Madeira Trip Guide
What to See in Madeira: Twelve Places, and What Each One Shows You
What to see in Madeira is mostly a question about landscape rather than museums: a ridge above the cloud, a water channel through laurel forest, a lava pool, a market hall, a cliff with a glass floor. This page takes twelve of them, says what you actually see at each, what it costs at the gate and what decides whether you can go that day. Four need a booked trail slot, one is closed indefinitely, and several cost nothing. For the whole inventory see our independent Madeira guide, and to turn this into days see Madeira in 3 days.
Quick answer The twelve in four lines
If you only have one day, take the ridge from Pico do Areeiro at sunrise and the old town of Funchal in the afternoon. The four classified walks on this page now cost $5.17 (€4.50) each and need a booked slot on SIMplifica, with the full PR1 crossing at $12.06 (€10.50). The city sights and the north coast pools are cheap or free, but the caves at São Vicente are closed.
Key takeaways
- The highest landscape: the ridge from Pico do Areeiro, free to stand at, the walk onward costs and needs a booking
- The north coast in one go: the north-west 4WD day, eight hours, $79.00, covering Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal
- The fees and slot rules in full: Madeira trail fees
- Landscapes you can reach by car: viewpoints you can drive to
The Twelve Compared: What You See, What It Costs
This table compares the twelve places side by side: what each one shows you, the official adult price at the gate or on the booking system, and how much of your day to set aside. The times to allow are our estimates and exclude travel.
| Place | What you see | Official price | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pico do Areeiro | A 1,818 m summit above the cloud, the start of the ridge walk | Free | About 1 hour at the top, plus the drive, our estimate |
| Pico Ruivo | The highest point of the archipelago at 1,862 m, on foot only | $12.06 (€10.50) for the full PR1 crossing | Half a day for PR1, our estimate |
| Levada das 25 Fontes | Waterfalls and laurel forest at Rabaçal | $5.17 (€4.50) | The IFCN trail board says 3h, allow more with the shuttle, our estimate |
| Levada do Caldeirão Verde | A 110 m waterfall at the end of four tunnels | $5.17 (€4.50) | The IFCN trail board says 6h30, our estimate |
| Fanal | Centuries-old til trees in the Laurissilva | No fee published | An hour or two, our estimate |
| Cabo Girão | A 580 m glass skywalk over Europe's highest promontory | $5.74 (€5) | Under an hour, our estimate |
| Porto Moniz | Volcanic rock pools filled by the sea | $3.44 (€3) over 3 years | Half a day with the north coast, our estimate |
| Seixal | Black sand beach and free sea pools | Free | An hour or two, our estimate |
| Ponta de São Lourenço | A treeless, semi-arid peninsula, the island's eastern tip | $5.17 (€4.50) | The IFCN trail board says 2h30, our estimate |
| Funchal old town | A 1940 market, a 1493 cathedral, the Zona Velha and a 1614 fortress | No entry fees published | Half a day, our estimate |
| Monte | A tropical garden, a church and the toboggan run | $25.30 (€22) cable car return, $20.70 (€18) garden | Most of a day, our estimate |
| The sea | Whales, dolphins, the Desertas, or the 9 km beach of Porto Santo | From $40.00 for a watching trip | Two hours to a full day, our estimate |
Prices come from the operators, IFCN, SIMplifica and the councils, converted at €1 = $1.1481. The times to allow are our estimates for the visit itself, not published figures, and they exclude travel. Four of the walks need a prior SIMplifica slot as well as the fee. Figures current for in Q3 2026.
The Central Peaks
Pico do Areeiro
The easiest big view on the island. Pico do Areeiro stands at 1,818 m and the road takes you to the top, where the ridge runs on towards Pico das Torres at 1,851 m and Pico Ruivo at 1,862 m. On a clear day Visit Madeira says you can see Ponta de São Lourenço, Curral das Freiras and Porto Santo.
Standing at the viewpoint is free. The catch is the sky. Cloud fills the valleys below and can sit over the summit too, so the same spot can be a white wall one morning and the best view of your trip the next.
The summit road can close for events, so check before you set out. If you want sunrise, it comes at about 07:50 in September by our computation, so leave Funchal early, our estimate.
Pico Ruivo
Pico Ruivo is the highest point of the archipelago at 1,862 m and you can only reach it on foot. Two routes serve it. PR1 comes over the ridge from Pico do Areeiro, and PR1.2 climbs from Achada do Teixeira, where the IFCN trail board gives 2.8 km and 1h30, without saying one way or return.
