Seven days in Madeira gives you time for Funchal, a mountain summit, a levada walk and both sides of the coast without turning the trip into a driving endurance test. The best approach is to group nearby stops, give longer walks their own day and leave room to change plans when conditions demand it.
This Madeira itinerary uses Funchal as a single base, with two days around the city followed by five days with a rental car. It suits a first visit with a mix of walking, gardens, coastal towns and swimming. The mountain and hiking days are interchangeable, subject to trail availability and your reservations.
Your Seven-Day Madeira Itinerary
| Day | Main area | Suggested plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Funchal | Old Town, central streets and waterfront |
| 2 | Monte | Cable car and Monte Palace Tropical Garden |
| 3 | Eastern Madeira | Ponta de São Lourenço and Machico |
| 4 | Mountains and northeast | Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira, then Santana |
| 5 | Rabaçal | Levada das 25 Fontes |
| 6 | Northwest Madeira | Fanal, Porto Moniz and Seixal |
| 7 | South coast | Câmara de Lobos, Cabo Girão and optional Ponta do Sol |
The first and last days are the easiest to shorten around flights. If you arrive late, make Day 1 dinner and a waterfront stroll. If you leave early, drop Day 7 rather than squeezing a coastal excursion between hotel checkout and airport check-in.
Where to Stay and How to Organize Transport
For this route, stay in one place unless changing hotels is part of the appeal. Central Funchal works well if you want to walk to dinner, while the Lido area is worth considering if hotel facilities matter more than being beside the Old Town. Compare the practical differences in our guide to where to stay in Funchal.
Check the actual approach to your accommodation, not just its distance from the waterfront. Ask about parking charges, access to the garage and whether the room involves stairs. These details matter more after a long walk than a slightly better balcony photograph.
A practical option is to collect a car on the morning of Day 3. Keep the first two days free of parking duties, then use it for the eastern peninsula, mountains and western routes. Our guide to renting a car in Madeira covers the decisions to make before booking. Choose a vehicle you feel comfortable controlling on steep roads, rather than booking solely on price.
Reserve the hiking days through the official SIMplifica trail booking service. Save the issued tickets offline and check what any guided excursion includes. Do not treat a paid reservation as a flexible placeholder: changing your mind or preferring another day’s forecast does not automatically qualify you for a refund or rescheduling.
Day 1: Get Your Bearings in Funchal
Keep your first day local. Walk through central Funchal, visit the cathedral area and continue east to the Old Town. This gives you a useful introduction without committing to transport or a timed attraction immediately after travelling.
Use our self-guided Funchal Old Town walk if you prefer a route rather than wandering. Leave time to stop, look into side streets and sit down for lunch. If you visit Mercado dos Lavradores, confirm prices before accepting a tasting or buying fruit, especially when prices are displayed by weight.
Spend the afternoon along the waterfront or choose one indoor visit that interests you. A museum or wine tasting is a better addition than trying to collect every central attraction before dinner.
For a late arrival, reduce the plan to a short walk and a meal near your accommodation. There is no benefit in starting the week tired simply to keep the numbered days tidy.
Day 2: Take the Cable Car to Monte
Make Monte Palace Tropical Garden the main event today. Travel up from Funchal by cable car if it is operating and conditions suit, or use road transport. The garden entrance is beside the upper cable car station; check the Monte Palace visitor information for current admission, seasonal hours and access details.
Allow roughly three hours as a planning allowance, longer if you enjoy gardens and art. Avoid treating the visit as a quick circuit between photographs. Give yourself time to follow the paths, pause at the ponds and work through the different areas without watching the clock.
Wear shoes with grip and expect slopes. A garden day can still involve plenty of walking, so it is not necessarily a rest day for anyone with knee or mobility concerns. Ask the attraction about suitable access before buying tickets if that affects your visit.
Keep the afternoon uncommitted. You could return to central Funchal for lunch and a relaxed stroll, or add another attraction if everyone has the energy. Visiting two major gardens in one day makes sense for garden enthusiasts, not as a default requirement.
Day 3: Walk Ponta de São Lourenço and Unwind in Machico
Head east for Ponta de São Lourenço, where the open peninsula provides a strong contrast to the forest walks later in the week. Carry sun protection, water and a windproof layer. Do not assume that comfortable conditions beside your hotel mean comfortable conditions on an exposed headland.
The official PR8 route information lists 4 km each way, making 8 km for the full return walk. At the time of research, it also notes temporary diversions. Follow the current signs rather than an old downloaded track, and check the notice again before departure.
Set aside most of the morning and some early afternoon rather than building your schedule around the fastest published walking time. Stops, uneven ground and passing other walkers all affect the day. Turning back earlier is a valid option if wind, heat or fatigue makes the full route unsuitable.
