Madeira - the Pearl of the Atlantic NEW

Early in the morning we head for the Paul da Serra plateau and the car park at Rabaçal, the starting point for two of the island's most impressive routes. We walk down the surfaced forest road to the Rabaçal lodge, where the levada immediately plunges us into the heart of the laurel forest. Here the laurisilva - an ancient subtropical forest on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list - wraps the path in interlaced branches, moss and ferns, while the water in the levada murmurs constantly alongside us.
We reach the junction and take PR 6.1, the Levada do Risco. Just 1.5 km along a level but stunningly beautiful corridor through wild country brings us to the Risco waterfall: a curtain of water more than 100 metres high, dropping vertically down dark rock - one of the most impressive falls on the island.

We return to the junction and continue on PR 6, the Levada das 25 Fontes. The path follows the levada channel past views over the Ribeira da Janela valley and gradually descends to its final point: Lagoa das 25 Fontes, a natural amphitheatre whose rock walls send down dozens of slender jets of water to feed a calm pool. We stop for breakfast or a snack before returning by the same route.

In the afternoon, lunch among the ancient trees of the Fanal forest. The trees here (Ocotea foetens) predate the Portuguese discovery of the island and form a landscape rarely found elsewhere in Europe - interlaced silhouettes leaning with the wind, often submerged in thick fog. For anyone with energy left, we offer a bonus section of PR 14, the Levada dos Cedros, built back in the 17th century and leading deep into the wooded heart of Fanal.

An easier day, for walking, city atmosphere and a little history. Early in the morning we board the Teleférico do Funchal cable car, which carries us in 15-20 minutes from the old quarter up to the mountain village of Monte. The panorama over the bay of Funchal opens gradually, and on arrival in Monte we visit the famous church of Nossa Senhora do Monte - one of the island's most important places of pilgrimage, in whose crypt the last Austro-Hungarian emperor, Karl I, is laid to rest.

From Monte we take a second cable car, the Teleférico do Jardim Botânico, and in about 9 minutes fly over the valley of the Ribeira de João Gomes to reach Madeira's Botanical Garden. Spread over more than 70,000 square metres, it is home to hundreds of exotic plant species from around the world, arranged on terraces looking out to the ocean. For anyone who fancies a different way back down, there are the Carros de Monte: traditional wicker toboggans steered by two carreiros in white suits and straw hats, who slide their passengers 2 km down cobbled streets to the Livramento district. Everyone else returns by cable car.

In the afternoon, Funchal on foot. We pass Praça CR7 and the museum of Cristiano Ronaldo - the island-born footballer after whom the local airport is named. His bronze statue stands outside, and a photograph is obligatory. We carry on to the Parque de Santa Catarina, a city park overlooking the sea and the marina, ideal for a rest. The walk takes us along Avenida Arriaga, Funchal's main boulevard, lined with cafes, shops and historic buildings, with the Sé cathedral at its end.

For the tireless, an evening bonus: PR 11, the Vereda do Larano. A coastal path along the northern cliffs of eastern Madeira, following the edge of vertical walls above the Atlantic with views towards the Ponta de São Lourenço peninsula. The route is mostly level and suits even the end of an active day - through forest, after which the path emerges onto the open cliff edge. Out and back from Larano to the Boca do Risco viewpoint.

A long, full day - from jungle and tunnels to volcanic pools and, for those who want it, adrenaline above the Atlantic.

An early start for Ginjas, a small village above São Vicente, where the PR 16 levada, the Levada Fajã do Rodrigues, begins. The path follows the levada channel over almost level ground, deep in pristine laurisilva - subtropical forest that in places quite literally swallows the path in interlaced greenery and overhanging branches. Along the way we meet a series of tunnels bored straight into the basalt. The first two are short. The last is another matter - nearly 1 km of darkness, water, low ceilings and a narrow passage, for which a headtorch and a reasonably lowered head are both required. Outside the tunnels, views over the São Vicente valley and several waterfalls spilling directly onto the path. The route ends in the gorge of the Ribeira do Inferno - the Hell River - with its stone walls and small waterfall. In total 4 km each way, around 3-3.5 hours there and back.

Afterwards we head west along the coast. On the way we stop at the Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima, a small roadside chapel tower and one of the emblems of the island's north coast. We continue with a series of viewpoints along the rocky shore: the Miradouro do Véu da Noiva (the Bridal Veil), from where a 35-metre waterfall can be seen springing straight out of the rock and falling directly into the Atlantic, with no valley and nothing in between. From there, the views towards the sea stacks of Ribeira da Janela, standing like sentinels against the ocean.

The afternoon is spent in Porto Moniz, at the very edge of the island. Here you have a choice. Option A: the natural volcanic pools of Porto Moniz - lava hollows filled with crystal-clear Atlantic water at every tide, ringed by basalt rock while the waves break outside. Swimming, sun, and lunch at one of the fishing restaurants by the harbour. Option B: Adrenalin X-Treme Adventures - a 1.6 km zipline over a deep coastal valley reaching 110 km/h, and a giant swing 250 m above the sea. Both are in the same place on the Lamaceiros ridge above Porto Moniz and can be combined.

