8 Days in Madeira, Portugal - Coast to Coast!

The Ultimate Itinerary for Nature Lovers & Photographers

"The Hawaii of Europe!"

Why Madeira?

It all started with a tiktok. And yes - I hate admitting that - but I suppose for me that is one of the greater uses of social media - discovery and exposure to the beautiful places on this planet. I saw a video with a title “The Hawaii of Europe” and alas, a 10-second compilation of pure magic played on repeat for at least a minute - I decided I had to know more. I researched the island and was happy to see it was on the smaller side. When I visit a place, I do my best to see as much of it as I can, and well, this island being so small meant that one week would allow for a lot of exploration, and photography.. and so the trip planning began!

Madeira was small enough that I felt like I could truly enjoy it within 8 days, even though I knew I could not conquer all of its greatness. When I prepare to travel anywhere, my go-to resources always include travel blogs and location tag searches on social media platforms. I ended up choosing to visit in May because it was warm and less crowded. When I find a place I'm interested in, I find it on the map. For every trip itinerary, I use Google Maps & save places. I pulled up the island of Madeira, and began adding points of interest onto the map as I went. My research was slow but thorough, and I was adding locations up until just 1 week before departure. By then, the map looked something like this...

Yeah.. so I went a little crazy. But, believe it or not - I checked most of these off AND naturally I had discovered a few things while I was there that I didn't necessarily have planned.. so there were even a few more, hehe. In this blog, I'll do my best to cover as many as possible!

It was obvious I would need a rental car in order to have freedom and be able to jam-pack my days full of adventures. I booked the car using **Booking.com, and used only 2 hotels during the stay. The longest travel distance by car between any two points was just over an hour - so it made sense to divide the stay so that I spent half of my nights on the East, and the rest on the West.

I typically use **Booking.com for everything, so this is where I did my research for stays and vehicle rental in Madeira. I picked up our rental car at the airport in Funchal upon arrival, and immediately drove West where I would spend the first four nights in Porto Moniz. I spent the last 3 nights on the east in Funchal.

**I make a small commission if you book with my links! After picking up the car at the airport, I drove West.

The first stop of the trip was Sao Vicente, a beautiful town which offered a classic European charm along the rugged rocks and waves of the ocean.

Sao Vicente

Canon F-1N / Assorted Kodak films

After a stroll in Sao Vicente, I headed over to the hotel to check in. It was late afternoon by this point. I chose to stay at The Studios by Aqua Natura Hotels. The location was ideal as I wanted to spend a few days focused on the Western half of the island. The hotel also provided free tickets to the natural swimming pools which are just a 5 minute walk from the rooms. Breakfast was complimentary & delicious! I would highly recommend staying here.

Western Points of Interest

"Miradouro do Veu da Noiva"

A gorgeous waterfall flowing off the cliffs and into the ocean. This was a quick stop off the road with a small parking lot. Definitely worth it!

Ribeira da Janela

This area was beautiful and had a few points of interest. I took my time here, even strolling the neighborhood to get a feel for the local lifestyle.

iPhone + Mamiya 7 / Assorted Kodak

I enjoyed dinner at the restaurant in the hotel - The Sea View Restaurant. Delicious, and I highly recommend the vodka-sauce ravioli! The only funny part was that they charged 1 euro for a to-go box.. so try to finish your meal! Hehe.

I really loved Porto Moniz and found it to be an ideal location for exploring the Western half of the island. There were a few options for eating out, and there was a grocery store in town which is not as common along the western coast. It is also home to ocean-side natural pools, where I definitely indulged on a hot afternoon! The tickets are only 3 euro!

Ocean-side Natural Swimming Pools

iPhone snaps of the Pools / surrounding

Miradouro da Garganta Funda

This waterfall was a bit of a walk as there wasn't anywhere close by to park. You'll park on a narrow, residential road and walk down the road straight ahead until you reach the trail (which is marked). At the time I visited there was quite a bit of construction happening, and this could be why I had to walk a bit more.

Miradouro do Ponta da Ladeira

This was one of my favorite view points as it was just so grand! I revisited this spot a couple of times to catch a few different lighting scenarios. I found sunset to be best!

Mamiya 7 / Kodak Portra 160 + 400

I have to say I was blown away with how developed the road system was in Madeira in comparison to most other islands I've visited. They have a genius tunnel system that cuts through mountains rather than zig zag up/down some awful switchbacks! Having said that though, there are some roads which are steep, and the incline changes drastically even within a 10 minute drive. If your ears are sensitive - have gum handy! Also, driving in the city is sort of nightmarish - though I find that true in most cities!

FANAL FOREST

My goodness, there is so much to be said about this magical forest. This was a place so special that I visited 3 times within the week. All 3 times, I was greeted by the infamous thick fog decorating the eerily beautiful trees. As a photographer, this place felt like a playground. I had a lot of fun making photographs here & exploring the forest. The forest is only about a 20 minute drive from Porto Moniz, which made it an easy early morning excursion. I prefer early morning shooting to avoid crowds.

Canon F-1N + Mamiya 7 / Kodak Portra 160 + 400

Miradouro da Raposeira

Another quick view point very much worth stopping for. The views are bold and beautiful! A quick walk up and worth the lovely views. Also saw a ton of salamanders and small lizards here!

Mamiya 7 / Kodak Portra 160

Achadas da Cruz

One of my planned day trips was to visit the Achada de Cruz Cable Car on the northwestern coast. It transports you nearly 1,500 feet down a steep 98-degree slope toward towering cliffs and a small seaside village. It was definitely an adventure! At first glance it almost seemed a bit sketchy—but it wasn’t at all.

