Madeira and Porto Santo, Portugal
We’ve been to Portugal before but this was our first visit to the “Jewel of the Atlantic” (aka Madeira). We spent just over a week first exploring Madeira, and later a few days in Porto Santo. With a healthy mix of activities and R&R, I cannot wait to get back here and explore more of these islands.
MADEIRA
Where We Stayed
The Vine - A small boutique hotel with spacious rooms and a lovely rooftop pool and bar. Things to know:
Breakfast buffet is pretty legit and they have nice outdoor seating
You can use the public gym attached to the hotel if you ask them to make a reservation for you, just remember to bring a hand towel from your room or they will charge you to rent one.
Free “spa” isn’t bad. A luke warm hammam pool and a sauna.
The hotel is attached to a mall with a grocery store so if you forgot anything it’s easy to run down and grab something
It gets very hot very quickly on that rooftop; luckily there are umbrellas for each sunbed and ice cold Coral beers at the ready. Note: You need to ask for towels at the front desk and then exchange them there whenever you need a new one. Apparently towel theft is a big issue?
Restaurants
Olivia - Food was great (contemporary local fare) and it seemed to be very popular with the locals, which I always take as a good sign. Reso is highly recommended. Try to get outside if you can.
Three House Rooftop - Asian fusion. Tacos, bao and steaks were all delicious. Def sit outside to enjoy the view. There’s also a cocktail bar but it wasn’t open the night we were there. We made a reso; seems like a good idea to ensure a good table.
Santa Maria - Casual spot with great service and tasty traditional Portuguese food. Trying the bolo do cacao here is a must. Make sure you sit outside for some excellent people watching.
5 Sentidos - Nice neighborhood restaurant with great service. We opted for this spot because it’s across the street from the hotel and we were tired from our early travel day. Food was good - try the parrot fish. Bottle of local vino verde was refreshing.
Armazem do Sal - A bit fancier. A bit pricier. But not overly so. Reservation is required and definitely ask for an outdoor table. Food was great. As were the pairings. There was a pork Wellington that was amazing.
Funchal Tap - Delicious casual Mexican cuisine. The nachos are legit, as are the tacos and the margaritas. They also have an excellent beer selection.
Honorable Mentions (we didn’t go but both were recommended):
Bars
Dash - Awesome. It’s def a scene but approachable. Cocktails are great and there’s outdoor seating in the alley. Very cool.
Cocktail and cocktail menu at Musa
Mini Eco Bar - Nextdoor to Dash. I don’t know if the cocktails are good but the vibe is similar to Dash so I’d def try it.
Musa - Great cocktails. They brew their own beers - great selection. Nice outdoor seating. Plus the cocktail menu is delivered in an old school CD case with song-themed drinks.
Flair Spot Bar - Fun cocktail bar that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Huge cocktail list. All the ones we tried were tasty. Cool outdoor seating that’s great people watching. Very low key. Plus they offered some sort of bread stick and hummus snack that was delicious.
Sé Boutique Hotel - Terrace bar (rooftop) is delightful but you better hope for an umbrella up there if it’s summertime. Holy cow. Cocktails are delicious and the cocktail list is long. The vibe is bright and cheerful. But there is no breeze. Not even a gust. Be prepared.
FugaCidade - Excellent selection of beers on draught and assorted cans and bottles. No outdoor seating but the beer selection and friendly, knowledgeable staff make it worth a visit.
Beerhouse - German bar on a pier with a nice fish sandwich and decent french fries. Nothing special.
Cais da Ribeira - We sat out on the pier (different pier from the German bar) and had a few beers and enjoyed the view. Nothing special.
Rei Da Poncha - Seems like a popular spot for locals since the place was packed midday when we got there. Grabbed the last table table in the sun for a round of Corals.
Pub Number Two - Apparently it’s WAY better than The Pub. Very lively. Very divey. We just had a round of beers there.
Honorable Mention: Savoy Palace - We didn’t make it here but it was recommended to us for rooftop cocktails. Monday is for guests only though so check ahead for available hours.
To Do
Self-Guided Walking Tour
In typical fashion we used gpsmycity to find self-guided walking tours. We used the Introductory Walk for inspiration and walked for just about an hour.
Jardim Municipal do Funchal - Charming little park that we walked through each day on our way from the hotel to whatever the day’s activities were. One day there was even a craft market featuring recycled materials. Very tranquil. Worth a wander.
Sé Catedral do Funchal (Funchal Cathedral) - An easy walk from our hotel and impossible to miss. Lovely little church (we didn’t go inside) with a statue of Pope John Paul II out front. Of course. That guy went everywhere. From here we headed down to walk along the waterfront on Avenida do Mar (Sea Avenue).
Forte de São Tiago (Saint James Fort) - After Funchal was attacked a few times, the locals decided to build a fort and here it is. We didn’t go inside but its statuesque appearance along the waterfront is hard to miss. There is a restaurant in the fort if you’re keen.
