Madeira is a beautiful, volcanic, Portuguese island just off the northwest coast of Africa.
If you are thinking about going to Madeira, there are two top times to go; summer and New Year’s Eve. While I have recently just gone in summer for a girls trip away, Madeira is a great place to go if you’re looking to go away over Christmas as they have one of the best New Year firework displays and street parties in Europe.
Price:
Prices in Madeira are super cheap with beers and sangria costing as little as 2 Euros, a little will definitely get you a long way! Food is really well priced in restaurants and cafes and the supermarkets compare to Aldi prices. However, the cost to travel to Madeira and back can get very expensive, so it is definitely not a last-minute destination. You will need to book well in advance to get a good deal. I paid £150 with Easyjet by booking 6 months in advance, however, this rocketed up to £350 closer to the time.
What to do:
There are lots to do in Madeira although it does depend on the time of the year you are going. But, if you’re planning on going in summer I would definitely recommend the below:
Go on the Funchal cable car and toboggan – top tip: don’t spend 10 Euros on the professional photo they take of you in the cable car, save it for the photo you get while being dragged down a hill in a wicker basket! Also, it’s honestly not as scary as it looks)
Toboggan experience
Take a trip to the glass floor cliff – while you may the view is really beautiful and there is also a really good souvenir shop next to it.
Visit the Christo Rei statue and sunbathe at its beach – This is my favorite beach in Madeira! Check out the statue first and then make your way to the beach. It’s 2 Euros for the cable car down to the beach but you can also walk it down a zig-zag path. When you get to the bottom, there’s a really cool beach café so you don’t need to bring a packed lunch. Also, remember to bring a padlock to lock on the fence by the statue.
Christo Rei beach
If you enjoy walking, go on the Lavada walks and the 25 waterfalls treck which is absolutely breathtaking.
The dolphin and whale watching catamaran is incredible if you enjoy sea life. This experience is really fun and there’s a chance for you to jump into the sea. I would recommend going late afternoon so you also get to see the beautiful island sunset.
Although this is a list of stuff to do, I will also mention that it is not worth doing the day trip to the deserted islands, as cool as it sounds, a 6 hour boat journey for a half an hour tour of some rocks and plants is not worth the time nor 70 Euros. If you do want to explore one of the nearby islands, Porto Santo would be the place to go with golden sands and clear seas, it is a beautiful place to spend the day.
Food and Drink
There are some food and drink that you just have to try when you’re over there:
Espetadas – this is a meat of your choice slowly cooked on a skewer and usually dripping with garlic butter, make sure you order a side of Meilho!
Picadino – this is diced beef and mushrooms in a creamy sauce and usually comes with chips.
Espada – this is a local that is similar to cod, I would recommend having it not breaded as they will usually prepare a really nice sauce to go over it. While these recommendations are not for vegetarians, you’ll be able to get vegetarian options very easily in restaurants in Funchal.
Village street party
You have to also try Poncha which is their local liquor, while the traditional version may be enough to knock you out, I would recommend having the Tangerine or Passionfruit flavored Poncha as it tastes so good and you won’t have had a true Madeiran experience until you try one of these.
Location
I would very highly recommend staying in the capital, Funchal, as most of the attractions are in or around the capital and it will make traveling expenses cheaper. I have stayed both in Funchal and out of Funchal, in Santana which is more of a countryside area and definitely preferred Funchal as it was more colorful, vibrant and full of life. Even if you are looking to stay in a quiet area, the city is huge so you will be able to find somewhere more secluded on the outskirts. Although I stayed at a friend’s holiday house over there, I know that there are some decent Airbnb’s and hostels around.
By Katie Sharman
Images courtesy of Katie Sharman