On the way back to Funchal we stop in Santana - briefly, but not to be missed. This is home to the famous casas de colmo: traditional triangular thatched cottages with brightly coloured facades in red, white and blue, built of wood and straw by a method dating from the island's earliest settlement. The cluster by the town hall is free to visit, and the small museum rooms inside show how the farmers of northern Madeira lived centuries ago.

A long day, but one whose two halves are entirely different in character.

An early start with headtorches. We leave the hotel before dawn to reach the car park at Baía d'Abra, the start of PR 8, the Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço. The peninsula is known as the Dragon's Tail, and the reason is obvious from the air: a narrow, jagged spine of rock jutting east into the Atlantic, unlike anything else on the island. There is no laurel forest here and no waterfalls; instead, layered red and brown volcanic rock, steep sea cliffs and wind. The path sets off in darkness by torchlight and runs along the spine of the peninsula with the Atlantic on both sides, while the sun slowly rises beyond the far horizon. Under a clear sky, sunrise from the Pico do Furado viewpoint - the highest point of the route - is one of the most unusual experiences the island offers. On a clear day you can see the island of Porto Santo from here, and the silhouettes of Pico Ruivo and Pico do Arieiro in the distance. On the way back we stop at one of the viewpoints along the route.

Boat option: for anyone not tired after the early start, boats leave the Quinta do Lorde marina in Caniçal to watch dolphins and whales along the São Lourenço coast. The waters around Madeira are home to more than 20 species of cetacean, and summer greatly increases the chances of meeting pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins. The trips are led by marine biologists and last around 2 hours.

Afternoon - Santana. For those who chose the boat, or for everyone after lunch, a visit to the Madeira Theme Park in Santana. It is not an amusement park but rather a living encyclopedia of the island: reconstructions of traditional buildings, geological displays, and interactive rooms on the formation of the volcanic archipelago, the history of its settlement and traditional life. It suits everyone, and complements the previous day's visit to the traditional houses particularly well.

An afternoon bonus - PR 5, the Vereda das Funduras. For the tireless, a linear route from Portela to Maroços, 4 km and almost level. It starts at a viewpoint with a panorama over Porto da Cruz and the Penha d'Águia massif, an imposing sheer rock dominating the north coast. The path descends a forest road before entering deep laurisilva - dense ferns, moss, greenery, a narrow forest corridor. Along the way it passes the Casa das Funduras and gives a view over the bay of Machico.

The day is given over entirely to a single route - the island's most famous, and rightly regarded as one of the most beautiful mountain walks in Europe.

We leave Funchal early to reach Pico do Arieiro at sunrise or shortly before. The third-highest summit on Madeira (1,818 m) is one of the best places on the island to watch the sun come up: on a clear morning it rises over a sea of cloud stretching into the distance, while the island's peaks stand out like islands above the white blanket. The trailhead itself is already a viewpoint.

PR 1, the Vereda do Arieiro, links three of the island's highest summits: Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m), Pico das Torres (1,851 m) and Pico Ruivo (1,862 m), the highest point on Madeira and the third-highest in Portugal. The route is 7 km one way, but it is only "easy" on paper: the path runs along the sharp crest of the central massif - up, down, around, into the rock and up again - with the Atlantic visible on both sides under a clear sky. Tunnels hewn directly into the basalt. Staircases cut into the rock walls. Railings above the drops. The section around Pico das Torres is the most technically demanding, a steep climb on steps cut into the rock itself. And finally the steep last pull up to the hut and the summit of Pico Ruivo, from where in good weather the whole island is laid out before you.

⚠️ Important note: the route was closed for close to 20 months after the forest fire of August 2024 and reopened on 27 April 2026. The landscape has changed - more open, with less vegetation in the affected sections.

The descent is on PR 1.2, the Vereda do Pico Ruivo, from Pico Ruivo to the car park at Achada do Teixeira (3 km, about 1 hour).

In the evening, a well-earned rest, good food and Madeiran wine.

The last full day on the island is yours - no fixed programme, no early start. Two options, depending on how you feel.

Option A - Funchal. For anyone who wants to finish what they did not see on day 3, or simply to sink into the island's rhythm with no particular aim. The old quarter of Zona Velha with its narrow streets and painted doors. The Mercado dos Lavradores, the covered market with tropical fruit, fish stalls and local delicacies, ideal for last purchases. The seafront looking out over the harbour. A glass of Madeira wine or a poncha in the shade. And if you did not see it on day 3, the Sé cathedral, founded at the end of the 15th century, is three minutes' walk from everything.

Option B - Levada Nova and Levada do Moinho. A quiet circular route about 30 minutes by car west of Funchal, in the Lombada da Ponta do Sol area. The two levadas run parallel along the southern slope above Ponta do Sol - the lower one (Moinho) and the higher (Nova) - joining in a loop of some 9-10 km with around 150 m of ascent. The route is varied: narrow paths with views over deep green valleys and the ocean beyond, a double waterfall with the path running behind one of its arms, a rock tunnel of about 200 m requiring a headtorch, and traditional agricultural terraces, the poios. It is not for anyone afraid of heights - along the Levada Nova the path has no railing above steep drops - but the grade is moderate and manageable after the tiredness of the previous days.