Just one day in Madeira? I had heard so much about this beautiful island and when I finally got there I only had a single day to explore it! So here’s what I ended up doing and let me tell you – even a single day was so worth it.
I do want to add that Madeira is a hidden gem and has so much to offer that I most definitely want to go back to explore it more. There are so many incredible hikes to do, views to enjoy, foods to try, natural pools to swim in… but if you only have a day, this blog post will give you a good idea of what is possible!
Note: This blog post contains links & mentions to third party sites etc. – this is non commercial as nothing was paid for. But let me mark this as an Ad for legal reasons. 🙂
Hiking to Pico Grande
The view of the Valley of Nuns (Curral das Freiras) on our way up.
My top priority was simply to explore nature. I just really wanted to get out there to hike and enjoy those stunning views! And oh – I wasn’t disappointed.
When I want to hike in places I don’t know, especially if I only have a day, I like to get a mountain guide just to be safe. Unfortunately a lot of times, you will end up in a larger group of people, who have all booked the same tour.
This is why I was extra happy, that we happened to book a very new tour with a rather new company, so we ended up just being a group of three, including our mountain guide, Jorge.
A very popular & likely beautiful hike in Madeira is between its two peaks: Pico Arieiro & Pico Ruivo to enjoy the views from the highest possible point on the island. Unfortunately due to it’s popularity the possibility of enjoying nature all by yourself is very slim and there will very likely be many other hikers out there.
A lesser known hike is from Boca de Corrida along the mountain range and to the top of Pico Grande with an altitude of 1,654m. And while Pico Grande is not the highest peak, it is said to have one of the best views on the island thanks to its location in the very center. Even though this is obviously the only hike I’ve been on – I can absolutely agree that the views are stunning!
We left at 8AM and drove up to Boca de Corrida by car, then started our hike to the peak. The hike is about 10km long as a round trip and quite a bit of it goes uphill, the last part to reach the peak of Pico Grande involves some climbing as well. So yes, that last part is exhausting but oh so worth it.
And the best part? I already said this was a less popular hike but we were all alone on this hike the entire time and most importantly all alone on the top.
It was so peaceful.
We met about 5 other people within about 6 hours. That is what added that little bit of extra magic on this day.
You can find the same hike HERE offered by Madeira Mountain Tours.
The company is fairly new & offer lots of different hikes, so I would recommend checking them out. They made it their policy to take only a limited amount of hikers on a tour, to keep the experience personal and this is literally a game changer.
This hike was honestly so lovely but there is so much left to explore! Hiking in the Levadas and doing a sunrise hike and all of that fun stuff. But I am saving it for next time. 🙂
Madeira’s No. 1 Drink: Poncha
After spending most of the time in nature and above the clouds, we made our way back to Funchal – but not without stopping for a Poncha.
You will find this drink literally around every corner, as it originated in Madeira.
It is made from aguardiente de cana which is distilled alcohol from sugar cane juice mixed with honey, sugar and either orange or lemon juice.
Exploring Funchal
Unfortunately we only had limited time to explore this beautiful city but we did make the most of it!
The Cable Car
A great way to start is by taking the cable car to the top of the hill. Not only does the ride up already give you a great view of the city, it also takes you right to the departure point of Funchal’s loveliest tourist attraction, the Carreiros do Monte.
✔Cost for the cable car: One-way 11€ , Round-Trip 16€.
Carreiros do Monte
The Carreiros do Monte are essentially just baskets that you can go sledding down the streets in and it is a really old tradition in Madeira.
It is literally like sledding but you’re swapping snow for tarred streets.
This way of transportation originated in the early 19th century when the residents from Monte wanted to travel downhill to the city of Funchal faster! And it actually does go fast with about 38km/h!
✔Cost for the ride: 1 person 25€ / 2 persons 30€ / 3 persons 45€
I added a map down below where you can see the departure point as well as the ending point of the basket ride, which is about 2km long. You will see it is about halfway down of the way you previously rode up with the cable car.
Afterwards you can easily walk the rest of the way down to explore the beautiful streets of the Funchal and I don’t remember exactly but I think it took us about 20min to walk down to the center.
And now, as a last to do for the day: find a sweet spot for dinner and watch the sun set over the ocean.
I hope you enjoyed this sweet little look into Madeira and added it your bucket list. Personally, I am for sure going back to see more of it!
Love to you all,
Jules