Towns and villages

Towns and villages in Madeira
Where Madeira’s towns and villages lie comes down to the terrain – mountainous volcanic land cut by deep valleys and steep cliffs. The south coast, warmer and sheltered from the wind, has the largest towns. This is where you’ll find Funchal, Madeira’s capital, which was granted city status as early as 1508 and today is one of Portugal’s biggest cruise ports. West of the capital lies Câmara de Lobos, the fishing town Winston Churchill captured on canvas, and further on Ribeira Brava with its 15th-century church and Ponta do Sol – one of the sunniest spots on the island. At the western end, Calheta tempts you with a sandy beach (one of the few in Madeira, with sand brought in from Morocco), while tiny Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar draw surfers with some of the best waves in Europe.

The north coast is a different world – wilder, greener and rainier. Porto Moniz on the north-western tip is famous for its natural rock pools formed by solidified volcanic lava. São Vicente is the gateway to the island’s interior, with a historic centre and volcanic caves that have been closed since March 2020 (there’s still no reopening date). Santana in the north-east is known for its traditional triangular houses with thatched roofs – casas de colmo – and makes a good base for Queimadas park and the Caldeirão Verde levada.

The eastern part of the island is home to Machico – one of the oldest settlements in Madeira, where, according to tradition, its discoverers landed in 1419. Nearby, in Santa Cruz, runs the airport’s main runway, and underneath it (few people know this) there are sports facilities and walkways. Porto Santo, 40 km away, is a category of its own – an island with a nine-kilometre sandy beach where Christopher Columbus once lived.

The interior hides places just as interesting as the coast. Curral das Freiras, a village at the bottom of a deep valley ringed by mountains on all sides (contrary to a popular myth, it isn’t a volcanic crater but a valley carved out by erosion), was for centuries so isolated that it was here the nuns of the Convent of Saint Clare fled when pirates attacked Funchal in 1566. The Eira do Serrado viewpoint, about 450 metres above the village, gives you one of the most recognisable views on the island. Monte, the district above Funchal, isn’t just about wicker toboggans and famous tropical gardens: it also has a church with the tomb of the last emperor of Austria-Hungary, Charles I of Habsburg.

In the write-ups of individual places I give practical information on getting there (buses, car, parking), recommend specific viewpoints and places to eat, and tell you honestly how much time each place deserves – because not every one is worth a whole day.