Madeira Island - Coast and Peaks Highlights

Welcome to Madeira! Upon arrival into Funchal Airport (Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport) you will be met and transferred to your accommodation in Funchal.

Spend your first day unwinding in Madeira’s relaxed and charming capital. Funchal offers cobbled laneways of shops and cafes, vibrant markets and a sweeping seafront promenade backed by rugged mountains. The city sits perched in an amphitheatre of hills and it reaches from the high peaks down to the Atlantic Ocean below.

Stroll the winding cobbled streets of the old town, Zona Velha, where cafes and shops abound painted with vivid door art. Take the cable car up to Monte Botanic gardens, a vast exotic garden with Asian and African influences and sweeping bay views. In the 19th century, wealthy English wine families built ‘quintas’ (country estates) with surrounding gardens. 

Or perhaps explore the Mercado dos Lavradores with its colourful stalls of tropical fruit and flowers (closed on Sundays and public holidays).

Thanks to its mild subtropical climate and fertile volcanic soils, Madeira can grow an astonishing variety of plants from all over the world, so it’s a garden lover’s paradise. 

If you’re feeling adventurous then try the Monte Basket ride which starts on the hills of Funchal. You’ll sit in a traditional wicker basket sled (carro de cesto) mounted on wooden runners, steered by two men (carreiros) wearing straw hats and rubber-soled boots. The tradition began in the mid-19th century as a practical downhill transport for locals of Monte. Over time, it became a visitor attraction, famously ridden by celebrities and even royalty. If that all sounds too daring then relax at Blandy’s Wine Lodge,  a historic 19th-century lodge where Madeira wine is aged and guided tours and tastings explain the unique fortified wine process. A glass of Madeira wine in the evening sets the tone for the week of enjoyable walking ahead.

Overnight: Funchal

Madeira’s signature ridge hike links its highest summits via exposed, dramatic paths. Begin at Pico do Arieiro, often above a sea of clouds. The trail clings to ridgelines, zigzags through tunnels cut into rock, and climbs steep staircases hewn from volcanic stone. Views extend across deep valleys, rugged cliffs and distant peaks. The path is challenging, with constant elevation changes, but immensely rewarding. At Pico Ruivo, the island’s highest point, stand amidst the clouds before retracing your steps. A strenuous but unforgettable day.

Alternative from Pico Arieirio – longer walk on the Vereda do Burro (PR3) 7.2km 

If you want to extend the kilometres today and don’t mind downhill walking there is a trail beginning from the Observatory that takes you for 7.2km on the Vereda do Burro (PR3) to the Funchal Ecological Park. (This would skip the Levada doe Balcoes walk which is in a different location.) 

This trail offers a quieter, more solitary experience and its name “Burro” (donkey) comes from its historic role: this was once a mule and donkey path used to transport goods and ice between Pico do Arieiro and the lower villages. The first section is open and exposed, with wide views of volcanic ridges, before the trail gradually descends toward gentler slopes. A highlight along the way is the Poço da Neve, a stone-built ice house dating from the 19th century, where snow was once stored and later transported down to Funchal for cooling drinks and making ice cream for wealthy families.

As you descend further, the vegetation changes – open heathland gives way to pine forests and eventually to patches of Laurissilva woodland. You may hear birdsong (firecrests, chaffinches) and pass trickling streams. The atmosphere becomes more tranquil as you approach the Ecological Park, a protected area of 1,000 hectares dedicated to conserving native forest. The trail ends near the Casa do Burro Visitor Centre in the park, where exhibitions explain Madeira’s unique ecosystems. From here, transfer back to Funchal.

