Local Guide
Everything I'd tell a friend visiting Madeira: what to do, where to eat, and my favourite places beyond the city.
Things to Do
Funchal is small enough to get to know in a day or two. These are the three things I always point visitors to first.
Tuk-Tuk Ride
This whole page is written from the seat of one, so it's only fair to put it on the list: a private Tuk-Tuk seats up to three, follows no fixed script, and can stop wherever you want to stay longer. See the tours if you'd rather ride than walk.
Monte Toboggans
From Monte, most people finish with the wicker toboggan: two men in straw hats steer a basket sledge down about 2km of steep streets, a tradition that started as a real way to get downhill before it became a tourist ride. Everything you need to know is in my Monte toboggan guide.
Go by road instead of the queue for the cable car, and I'll get you there and back with the drop-off timed for the toboggan. That's the Funchal Monte Toboggan & Old Town.
Cable Cars: Monte and Fajã dos Padres
The Monte cable car is Funchal's main one: it climbs 560 metres from Old Town up to Monte in about 15 minutes, with some of the best views over the city's rooftops on the way up. At the top, the Monte Palace Tropical Garden is worth the entry fee for the gardens alone.
Fewer visitors know about the second one, further along the south coast past Câmara de Lobos: a cable car dropping about 300 metres down a cliff face to Fajã dos Padres, a small farm and beach once worked by Jesuit priests, which is where the name comes from. There's a restaurant at the bottom, and it's a good detour for a day when you have a rental car.
Prefer a private tour of the city, coast and hills?
The Funchal Old Town, Cristo Rei & Mountain Roads combines the city, the coast and the hills in one private ride, if you'd rather not choose. Or take a look at all the tours and pick the one that fits your day.
Places to Go
Funchal is where my tours run, but it's a small part of the island. These are the places I'd send my own friends and family to when they have a car and a spare day, grouped by which side of the island they're on. Madeira looks small on a map, but the roads are slow, so it helps to plan by direction rather than trying to see everything in one day.
North West
São Vicente: a pretty village where the mountains meet the ocean. Worth the drive just to enjoy the view, boxed in by peaks on one side and open water on the other.
Paul da Serra: Madeira's high plateau, flat and open in a way nothing else on the island is. It's also where a lot of locals go to drink poncha, away from the coast.
Fanal Forest: ancient, wind-bent laurel trees on the edge of the plateau, part of the same UNESCO-protected laurissilva forest that covers much of the island's interior. It looks best in fog, which rolls in often enough that you have a real chance of seeing it. Go with low expectations of visibility and you won't be disappointed.
Seixal Beach: one of Madeira's few black sand beaches, and one of the most photographed. Go early in the morning, before the coach tours arrive.
Porto Moniz: natural swimming pools formed from old volcanic rock, right where the Atlantic meets the coast. Go on a calmer day if you actually want to swim.
North East
Santana: best known for the small, triangular, thatched-roof Santana houses, and for Parque Florestal das Queimadas, the forest park where the Caldeirão Verde hike begins.
South West
Jardim do Mar: a small village that used to be one of the best surf spots on the island, with narrow cobbled streets running down to the water.
Paul do Mar: just along the coast from Jardim do Mar, and my pick for watching the sunset with a drink in hand.
South East
Ponta de São Lourenço: the dry, wind-cut tip of the island: volcanic rock and ocean on both sides, the opposite of the green Madeira most people picture. Beautiful views, but it's a proper hike of a few hours out and back, not a stroll, so wear real shoes, bring water and sun protection, and start early before the wind and the crowds pick up.
None of this is part of my Tuk-Tuk tours
My tours stay closer to Funchal and the south coast (that's what a Tuk-Tuk is built for), but people ask me for this list often enough that I wanted it written down somewhere, for whenever you have a rental car and a free day.
If you'd rather stay closer to the city with me driving, here's what I do cover.
Food
The dishes worth ordering while you're on the island. For where to find them, see Restaurants and Bakeries.
Mains and Sides
Espetada: beef skewers grilled over laurel wood, usually served still hanging from the hook.
Picado: diced beef in a rich sauce with fries, a lighter, saucier alternative to espetada.
Espada preta: black scabbardfish, a deep-sea fish closely associated with Madeiran cuisine. Often served simply, sometimes with banana.
Milho frito: fried cubes of set cornmeal, crisp outside and soft inside. The classic side dish alongside espetada.
Bolo do caco: Madeira's flatbread, cooked on a hot stone and usually split and filled with garlic butter at the table.
Something Sweet
Pastel de nata: the classic Portuguese custard tart, and my excuse to stop at Mariazinha.
Queijada: a small curd tart, denser and less sweet than pastel de nata.
Bolo de mel: a dense, spiced cake made with sugarcane honey (molasses), traditionally prepared around Christmas and kept for months afterwards.
Drinks
Where to actually drink them is under Bars.
Poncha: Madeira's own drink, made with white cane rum from the north of the island, honey and citrus, muddled together rather than shaken. It's stronger than it tastes. Ask a local where they drink it; it's rarely the bar closest to the cruise terminal.
Nikita (Niquita): a lighter, fruitier drink, perfect for summer. You can also ask for it without alcohol.
Restaurants
People ask me where I actually eat, not just what shows up first online. These are the restaurants I keep going back to. Nothing here is sponsored; it's just where I'd take my own family.
Restaurants in Funchal
Zarcos: my pick for espetada, beef skewers grilled over laurel wood and served hanging from a hook at the table. It's the dish most tied to Madeira, and Zarcos does it properly.
O Regional: go here for espada preta, black scabbardfish, the island's signature fish. It looks unusual on the plate; it tastes much better than it looks.
Restaurants in Câmara de Lobos
Miradouro Cruz da Caldeira: the view alone is worth the drive out, and the espetada matches it.
O Polar: a quieter, hidden spot for espetada, more locals than tourists.
O Pasto: if you want a break from Madeiran food for one night, good Brazilian cooking.
Want to see the island with someone who eats here too?
Food is only half the trip. If you'd like a private ride around Funchal and the coast in between meals, take a look at all the tours.
Bakeries
Just the one, but it's the one I actually recommend.
Mariazinha: the best pastel de nata in Funchal, in my honest opinion. Worth the detour on its own.
Bars
Pharmácia do Bento: for the perfect local poncha, muddled properly, not poured from a bottle.
N2: one of the best poncha bars in Funchal, and my other go-to.
Barreirinha: right by the water, with events, live music and weekend DJs depending on the current programme.
Prices and opening times of third-party attractions may change. Check with the operator before travelling. Editorial review: 8 September 2026. This does not confirm that every venue, price or opening time is up to date.