north · Fanal
The west works as a day
Pair the forest with Porto Moniz. If the sea is rough, leave swimming for another day.
Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0Things to do in Madeira
For a first visit, give a day to one coast and walk a levada. Add Monte for a half-day above Funchal. Keep your clearest morning for the peaks. A boat trip fits a day when the sea allows it.
Start with what you came for
Walk the Levada das 25 Fontes
For forest and waterfalls. Book an entry slot. Return by the Bypass.
€4.50 per person · 3 h on the route board · 8 guided walks we picked
Go up to Monte
Take the cable car if you want the view over Funchal, then the sledge back down the road.
€22 return, €16 one way · 15 minutes up
Swim at Porto Moniz
Choose the managed pools for lifeguards. Swimming depends on the swell.
€3 per person over 3 · allow half a day in the village
See sunrise at Pico do Areeiro
A trip with pickup suits you if you'd rather leave the driving to someone else.
From €30 per adult · 9 trips we picked
Spend time among Fanal's trees
A stop on your west day. The fog comes and goes.
Free at the forest post · about 30 minutes
Look for whales and dolphins
For time at sea. Choose a daytime boat; sightings are never certain.
From €35 per adult · 2 to 3 hours
Every price and time here comes from our own pages and carries its date below. Sources and dates. Times are the activity, not the travel to it.
centre · Pico do AreeiroThe rest of what we have picked
Smaller collections, each with our own judgement on every trip.
Before you choose a day
Live sources · 25 September 2026Marked routes31 of 39 open
4 partly open. 4 closed.
IFCN table: 14 September 2026
Checked 25 September 2026 at 14:46, Madeira time.
PR 1 partly open
Partly open. Two-way between Pico do Areeiro and the Miradouro da Pedra Rija; the one-way section from the Miradouro da Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo is listed as closed. The east path over Pico das Torres is also closed. Read the restriction.
Temperature, four island stations24.1 to 31.8 °C
Pico do Areeiro to Funchal, at the same hour.
The map below carries the spread and the other stations.
IPMA: 25 September 2026 at 14:00, Madeira time
Range across the stations on this map.
Station readings are air temperature. They don't show swell or cloud on the peaks.
Right now on the islandObserved 25 September 2026 at 14:00, Madeira time
No rain at any station in the hour to 14:00Observations from four IPMA stations, 7.7 °C between the warmest and the coldest
- Funchal
- 31.8 °C
- Porto Moniz
- 28.6 °C
- Santana
- 30.7 °C
- Pico do Areeiro
- 24.1 °C
These readings refresh when you open the page. Follow the trail and weather links before you set out.
Conditions on the south coast todayIPMA warnings issued 25 September 2026 at 11:54, Madeira time
Official warnings, south coast
hot weather, orange until 19:00
Sea
waves 0.4 to 0.6 m from the east · water 24.5 to 25.3 °C
IPMA sea forecast for 25 September 2026, issued 25 September 2026 at 14:31, Madeira timeWarnings come from IPMA by zone, not by beach. A yellow sea warning is a reason to look at the water before you swim, and a closure of a bathing area is announced locally. Station readings.
What fits your day?
Start with the time you have. A short stop can sit inside a coast day; a walk needs room of its own.
Hide the tableShow the comparison table
| What to do | Where | Price from | Time needed | When it works | Our page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Fontes levada PR 6 · waterfall walk | centre · Rabaçal | €4.50 per person · entry | 3 h on the route board; the table lists the return separately | When PR 6 is open and the weather suits walking. Return by the Bypass. | 25 Fontes |
| Balcões viewpoint walk PR 11 · little change in height | centre · Ribeiro Frio | €4.50 per person · entry | 1 h 30 on the route board; the table lists the return separately | When PR 11 is open. Clear weather for the valley view, and the path can be slippery. | Balcões |
| Ponta de São Lourenço PR 8 · exposed coastal walk | east · Baía d’Abra | €4.50 per person · entry | 2 h 30 on the route board; the table lists the return separately | When PR 8 is open and the wind is down. No shade, so carry water. | PR 8 |
| Pico do Areeiro sunrise 9 trips we picked | centre · peaks | €30 per adult · with pickup | 3 to 8 hours the trip, transport included | Clear views depend on the weather. An alternative viewpoint may be used. | Sunrise trips |
| Fanal forest post A stop among the til trees | north · plateau | Free for the trees, excluding a PR walk | About 30 min our own estimate for the stop | In clear weather or fog. There is no reliable timetable for the fog. | Fanal |
| Porto Moniz pools The managed bathing complex | north-west | €3 per person over 3 | Half a day our own allowance for the village | Open all year. Swimming needs suitable sea conditions, so check the north swell. | Porto Moniz |
| Seixal beach and pools Black sand and volcanic rock | north | Free beach and natural pools | Half a day our own allowance for the village | For swimming, only when the sea allows it. Check local conditions on arrival. | Seixal |
