelyStay in Machico. The accommodation wasn’t anything special, but it was perfectly sufficient for our time on Madeira. Overall, it offered great value for money.

It’s located in the eastern part of the island, so depending on where you want to go, you should plan for some driving time. On the plus side, you’re very close to sights like the Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço.


Costs:

  • Flights: €335 p.p.
  • Accommodation: €590 total for 6 nights (2 people)
  • Rental car: €300 total for 6 days (2 people)
  • Gas: €47 p.p.
  • Activities & sights: €35 p.p.
  • Restaurants, cafés & more: €154 p.p.
  • Groceries: €57 p.p.


I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.

6 Tage auf Madeira

Itinerary



Day 1: Road trip with stops at several viewpoints like Ponta do Rosto (very windy!), a quick stop at Prainha do Caniçal, visiting the Casas Típicas de Santana, and relaxing at Calhau de São Jorge, followed by a sunset picnic at Cristo Rei

Day 2: Hiking the Levada do Caldeirão Verde, then driving to Funchal with a stop at the Ribeiro Frio waterfall

Day 3: Starting the Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço at sunrise, then heading to the Cascata dos Anjos and relaxing at Praia da Ponta do Sol (with lunch at Palm Spot), continuing via the Miradouro do Véu da Noiva and the Miradouro Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela to the Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools, and ending the day with a sunset picnic at the Farol da Ponta do Pargo

Day 4: Hiking to the 25 Fontes Waterfall with a stop at the Lagoa do Vento, then grabbing a snack at Arbor Food & Coffee and spending some time in Funchal, ending the evening with a Poncha at Venda Velha

Day 5: Sunrise at Pico do Arieiro, followed by breakfast at Prima Caju and a second coffee/matcha at Motya Coffee, relaxing at Doca do Cavacas, and a quick stop at Praia Formosa

Day 6: Heading to the Piscinas Naturais do Seixal with a stop at the Cascata da Água d'Alto along the way, then exploring the Fanal Forest, riding the Carros de Cesto do Monte down in Funchal in the afternoon heading to Abrigo do Pastor for dinner, and finishing the day with sunset at Pico do Arieiro