Madeira (Funchal), Portugal

Day 1

• Funchal cable car and Monte Palace

  The cable car climbs from the Old Town to Monte in 15 minutes (€22 return, €16 one way) flying over rooftops and valleys. At the top: the Monte Palace Tropical Garden, one of Portugal's most beautiful gardens, and the church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, the island's patron saint.

• Pico do Arieiro → Pico Ruivo (PR1)

  The island's most spectacular trek: ridgelines above a sea of clouds between Madeira's third and first peaks (1,862 m). Stairways carved into the rock, tunnels and dizzying drops. From 2026 the classified PR trails require online booking (~€3) — reserve your slot in advance.

• Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6)

  Madeira's most famous levada: you walk along the historic irrigation channels to a rock amphitheatre where 25 springs cascade into a lagoon. Inside the UNESCO-listed Laurissilva forest. Very popular: start early or go in the afternoon.

Day 2

• Fanal

  The plateau with centuries-old twisted laurel trees wrapped in fog: it looks like a fantasy film set and is one of the island's most photographed places. With fog (frequent in the morning) the atmosphere is surreal; in sunshine it turns into meadows and grazing cows.

• Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8)

  The volcanic peninsula at the eastern tip: an arid, windswept landscape of red and black cliffs plunging into the Atlantic, completely different from the green of the rest of the island. A ~7 km round-trip hike with no shade: water and a hat are mandatory.

• Porto Moniz natural pools

  Black lava pools refilled by the ocean with every wave, on the island's north-west side. The main complex charges a small entrance fee (a few euros) with changing rooms and lifeguards; the 'wild' ones next door are free. Madeira's answer to sandy beaches, which barely exist here.

Day 1

• Câmara de Lobos✦ hidden gem

  The fishing village Churchill painted in the 1950s: colourful boats hauled up in the volcanic bay, 15 minutes by bus from Funchal. Poncha was born here — try it in one of the historic bars by the harbour, not the bottled versions in souvenir shops.

• Curral das Freiras✦ hidden gem

  The 'valley of the nuns' at the bottom of a crater-like valley ringed by vertical walls: the nuns of Santa Clara took refuge here from pirates in 1566. Breathtaking view from the Eira do Serrado viewpoint (1,095 m). In November it hosts the chestnut festival.

• Seixal✦ hidden gem

  The island's most scenic black volcanic sand beach, framed by green cliffs and waterfalls dropping into the sea. Nearby is the Seixal natural pool, less known and wilder than Porto Moniz. North coast, often skipped by tours.

Day 2

• Ponta do Sol and the sunsets✦ hidden gem

  The sunniest municipality on the island, with a small seafront, a historic pier and sunsets considered Madeira's best. An ideal base for winter sun away from the city. Beware the instagrammed Anjos waterfall on the old coastal road: the water flowing down is agricultural runoff, not a pure spring.

• Mercado dos Lavradores

  Funchal's historic market, a riot of flowers, fish and exotic fruit. Beware though: the fruit stalls on the upper floor charge heavily inflated prices and much of the fruit is imported. Check the origin tags, buy on the ground floor or in the shops around it, and come on Friday or Saturday when the real farmers arrive.

Day 1

• Poncha

  The national cocktail: aguardente de cana (sugar-cane spirit), honey and lemon or orange juice, whipped with the traditional wooden 'caralhinho'. The authentic version is made to order in poncha bars — avoid the industrial bottles in souvenir shops.

• Espetada, bolo do caco and lapas

  The Madeiran triad: bay-laurel beef skewer hung by the table, sweet-potato bread baked on stone and served with garlic butter, and grilled limpets (lapas) with garlic and lemon. Try them in the restaurants of Câmara de Lobos or the Old Town.

• Espada with banana

  Black scabbardfish, caught in the deep trenches around the island, served with local banana and sometimes passion-fruit sauce. A staple of tourist restaurants: the more traditional preparation comes with boiled potatoes, vegetables or milho frito.

Day 2

• Madeira wine lodges

  The fortified wine that shaped the island's history, from dry Sercial to sweet Malvasia. In Funchal you can tour the historic lodges with tastings — decades-old vintages are still perfectly drinkable thanks to the controlled oxidation that makes this wine almost immortal.

• Mercado dos Lavradores

  Funchal's historic market, a riot of flowers, fish and exotic fruit. Beware though: the fruit stalls on the upper floor charge heavily inflated prices and much of the fruit is imported. Check the origin tags, buy on the ground floor or in the shops around it, and come on Friday or Saturday when the real farmers arrive.