Madeira sits far out in the Atlantic Ocean, about 600 miles south-west of mainland Portugal and roughly 400 miles off the coast of Morocco. It is a small island, only about 35 miles long, yet it rises steeply from the sea to more than 1,800 metres at its highest point. This gives it a landscape that changes quickly: warm coastal towns, deep green valleys, and bare volcanic peaks that often stand above the clouds. The island was uninhabited when Portuguese sailors landed in the early 1400s, and much of what visitors see today — the terraced fields, the water channels, the mountain paths — was shaped by hand over the centuries that followed.
What makes Madeira different is its climate and its water. The island is mild all year, with warm summers and gentle winters, which is why it earned a reputation long ago as a place for rest and recovery. Because rain falls mostly on the higher, wetter north, early settlers built a network of narrow irrigation channels called levadas to carry water to the drier, sunnier south. There are now around 2,000 miles of these channels, and the paths that run alongside them have become some of the finest walking routes in Europe. You can follow a levada for hours through laurel forest, past waterfalls, and along the edges of steep valleys.
This is an island that suits slow travel. Distances are short on the map but slow on the ground, because the roads twist and climb. The pleasure here comes from walking, from long lunches, and from watching the weather move across the peaks. It suits travellers who are happy to take a few days over a small area rather than rush from sight to sight.
In This Email:
Portugal’s Madeira at its Best - Travel from the harbour city of Funchal up into the gardens of Monte, then higher still to the island’s central peaks. We will follow the water west to the volcanic pools of Porto Moniz and finish among the thatched houses of Santana on the green northern coast. Along the way you will find practical tips, a suggested itinerary, and clear advice on when to go.
Funchal
Monte
Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo
Porto Moniz
Santana
Suggested 5-day itinerary
When to visit and how to get there
