The island of Madeira was shaped by volcanic activity into a lush hiker’s paradise. The green, rugged peaks hold dozens of stunning trails and views. Discover Madeira’s spectacular scenery through its best hikes with this 7-day itinerary, staying at 2 unique hotels on opposite sides of the island.

Getting There & Around

Flying into Madeira Airport is a remarkable experience, as the runway suddenly pops up on the horizon while flying over the Atlantic. The runway was extended on a platform into the ocean to make it safe, but still counts as one of the more challenging airport landings.

Another adventure awaits after picking up your rental car. Some roads in Madeira reach a gradient of up to 45%, making them incredibly steep to navigate. It is highly recommended to rent a car with sufficient power and automatic transmission. We saw plenty of cars in trouble because they weren’t able to restart on a steep incline. The steepest roads are found in and around capital Funchal; the rest of the island is served by an excellent highway system with tunnels.

Where to Stay

We divided our stay between two hotels: one on the island’s sunny southern coast and the other in the lush north. This helped reduce our driving time and allowed us to experience two different sides of the island. We loved both hotels for their unique amenities and stunning setting.

Day 1-4: Quinta da Saraiva – Câmara da Lobos

The first four nights we stayed on the southern coast, in Câmara da Lobos. Quinta da Saraiva is surrounded by terraced banana plantations and overlooks the ocean. You can take in the scenery from the pool, but traveling in November we much appreciated the hot tub. We also loved the homemade breakfast, served table-side on the terrace.

Day 5-7: Solar da Bica – São Vicente

For the second half of the week, we moved to the northern coast. Solar da Bica is a Bed & Breakfast in São Vicente, located in a scenic green valley. You can take a dip in the heated indoor pool and take in beautiful views from the lounge terrace. Our favorite part was the farm-to-table breakfast, with fresh produce from their expansive garden.

7-Day Nature & Hiking Itinerary

Day 1: Levada trail

We arrived the afternoon prior in Madeira and installed us on the southern coast. From Câmara da Lobos, it’s less than an hour drive to several iconic levada trails. These mostly easy trails follow the island’s historic irrigation channels to waterfalls, tunnels and scenic views.

Starting at the trailhead of Levada do Alecrim (PR6.2), we turned it into a 7-km loop trail combined with Vereda da Lagoa do Vento (PR6.3). Levada do Alecrim offers expansive views along the levada, while Vereda da Lagoa do Vento sidetracks to an impressive viewpoint of Risco Waterfall. Towards the end of the trail is Rabaçal Nature Spot Cafe, a scenic spot for lunch or a sweat treat after the hike. You can find the complete trail on AllTrails here.

Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6) is another emblematic levada trail in this area. You can join the trail at Rabaçal Nature Spot Cafe and hike 2 km (one-way) to 25 Fontes Waterfall. The rest of the hike back to the parking lot coincides with Vereda da Lagoa do Vento (PR 6.3).

Day 2: Vereda do Larano & Ponta de São Lourenço

The Vereda do Larano to Boca do Risco Trail was our favorite hike on the island, combining views of Madeira’s dramatic ridges with stunning ocean views. This off-the-beaten-path trail starts in the northeastern corner of the island, close to Porto da Cruz.

The 6-km long path (one-way) runs high above the coast until the Boca do Risco viewpoint, where you can see Ponta de São Lourenço and even Porto Santo Island on a clear day. The round-trip hike with a picnic at Boca do Risco took us a little under 4 hours.

The trailhead for one of the island’s most popular trails is a short drive away. The Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8) crosses a volcanic peninsula with unique coastal views from start to finish. The 7-km out-and-back hike is mostly flat, but the lack of any shade makes it a little challenging. We hiked this trail on day 3, but if you plan to hike the full-day PR1 you could hike PR8 after returning from Vereda do Larano.

Day 3: Pico do Areeiro

Seeing the sunrise from Pico do Areeiro is an experience not to miss on Madeira. You can drive all the way up the mountain to the top, but plan to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise to account for parking, paying and walking the final stretch to the observatory. If you don’t want to navigate Madeira’s mountain roads in the dark, you can book a tour. We watched the sunrise from Miradouro do Juncal, an easy 200-meter walk from the observatory. It’s a wide grassy slope that offers amazing views of the mountain peaks above the clouds.