The rules matter here. PR1 is two-way only between Pico do Areeiro and the Pedra Rija viewpoint at km 1.2. From Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo it is one-way, in the direction Areeiro to Ruivo, and IFCN provides no return transport, so you exit by PR1.1 down to Ilha or by PR1.2 to Achada do Teixeira and arrange your own lift.
IFCN closed the Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo section on announced works days, most recently in mid September 2026, so check the IFCN notices for your date. PR1 has been open every day since 26 June 2026.
What the peaks cost and how you book them
The full PR1 crossing costs $12.06 (€10.50), which covers PR1.1 and PR1.2 as well. Walking only as far as Pedra Rija and back costs the standard $5.17 (€4.50). Since 1 January 2026 every classified trail needs a prior booking on SIMplifica in a capacity-limited entry slot, with about 15 minutes' tolerance, and same-day or next-day bookings are possible subject to availability.
The full fees and slot rules are on our Madeira trail fees page. If you would rather not organise the transfer, the Pico do Arieiro sunrise and Ruivo PR1 hike transfer runs 8 hours, costs $38.00, and includes permit booking help, with the permit fee itself paid separately. For the viewpoint without the walk, our Pico do Areeiro page has the details.
Visit Madeira gives PR1 about 3 hours and calls it moderate, which is Visit Madeira's figure, not IFCN's, since IFCN publishes no difficulty grades.
Sources: IFCN trail register and FAQ, Visit Madeira peaks pages. Sunrise times are our own computation from NOAA formulas.
The Laurel Forest and Its Levadas
The Laurissilva
The laurel forest that covers the island's north and centre is the reason Madeira is on the World Heritage map. The Laurissilva of Madeira has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, and walking through it is a different experience from the open peaks: shaded levada channels, moss, and tree species that once covered southern Europe. Most of the classic walks on the island run through it, and every classified one of them now needs a SIMplifica booking before you set out.
Levada das 25 Fontes
PR6 is the island's most walked levada. The IFCN register gives 4.3 km each way and the trail board says 3h, without saying one way or return. Circulation is one-way: you go out along the levada channel and return on the Bypass path above it.
The fee is $5.17 (€4.50) and a SIMplifica slot is required. Getting there has its own problem, because the ER105 road from Encumeada is closed to traffic. The Calheta municipality runs a shuttle to the Posto Florestal do Rabaçal, which is about 2 km from the start of the walk, at $5.74 (€5) one way or $9.18 (€8) return.
Toilets are at the forestry post only.
Levada do Caldeirão Verde
PR9 is the longer, darker walk. The register gives 8.7 km each way and the trail board says 6h30, again without saying one way or return. The reward is a waterfall of 110 m at the end, and on the way you pass through four tunnels, so carry a torch.
The fee is $5.17 (€4.50) and the slot rules are the same. If you want company and transport handled, the guided Caldeirão Verde levada walk runs 7 hours at $55.00 with pickup from the hotels the operator lists.
Fanal
Fanal is a plateau on the north-west where centuries-old til trees stand in open grass, often with fog rolling through them. It is part of the same UNESCO Laurissilva and needs no walk to enjoy. No entry fee, ticket or paid car park is published on any official page, so nothing is charged at the gate as far as any official page shows.
It sits at the end of the same day as the north coast, which is why the Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal 4WD tour makes sense for people without a car.
The forest walks compared
The four walks below are the ones most visitors choose between. The distances and board times come from the IFCN register and trail boards, and the fees are the current non-resident rates. Remember that every one of these needs its own SIMplifica slot in addition to the fee.
| Walk | Distance (IFCN register) | Board time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6) | 4.3 km each way | The IFCN trail board says 3h | $5.17 (€4.50) |
| Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9) | 8.7 km each way | The IFCN trail board says 6h30 | $5.17 (€4.50) |
| Levada do Risco (PR6.1) | 3 km each way | The IFCN trail board says 2h | $5.17 (€4.50) |
| Vereda dos Balcões (PR11) | 1.5 km each way | Not stated on the board data we hold | $5.17 (€4.50) |
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage list, IFCN trail register and FAQ, Calheta council. Board durations are IFCN's and never say one way or return.
The Volcanic Coast
Cabo Girão
A glass floor hangs 580 m above the sea at Cabo Girão, which Visit Madeira calls the highest promontory in Europe. Entry is $5.74 (€5) on SIMplifica, free for children 12 and under, and it opens daily 08:00-20:00. The fact that decides the visit is the haze: a south-facing view over Câmara de Lobos towards Funchal is at its clearest in the morning, our estimate.
