Tips
- Get up early! Some Hikes are very popular, but arriving early (before or around sunrise), you beat the crowd and can enjoy a much calmer hike.
- Check out the WalkMe Madeira app. We paid a few euros, but it has a convenient list with all (most?) available hikes, as well as their duration, some pictures, the difficulty and the location.
- Check out the AllTrails app. This app is more general than the app before, but it has most hike paths everywhere, also on Madeira. If you want to deviate from the usual path, you can use this app to find your way.
- Check out the Madeira Weather app. Weather on the island changes very quickly, but you can use it in the morning to see if it is worth visiting the place you were planning, or if you should change your plans, leading to the next point:
- Be flexible! Weather conditions might make it so you are better off visiting some other place in Madeira, so have a backup plan!
Hikes we did
Fanal Forest
Very beautiful, but also a very popular spot, so come early! We were there at about 9AM, so we beat the big crowds. The parking space was almost empty when we arrived, but when we left 3 hours later it was packed! There is a hike towards the coast which is easy but fun.
PR 6 – Levada das 25 Fontes
Watch out for low hanging branches! Very pretty hike, with lots of small birds that you can get quite close to. There is a long walk down (and up at the end) a steep road, where we decided to take a shuttle bus back up for a few euros per person, as we were tired from the two hikes we did that day.
PR8 – Ponta de São Lourenço Viewpoints
Due to a storm we were not allowed to hike that day, so we decided to just go to the only part of the island where it was not raining: São Lourenço. Very touristy area as well, so come early when you decide to do the hike there (which we did later!)
PR 11 – Vereda dos Balcões
Very short, flat and easy hike, with a really cool viewpoint at the end! We were again very early, beating the busloads of elderly people who arrived when we got back. There is a fish farm at the start (and end) of this walk, where you can enjoy a nicely smoked fish to fill back up!
PR 9 – Levada do Caldeirão Verde
Flat but long hike that we did after PR11. We were getting quite tired at the end, having walked about 10KM up and back down. Very beautiful caves and views along the way, and a grand final reveal at the end. You have to skip past a fence that was placed after a rock slide about 4 years ago (in 2019), but it should be safe at this point.
Funchal Monte Palace Garden
The Monte Palace Gardens seemed perfect for a rest day, but we were fooled! You have to walk up and down a steep road to get there from the closest parking space, and the gardens themselves are on a big slope. They are very pretty, and include a gallery of paintings describing the history of Portugal and Madeira.
PR 1 – Vereda do Areeiro
The most well-known hike of Madeira. Most people only go to the narrow part to take pictures and hike back up, but there are still plenty of people who go all the way to Pico Ruivo! We arrived early again, before sunset even. This is a very tough hike, especially when the weather conditions are bad like they were for us, but it is 100% worth it. At one point, the path was collapsed, so we had to climb down some dirt. We drove around for the rest of the day to relax and wind down after this tough hike. Definitely recommended, but only for people who are fit enough to do it.
PR8 – Ponta de São Lourenço (Revisited)
One of the prettiest hikes, but also the most touristy! It was not super tough, but has some climbs. We left at 9AM, beating the big crowds, but the path was packed on the way back, even in January! Arrive early, and make sure to bring sunscreen, as there is not much cover on the path. The last climb up was tough, as the carved stairs were in bad condition, and the railing had sharp wires sticking out. Still absolutely recommended!
Seixal Beach
The black sand beach in Seixal was definitely worth a visit, especially since it is fairly close to PR8. Even just driving along the coast is worth it!
PR 12 – Caminho Real da Encumeada
A hidden gem! We saw almost nobody on this hike, there and back. The hike is closed halfway, but you can take a detour up to Pico Grande and go back to where you started. We had great weather, and great views. The climb up to Pico Grande is very tough, and a bit scary at times, going up steep stairs with no guard rail.
Even in January, there were a lot of pretty yellow flowers and buzzing bees.
Random Central, North Coast and West Coast Viewpoints
Tired from all the hiking, we decided to drive through the center of the island, west along the north coast and back along the west coast and visit some random viewpoints. Like the rest of the island, these are also beautiful areas to visit.