Afterwards, stop in Machico for a late lunch and time by the waterfront. Swimming is optional, not another appointment to fulfil. If you skipped the hike, spend longer here and keep the eastern outing deliberately easy.
Day 4: Hike Pico Ruivo From Achada do Teixeira
Use the best suitable mountain-weather window for Pico Ruivo. This itinerary chooses the return walk from Achada do Teixeira rather than the longer traverse from Pico do Areeiro. Returning to the same trailhead keeps the transport arrangements straightforward.
PR1.2 is 2.8 km each way, or 5.6 km return. The standard individual trail fee is €4.50 for paying visitors in 2026. Check the IFCN trail conditions, distances and access rules before setting out. Do not confuse this route with PR1: the full Areeiro traverse has different ticketing and direction rules, with onward transport to arrange.
Allow around three hours for PR1.2 as a relaxed planning allowance, including stops and time near the summit. That is not a guaranteed completion time. Leave more room if your group walks slowly, and be prepared to turn around rather than press on to meet an itinerary.
Carry a warm layer and waterproof outerwear even if you left Funchal in a T-shirt. Keep food and water accessible, and do not depend on finding refreshments along the route.
After the walk, consider a short stop in Santana before returning to Funchal. Skip it if the hike took longer than expected. If mountain conditions are unsuitable, replace the summit attempt with a lower-level sightseeing day; a cloudy photograph is not the problem, poor walking conditions are.
Day 5: Spend the Day Around Rabaçal and 25 Fontes
Make this your main levada day. Head to Rabaçal for Levada das 25 Fontes, leaving enough time for the return walk and the drive back without rushing.
The official PR6 trail description gives a distance of 8.6 km return from the ER105 starting point and rates the route as moderate. Use that full distance when planning. A shorter figure from a tour description may reflect a different starting point or transport arrangement.
Allow four to five hours as a comfortable outing allowance, including breaks and delays on narrow stretches. Carry lunch or substantial snacks so that a late finish does not turn into an impatient walk back. Wet surfaces, steps and the return ascent deserve as much attention as the waterfall at the end.
Add the Risco route only if your legs, remaining daylight and booking arrangements allow it. It is an optional extension, not something to force because you are already nearby.
Afterwards, return for a quiet evening. Resist attaching Fanal and Porto Moniz to this day as well. Keeping them separate gives you time to enjoy both the walk and the northwest coast.
Day 6: Combine Fanal, Porto Moniz and Seixal
Today links forest scenery with the northwest coast. Begin at Fanal if road access and conditions are suitable, then continue to Porto Moniz before following the coast east through Seixal.
Keep Fanal to a short visit rather than adding another long hike. Our guide to visiting Fanal Forest covers the distinction between stopping near the trees and committing to a marked walking route. Stay on permitted paths and do not wander beyond clear landmarks just to find a particular photograph.
Continue to Porto Moniz for lunch and, if conditions allow, a swim. The managed pool complex has changing facilities and lifeguards; the municipality’s beach and natural pool information distinguishes it from other swimming areas nearby. Follow local restrictions and staff instructions rather than assuming every rocky pool offers the same facilities.
Make Seixal your final substantial stop. Choose between beach time and simply enjoying the coastal setting, then leave enough daylight for the return drive.
This is already a full day. If you want a long swim in Porto Moniz, shorten Fanal or make Seixal a brief stop. In poor sea conditions, turn the outing into a coastal sightseeing day and leave swimming out altogether.
Day 7: Slow Down on the South Coast
Finish with a less demanding route through Câmara de Lobos and Cabo Girão. Start with a harbour walk and coffee in Câmara de Lobos, then visit the viewpoint if visibility makes the stop worthwhile. There is little reason to queue for a view hidden by cloud.
If this is a full sightseeing day, continue to Ponta do Sol for lunch and a waterfront pause. Keep the afternoon loose rather than adding another mountain road or a distant attraction. After three walking days and a northwest excursion, some time without a schedule is useful.
If you fly home today, shorten the route sharply. Câmara de Lobos alone may be enough; for an earlier flight, stay in Funchal. Allow for fuel, returning the car and reaching the terminal, not just the estimated drive to the airport.
How to Adapt the Week
Without a car, keep Funchal as your base and reorganize the rural days around booked excursions or trail transfers. Do not assume a bus reaching the nearest village solves the final approach to a trailhead. Our seven-day Madeira itinerary without a car handles that version separately.
For less walking, choose either Pico Ruivo or 25 Fontes rather than both, and use the spare day for a longer coastal visit. For more walking, replace sightseeing rather than stacking another hike onto an already full day.
Keep your final decisions tied to conditions and confirmed reservations. Pack grippy footwear, sun protection, a waterproof layer and spare clothing for the car. If your available time changes, compare the other Madeira itineraries instead of compressing seven days into five. The places you leave out are a better reason to return than the places you rushed through.