It sits close to Funchal, so it is the easiest paid sight on this page to add to any day.
Porto Moniz
The natural pools of Porto Moniz are lava rock basins filled by the tide, and swimming in them is the north-coast highlight for most visitors. Entry is $3.44 (€3) for anyone over 3 years old, and the council keeps lifeguards on constant duty. Hours are 09:00-17:00 in winter and 09:00-19:00 in summer.
The fact that decides the visit is the swell: on rough days the pools close or the swimming is hard, and no official page publishes a forecast for that, so judge the sea when you arrive. Free volcanic pools sit next door at the Aquário if the paid complex is busy.
Seixal
Seixal is the island's best black-sand beach, with the free Clube Naval pools beside it, open 10:00-19:00. The council warns that the sea at the Poças das Lesmas pools there often surprises bathers, which is the fact that should decide where you swim there. The beach itself is free access and the setting, under green cliffs, is the photo most people bring home from the north coast.
Ponta de São Lourenço
PR8 runs along the bare eastern tip of the island, 4 km each way on the IFCN register, with the trail board saying 2h30, without saying one way or return. It is treeless and semi-arid, more like a different island than the laurel forest two valleys away, with the ocean on both sides the whole way. The fee is $5.17 (€4.50) and the SIMplifica slot is required.
The fact that decides the visit is the wind, which funnels along the peninsula, and the absence of shade, so go early and carry water, our estimate. The Caniçal transfer for the PR8 hike costs $36.00, runs 6 hours, and includes the trail permit and a digital map, with the hike itself self-guided.
Sources: SIMplifica, Visit Madeira, the councils of Porto Moniz and Funchal. The fact that decides the visit is stated for each place.
The City and the Hill Above It
Mercado dos Lavradores
Funchal's farmers' market opened on 24 November 1940 and still runs as a working market. Hours are Monday to Thursday 07:00-19:00, Friday to 20:00, Saturday to 14:00, and it closes on Sunday. No entry fee is published.
Go for the fruit stalls and the building itself, and go in the morning, our estimate, when it is most alive. The market sits at the edge of the old town, so it pairs naturally with a walk through the Zona Velha.
The Cathedral and the Zona Velha
Funchal Cathedral was ordered by King João II in 1493 and has been a National Monument since 1910. It opens Monday to Friday 07:15-18:30, Saturday 08:00-12:00 and 16:00-19:00, and Sunday 07:15-12:00 and 16:00-19:00, and no entry fee is published. The Zona Velha around it holds the Fortress of São Tiago, begun in 1614, and Rua de Santa Maria, one of the city's oldest streets, with the 15th-century Corpo Santo Chapel.
A walking tour of the old town costs $19.00 and runs 2 hours if you would like it explained.
The cable car to Monte
The Funchal to Monte cable car leaves from Jardim Almirante Reis by the old town, close to the market, and arrives at Largo das Babosas in Monte. It covers 3.2 km in about 18 minutes on average. An adult pays $18.37 (€16) one way or $25.30 (€22) return, children 0 to 6 ride free and ages 7 to 14 pay half price.
Published hours are 08:45-17:45 daily except 25 December, with one page of the operator's site noting a 09:00 opening and last boarding at 17:45. Our cable car and toboggan tickets page has the practical detail.
Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Monte Palace is the garden on the hill, adult entry $20.70 (€18), children up to 14 free with an adult. Hours are 09:00-19:00 from April to September and 09:00-18:00 from October to March, closed 25 December, with last entry at 17:00. Tickets are sold online, valid for 365 days, and at three ticket offices for the same $20.70 (€18).
The price includes the museum and a Moscatel tasting, and the garden's own recommended visit is 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The terrain is steep.
The toboggan
The wicker toboggan run starts at Caminho do Monte 151 by Monte Church and costs $34.40 (€30) for one person, $45.90 (€40) for two, or $68.90 (€60) for three. It runs Monday to Saturday 09:00-18:00. It does not run on Sundays or public holidays, tickets are on site only with no online booking, and the 2 km ride lasts about 10 minutes by Visit Madeira's figure.
It ends at Caminho do Monte 82/84 in Livramento, which is not central Funchal, and no official transport back is provided, so budget for the walk or a taxi from there. Monte Church itself holds the tomb of Charles I, the last Emperor of Austria, who died in 1922.
Sources: Visit Madeira, Teleféricos da Madeira, Monte Palace, Carreiros do Monte. Tickets are sold online and at the gate for the same price where both exist.
