We just spent a week on the beautiful island of Madeira, and as we take a flight to the next island with our carry-on bag only, I am ready to give you guys a summary of our trip and a list of things to do there.
At a Glance
Bolo de Caco, the best bread on Earth
Kilometers of tunnels connecting the island
Green mountains and cliffs
Lots of houses built on those mountains
Lively Funchal
Picturesque parks
Amazing weather
What to do in Madeira
We arrived on a Saturday and rented a car, this is what we did:
Caniçal - It was a quick stop, definitely more quiet than Funchal or Machico. The highlight, the Whale Museum and whale figures around the pier.
Ponta de San Lourenço - Located in the eastern part of Madeira. You can park here and enjoy the amazing view of the peninsula, an amazing landscape of the island, highly recommended trail for hikers. Easy to get there by car, but there is a bus that passes through here, in case you wish to use a different transportation alternative. There is also a car that sells snacks and drinks in case you get a little thirsty.
Machico - We visited downtown Machico. It has a nice beach and a charming square. The parking is kind of limited, but we were lucky that a woman was just leaving and she even offered her parking ticket with some time left. We searched for the highest-rated restaurants in the area and found O Galã. It’s a small restaurant, nothing fancy, but it seemed very local and we adored the food. Plus, here we discovered the best of our trip: Madeira’s famous and ultra-delicious Bolo de Caco. It’s a flatbread with garlic butter. Amazing!
O Gala - $ - What we had: Tomato soup, Vegetables Soup, Bolo de Caco, Bacalhau, and 2 Coral’s (the name of the local beer)
Santana - It’s famous for its classic triangle-shaped houses. However, we were a bit disappointed. We expected a lot more houses spread across the town, but instead we found only 5 houses containing souvenir shops - a bit of a tourist trap to be completely honest. But anyway, you can go, take your picture and move to the next stop.
Câmara de Lobos - Nice fishing town, with a couple of narrow and pretty streets, a small cape where locals spend time together and swim. There is a parking lot, and it was easy to find a spot. We didn’t stop at any restaurant or shop here but there were plenty of options, it was lively and sunny. Would definitely come back.
Cabo Girao - Mountain and a view. Cabo Girao is a famous point due to its park and Miradouro since it has a see-through floor. There are some souvenir shops and a restaurant, however, we didn’t stop there. If you’re driving, getting there requires you to drive on a steep road along the mountain, it’s not difficult just take your precautions and drive safe.
Calheta - Beach and marina. A little hard to find a parking spot but we were lucky. We walked through the marina, it was full of families, all seemed local. There were around 5 restaurants along the marina, we stopped at:
Leme Marisquería - $$ - What we had: Bolo de Caco, Lapas (I’m a fan since I tried them in the Azores), and 2 Coral’s.
Ponta do Pargo - For another breathtaking view...
Porto Moniz - Natural Pools, bohemian town. We made a quick stop, but it seemed like a comfortable and relaxing place to be. There are some natural pools, very inviting, sun, and tons of space to park.
Then we stayed in Funchal for a week.
Funchal - Madeira's capital, where everything happens. Funchal is cosmopolitan, modern, clean, with warm climate, and of course famous for exporting world-class football player Cristiano Ronaldo. Every morning I went to the Santa Catarina Park, to do my yoga and after went back to the apartment to cook a delicious breakfast for me and my loved one. I had supermarkets 10 minutes away, and also local grocery stores just around the corner from our apartment. During the day, we went to explore downtown, where we visited some of the multiple picturesque and cozy restaurants taking advantage of the comfy weather.
Esplanada do Jardim - $ - What we had: Chino (name of the café americano), Frego Especial (made in bolo do caco)
Esplanada do Mar - $ - What we had: Finas (name of 20cl draft beer)
Loja do Chá - $$ - What we had: Brunch package (which we then regret because it consisted of lots of cake), Black tea.
Café de Sé - $ - What we had: Chino
Santa Catarina - $ - What we had: Chino
Where to Stay in Funchal
We stayed at an Airbnb called Praça Amarella. When we arrived Alexandra took us to the apartment and explained how everything worked. There were very nice details such as a welcome message with a fruit basket and white gannets waiting for us. Overall, this place was the perfect definition of value for money. It is one of 7 open space flats, in a renovated old building at a corner of Praça Amarella, in the center of Funchal. The place has tons of light, and also pretty good shutters to enjoy a nice sleep. The bed was super comfortable, the bathroom very stylish with white shiny tiles that I love. And the kitchen had great sharp knives, a large cutting board that I used often to prepare ourselves, a nice charcuterie board, with some cold Vinho Verde.
How to get around Madeira
Car Rental
We rented a car with Madeira Car Rent, we picked it up at the airport, the girl that attended us was ultra-friendly. This is the type of company that doesn’t check the car thoroughly in any part of the process which makes the interaction super fast.
Transfer Funchal airport to downtown
Aerobus for 5 Euros per person
So to summarize, if you’re thinking about practicing your Portuguese, get some sun, beach, and wander through a lively downtown, I highly recommend you to visit Madeira. Let me know how it goes by commenting below!
Cheers!
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