This beautiful dreamland had been on our wishlist for quite a while. So, I can safely say that my heart was overjoyed the moment we had the tickets in hand. We flew directly with @airbaltic!
We were there for five days in November, but I’d say it was a bit too short. This is definitely a wonderful time to experience a warm spring at the tail end of autumn. From the very first impression, this beautiful land felt magical!
And, as always, I’ll share our family’s daily plans!
Here's a little glimpse of our first day in Madeira.
We planned our first day to be slow and relaxing since we were really exhausted from the early morning flight – 6-hour flight. So, we spent our first day in the capital, Funchal. The capital is beautiful, tidy, and very green!
Our day plan:
📍@prima_caju – Definitely try the mango smoothie bowl, it was incredibly delicious!
📍We just strolled through the city and, of course, explored the old town.
📍Farmers' Market – I always find it interesting to visit local markets, and we did just that. We bought a mango here that cost 9 euros (crazy expensive), but it tasted like in Thailand.
📍Funchal Cable Car – It started raining in the afternoon, so we decided to hide here! It was great because the view of the whole city was truly beautiful.
We really loved how the city is full of parks and colors. You almost get the feeling you're in some botanical garden.
The next day was packed with adventures! Wild. Vibrant. Green. Warm. Magical! Madeira, you really surprised us! No wonder people call you the Hawaii of Europe!
The second day was wonderfully beautiful, and here’s everything we saw:
📍Cabo Girao – The highest cliff in Europe! A ticket for an adult costs 2 euros. It’s a viewpoint you can stop if it is along the way you are headed.
📍Ponta do Sol – A small town with a rocky beach, crashing waves, giant waves, and colorful houses. It’s definitely worth a stop here.
📍Cascata dos Anjos – A waterfall that falls onto the road, delighting all the tourists – especially the little ones! Nātans had wet hair here! On a hot day, definitely wear your swimsuit and run through it. Don’t miss this if you're in Madeira! 📍Miradouro da Garganta Funda – This was another impressive waterfall. Standing there gave us a mighty feeling. The path to it is muddy but not long, and it’s easy to walk!
If you can wear a dress in November, the day itself is already amazing! The third day was really warm, which was just what we needed for this autumn.
We started third day with: 📍@land_food_coffee – A very tasty and beautiful spot. I loved the coffee here, made just the way I like it. I’d definitely recommend combining it with a cable car ride, as the café is right next to the lift. 📍Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto – Two absolutely stunning Madeira viewpoints in one location! Wild cliffs and crashing waves. A fairytale! 📍Vereda da Ponta de Sao Lourenco – We didn’t complete the whole hike, just a small part to enjoy the view since our kids were tired, but it’s definitely worth going further to see the very end of the island. The entrance to the hike costs 3 euros. 📍Casas de Santana – The little colorful houses! Nātans asked if dwarfs lived there! 😅 A beautiful viewpoint. Most of the houses are decorated with gorgeous flowers. 📍Parque Florestal das Queimadas – You can also do a beautiful hike here with views of several waterfalls. We came to see the houses and the forest birds living there because this location was just 10 minutes from the previous houses, but if you're here, you should definitely hike!
Then we move on to our fourth day! This was our favorite and fullest day in Madeira. We did so much and absolutely enjoyed this beautiful land:
📍Miradouro do Véu da Noiva – One of the most popular viewpoints in Madeira, offering a view of the waterfall in the cliffs! Incredibly beautiful! The road to this spot from the capital literally took my breath away.
📍Praia do Porto do Seixal – We then headed to a black sand beach, which you definitely shouldn’t miss! Nātans wouldn’t stay still for a single picture because he had more important things to do – catch waves and run away from them! 😅 Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean in November – check ✔ This beach is located in a beautiful part of the island! And also the journey to it was amazing!
📍Piscinas Naturais, Porto Moniz – Natural pools that were truly incredibly beautiful. Entrance for adults is 3 euros, and for Nātans, it was 1.50 euros. I’d say it’s definitely worth it! We sat here for a while and watched the powerful ocean from the edge.
📍Miradouro do Ponta da Ladeira – A quiet viewpoint to stop by if you're passing through, and it was right on our way! you can see mountain layers here.
📍Miradouro Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela – A rocky beach that gave us a bit of Icelandic vibes. A very beautiful beach, and I’d definitely recommend stopping here.
📍Fanal Forestry Station, Porto Moniz – This location is high above the ocean, so it’s a little cooler than other places – a jacket is definitely needed! Liepiņi says this is a 'must-see' spot in Madeira! We really loved it here! A fairytale forest with thousand-year-old trees and incredibly beautiful wild cows! 🐄
Looking at the pictures, I realize that the ‘magic’ feeling just can’t be conveyed through them – it has to be experienced! Tom said it felt a bit like we were in a 'Lord of the Rings' movie. In fact, this is one of the locations in Madeira where fog is most common – just imagine this forest view with everything covered in fog? Crazy, right? I read that if you want to catch the fog, your best bet is to go early in the morning!
📍Steak&Sun (Ponta do Sol) – We grabbed a bite here on our way back through this town, which I had mentioned in another post as a place worth visiting! It was unbelievably delicious, and we were really sorry we didn’t eat here the first time we visited! Definitely order the tuna tataki – it was perfect!
Our last day in Madeira!
📍Art Food Corner Madeira, Rua Dom Carlos I – A very tasty breakfast spot! The coffee here was the best I had! Definitely recommend! 🥑
📍Souvenirs Tobogan, Caminho do Monte, Funchal – In Venice, there are gondolas! In London, there are red buses and phone booths, but in Madeira, there’s this! A ride in a basket down the hill! 😅 An amazing experience, especially if you're traveling with kids.
📍Miradouro Eira do Serrado, Estrada da Eira do Serrado – A viewpoint where the road to it was just wow! From here, we could see a small town nestled among grand mountains. ⛰
📍PR11 Levada dos Balcões – A really nice "hike" if you're traveling with kids! It's not too long, not too difficult, and very easy to walk. During the hike, a cloud wrapped around us, and the entire forest path looked like it was tangled in fog. From the top, there’s a beautiful view, which we sadly didn’t get to see because it was all in the clouds! 😅☁
📍Rocha do Navio and Miradouro do Curtado, ER103 – Two beautiful viewpoints of the same location, just from two different spots. We just stopped to glance at the first one, but at the second, we stayed to enjoy the fairytale view!
We absolutely loved Madeira and will definitely return just the two of us because there was a lot we had to say no to since we were traveling with our little ones! But this land is definitely at the top of my list as one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been! #liepiņiceļā