What You Only See From the Water
Whales and dolphins
Trips leave from Funchal marina and the good operators work with land-based spotters, so sightings are a question of season and luck rather than a guarantee. The ecological catamaran dolphin and whale watching trip costs from $40.00 as listed and runs 2 hours 30 minutes. Wheelchair-accessible toilets are on board. Morning is the calmest water, our estimate.
The Desertas
The Desertas Islands are an uninhabited nature reserve visible from the south-east coast, and you can visit them on a full-day catamaran from Funchal. Landing on them is regulated: IFCN authorisation is required and is requested on SIMplifica, and there is no public ferry. The Desertas Islands full-day catamaran trip costs $103.00 as listed, runs 9 hours, and includes lunch on board. If the landing is not authorised on your date, you still see the islands from the water.
Porto Santo
Porto Santo is the other inhabited island of the archipelago, and its beach runs 9 km of pale sand, unlike anything on Madeira itself. The Lobo Marinho ferry sails from Funchal, with an adult return fare of $82.70 (€72.02) from April to September and $67.60 (€58.90) in other months, plus a monthly fuel surcharge. The crossing currently takes 3 hours 15 minutes each way, which the line states is for technical reasons.
In the published timetable, sailings leave Funchal at 08:00 on most days with the return in the evening, but there is no morning sailing on Fridays, so check the timetable for your day before committing.
Sources: IFCN, Porto Santo Line, and the tour listings named below. Tour durations and prices are the listings' own.
Closed, Restricted or Not Worth the Detour
Simply closed
The São Vicente Caves and Volcanism Centre are closed indefinitely for maintenance works, so do not plan a day around them and do not believe older guides that still list them. The Guindaste viewpoint page still carries a closure notice reading CLOSED TIL JUNE 2026, with no reopening note published, so treat it as closed until an official page says otherwise.
Closed trails
On the IFCN register, PR7, PR20, PR27 and PR28 are closed, as is PR1.3 between Boca das Torrinhas and Encumeada, and the east branch of PR1 via Pico das Torres. PR12 is open only from Boca da Corrida to km 3.5. In addition, IFCN closes the Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo section of PR1 on announced works days, so even a trail marked open can be partly shut on your date.
The register changes
Trail status is not a set-and-forget fact. IFCN updates its register, and closures appear and lift with works and weather, so read the IFCN trail register for your dates and our trail fees page for the booking rules that go with them.
Sources: IFCN register, the São Vicente Caves operator, and the Guindaste viewpoint page. Check each before you drive.
Seeing Madeira Without Wasting a Day
Most wasted days on this island come from missing a booking rule or arriving after the weather turned. These are the habits that keep that from happening.
Do
- Book your SIMplifica slots before you drive anywhere, and check the IFCN register for works-day closures on PR1.
- Go for the peaks early in the day, because cloud builds and sunrise at Pico do Areeiro comes at about 07:50 in September by our computation.
- Carry a torch for the Caldeirão Verde tunnels and water for the shadeless Ponta de São Lourenço walk.
- Take the Calheta shuttle to Rabaçal, since the ER105 road from Encumeada is closed to traffic.
- Plan a Sunday that does not depend on the toboggan, which does not run on Sundays or public holidays.
Don't
- Do not drive to the São Vicente Caves, which are closed indefinitely.
- Do not plan to walk back from Pico Ruivo on PR1, which is one-way past Pedra Rija with no IFCN return transport.
- Do not assume the toboggan drops you in central Funchal, because it ends in Livramento with no official transport back.
- Do not rely on the 25 Fontes car park, because access by the closed road is what the shuttle exists for.
- Do not count on seeing anything from Cabo Girão or Pico do Areeiro when the cloud is low, and have a coast plan instead.
How Much of This Fits Your Trip
Three, five or seven days
The twelve on this page do not fit into every trip, so here is how we would split them by the length of stay. Each plan below is our own itinerary, built around the landscapes in the order that wastes the least travel time.
| Days | What you see | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | The peaks, the old town and Monte, plus one north-coast day | Madeira in 3 days |
| 5 | The twelve above, with the east and west split across two more days | Madeira in 5 days |
| 7 | All twelve at a humane pace, with a Porto Santo day added | Seven days |
The one most first-timers skip
The one most first-timers skip is Ponta de São Lourenço, because it sits at the far end of the island from the famous peaks and looks like just another walk. It is not. It is the only treeless, semi-arid landscape on this page, the ocean on both sides for 4 km each way, and a completely different Madeira from the laurel forest an hour away, our judgement.
Book the slot and go.
