Madeira in 7 Days
A private week shaped around you: Funchal's gardens and old town, a wild volcanic coastline, laurel forest levada walks and the island's finest high-mountain hike, one base in Funchal for the whole stay, your rental car and own MLH roadbook taken care of.
You have a week on an island that packs an extraordinary range into a small space: subtropical gardens, sea cliffs among the highest in Europe, and mountains that feel Alpine by afternoon. Funchal is home for the whole stay, your own MLH roadbook riding along once the driving begins, arranged so that all you have to do is turn up and enjoy it.
The shape of the journey
Welcome to Madeira
Settle into Funchal, Madeira's capital, a city of black-and-white cobbled streets, flower markets and a subtropical climate that never quite lets go of summer. The evening is yours: a wander through the old town, or a quiet dinner overlooking the harbour.
Funchal, old town and food
A guided walk through Funchal's old town, tasting local dishes and pastries as you go, and a stop at the island's market, the most colourful in Portugal, its stalls piled with exotic fruit and fresh flowers. Afterwards, a coastal walk to the Lido bathing area, and perhaps a first swim in the Atlantic.
The wild west coast
Collect your rental car and take the island's western loop, one of the most dramatic coastal drives in Europe: Cabo Girão, among the highest sea cliffs on the continent, its glass platform suspended 580 metres above the water; the black sand beach at Seixal; the mountain pass of Encumeada, with the island unfolding on both sides at once; and the natural volcanic pools of Porto Moniz, where the Atlantic fills the rock itself.
Fanal Forest & the 25 Fountains
Into the high plateau of Paúl da Serra, and the mist-wrapped, centuries-old laurel forest of Fanal, part of a UNESCO-protected woodland found nowhere else in such abundance. Then one of Madeira's loveliest levada walks, the Levada das 25 Fontes, an old irrigation channel threading through the forest to a curtain of waterfalls.
The eastern peninsula
East along the coast, with a stop at a traditional rum distillery and the golden sand of Machico, before reaching Ponta de São Lourenço, the island's easternmost tip and a landscape unlike anywhere else on Madeira: bare volcanic rock, cliffs and ocean on every side, walked on a trail unlike any of the island's green interior.
Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo
The island's most celebrated hike, between two of its highest peaks: a trail of four to five hours across a mountain spine, through a natural rock tunnel, with the Atlantic often far below the clouds. Reward yourselves that evening with a last dinner in Funchal.
Until next time
An unhurried last morning, one more look at the harbour. Drop off your rental car at Funchal airport in good time for your flight.
Everything taken care of
In your private journey
- A rental car from day three, with your own MLH roadbook
- Six nights at a single base in Funchal, breakfast included
- A guided food walk through Funchal's old town
- The days shaped to your style and pace
Funchal, for the whole week
One base in Funchal for the whole week, breakfast each morning, so you unpack once and let the island come to you. Should you prefer something more refined, or a particular address you have in mind, simply tell us. We will tailor the stay to suit you.
Tailored to you
There is no off-the-shelf price, because there is no off-the-shelf journey. Tell us your dates, how many you are and what you love (gardens, the coast, or the high mountain trails), and we will send a tailored proposal, accommodation, rental car and all. A second week, with the Fajã dos Padres, a day trip to Porto Santo, or the central loop through Santana and Curral das Freiras, is always possible to add.
Curious about Madeira as a whole? Read more about Madeira.
Good to knowQuestions, answered
Do we need to change hotels during the week?
No. This journey is built around a single Funchal base, so you unpack once and explore the island on day trips and loop drives.
Do we need to drive ourselves?
For most of it. The first days are on foot and by taxi around Funchal; you collect a rental car partway through the week, with your own MLH roadbook as your companion. If you would rather not drive at all, we can shape a version of this journey with a private driver instead.
How difficult is the Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo hike?
It is considered the island's finest trail and takes most walkers four to five hours, with real altitude and exposed sections in places. Fit, comfortable hikers manage it well; it is not a casual stroll.
Is a week enough for Madeira?
It is a graceful introduction, built around the island's best-loved coastal loops and one great mountain hike. Madeira rewards a longer stay too, with levada trails and quiet corners enough for a second week.
Can you arrange this for a family or a larger group?
Yes. Tell us your numbers and we will tailor the whole journey, accommodation and all.
Let's plan your journey
Tell us when you would like to come and who is travelling. Your travel designer will shape the week around you and send a tailored proposal.