Madeira - Portugal

If you're a nature lover, Madeira will feel like a hidden paradise you'll want to keep all to yourself! With free-roaming cows, breathtaking landscapes, and stunning views at every turn, it’s a nonstop wow moment. The island offers a perfect blend of natural beauty, a mild climate, and a rich cultural experience.

Now, if you're all about nightlife—think clubs and parties—Madeira might not be your top pick. That said, there is a scene! I checked out Purple Friday’s party, and the vibe was incredible. The crowd ranged from college students to people in their 40s and 50s, but overall, it leaned young and energetic.

Portugal has many islands to pick from and so far I visited São Miguel Island in the Azores and Madeira. If I had to choose between the two, my heart is with São Miguel. I found that São Miguel had more activities to offer, and the food was better. Currently, in Madeira, some trails like PR1 and PR9 have partial closures, meaning you can only hike half the trail, which was a drawback for me. However, environmental changes are inevitable, and I'm sure the trails will be fully operational soon. Even if all the trails were open, I still found São Miguel to be more visually stunning. São Miguel felt like it had more cows than people, whereas Madeira may be the better option if you want more human interaction and a bit more nightlife.

Tips:

• Most of the activities are free; however, at maximum you may pay $5-10 for entry or parking. This trip will be relatively cheap, if not considering the flight cost! 

• The food is not expensive. Per meal costs about $10-20 euros. 

• Rent a car! This will save you money compared to paying for a taxi. Unless you can drive a manual car, please make sure to select an automatic transmission. I booked with Tangerine. They have shuttles to pick you up and drop you off.

• Use Google Maps to navigate around

Where to stay?

Airbnb - This nature glamping dome was the best experience of the whole trip. It was more in the country side of the island. The host was very accommodating and had such great hospitality. Provided breakfast, Madeiran snacks, wine which was all included with the stay. It was certainly a nice touch amongst the insane views and heated pool. Highly recommend.

The Views Baia - This hotel is perfectly placed in the heart of Funchal, making it an ideal spot for city explorers like me! The views from both the pool and the room were absolutely beautiful, and the spa was a wonderful place to unwind. One of the best parts? I could walk everywhere and soak in the city without needing a car.

FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS

In honesty, for the most part I found the food to be just ok; however, some of my favorites were the below.

• Marina Azul Restaurant - Tuna steak was really good

• Golden Calheta - Steak sandwich was a hit.

• Pau De Lume - The oxtail croquettes were hands down the best thing I ate on the island!

THINGS TO DO/ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS 

If following my airbnb/hotel stay:

Closest to the airbnb:

• Fanal Forest

• Véu da Noiva

• Porto Moniz or Seixal Natural Pools

• Miradouro Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela

• Cabo Giaro viewpoint /sky walk  if enough time 

• Miradouro do Ninho da Manta

• PR 1 trail in Madeira

Closest to Hotel in Funchal:

• Teleférico do Funchal - Cable Cart Ride

• Levada do Moinha

• Caldeirao Verde

• Anjos Waterfall - Located between the airbnb and hotel; therefore, it's about an even distance from either location. My suggestion is to visit when leaving the airbnb and checking into the hotel.