Madeira is a sub-tropical archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and is an autonomous region of Portugal. The archipelago is made up of two populated islands, Madeira and Porto Santo, and two groups of unpopulated islands called the Desertas and Selvagens Islands. Geographically in Africa, it is an ultra-peripheral region of the European Union. It is perhaps best known as the birthplace of the Portuguese football (soccer) player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Known worldwide as the Islands of eternal spring, Madeira, "Ilha Jardim" (Garden Island) or "Pearl of the Atlantic", has a mild climate throughout the entire year.
Madeira is 500 km from the African coast and 1,000 km from the European continent, a 1½-hr flight from mainland Portugal and about 4 hours from central Europe.
The Madeira (muh-DAY-ruh, /mɐ.ˈdɐj.ɾɐ/) Islands are just a short trip from Europe (more or less 4 hours from UK), to a destination where you can combine holidays by the sea, in the mountains or in the city.
Discovered early in the 15th century by the Portuguese navigators João Gonçalves Zarco, Tristão Vaz Teixeira and Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Madeira was an important waypoint on the Cape Route, and is today an autonomous region of Portugal.
Madeira is a popular destination for tourists of all ages. Its constant mild climate – temperatures 20-27 °C – keeps the spring on Madeira all year round. The levadas, an ingenious system of stone- and concrete-lined watercourses distributing water from the rainy north to the dry south, help flowers and crops flourish all year. That's why this island is called the Garden in the Atlantic. The maintenance pathways for these water canals provide wonderful level trails for hiking in the mountains—up to —and through the tremendous landscape.
Madeira has the same immigration laws as the rest of Portugal, and is therefore part of the Schengen Area.
If you drive to or from the airport by (rental) car, ask for directions to the parking area you need; there are seven, and they are badly signposted. Note that some smaller rental companies operate from sites near but not at the airport, and provide transport between terminal and depot.
There are no ferries from any mainland, the only way to transport cargo is by booking containers.
Bus timetables are very confusing as they do not include clear route details. Pay special attention to any footnotes for your route listed on the schedule, as holidays or school days can change the presence of the route.
Tickets can be bought from the driver, who can provide change. For extra-urban buses, fare varies by distance traveled so tell the driver your destination and he'll give you a transfer if necessary. If you'll be taking the bus often, multi-day bus passes are available from most bus companies, but they are limited to one operator, so only useful if you'll by staying in the same general part of Madeira.
There are three bus companies on Madeira.
All Rodoeste and S.A.M. buses converge in the center of Funchal.
Lots of taxis are available in Madeira offering all sights and locations in a round trip for fixed prices.
Driving in Madeira is not for the faint-hearted. A few main routes marked "Via Expresso" or "Via Rapida" (VE and VR on maps) are well-maintained, reasonably straight and level, thanks to a large number of tunnels, bridges and viaducts. All other roads are narrow and often steep. If a member of your group really enjoys the challenge of driving up ceaseless-seeming hairpin bends up mountains against oncoming traffic and usually with a sheer cliff face on one (or both) sides, then you may wish to consider hiring a car. Otherwise, it is best not to attempt driving on most of the island and instead to use buses and taxis. Of course a holiday based on public transport is less flexible, but for a driver with less than 100% confidence many of the roads are tiring, stressful and even dangerous. No one should feel ashamed relying on the local bus, taxi and tour drivers (who after all are much better used to this kind of road). If you do decide to drive, then renting via the Internet is usually cheaper than walking-in. Free parking space in Funchal is severely limited: those marked with an M are only for residents, so you have to pay for parking garages.
Some of the popular hikes, like Pico Ruivo, Levada das 25 Fontes and Levada do Caldeirão Verde are not reachable by public transport, but served by various tour companies, although that often includes a guide for the walk, adding to the cost of transport. Apart from being safer than self-driving, this might still turn out cheaper than car rental, at least for solo travellers. The company Picotransfers offers transport only tours at about €30 per destination, mostly for the Pico Ruivo hike in non-pandemic times. This comes with the added benefit of allowing a one-way hike from Pico do Arieiro via Pico Ruivo to Achada do Teixeira, as they can drop you off in one place and pick up in the other, as opposed to you with your rental car, where you have to walk the same way back to the parking spot.
English is as common as in mainland Portugal, although people will always appreciate it if you try and learn a few words of Portuguese. Note that the Portuguese spoken in Madeira tends to be heavily accented.
Madeira is famous recently among digital nomads, especially in cities like Ponta do Sol.
Madeira wine is a fortified wine prized equally for drinking and cooking. There are four major types of Madeira: Malvasia (also known as Malmsey or Malvazia), Bual (or Boal), Verdelho, and Sercial, the latter two being drier.
Poncha is the most traditional drink of Madeira.
See individual city articles for listings. Those below are mostly outside towns.
Emergency Service telephone number is 112. Some police in Funchal have red armbands, this signifies that they speak another language other than Portuguese, mainly English and German. Crime figures for Madeira are very low.