| Funchal cable car to Monte Start at the old town | south · Funchal | €22 return, €16 one way | 15 minutes up the ride itself | Year-round except Christmas Day. Clear weather gives you the city view. | Monte |
| Monte Palace garden Beside the upper cable car station | south · Monte | €18 adult, under 14 free with an adult | 2 hours our own allowance for the garden | A day for being outdoors. Expect steps, and allow longer if you want to sit. | Garden details |
| Monte toboggan Ends at Livramento | south · Monte | €40 per sledge for two people | About 10 minutes the run itself | Monday to Saturday. Buy the ticket at the top, and arrange the last stretch back to Funchal. | Toboggan details |
| Cabo Girão skywalk The glass platform | south | €5 over 12; children up to 12 and Madeira residents free | 15 to 30 minutes our own allowance for the visit | Clear weather. The visit is the view, so save it for a day you can see the coast. | Cabo Girão |
| Funchal on foot or by tuk-tuk 4 trips we picked | south · Funchal | €16.40 per adult | 50 minutes to 2 hours the tour itself | Any day. The market is busiest in the morning, and the old town works in the rain. | Funchal tours |
| A day tour west or east 11 west and 10 east trips we picked | both coasts | €32.90 per adult | 6 to 8 hours a full day with transport | When you want one coast without driving. Pickup points are listed on each trip. | West day tours East day tours |
| Whale and dolphin boat 7 trips we picked | south · Funchal, Calheta | €35 per adult | 2 to 3 hours trip duration | A daytime sailing in suitable sea conditions. Animals are never guaranteed. | Whale trips |
| Wine and food tours 5 trips we picked | south · Funchal and the vineyards | €70 per adult, and the cheapest is a vineyard half-day rather than a Funchal food walk | 3 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours trip duration | Walking between stops is outdoors. Tell the guide about dietary needs. | Wine and food |
Every figure here carries its date in Sources.
How much time have you got?
These plans assume you are staying in Funchal. Use a car or an arranged transfer for the days outside town, and keep the order loose until you have seen the forecast.
Stay around Funchal
Go up to Monte and leave time for the garden. Take the cable car back, or the sledge if it is running.
The sledge ends at Livramento, so you still need a bus or a taxi into town. If the mountain is in cloud, take a food walk in Funchal instead.
Compare 4 Funchal toursChoose a west day
If you leave Funchal, make Fanal and Porto Moniz the main stops. Add Seixal if the day allows, and keep Cabo Girão for clear weather.
Give the pools time if you plan to swim. On a tour, compare the stop lengths before you book.
Compare 11 west day toursTown, then a coast day
- First day: Funchal and Monte.
- Second day: the north-west, with Fanal and Porto Moniz.
- Third day: Pico do Areeiro in clear weather, then the short Balcões walk if PR 11 is open.
A week, with room to change your mind
Give each day one part of the island, and leave a spare day for the weather.
- DAY 1
Funchal and Monte
Take the cable car up. Choose the garden if you want a longer visit, then spend the rest of the day in the old town.
- DAY 2
Fanal and Porto Moniz
Drive the west or take a west day tour. Make the pools your longer stop if the sea is calm. Seixal is an optional stop on the same coast.
- DAY 3
25 Fontes, then a quiet afternoon
Book the PR 6 entry slot and arrange your transport to Rabaçal. Keep this as a walking day and follow the Bypass on the way back.
- DAY 4
- DAY 5
Ponta de São Lourenço
Make the east peninsula the outing of the day. Book PR 8 and leave room for the walk back. If the wind is up, move this day.
- DAY 6
A day on the water
A whale and dolphin boat in the morning, or a sail along the south coast. Both depend on the sea, so keep the day flexible.
- DAY 7
Porto Santo, or the spare day
The sand is a ferry crossing away. If the forecast looks rough, keep this day for whatever the weather took from you earlier in the week.
Let the weather move the plan
Weather by coastThe island reports different weather on different coasts at the same hour, so a wet morning is a reason to swap coasts rather than to stay in. The panel above is live. These are the swaps I would make.
Rain on one coast
Swap coasts
The stations above report different weather at the same hour. Read them before you drive across the island.
Rain in town
Go up to Monte
Monte's station stands at 593 m and Funchal's by the sea at 58 m, so read both before you decide. The garden is worth a wet hour anyway.
Wind or a sea warning
Think again about the boat
Boat trips depend on the sea, and the operator decides on the day. The band above carries the south coast; the north has its own zone, and each route page shows the one that belongs to it.
Cloud on the peaks
Swap the ridge for a levada
Forest walks read the same in cloud, and Fanal is better in it.
Conditions on the high ground todayIPMA warnings issued 25 September 2026 at 11:54, Madeira time
Official warnings, mountains
hot weather, yellow until 19:00 tomorrow
Warnings come from IPMA by zone, not by trail. A yellow warning for fog, wind or thunderstorms is a reason to check the route status and the sky before you set off, and the forest service closes paths on its own schedule. Station readings.
