Is Madeira a good place for walking?

You may come across a couple of different styles of hiking trail in Madeira - namely, levadas and veredas. Both make for excellent walks. Levadas are routes which follow water springs and tend to be surrounded by lush greenery, while veredas are mountain paths, coastal paths or forest routes.



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Getting Around Madeira: Walking Some are more challenging than others (especially up in the mountains). If exploring the Funchal area, you can easily see the main sights of Funchal and surrounding areas on foot. Remember the cable car can take you up to Monte – so no excuses for not seeing that during your visit!

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Most levadas are level, but some are steeply inclined. They vary in width and the narrowest ones could be blocked easily with your foot. Sometimes they offer very easy walking, with the Levada dos Tornos above Funchal often being the first that newcomers discover.

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The island is divided by a rugged mountain range that soars up to a dazzling height of 1862 metres, Madeira's highest mountain Pico Ruivo. The peaks and ridges are connected by a vast network of ancient trails, making it possible to cross the entire island coast to coast in less than a week.

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Funchal is generally considered safe for female travelers. The city is known for its friendly locals and low crime rate. Women should still take the usual precautions when traveling, such as avoiding walking alone at night and keeping valuables out of sight.

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You can hike all year round, but here are a few things to be aware of to make your decision: In Summer, temperature can raise quite high in the afternoon – you should start hiking early morning. Most hikes have narrow pathways and can have hikers in both directions (many levada walks are return hikes, not loops).

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Moderate / high difficulty if you walking down (some walk the other way!). We took funicular (one-way 11 euro) to the top (Monte) and then walked the trail all the way down to Funchal. The first 1 km is a stone road. Then approximately 2km of steps in clay, often very steep.

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In fact, Madeira was just voted Europe's “Leading Island Destination” in the World Travel Awards again (the sixth time in the last seven years). Less than four hours from London and with almost guaranteed sunshine, Madeira is an ideal winter break, or for that matter, anytime destination.

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One of the greatest aspects of life in Madeira are its coastal villages. And Ponta do Sol is arguably the most beautiful.

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Madeira is a pretty small island, and so luckily you don't need very long to see all of the incredible things that this destination has to offer. If you're looking to experience the must-dos then a short four-day break would be fine. However, a week is the perfect amount of time to really make the most of the island.

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Santana – Perfect place to stay in Madeira for hiking. The area of and around Santana is an ideal place to stay in Madeira if you want to go hiking in that area! There are a ton of spectacular hiking trails really close by and this small town is located on the East side of Northern Madeira.

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Madeira, the Portuguese island, is famed for its excellent walking temperatures – year-round!

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Re: Madeira Island I was there last December staying in Funchal. It is a lovely place and yes it is very hilly.

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Funchal is worth visiting, due to its location, weather, several events during the year, historical monuments around the city, its culture and museums, world-renowned parks and gardens, amazing viewpoints to watch the sunset, and the nearby beaches and swimming pools.

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There is plenty of water in Madeira and it is all drinkable and of excellent quality. Porto Santo uses desalinated water, which is perfectly safe to drink.

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Average monthly temperatures For the highest temperatures the best time to visit Madeira is between August and September although the sub tropical climate offers sunshine throughout the year and winter months are equally popular with visitors.

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Are three days enough to see Madeira? To be honest: not even close. We recommend spending at least a week, but if you have just a couple of days, you can still cover some of the best highlights of Madeira.

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The average standard of living tends to be a bit lower than in mainland Portugal, and the local autonomous government gives generous subsidies coming from the tourist industry revenues and from the Portuguese national budget. Go where the locals go and everything will be cheap.

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Visiting Madeira For those who want a fully autonomous and comfortable experience, renting a car or a motorcycle in Madeira is the best option. Find available car hire companies here. However, there are other means of transport available such as buses, taxis, tuk-tuks, bicycles and scooters.

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Yes, Madeira is a popular destination and indeed some of the main tourist attractions can get quite busy. But for the biggest part, Madeira is still very quiet and undiscovered.

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