There’s a small ticket booth at the top, and a man operates everything himself—he takes the cash, hands out tickets, and runs the controls. I arrived right at opening, so there was no one else there, although the cable cars can seat up to six people. The ride was short, lasting all of about 5 minutes, but the view was awesome!

The views on the way down were stunning, and wandering through the village below felt almost intrusive. Only one or two people seemed to live there, visibly farming large plots of land with homesteads tucked into the landscape.

Canon F-1N + iPhone / Kodak Portra 160 + 400

To The West

After an awesome few days in the East, it was time to drive West! I stayed on the South-West part of the island, at a hotel called The Cliff Bay. I chose this hotel as they took me up on my offer to collaborate! I created photo/video content for them during my stay. It was a 5 star hotel with a 5 star experience!

Mix of Digital + Film

In-The-Middle Points of Interest

Not quite West, not quite East!

Miradouro do Espigão

It aligned well that on the drive towards the East, I spent the last hours of light between two viewpoints. The first, Miradouro do Espigão was a quick walk up from the tiny parking. There is a hiking trail here if you have more time to explore!

Mamiya 7 / Kodak Ektar 100

Miradouro da Terra Grande

The drive up to this one was scenic, I remember a lot of twists and turns and a whole lot of nobody around. It was quiet, green, and beautiful. It seemed all too easy that I just had to park the car and simply enjoy this view!

Canon F-1N + Mamiya 7 / Kodak Portra 160 + Ektar 100

Eastern Points of Interest

Faial & Santana

These are two small, picturesque villages, though they differ from one another. In Faial (pictured below), there are a lot of beautiful views and pretty tarracotta roof tops. I didn't get to spend time walking through the village, but I did enjoy this view of the village from above at the Fortress of Faial.

Mamiya 7 / Kodak Ektar 100

Casas Típicas de Santana

These cute triangular houses are a must see in Santana. They were designed by early rural farmers to endure the island heavy rainfall. These, now iconic, vibrant, A-frame structures are utilized as gift shops and sort of act as a museum. In 2011, the region was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve!

Mamiya 7 / Kodak Ektar 100 + Gold 200

Parque Florestal das Queimadas

Also in Santana was one of my personal favorites of the entire trip. Parque Florestal das Queimadas is a gorgeous park within the Laurissilva Forest. It is lush, green, full of flowers, and singing with beautiful birds! It's a great place to walk or hike. To be honest, I did not get to spend as much time here as I would have liked. I knew it would be beautiful by the research I did... but wow! this place was other worldly! I would recommend arriving a bit earlier in the day for a visit as it gets darker earlier beneath the shade of the many beautiful trees, especially in combination with a thick fog. You'll see the familiar triangular structures again here, now operating as a small cafe where I enjoyed a hot drink and pastry!

Mamiya 7 + Canon F-1N / Kodak Portra 400 + 800

Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço

Believe it or not, this was my 3rd major stop of the day! I'm not counting all the small in-betweens.. I'd probably split them up better if I were to visit again.

This hike was incredible! Something neat about Madeira is that the hiking trails are numbered, clearly marked, and easy to find/research. Madeira’s hiking system features a diverse network of official PR (Percursos Recomendados) followed by a number - for example, this hike, Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço is PR8. This was on the farthest eastern point of the island! Its a difficult hike and unfortunately I didn't have time to do the entire thing, but I got to a great viewpoint and enjoyed what I could!

Mamiya 7 / Kodak Portra 160

Pico do Arieiro (A Failed Attempt)

I have to be honest that it still hurts writing this 2 years later, haha. I did not manage to get THE view of Madeira - Pico do Ariero. I woke up early, about an hour or so before sunrise. Drove an hour in the dark - but apparently I had not woken up early enough as the main parking was full and I ended up having to park a bit farther. I remember practically running up the side of a mountain to catch the sunrise, only to find I had chose the wrong path in my haste. My maps wouldn't load to redirect me - so I cut my losses, and enjoyed sunrise from right where I was, which I later learned was Miradouro do Tarm. Funny enough, it was pretty busy up on this view point too! This was my last major adventure of the trip. I can't deny my disappointment in myself for not being better prepared, or leaving extra time to reattempt this adventure again before departing. I suppose this leaves me with another reason to have to return to Madeira someday!

Mamiya 7 / Kodak Portra 800

1-2 Days in Funchal

Something I was excited about was being in Madeira for their famous Flower Festival! Its an annual parade and celebration dedicated to the blooms of the island. I had so much fun soaking up the energy of the day, taking photos, and exploring the charming city of Funchal. For this reason alone, I recommend visiting Madeira in May! This was the perfect way to wind down, close out the trip, and prepare to head back home.

Canon F-1N, Kodak Portra 800

Night Stroll in Funchal

Canon F-1N, Kodak Portra 800

Until Next Time

All in all, I completely fell in love with Madeira. I admired how wild and rugged the landscape remains, while still offering the ease and comforts of everyday life. The locals were incredibly kind and welcoming—especially to the tourist with a camera constantly glued to her face! I definitely hope to return one day… but until then…

Thanks so much for reading! This blog isn’t meant to be a traditional guide with restaurant lists or step-by-step itineraries. Instead, I hope it offers inspiration for fellow nature lovers and photographers who want to slow down and make the most of their time on such a magical island. Feel free to reach out to me if you are planning a trip of your own here. Happy exploring!