Make it work for your trip
Choose the practical details first. A pickup area or a ship's departure time can decide the day for you.
With children
- The cable car and the sledge, then the garden.
- The sea pools when the north is calm.
- A short levada with little height change, and level 1 canyoning if they are old enough.
Off a cruise ship
- Funchal on foot, the market and the cable car.
- A half-day west if you are back by the all-aboard time.
- Check the pickup point before you book anything.
Without a car
- Shared minibus days reach both coasts.
- City buses 20, 21, 22 and 48 climb to Monte, and a separate service runs to Pico do Areeiro.
- Levada trips usually include the transfer; each tour page says what its own price covers.
Walking seriously
- Book each IFCN route before you walk it; the municipal ones take no booking.
- Read today's status: 31 of 39 are open.
- The ridge is a different day from the sunrise.
What the main stops cost
Pay for the parts you want. Nothing here is a package, and Monte's cable car and garden are separate tickets.
- Funchal cable car
- €22 return, €16 one way Monte
- Monte toboggan
- €40 per sledge for two people Monte
- Monte Palace garden
- €18 adult, under 14 free with an adult Monte
- Porto Moniz pools
- €3 per person over 3 Porto Moniz
- Cabo Girão skywalk
- €5 over 12; children up to 12 and Madeira residents free Cabo Girão
- Pico do Areeiro parking
- €4 per hour, first 15 minutes free Pico do Arieiro
- One classified route
- €4.50 per person on a route IFCN manages, booked online. €9 covers two or more routes in a day. PR 1 sits outside every pass: €10.50 for the full route, €4.50 to the Pedra Rija viewpoint and back. Trail status
Prices come from the pages of the people who charge them, with their dates in Sources.
Questions before you go
What are the best things to do in Madeira?
For a first visit I'd take a levada walk and one coast day, then Monte for the cable car and the sledge. A boat fits the day the sea allows it.
How many days do you need in Madeira?
Three days cover one levada, one coast and Funchal. A week lets you take both coasts, the mountains and Porto Santo without rushing. Two days is a stopover, not a trip.
What does it cost to walk a levada?
€4.50 per person for one classified route that IFCN manages, booked online on SIMplifica before you walk. Routes run by a municipality, like PR 3 and PR 4 above Funchal, are outside the fee and the booking. Two or more routes in a day cost €9, three days €22.50, seven days €52.50, and none of those passes covers PR 1: the full route costs €10.50, and while its upper section is closed the walk to the Pedra Rija viewpoint and back costs €4.50. Free for children aged 12 or under, for Madeira residents with their resident card and citizen card, and for anyone with a disability of 60% or more and one legal guardian walking with them. Everyone still needs a booking.
Do I need a car?
No, but it decides your day. Shared minibus tours reach the west and the east, the market and the cable car station sit in central Funchal, and Horários do Funchal runs its own bus from the city to Pico do Areeiro with seats reserved by phone in advance.
What is there to do when it rains?
Swap coasts and check the stations above, because they often disagree at the same hour. A wine lodge, the market and Monte's garden fill a wet morning while you wait for the other side.
Is Madeira good with children?
Yes, with the right shortlist. The cable car, the sea pools and a short levada work with small legs, and our selection for families even has a level 1 canyoning day with an age and height limit. The ridge walks are the ones to leave.
When is the best time to go?
We publish today's readings rather than a month-by-month picture, so take the one thing the stations above do show: at the same hour the island reports different weather on different coasts, and the mountain station reads colder than the coastal ones.
Sources, with their dates
A check date and an observation time mean different things. Both are here.
- IFCN, table of classified routes: which routes are open, their length and their end points. Table dated 14 September 2026, checked 25 September 2026 at 14:46, Madeira time, and re-read when you open this page.
- IFCN, fees and bookings FAQ: the fee, the passes and who goes free. Updated 2 June 2026, read 14 September 2026.
- The fees in law: Portaria 801/2025 and Portaria 48/2026, read 24 September 2026.
- IFCN route boards for the walking times in the table: PR 6, PR 11 and PR 8, read 20 September 2026.
- Entry prices and opening hours: the operators' and the municipality's own pages, each linked and dated on the place page it belongs to.
- IPMA station observations and IPMA warnings, re-read at every build and again in your browser.
- Horários do Funchal, the operator's page for the Funchal to Pico do Areeiro service, read 25 September 2026.
- Viator: tour prices, ratings and programmes, as of 21 September 2026.
Who keeps this page
Roman Antonov, editor
I love this island and keep going back. The order of this list is what people come for, the prices come from the pages of the people who charge them, and the trail status from the forest service table. If something has changed on the ground, tell me.
Tour links go to Viator, where we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It does not change what is listed here. How we earn.