How to Spend 4-days in Madeira, Portugal
Extraordinary landscapes, clear coastal waters, and quaint old-town streets – Madeira has a lot to offer and is well-worth a visit. Although often known as a popular location for older tourists, Madeira presents a treasure-trove for tourists of all ages. As travellers in our early-20s and lovers of hiking and the coast, we found there was more than enough to keep us busy for the 4 days. One of the first things we said on our flight out was how we needed to come back again to further explore some of the outstanding hikes Madeira has to offer.
Where to stay?
Choosing where to stay in Madeira will likely depend on; (1) what you are most interested in seeing across the island, and (2) how you plan on getting around. For us, we were interested in both the hikes and town. However, we didn’t have access to a car (rental prices for under 25s are through the roof!). Therefore, we chose to stay in Funchal with access to the bus network. We stayed in an affordable 1-bedroom apartment which was around a 15-minute walk away from the centre. For the 5-nights, this came in at about £55/night which was a good deal for the area.
Bus access was good from Funchal, meaning we could access most places on the East side of the island, including frequent buses to and from the airport. However, there were a few sites on the west of the island we wanted to visit but were impractical by bus. This included Seixal and its black sand beach, the PR9 Levada do Caldeirão hike, as well as the beautiful Fanal Forest. Therefore, from my experience, renting a car, if you can, provides better access to the island and more flexibility on when and where you go. However, staying in Funchal with access to the public transport network provides the best alternative for seeing as many sites as possible across the island.
What to do?
Hiking
Madeira has a range of excellent hiking trails which are well-maintained in terms of footpath quality and fencing for added safety. Despite this, the trails definitely reflected varying levels of ability – therefore, be sure to do your research!
The first thing to know about the hikes across Madeira is that they are labelled by PR and then the trail number ie. PR1. It proved difficult for us to find one single map of all the PR hikes across Madeira (if you find this exists, please post a link in the comments section below!). Therefore, we referenced individual maps of each hike and followed advice posted online from other travellers. Up-to-date information including the status of the hiking trails can be found on www.visitmaderia.com.
The first hike we took was the short PR11 hike starting in Riberio Frio which we accessed by a direct bus from Funchal. This hike can be rated easy, with the trail continuing along a flat path to a stunning viewing platform at the end. The total length of the walk is 3km, taking only around 40 minutes with stops for photos too.
The PR10 hiking trail also starts in Ribeiro Frio, presenting a longer 11km which takes around 5 hours. No public transport routes meet the end of the PR10 trail, therefore getting a taxi to the nearest bus route may be the only option here. During our trip here, we planned to take a walk along this route – however, we found out that the trail was closed for maintenance. Despite this, we spent some time exploring the area while waiting for our bus and came across some unique sites such as Chão das Feiteiras and a lush waterfall at the top.
One hike we had heard lots about prior to our visit and one we felt we couldn’t miss was the PR1 Vereda do Areeiro. This was quite a challenging hike of 7km long, starting at 1818m in Pico do Areeiro and ending at Pico Ruivo. There are no public transport routes to PR1, and even having a car would have been challenging as the hike does not loop around. Therefore, we chose to pay for a transfer which took us to the start of the trail (Pico do Areeiro) and picked us back up 5 hours later from Teixeira. This transfer allowed us to do the 7km hike without feeling rushed, in addition to a small hike along PR1.2 ending at Achada do Teixiera. This transfer was done by Pico Transfers (www.picotransfers.com) and we chose the sunrise transfer costing 33€ per person. To accommodate for the weather, we booked the transfer just the day before (note this may not be possible during peak tourist seasons). We were picked up in a minivan at 6:20am for the sunrise at 7:50, and returned home at around 2:30pm. This company was reliable, great value for money, and the staff were really friendly. I would highly-recommend!
On our final day in Madeira before taking a trip to Machico’s sand beach, we also took a walk along the stunning PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço. This is a coastal walking loop of 6km, taking around 2-3 hours. The hike snakes along Madeira’s coastal peninsula, also known as the ‘dragon’s back’ due to the up and down movement of the trail. The hike loops around a café at the end of the peninsula where we stopped for a well-earned cold lemonade. Note that this trail has an entry fee of 1€ per person which goes to the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation. This can be paid at the start of the trail via QR code, or beforehand via www.simplifica.maderia.gov.pt.
Where to eat?
When travelling, my partner and I are always in search of a combination of good-quality, local, and affordable food. Even though this can be a high bar to reach, we managed to find this at a few places in Funchal.
The first piece of advice I would give is to avoid eating in places where staff wait outside and greet you into their restaurant as you walk by. Secondly, avoid places with pictures in their menus, or menus with lots of language translations. These two signs are key indicators that a spot is directly aimed at tourists and are therefore likely associated with higher prices and unfortunately lower quality food. If these places were visited enough by locals who know the food scene well, they wouldn’t need pictures or translations to get customers!
The suggestions below present a few starting points for your trip. However, walking around the town and getting a feel for places is the best way to find good quality and unique food spots. Be sure to check google or TripAdvisor reviews (with caution). Within these suggestions for Funchal, no lunch spots are recommended here as we bought baguettes and cured meats from the supermarket to save money – this was also very practical when going out for the day on hikes.
- The Best Bakery
Padaria Pastelaria Mariazinha – Rua Santa Maria 159-161, Funchal, Madeira 9060-291 Portugal
This was one of the first pastel de nata we got in Madeira, and in our opinion the best! A crispy pastry casing and creamy egg tart filling for only €1. 10/10. We did not find any that matched these during our trip, however, there is a chain of shops exclusively for pastel da nata around Funchal, Nata 7, also selling the pastries for just €1. Therefore, it is easy to get your daily pastel da nata hit around the town.
2. The Best Dinner Spot
Snack-Bar Bela 5 – Rua Bela Sao Tiago 5, Funchal, Madeira 9060-400 Portugal
Also supported by other online reviews, the Snack-Bar Bela 5 boasts fresh local food with produce sourced from the local markets. We visited the Snack-Bar Bela 5 two times during our stay. During the first time we ordered a popular local dish – hot steak sandwiches on bolos with salad dressing and cheese – named on the menu as Prego. Alike all things on the menu they were very reasonably priced with excellent portion sizes for 3-6€. On the second visit to get my seafood fix, I ordered a plate of 12 shrimp which came in at 15€. The prawns tasted fresh and were coated in a delicious lemon butter sauce – similar dishes around the town came in at between 18-25€.
3. The Best Dessert
O. Giro Churros & Paninis – Rua da Carreira 77 São Francisco Accommodation, Funchal, Madeira 9000-042 Portugal
Following on from good reviews we heard about this place, the churros were delightful. The outdoor seating area onto the beautifully tiled pavements made this cafe excellent for dessert and as a spot for winding down after a busy day!
Conclusion
This blog provides an overview of our 4-day trip in Madeira and hopefully presents you with a starting point for yours, or even just inspiration to visit the beautiful Madeira. Feel free to reach out with any questions. Thanks for reading!