Inside Madeira

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Madeira rises almost vertically from the Atlantic, a volcanic island with a mountainous interior so dramatic it barely seems compatible with the mild, flower covered coastline below. It is Portuguese but feels like its own thing entirely. The capital Funchal is a proper city with a cathedral, a covered market, and a cable car that climbs the hillside above the old town to gardens that look out over the entire bay. The rest of the island is trails, cliffs, terraced vineyards, and tiny villages connected by roads that cling to the edges of things.

The levadas are what make Madeira unlike anywhere else. An ancient network of narrow irrigation channels that carry water from the wet north of the island to the dry south, now converted into walking trails that cut through laurel forest designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You walk alongside the water, level and unhurried, through tunnels and along cliff faces, with the forest closing in on both sides. There are hundreds of kilometers of them and no two are alike.

Photos

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Top Activities

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Walk the levadas

The network of water channel trails is the defining activity of Madeira. Levada do Caldeirão Verde is one of the finest, passing through four tunnels and deep into the Queimadas forest. Levada das 25 Fontes offers waterfalls and dramatic scenery. Start early, bring a headlamp for the tunnels, and wear proper footwear.

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Hike Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo

A high altitude ridge walk between the two highest peaks on the island, passing through clouds, across volcanic rock, and through tunnels cut into the mountain. The most demanding hike on Madeira and the most spectacular. Allow five to six hours and check weather conditions before departing.

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Take the cable car above Funchal

The Teleférico de Funchal rises from the seafront to Monte, a hillside village with baroque gardens and a church that draws pilgrims from across the Portuguese world. From Monte you can also take the famous wicker toboggan ride back down, guided by men in straw hats who have been doing it for generations.

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Drive around the island

The EN101 circumnavigation takes a full day and reveals how many different landscapes Madeira contains. The north coast is dramatic and windswept. The east is flat and open. The west ends at Ponta do Pargo, the most westerly point of Portugal, with lighthouse views across open Atlantic.

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Taste Madeira wine

Madeira wine is one of the great fortified wines of the world, aged through a unique process of controlled heating that makes it essentially indestructible. The lodges in Funchal offer tastings across different styles from dry Sercial to rich Malmsey. Even one glass changes your understanding of what wine can be.

Food & Dining

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Espada com banana

The black scabbardfish, caught at depths of over a kilometer in the waters around Madeira, served with a fried banana. An unlikely combination that has become the signature dish of the island. The fish is white and delicate, the banana sweet and caramelized. Order it at least once.

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Espetada

Chunks of beef seasoned with bay leaf, garlic, and sea salt, skewered on a laurel branch and cooked over wood embers. Served hanging from a hook at the table, carved onto your plate as you eat. The definitive Madeiran social meal.