If you’re looking for a mix of fun nature activities like hiking and whale watching, as well as cultural activities, then 6 days in Madeira is the ideal amount of time to explore without rushing. I crafted the perfect Madeira itinerary (in my humble opinion) to see the whole island, organised by geographical proximity, and allowing for main attractions like the Pico do Areeiro sunrise hike, but also time to explore hidden gems and also rest.
Even if you’re not an avid hiker but still enjoy nature activities with moderate effort, this itinerary will still work for you (I’m not a hiker, and this Madeira travel guide worked out perfectly for me). The itinerary can also be modified to add extra activities like a day trip to Porto Santo. I expand on this at the end.
Note that we stayed in the same town the entire time, and didn’t feel the need to move around because Madeira is small. However, we did rent a car in order to be able to do this itinerary efficiently. Public transport is a good option and more eco-friendly, but not as efficient if you have limited time.
PS: If you’re ready to visit Madeira but not keen on planning it out, this is a very good organised tour.
We were based in Machico, a lovely residential town on the east side of the island outside the tourist zone, and we explored from there. I loved our accommodation; it’s locally owned, everything was brand new, and it has beautiful views and a big patio, perfect for relaxing at the end of the day.
Spend your first day in Madeira relaxing and doing mild exploration in preparation for early morning wake-up calls for sunrise hikes.
Our Day 1 on our Madeira itinerary, we explored the beaches and the area around Machico. We went to the black sand beach (Praia São Roque), and the man-made white sandy one next to it, Praia de Machico.
We also walked around town to see the flowers, because this was in May during the flower festival.
At sunset, we looked up miradouros (viewpoints) on Google Maps and went to explore a few of them.
After resting on arrival day, the real adventure begins.
Day 2 on our Madeira itinerary was all about hiking the island’s tallest peak: the PR1 trail at sunrise. I detail everything in this article about hiking the PR 1 trail from Pico Do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo.
We were done with the hike before noon, so we went to Funchal for lunch and to explore the gardens.
We lunched at a local restaurant called A Nova Celha (try their Bolo do Caco bread with garlic butter). For the gardens, we chose between Monte Palace, the Botanical Gardens, and the hidden gem Quinta do Palheiro, since we didn’t want to rush to try and see all of them.
I should have chosen the Quinta, but ended up choosing Monte Palace because I was curious about the oriental designs influenced by Japanese and Chinese culture. I regretted this decision because I found that they hold flamingoes captive in a tiny enclosure, and the flamingoes were clearly distressed and kept trying to fly off, but couldn’t.
Day 3: space out the hiking days so that you don’t get overly tired or fed up with hiking.
On Day 3, we explored the southwest and west side of the island, driving through small towns and stopping at beaches and miradouros, before going off the beaten path towards the west coast. There were a lot of stops, but it was not physically strenuous, and was quite relaxing (at least for me, I was passenger princess and not driving).
Insider tip: you get similar views from the free miradouro right before Cabo Girao: Miradouro Lombo do Facho.
This concluded day 3 of my carefully crafted Madeira itinerary. We got back to our accommodation in time for a little rest before dinner.
On day 4, you can squeeze in another hike and explore the east coast, and do a few cultural activities. If you’re not into hiking, skip the morning hike and do the other activities leisurely.
Insider tip: The houses at Praça de Santana were built for tourists, and they are souvenir shops. But one of the authentic and original remaining Santana houses is down the road, and the friendly owners are there daily to welcome people and share their stories. It’s free to visit, but leaving a small tip is polite, especially if you’re taking pictures and visiting the inside of the house.
This is a long trail, which is why we opted for the shorter trail in the morning and skipped this one, but you can swap your morning hike with this instead, especially if you prefer hiking through forests and trees rather than on hilly peaks.
We could have made time for this hike, but we didn’t want to rush our day, and we wanted to rest before dinner and enjoy the views from our accommodation.
Insider tip: if you choose to do this hike rather than the one we did in the morning, go as early as possible because it gets crowded as it’s a very popular levada hike (levadas are traditional irrigation systems. Find more details and practical tips about Madeira).
Day 5 involved moderately easy hiking trails, finishing with natural pools at Porto Moniz in the northwest of Madeira.
Insider tip: as you drive down from Fanal forest towards Porto Moniz, the decrease in elevation can cause pressure in your ears. Prepare yourself by chewing candy or plastic-free gum, or just make a masticating movement on the drive.
On our last day in Madeira, we debated whether to go on a whale-watching boat trip or spend a chill, slow morning at our beautiful accommodation. We opted for the latter because we’ve done a lot of whale-watching in the past.
You can see some species year-round, while others are seasonal (mostly in the spring and early summer).
If you’re not into whale watching, or want to add another activity or even an extra day, take the ferry to Porto Santo. It’s a small island and part of the Madeira archipelago, and can be reached via a 2.5-hour ferry or a short flight.
This concludes the ideal 6-day Madeira itinerary for a good mix of nature, moderate hikes, cultural exploration, and off-the-beaten-path gems.
Without rushing, a week is the ideal time to properly visit Madeira, and even sneak in a day or two in the other, much tinier island, Porto Santo.
While Madeira is mostly a hiking destination, rather than being a beach holiday (although it does have plenty of beaches, mostly black sandy ones), you can still enjoy Madeira without hiking. There are water-related activities like surfing, or you can drive to various miradouros for amazing views that don’t require hiking.
Yes, you can visit the small island of Porto Santo (part of the Madeira archipelago) on a day trip by taking the ferry from the main island of Madeira. There are also flights that go to Porto Santo, but with airport time and all, the ferry is likely the fastest way (and more sustainable). However, I do recommend spending a night in Porto Santo to properly relax and enjoy the nature and beach there.