Sources: our own itineraries. Times to allow are our estimates throughout.
Seeing Them Without Driving
If you would rather not take the island's roads yourself, these listings cover most of the twelve above, with pickup in the Funchal area and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance on each of them. Durations and prices are the listings' own.
from $79.00
Madeira Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal & Fanal 4WD Tour
A full-day open-roof Land Rover tour reaching Porto Moniz, Seixal, Fanal forest and Ponta do Sol, with a lunch break and free pickup.
Check Availability
from $38.00
Pico do Arieiro Sunrise & Ruivo PR1 Hike Transfer
A timed sunrise transfer to Pico do Arieiro with a return pickup after the PR1 ridge hike toward Pico Ruivo, plus permit booking help.
Check Availability
from $50.00
Rabaçal: 25 Fontes & Risco Levada Hiking Transfer
A transfer to Rabaçal covering both the 25 Fontes and Risco waterfall levadas, with a route map instead of a guided walk.
Check Availability
from $36.00
Caniçal Transfer for the PR8 Ponta de São Lourenço Hike
A shared transfer to the PR8 trailhead at Ponta de São Lourenço, Madeira's easternmost tip, with the trail permit and a digital map included.
Check Availability
from $40.00
Ecological Catamaran Dolphin and Whale Watching
An electric-assisted catamaran trip off Funchal with land-based whale spotters, two decks and wheelchair-accessible toilets.
Check Availability
from $19.00
Funchal Old Town Walking Tour
A 2 hour small-group walk through Funchal's Old Town, the Jesuits' College, the Farmers' Market, a wine lodge and a historic sweet factory.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Where to Go Next
Madeira Viewpoints
The big views you can reach by car, when the legs or the weather rule out the walks. Start at Madeira viewpoints.
Madeira Map
All twelve of these on one map, so you can see which ones group into a day. Open the Madeira map.
Free Things to Do in Madeira
What costs nothing, from the Seixal pools to the market and the cathedral. See free things to do in Madeira.
What to See in Madeira: Questions
What should you not miss in Madeira?
Our short list is the ridge at Pico do Areeiro, one levada walk in the laurel forest such as the 25 Fontes, the pools at Porto Moniz, Cabo Girão, the old town and Monte in Funchal, and one trip out on the water for whale watching. That is six of the twelve and they cover every landscape on the island.
What is Madeira best known for?
Two things dominate. One is the Laurissilva, the laurel forest that UNESCO listed in 1999 and that you walk through on the levada trails. The other is the landscape of peaks and cliffs, from Pico Ruivo, the highest point of the archipelago at 1,862 m, to the 580 m drop at Cabo Girão. Add Madeira wine and the toboggan and you have the postcard version.
What can I see in Madeira in one day?
With a car, our pick is sunrise at Pico do Areeiro, which comes at about 07:50 in September by our computation, then the old town of Funchal and the market in the afternoon, and the cable car up to Monte before the last boarding. Without a car, the north-west 4WD day covers the Skywalk coast, Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal in one listing that runs 8 hours.
What can you not see in Madeira without a booking?
Every classified walking trail managed by IFCN needs a prior SIMplifica slot, so that includes PR1 to Pico Ruivo, the 25 Fontes, Caldeirão Verde and Ponta de São Lourenço. The full rules are on our trail fees page. Landing on the Desertas Islands also needs IFCN authorisation requested on SIMplifica.
What is closed in Madeira right now?
The São Vicente Caves and Volcanism Centre are closed indefinitely for maintenance works. On the IFCN register, PR7, PR20, PR27 and PR28 are closed, along with PR1.3 between Boca das Torrinhas and Encumeada. The section above on what is closed has the full list, and the rainy day page covers the alternatives.
What can I see in Madeira if I cannot walk far?
Plenty. The Pico do Areeiro summit viewpoint is at the end of a road, Fanal needs no walking, Cabo Girão has a lift-served entrance, and the Porto Moniz pools and Seixal beach need only a few steps. The flat Balcões levada is the shortest forest walk, and drivable viewpoints do the rest.
The Twelve on Film
Three films covering most of the places on this page, useful for judging which landscape you want first.
Top 10 Places to Visit in Madeira
Ten of the places on this page, filmed, so you can see what each one looks like.
Video: Joel and Emilia10 Best Things to Do in Madeira
A run through the island's landscapes, useful for deciding which ones you want.
Video: Experience Luxury Travel50 Best Things to Do in Madeira, Portugal
A far longer list than ours, helpful once the twelve here are booked.
Video: Toucan TravellersVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
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