With gorgeous spring-like weather year round, spending as much time outside while on Madeira is easy. Even if you’re just in Funchal for a long weekend, you can fit in quite a few mini adventures a stroll or a short drive away to experience the island’s unique terrain.
Câmara de Lobos & Cabo Girão
The easiest escapade is to go for a beautiful stroll along the seafront promenade from the center of Funchal all the way to Câmara de Lobos. It takes approximately 2 hours and is packed with scenic views as you pass by beaches, parks, resorts and rocky shorelines.
You could even break the walk by stopping at one of the many “lido” and natural swimming pools that are dotted all along the coast.
You arrive in Câmara de Lobos, a charming fishing village and one of the most photographed bays on the island. Winston Churchill used to set up his easel right here to paint the quaint port on his visits which no doubt contributed to its enduring popularity.
Little has changed since and wandering along the harbour would bring out the artist in anyone with its brightly colored fishing boats set beside dark lava rocks.
A quick walk around the port area reveals more colors and old bars where fishermen down poncha after a day’s work.
Walk a further 5 minutes to reach Henriques & Henriques, one of Madeira’s most prestigious wine producers.
You can drop in for a tasting any time which is a wonderful way to get introduced to the island’s eponymous drink. Regardless if you’re a fortified wine lover or not, there’s such history and character in Madeira wine that sampling a few vintages is a must on your visit. You might be pleasantly surprised and seduced by the sweet and complex elixir.
From dry and nutty to full-bodied and port-like, there’s a bottle for every taste, and the older Vintages (aged 20 years or more) are not to be missed.
After a few glasses, call a taxi for the quick and very scenic climb up the coastal road to the top where you’ll find Cabo Girão. You’re standing on one of the highest cliffs in the world and the views both east and west are truly sensational.
There’s an exhilarating viewpoint (or terrifying if you’re afraid of heights!) where only a glass floor and glass-paneled rail separate you from the 590 meters (1,900ft) plunge to the Atlantic below.
You’re in the middle of agricultural and wine country and if you look down, you can spot some pretty daring plots clinging to the base of the cliff.
Green terraces and rural settlements fill the landscape all the way to Funchal, with Madeira’s Desertas Islands in the distance.
Curral das Freiras
A taxi or bus can take you up the twisting mountain road north of Funchal to reach the middle of the island and the picturesque Curral das Freiras – or Refuge of the Nuns. This half-day trip combines great scenery, light hiking, and good food… and if you’re lucky some full circle rainbows. Ask to be dropped at Eira do Serrado for the viewpoint and the start of the hike down. The view from up here at 1,006 meters/3,300ft is breathtaking and takes in the entire valley as well as the village, surrounded by extinct volcanoes.
Curral das Freiras is a 16th century village that has been isolated from the outside world for most of its existence until tunnels were bored through the mountains in the 20th century to bring the first roads. Created by nuns who took refuge in this hidden crater to escape raiding pirates, it turned into a permanent settlement once they realized how fertile the volcanic soil was.
Today, visitors take in the splendid views on a nice walk down from the viewpoint before enjoying the village’s many culinary treats, from chestnut and cherry liquors to delicious cakes.
The mostly downhill path is clearly marked and well-paved, following switchbacks carved into the mountainside with plenty of photo ops along the way.
After a little over an hour you’ll arrive in the village. It’s frankly more remarkable aesthetically from high up but a good meal awaits. We had a delicious lunch at Sabores do Curral with views over the valley and traditional Portuguese dishes, including a sweet honey cake.
Hike along the Ribeiro Frio levada
There’s no doubt that the best way to explore Madeira is on foot and the network of levadas is one of the main reasons outdoor lovers flock to the island. Levadas are Madeira’s system of irrigation channels which carry the water down from the mountains on gentle gradients, hence creating the perfect network of trails! There are more than 1,300 miles of them all around the island that have footpaths running along their entire length and some of them are among the highlights of Madeira.
A popular route we did was to take the Levada do Furado, a mostly flat 11km walk following a canal with lush scenery, moss-covered tunnels and occasional views of the ocean. You really do feel totally immersed in nature and won’t mind the occasional shower which makes the canals sing and the ferns glisten.
Between short tunnels, a few pools, narrow passages and forested sections, there’s plenty of diversity and points of interests if the lack of elevation gain made you think these walks were perhaps boring…far from it!
The pools with mini waterfalls appear out of nowhere and are a good excuse for a quick stop.
You’ll often find some engineered canal diversion nearby and think it must really be raining every single day for there to be so. much. water.
After a few hours of this very lovely walk you’ll emerge out of the forest to find yourself in enchanting Ribeiro Frio. Walk past the trout hatchery and into the alpine-looking restaurant, calling you with its logs burning in the fireplace to dry off and grab a warm meal.
It is the perfect day to try another local specialty: a Madeiran tomato & onion soup with poached egg.
Replenished, there’s a shorter and even more spectacular hike that starts right by the restaurant – Vereda dos Balcões. This 1.8-mile easy out-and-back trail will bring you in a short amount of time to one of the island’s most beautiful viewpoint, after passing through a small forest and some valley views.
The Balcões viewpoint does not disappoint even if there are a few clouds…they just add to the dramatic topography. As you stand on a platform that seems suspended in mid-air, you’re treated to stupendous views across steep hillsides and deep ravines to the island’s highest peaks of Ruivo and Ariero.
You’ll also most certainly be able to interact with some local bird species who enjoy the views as much as you do.
Cruise & chill
Another great outdoor activity that doesn’t require a half-day is to take a leisure cruise from Funchal. There are tons of agencies advertising whale and dolphin watching tours by the marina that will take you on a 3hr cruise along the south side of the island with drinks and snacks – a fabulous way to relax.
Even if the wildlife sightings are low, the vantage point you get of the island is reason enough to get on a boat. You appreciate the dramatic coastline so much more from the ocean with its impressive sea cliffs and cloud-covered peaks.
Getting a close-up of Cabo Girão is also quite a treat especially if you’ve already been to the viewpoint at the top – a full circle moment that will make you fill incredibly small.
Similarly, you’ll appreciate the perfectly framed shot as you approach the bay of Câmara de Lobos. Walking there just didn’t provide the ideal angle but from a boat it appears just as it should be…
