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MADEIRA TOURISM - Madeira Tourist Information - HOLIDAY GUIDE

With our experience and after an eighteen month visit to the island of Madeira, we are able to give some advice to those who want to know more about Madeira holidays. For example, if you plan to do some walking in Madeira, we could perhaps help you with information on suitable accommodation, what routes might be best and also about different situations when the weather changes or give you tips on how to explore Madeira in a comfortable way and some advice on how to avoid disappointments and let you have a more pleasurable holiday here.   GENERAL    BUSES   ROADS   CITIES    WALKS    WEATHER   FUNCHAL   
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There are about 200 hotels in Madeira and the number is growing all the time - with many more restaurants and bars to choose from, and dozens of different walks along levada trails. Madeira has an abundance of things to offer you, depending on your interests. Because one or two weeks of vacation may not be enough, many people come here again and again. If you wish to see and explore Madeira in one week without any hurry or stress, you really need to organize your vacation very well. To drive around the island you'll need at least three days to get something out of it and to enjoy yourself. Madeira is not a very large island (about 22 x 72 km), but it has many narrow roads winding up and down the mountainsides, which makes driving slower than one might expect. Of course, we have heard stories about people driving around the island in a single day. . . And after all the driving or walking, you might just like to relax beside the pool for a couple of days? There are also many other activities that Madeira can offer you, as you will find out on this website. see for example on Activities and Adventure

GENERAL Back to the top

BUSES Back to the top

Bus connections in Funchal are good. You can buy bus timetables for less than 3 Euros at all tourist offices. We really recommend that you use the bus lines or taxis, when you want to move around Madeira's capital, Funchal, or when visiting some other places further away. The bus station is easy to find. A one-way ticket costs 1-3 Euros. If you are planning on making longer trips into the Madeira countryside, it is advisable to consult the timetables thoroughly before starting. Bus routes and timetables can sometimes be quite confusing, so to avoid inconvenience it is better to find out which bus goes where and what time it returns. There are many bus routes all over Madeira and the buses are reliable, but there may only be a couple of buses going to a certain village daily. Madeira's roads and highways are under extensive construction, and some buses take the faster route by highway, some take the older, narrower and slower, but much more picturesque roads. If, for example, you wish to go by bus to the northern part of the Madeiran countryside, you should take the busline over the hills to see the older part of Madeira and get some breathtaking views of its mountains and valleys. But, of course, this will take longer than driving on the highway. A one-way ticket from Funchal to the other side of Madeira will today cost less than 4 Euros to Santana ( 2 hours) and 6 Euros to Ponta Delgada ( 3 hours). Here is a good tip - buy a weekly ticket for travel inside Funchal for 15 Euros

If you wish to go driving around the island of Madeira, we recommend that you avoid two things. Avoid driving in Funchal itself and on the highways. First of all, the traffic in Funchal will not make you happy and secondly you will miss many beautiful parts of the island. No, buy a map instead, and make your plans carefully. Where would you like to go and what would you like to see? Stop at small villages for lunch or see special sights. Depending on how many days you have at your disposal, you have many possibilities for enjoyable tours around Madeira. Here on this site we will give you some examples of sights and places where you can stop for a break.

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CITIES Back to the top

Many towns and villages are really nice to explore. Take your time to walk along the narrow old streets and to see and discover how Madeiran people live. In some places, you can really feel how time has stopped, and in others you find us trying to live like other modern Europeans. If you are interested in culture and a more traditional way of Madeiran life, you can find interesting places to visit in the northern and northwestern parts of the island. Santana and São Jorge, with their many orchards and vineyards, are not so crowded with tourists as yet and still reflect the country lifestyle. Sometimes it seems as if they were living in a different time. In Paul da Serra, around Encumeada, in particular, and to the southwest, for example Ponta do Pargo and Rabacal, you can find more untouched nature, but slowly and surely these parts are also beginning to feel the touch of "progress". Do not forget the many beautiful protected parks up in the mountains in the heartland of the island. There is plenty to see for the nature-lover when walking along the many levadas or tracks that lead you to the green forests of Madeira. Here you will find excellent examples of Mother Earth, as they were in times gone by when the Madeiran people were just starting to make dwellings on the island.

Yes, here you can really take walks to your heart's content. Madeira has an enormous number of tracks, levadas as well as mountain trails, and walking has become very popular here. If you wish to have professional information about all these tracks, you can buy a guidebook about levada walking in Funchal or even do so in your own country. The first thing to do, after finding a suitable track for you, is to choose the right shoes. Some paths are quite rocky and they can be wet due to waterfalls etc. so good hiking shoes are necessary. Other things to take with you are a small backpack, a flashlight (many tracks have tunnels), extra socks & warm clothes, a thin raincoat, a picnic bag with coffee & water, a camera, a mobile phone ( for security reasons ) and maybe a walking stick. Before you start, you can get information about the most suitable tracks for you.

WALKS Back to the top

THE WEATHER Back to the top

The weather in Madeira is subtropical. In the winter (from November to April), the temperature on the southern and southeastern side of the island is between 17 - 21 degrees C during the day, a perfect climate for one's health and soul. At night the temperature keeps almost constant. In the north and northwest part of Madeira, the temperature stays between 15 - 19 degrees C during the day and between 10 and 16 degrees C during the night. Today, most of the modern hotels on the northern side of the island have central-heating, but not all. Therefore we recommend that you bring extra warm nightwear, to enjoy a good night's sleep. In the summer (April to November), the temperature in the north is similar to the winter temperatures in the south. Meanwhile, in the south, the summer temperatures during the day reach 21-28 degrees C. Madeira is a mountainous island with the highest peak (Pico Ruivo) rising to 1.862 m above sea level. The weather can sometimes change quickly up on the mountains and the temperature will also be lower than at sea level, especially at night. The unique climate of the island has created the fantastic evergreen natural surroundings of Madeira with its subtropical forests and flowers, which invite you to explore and be part of it.

Funchal is a touristic town and full of possibilities for the traveller. Madeiraweb can give you many suggestions about how to spend your time in Funchal. Use the local bus or eventually a taxi to reach the hotel area or the suburbs, or go around walking. The town centre can often by very busy. And when it's too hot, avoid Funchal, go to the countryside instead or take a walk along the hills beside the water canals, levadas. When the weather is a little cooler, Funchal is a really nice town. Of course you can easily get tired walking around but normally it is easy to find your way, because the streets are so close to each other. Many shopping centres are hidden within mass buildings. Take your time to guide yourself by using a map and Step by step explore Funchal and this way save time!

FUNCHAL Back to the top