I heard about Madeira for the first time a few years ago and then the island kept popping up and became more and more popular. It’s also called the Hawaii of Europe.Looking back, I can definitely understand why, because it really is a paradise. The landscape is very mountainous. Perfect for hiking and so green with lots of fruit.

Best time to visit?

That is very individual. Do you want to do a lot of hiking and sightseeing during this time or do you want to relax on the beach and sunbathe? Is it okay for you if it gets crowded or do you want to enjoy the peace and quiet and be almost alone in one place?

The weather can change quickly, so always bring a rain jacket and sweater/jacket. 

Where to stay?

There is plenty of accommodation all over the island. You can find everything from hostels, Airbnb and hotels. Provided you book everything in good time and it also depends on the season, of course. Depending on the number of travelers and your needs, you can find suitable accommodation. Personally, it was important to us that we could prepare our own meals and we didn’t fancy a hostel because we wanted to stay in our room and enjoy the peace and quiet or go to bed earlier. In addition, it was actually about the same price as a hostel, but with Airbnb we simply had more advantages. Where you want to stay also depends a lot on your travel plans. Do you want to do a road trip around the island or just a day trip? Do you have a rental car available or do you want to book tours? What will you do with your luggage if you can’t check in yet?

You have to ask yourself all these questions before deciding on a location. As my sister and I were planning to rent a car and the places are not more than 2 hours away from the capital Funchal, we decided to stay in Funchal. There is simply the largest selection of accommodation there and many places are not far away, such as the airport, city center and the famous hiking trail Pico do Arieiro. Furthermore, we didn’t have that much time and wouldn’t have known what to do with our suitcase before we checked in somewhere and it would have been stressful to pack everything up again and again.

Rent a vehicle:

Honestly I’m not an expert, as this is the first time I’ve booked a rental car myself. Of course, I read up on other blogs beforehand and the Discovercars site kept popping up. In the end, I got a good deal on this site compared to other sites. In any case, don’t put it off and only do it when you are on the island, but rather a few months in advance. It’s best to compare a few offers and see what’s important to you. For example, no excess, unlimited mileage, etc.

We had booked a GPS, but unfortunately we didn’t have a good experience with the GPS. We paid 55 euros for it. The device was small and did not find almost all the addresses we entered in the system. This took a lot of time and we then drove almost exclusively with my cell phone using Google Maps. Surprisingly, there was an internet connection almost everywhere, even in the mountains. So my recommendation: make sure you get mobile data for Madeira so that you can stay mobile and find everything on foot. Alternatively, there are of course offline maps. But I found it very helpful when I took the wrong exit, for example, that Google Maps immediately displayed a new route.

Which brings us to the next topic. Driving on Madeira:

Madeira is very mountainous, so if you are not absolutely confident with a manual gearbox and panic when starting off on an incline, you should opt for an automatic vehicle. It will be a bit expensive but it also means less stress on vacation. Personally, it was very important to me to book an automatic vehicle and I was very glad that I did. Make sure that the vehicle is not too small so that it can drive up the slopes but also not too big so that it can get through the narrow streets and parking is not so difficult. The roads are generally very good on the highway. There are many tunnels and traffic circles. There you should definitely pay attention to how you get into the right lane. Use only the right lane if the first exit is yours otherwise please use the left lane. 

What I learned from the locals was to always honk your horn first when driving on very narrow roads that go around a curve.Very narrow, steep and lots of parking on the side, which makes it more difficult if a vehicle comes towards you. There are also many dead ends. What I learned from the locals was to always honk your horn first when driving on very narrow roads that go around a bend so that the driver coming towards you is warned. That worked well. The roads in the mountains are also very winding and you feel like you’re on a rollercoaster. Of course, you have to arrive early everywhere, as parking spaces at the attractions are limited.

This is not intended to put you off, but to give you a real picture of what driving in Madeira is like. It is definitely doable and you can always communicate with other drivers so that you can get past.

How to spend 5 Days in Madeira? 

Of course, you can organize your days and activities according to your time and mood. We tried to organize the sights according to location and we also tried to have time to relax.

DAY 0

On that day we just arrive and picked up the rehicle car that took us a while and later we bought some grocery for the next days at Continente. 

DAY 1

We woke up pretty early that day because we want to see the sunrise at the Pico do Areiro and of course avoid the crowds. 

DAY 2

That Day we visit Funchal. First we did the Carreiros do Monte for 30 Euro for two people and then we walked into the city. In the early afternoon we drove to the starting point of Ponta do sol hike.

DAY 3

For me was it one of the best day in Madeira because we drove to the Fanal forest, porto moniz, riberia de janela, black and was the sand beach.

DAY 4 

We visit a balcony where a lot of birds and an awsome view. After it we drove to the Casas tipicas de Santana and we did the PR9 Levada do Caldeirao Verde hike. 

DAY 5 

Its was your last day in Madeira. We decided to do the PR8 Vereda da Ponda de Sao Lourenco hike and it was definitely worth it. Even it rained a little bit. 

Wart ihr schon mal auf Madeira oder steht es auf eurer Travel liste? 

Best,

Saskia ❤