Madeira’s most iconic trail, the Vereda do Areeiro (PR1), connects the three highest peaks on the island: Pico do Areeiro (1,818 m), Pico das Torres (1,853 m) and Pico Ruivo (1,862 m). The trail starts next to the observatory on Pico do Areeiro and runs for 7 km along a spectacular mountain path to Pico Ruivo. After seeing the sunrise, you can continue onto the trail for an early start.

As of 2026, the PR1 was reopened as a one-way trail, and return transport from Pico Ruivo is needed. This entails walking an additional 2.6 km along PR1.2 from Pico Ruivo to Achada do Teixeira, followed by a private transfer back to Pico do Areeiro. The first part from Pico do Areeiro to Pedra Rija viewpoint still remains two-way and is a great introduction to PR1. We could only hike this section, since the rest of the trail was closed due to wildfire.

Day 4: Road trip to the west coast

Halfway through the trip, we crossed the island from south to northwest and turned it into a roadtrip, with several stops along the way. Miradouro da Bica da Cana is a spectacular viewpoint in the center of the island that looks out over Madeira’s northern coast and the central mountain ridges. From the viewpoint, it’s only a 15-minute drive to the mystical Fanal Forest, a century-old laurel grove. Park at Fanal Forestry Station to take a walk between the impressive trees with ocean vistas.

The scenic road continues to the ocean, ending at viewpoint Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela. You could easily add at a stop at the natural pools of Porto Moniz, but we drove east along the coast to Seixal. From snack bar Avista Navios, you get stunning views of the northern coast and can start the walk down the black beach of Seixal. Add a quick stop at the viewpoint of Véu da Noiva waterfalll before continuing to São Vicente.

Day 5: São Vicente

The village of São Vicente is located in a scenic valley. The lush green landscapes in the north result from frequent rain and mist, very different from the sunny south coast. We started the day by driving up to Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima for impressive 360-degree views, followed by a hike along the Levada Fajã do Rodrigues (PR16). This 7.8-km off-the-beaten-path trail is unique because of the three tunnels it harbors, one of them 1400 meters long.

In the afternoon, we headed up the highest mountain of the island, Pico Ruivo. You can drive up to Achada do Teixeira, home to a mountain café and the trailhead to Vereda do Pico Ruivo (PR1.2). This 5.2-km out-and-back trail leads up to Pico Ruivo along a scenic and easy path. It is a lovely spot to see both sunrise and sunset over the island, if you are lucky to get a clear sky.

Day 6: Queimadas Forest Park & Santana

This day is also spent in rain jackets on the island’s north side. Queimadas Forest Park is a natural park home to Madeira’s original Laurissilva Forest. It also houses an iconic levada trail, the Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9). The 17.4-km out-and-back trail leads through dense and exotic forest to the Caldeirão Verde waterfall, a 100-meter drop into a crystal-clear lagoon. A misty finale and big crowds on the trail made this one of our least favorite hikes on the island.

On the way back to São Vicente, you pass through the village of Santana. Because it was difficult to reach for a long time, the cultural heritage of the island was well preserved. You can enter several restored traditional houses, which now sell handcrafted goods and local specialties.

Day 7: Funchal & return

We made our way south to capital Funchal on the final day, but not without one last hike. Along the scenic ER103 mountain road, you pass the trailhead of Vereda dos Balcões (PR11). This 3-km trail is short and rewarding, ending at Balcões Viewpoint with impressive views when not covered in mist. There are several restaurants around the trailhead, but finding parking is challenging.

When accessing Funchal from the north, you arrive at botanical garden Jardim Monte Palace. The tropical garden packs nature, art and panoramic views of the city. This hilltop area of Funchal is home to some incredibly steep roads. These are the setting for the Monte Toboggan, where you slide downhill on a traditional wicker sledge. You can watch the sledges fly by from the side of the road. We flew out on an evening flight, but if returning the next day you can explore Old Town Funchal before leaving.

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