Madeira is a Portuguese island in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 520 km (320 miles) west of Morocco. It is the largest island in the Madeira archipelago.
- 🇵🇹 Country: Portugal
- Capital: Funchal
- Population: about 250,000
- Size: roughly 740 km² (286 sq mi)
- Highest point: Pico Ruivo – 1,862 m (6,109 ft)
- Known for: dramatic mountains, volcanic landscapes, levada hikes, waterfalls, lush forests and spectacular coastal cliffs.
- Climate: Mild year-round, although the mountains can be considerably cooler and wetter than the coast.
- Landscape: Extremely mountainous, with steep valleys and cliffs dropping into the Atlantic.
We came here to hike and experience what some people call the Hawaii of the Atlantic. It did not disappoint.
Porto Moniz, it’s a small town on the northwest coast of Madeira, best known for its spectacular natural volcanic swimming pools. Volcanic rock formations create pools filled naturally by Atlantic seawater. The Piscinas Naturais de Porto Moniz are the main attraction.
Seixal Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on Madeira’s north coast, famous for its dark volcanic sand backed by towering green cliffs. This beach was beautiful, but we only got to drive by, there was no parking available and we had to back up around curves and uphill. Not an easy feat.
Santana, on Madeira’s north coast, is famous for its traditional triangular, thatched-roof houses, called Casas Típicas de Santana.
Ponta dos Anjos, is a scenic coastal area near Ponta Delgada on the north coast of Madeira. Very cool spot where the locals stood under the waterfall. Our GPS had us driving thru this, however, the road is closed.
Funchal is the capital and largest city of Madeira, located on the island’s sunny south coast. It is the island’s main base for restaurants, sightseeing, shopping and transportation.
Cristo Rei is the famous Christ the King statue at Garajau, just east of Funchal.
Miradouro do Véu da Noiva is on Madeira’s north coast between Seixal and São Vicente, on the old coastal road. It looks directly across at the famous Véu da Noiva waterfall, which drops from the lush cliff straight toward the Atlantic.
Rocha do Navio, is a beautiful coastal attraction near Santana on Madeira’s northeast coast.
Miradouro do Guindaste is a spectacular viewpoint on Madeira’s northeast coast, near Faial, between Santana and Porto da Cruz.
🪟 Glass viewing platforms extend over the cliffs, giving you a dramatic look straight down toward the ocean.
🌊 Huge Atlantic views — one of the best viewpoints for Madeira’s rugged north coast.
Ponta do Sol is a small, picturesque village on Madeira’s southwest coast, famous for its sunny climate, colorful buildings and dramatic setting between steep cliffs.
Ribeira Brava is a small town on Madeira’s southwest coast, about 20 km west of Funchal. Its name means “Wild River,” referring to the river that runs down from the mountains through the town.
Fanal Forest is one of the most spectacular places on Madeira, on the northwest side of the island near Porto Moniz.
- 🌳 Ancient laurel forest: Fanal is part of Madeira’s Laurissilva, a remarkably well-preserved subtropical forest that has existed for millions of years. The Laurissilva has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.
- 🌫️ The famous mist: Fog frequently rolls across the high plateau, creating the almost surreal “enchanted forest” appearance Fanal is famous for. We were there in the sun, so we did not get to experience the eerie fog.
