Tourist town, Spa, Swimming pool, Stony Beach

The small, landscaped spa town of Porto Moniz, at the very north-western tip of Madeira, is not only attractive for its location with spectacular views of the steep mountain slopes. The main attraction in Porto Moniz are the seawater baths built on the jagged coastline between natural lava pools. There are two natural pools right in Porto Moniz. [btn "Show Madeira hotels by price" https://booking.com/region/pt/madeira.en.html?aid=2380460;label…

Tourist town, Skanzen

The small town of Santana, located in an agricultural area with a beautiful lush green landscape, lies on a gently rolling plateau between the mountains and the ocean. It is particularly famous for its typical Madeiran houses casas de colmoof which several dozen remain. Where to find Casas de Colmo? The houses are made of wooden beams with straw roofs and their main characteristic is the "A" shape and coloured doors or shutters. An…

Tourist town

Câmara de Lobos is a picturesque fishing town where Winston Churchill spent his holidays. You can find his statue in the harbour by the canvas. To soak up the true atmosphere of the town, head here later in the afternoon, fishing boats are parked in the bay and fishermen play cards in the harbour. The idyllic atmosphere of the town is enhanced by the vineyards scattered along the steep hillsides, with winding paths weaving between them and…

Cable car, Cliff

In the village of Achadas da Cruz, there is a cable car on the cliff that takes you a few hundred metres down to the coast and back in a gentle rocking motion for 5 eur. The original purpose of the cable car, built in 2001, was to facilitate access for farmers owning small houses and fields along the coast, below the cliff, more than 400 metres high and almost perpendicular. Previously, the only way down was by a very steep and winding path. …

Tourist town, Hiking trail, Cave

São Vicente is a picturesque town in the north of the island, which has been described as the most beautiful town in Madeira. It is set in a narrow valley stretching from the Atlantic coast inland, where it widens into rolling green meadows dotted with villas and farmhouses. The small historic centre is dominated by the beautiful 16th-century Igreja de São Vicente, a typical colonial-style church. [btn "The 10 best hotels in Madeira" https:/…

Cable car, Lookout, Cliff

The cableway is out of operation for a long time. A smaller cable car in the Rocha do Navio Nature Reserve, which was built for local farmers to make it easier for them to get to their fields, now serves tourists. Panoramic views can be enjoyed on the 5-minute ride. A return ticket costs just 5 eur. The cable car operates between 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00. [btn "Compare car rental prices - FNC Airport" https://booking.com/city/city/pt/funchal…

Resort, Tourist town, Sandy beach, Pebble beach

Machico, on the east coast of Madeira, is one of the two typical beach resorts on the island (the other is Calheta) and one of the main tourist centres in Madeira. Machico provides all the facilities - you will find a plethora of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and supermarkets, tourist agencies offering various excursions and cruises, beaches and paths along the Madeiran "levadas" with views of the beautiful mountainous and green coastline. …

Resort, Sandy beach, Tourist town

The town of Calheta on the southern coast of Madeira, scattered on steep slopes with idyllic terraced fields falling into the ocean, is one of two popular beach resorts in Madeira (the other is Machico). [btn "The 10 best hotels in Madeira" https://booking.com/region/pt/madeira.en.html?aid=2380460;label=p-madeira-calheta] Previously inhospitable and not very attractive for tourists, the place began to change significantly at the turn of the…

Village, Cliff, Swimming pool

This small town on the northeast coast of Madeira doesn't appear in guidebooks very often, but in our opinion it's not right. Porto da Cruz lies in a wildly undulating landscape, surrounded on three sides by massive cliffs and mountains and on the fourth by the stormy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The beautifully landscaped town is really small, but offers all the necessary tourist services from accommodation to restaurants to a supermarket. …

Statue, Lookout, Cable car

The statue of Christ the King rises to a height of about 15 metres on a high cliff above the sea to protect all Madeira fishermen. At night it is illuminated to act as a beacon. [btn "View accommodation in Madeira" https://booking.com/region/pt/madeira.cs.html?aid=2380460;label=p-madeira-socha-garajau] Built in 1927 in the Art Deco style, the statue is not dissimilar to the more famous statues in Rio de Janeiro or Lisbon. It stands in the…