Overnight: Funchal

Meals: B

Today’s spectacular cliffside walk offers Madeira’s finest coastal scenery along a historical path that was once used to transport wine from Machico to Porto da Cruz. Begin with a short transfer from your accommodation in Funchal to your hotel in Machico where you can drop your luggage before your walk. Then drive further up the valley to the trailhead, following an old path that rises gradually through farmland and terraces before meeting the ridge at Boca do Risco (known as ‘the perilous portal’) a jaw-dropping viewpoint where cliffs plunge straight into the Atlantic Ocean. From here the trail threads along narrow paths high above the surf lashed coves below, with dramatic drops and sweeping vistas. (The route is safe to walk and secure with cable fencing at points but may cause anxiety for people who suffer badly from vertigo.) It is a beautiful and breathtaking walk as the Laurissilva forest clings to the cliffsides, contrasting with the turquoise sea below. The route ends in Porto da Cruz, a sleepy coastal village known for its rum distillery and black-sand beach. From here you transfer back to your accommodation in Machico.

Overnight: Machico

Meals: B

Discover the heart of Madeira on the Levada do Rei, a quieter trail that winds through deep Laurissilva forest, offering one of the island’s most atmospheric woodland experiences. Beginning at the Quebradas Water Treatment Plant in São Jorge, the route takes you along lush, shaded slopes alive with birdsong, orchids, and mosses and past traditional agricultural terraces that reveal the island’s timeless charm.

The trail follows the life-giving waters of the levada, leading to Ribeiro Bonito, a gorge where towering ferns, dripping rock walls and cascading waterfalls create a truly prehistoric atmosphere. Narrow paths here require care, but the reward is an unforgettable connection with Madeira’s natural sanctuary.

Before leaving, visit the São Jorge water mill, the island’s last working mill, where grains from the terraced fields are still ground by the power of the levada – a living piece of Madeira’s history. After your walk, transfer back to Machico for your final night.

Overnight: Machico

Meals: B

End your journey at the wild eastern tip of Madeira and arguably its most geologically interesting part. Walking the Ponta de São Lourenço trail feels like stepping into another world compared to the rest of Madeira. Instead of lush Laurissilva forest or levada corridors, here you traverse a narrow volcanic peninsula of rugged cliffs, wind-sculpted headlands and dry, semi-arid landscapes. The vegetation is sparse with low shrubs, hardy grasses and endemic plants adapted to salt spray and wind. Along the way, you pass viewpoints where the cliffs plunge into the Atlantic, revealing dramatic rock formations in shades of red, brown and gold. This is one of the oldest exposed parts of Madeira’s volcanic structure. The barren, rocky terrain is a result of eroded volcanic tuffs and basalts, with dramatic evidence of the island’s fiery birth millions of years ago. Be warned that the path is fully exposed to sun and wind, winding up and down ridges with constant ocean views.

The peninsula is named after the shipowner’s wife São Lourenço, linked to the early Portuguese settlers of Madeira in the 15th century. The path meanders up and down over ridges, with sweeping ocean views on both sides; to the north, the rough Atlantic crashing against sheer cliffs, to the south, calmer turquoise waters and islets scattered offshore. At the far end, the Casa do Sardinha nature house offers a rest stop before returning (we don’t recommend the climb to the peak above it as it is very accident prone with loose scree path and frayed fencing cables). The Ponta de São Lourenço is the perfect finale to your time on Madeira: a raw, elemental peninsula, surrounded by sea and sky.

After your walk, return to your Machico accommodation to collect your luggage and to make your onward arrangements. This marks the conclusion of your Madeira adventure.

Meals: B

• Airport transfers
• 4 nights’ quality accommodation in hotels with private facilities (twin share)
• Daily breakfast
• Private transfers on Day 2 to Day 5 to/from the trail
• Private transfer from Funchal to Machico on Day 3
• RAW Travel app with maps of your hotel locations and emergency contact numbers
• RAW Travel hiker’s buff and luggage tag
• Pre-trip guidance and planning from experienced and dedicated RAW Travel staff
• Carbon offset and a native tree planted on your behalf

• Flights to/from destination
• Travel insurance
• Single room supplement $800
• Solo traveller surcharge
• Trail fees on PR hiking trails
• Meals not included in the itinerary
• Expenses and items of a personal nature