✈️Madeira Island – Complete travel guide

A complete guide to plan your trip to Madeira Island. Write down the tips and enjoy a lot!

The island of Madeira, the main island of the Madeira archipelago, is a very different destination for anyone thinking of a trip to Portugal, with many natural beauties, volcanic rocks, outdoor activities, gastronomy and, best of all, a good tourist structure.

The island is off the coast of Africa, close to Morocco more than 1.000 km from Europe. It is currently an autonomous territory of Portugal, the capital is Funchal and the official currency is the euro.

A curiosity, it was in Funchal that the famous football player Cristiano Ronaldo was born, so there you will find many references about the idol.

Check out our tips in this complete guide for you to plan your trip to this amazing island.

What to do in Madeira Island

Madeira Island offers many activities, the region is formed by 11 municipalities and 54 parishes (towns), being the capital Funchal.

Therefore, you should think about your itinerary around the island by regions, in the far west is the Ponta de Snapper and on the other side of the island, east to Ponta de Sao Lourenco. Set aside the days to get to know each region and town calmly, so you can better optimize your itinerary.

The island is famous for its trails and outdoor activities, discover the Areeiro Peak and the Pico Ruivo, visit the Ponta de Sao Lourenco. Take a catamaran tour to see dolphins and whales, discover the small town of Santana and Machico, the CR7 Museum in Funchal and be sure to discover the Porto Moniz Natural Pools, a symbol of the island.

Read all our tips:

Portugal – COMPLETE Guide to Planning your Trip
Honeymoon in Madeira Island – Everything to Plan your trip
What to do in Portugal – Tips for those staying from 7 to 20 days
Tourist attractions in Portugal – Main ones that need to be on your itinerary
Portugal Tour – 13 Places You Need to Know

Book in advance all tours and tours on Madeira Island and avoid inconvenience with GetYourGuide

Where to stay on Madeira Island – Our hotel recommendation

The city has an excellent hotel infrastructure, with options of resorts, luxury hotels, boutique hotels, family apartments, hostels, there is something for all budgets.

The vast majority of accommodations are concentrated in the capital Funchal, but the entire island has great options, as in Santa Cruz, Porto Moniz, Machico, Calheta among others.

A great option is to divide your days on the Island into more than one accommodation in different areas, to get to know everything without wasting too much time traveling around.

Also read our hotel tips for your Honeymoon in Madeira Island

Find the best accommodation in Madeira Island on Booking.com or Hotels.com

Madeira Island – Complete travel guide — Peninsula east of Madeira Island

Internet Chip in Madeira

It is getting easier and cheaper to have unlimited internet throughout your trip to Portugal. Nowadays you can buy an international cell phone chip online while you're still here in España. We always use and love it!

You receive the sim card at your address and then just insert it into your cell phone to reach your destination with unlimited 4G internet working.

Read all about travel chip:

Europe Internet Chip – Which is the best international chip?
America Chip Discount Coupon – 10% OFF on Travel Chip

Want to have unlimited internet throughout your trip?
Compare prices and buy your international travel chip in advance at America Chip.

Travel insurance for Madeira Island

Buying travel insurance for Madeira Island in Portugal is required. All this because of Schengen Treaty, which requires the contracting of a Europe travel insurance with hospital medical coverage of at least 30 thousand euros.

Read all about travel insurance:

Travel Insurance Portugal – Learn Everything Here
Documents to enter Europe – See which ones you need
Travel Insurance Europe – Complete Guide on How to Hire
How much does travel insurance for Europe cost?
What is the Cheapest Travel Insurance – Tips on How to Save
How to Get Travel Insurance – 5 Easy Steps [DISCOUNT]
Which Travel Insurance to Choose – 3 Infallible Tips to Help
Best Travel Insurance Europe – Which one to choose for your trip?
International Travel Insurance – Step-by-step How to Hire

Car hire on Madeira Island

Rent a car in Madeira is a great idea. The island is very big and with many places to be explored, the car will greatly optimize your time, you will be able to enjoy it more without having to depend on public transport.

We really like Rent Cars to find the cars we use on our travels. It is the only one in Spain that compares the best rental companies in the world, but lets you pay in reais, without IOF. In addition, it is also the only one that lets you pay in 12 interest-free installments. It is worth it!

We made a super complete post with tips for car rental in Portugal. We explain how toll collection works in the country, roads, necessary documentation and much more. It is worth checking!

Click here and make your budget now with Rent Cars

Flights to Madeira Island

You can opt for a flight from Lisbon to Funchal, which takes just over 1 hour. There are also options departing directly from España, with a stopover in Lisbon, but the prices are higher.

A curiosity, Madeira Airport is considered one of the most difficult to land, because of its location and the winds. So you may have an “emotional” landing, get ready

Looking for a good deal and flight prices? When buying tickets to Madeira, it is worth taking a look at the website Promo Tickets.

It is quite common to find cheaper and better flight options than on other sites. We always use and is it worth it?