Rua de Santa Maria - Turning around at the fort and heading back through the city we walked down Santa Maria Street. It’s a narrow cobblestone path lined with restaurants, bars and shops. But most importantly, this is where you can see the Doors of Funchal. It’s exactly as it sounds; painted doors all along the street
Rua Fernão Ornelas - Pedestrian shopping area
Praça do Município (Municipal Square) - Paved with black and white Batistini tiles in wave patterns, the square is surrounded by Town Hall, the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, the Museum of Sacred Art, and the rectory of the University of Madeira. It’s a beautiful little square and worth a look.
Mercado dos Lavradores (The Workers Market) - An active market, it’s beautiful with all of the fresh produce and flowers. The best views are from the second level where there is also an outdoor terrace to get drinks and snacks.
Visit Monte
Teleférico Funchal-Monte (Funchal-Monte Cable Car) - Despite the fact that the gondolas reach heights of 1,840 feet (3,700 meters) over canyons, homes, and gardens during it’s 15 minute journey to the village of Monte, it’s a rather peaceful ride. I highly recommend this. To return to Funchal from Monte there are two options: One is to take the cable car back down; The other is the traditional "basket" ride of Monte. More on that later.
Monte Tropical Gardens - What a beautiful park. Surprises around every corner. It is an oriental-inspired garden; think red torii gates, koi ponds, buddhas, terracotta warriors. And as you continue into the garden there are waterfalls, fountains, swans, even flamingos! We spent about 90 minutes wandering around and we could have easily spent more but we had places to be. It’s multi-level so be prepared for some elevation walking in and out of the gardens. Note: They do offer buggies that can take you back up to the station if needed but I think you have to pay for the ride.
Carrieros do Monte - aka the ‘death sleds’ are baskets on skis, propelled by two attendants dressed like gondoliers who push ridersdown the hills to Funchal. It’s safe but feels a bit out of control. It’s a bit pricey and the wait was nearly 30 mins for the 10 minute ride but I thought it was worth it. Note: The sled only takes you about halfway back to Funchal. From there you either need to walk or hop a taxi. We opted for the taxi.
Full-Day Madeira North West Coast Safari from Funchal
The hilly, winding roads of Madeira are not for the casual rental car driver. Instead we hired Miguel from Safari Madeira. He picked us up at our hotel for a full day of adventure: walked along the highest sea cliff in Europe, saw waterfalls, black sand beaches, fishing villages, cows living their best lives, off-roading through the woods, all while hanging out of the top of a 4x4 jeep. I even made a reel on IG about it if you want to get a better feel for what our day was like. Highly recommend. Five stars.
Golf
We played a quick 9 holes (there are 3 nine hole courses to choose from) at Santo da Serra. Well kept course with stunning views looking out at the water from atop the cliff face. Prices were pretty reasonable - especially for beers at the club house! It’s much cooler up there than down by the water so be sure to bring a sweater.
Hop on the Porto Santo Line and ferry to, you guessed it, Porto Santo.
PORTO SANTO
Where We Stayed
Accommodations in Porto Santo are a bit limited on options, there are a handful of beach resorts, some b&b’s, but most of the holiday home rentals are for full weeks. I assume the majority of overnight guests to the island and people coming from mainland Portugal or Madeira for an extended stay. We were fortunate to find a nice 3-bed 3-bath on Airbnb that was walkable to the beach a bit out of the center of town to the west. The downside was there wasn’t a lot of activity down that end, had we stayed longer we may have gotten bored, but the upside was the best restaurants on the island are all to the west.
Restaurants
Pé na Água Restaurant and Beach Bar - Lunch spot that has chairs for rent if you get there early; easy access to the beach and lots of nice indoor and outdoor seating. Food was fine. Nothing special.
Terra Minha Sushi Bar - Sushi restaurant that we loved. Fruit on sushi?! Ok. Lovely service, great outdoor seating.
Pizzaria Gelataria Maramao - Sit outside. Inside they play heavy metal music which seems odd of the seemingly family restaurant. We get sangria and pizzas. Delicious and gigantic pizzas. They ask me to sign the wall which gives me anxiety because I’m not creative.
Bar do Henrique - We had lunch at the beach bar and I finally had a whitefish sandwich. It was excellent. Or maybe it was good because I had waited so long for it. The beers here are also cheaper than water, definitely recommend.
Apollo 14 - Beers and it looks like the food is good and the place is popular with the locals. There’s a craft market being set up.
Dinner at Casa d'Avó - Amazing. Would definitely recommend. Great outdoor seating. Excellent service. Food was delicious. The best meal we had this trip. We each get the Espetada and it is so much food. But it’s incredible and I still think about that meal to this day.
To Do
Mountain Biking (my personal hell)
First I will say that renting a bike on the island is key. This helped us get around so much more quickly than we could have on foot. That said, renting mountain bikes was nearly the death of me. The guy who rented the bikes to us did not indicate at all that this activity is strenuous. Doesn’t even hint at it. This activity isn’t even for very healthy, active people. I almost lost my will to live. My soul left my body.
It starts out ok. I have never ridden a mountain bike in my life but we ride bikes every day in Amsterdam and my workouts include spin classes multiple times per week so I feel fairly confident heading out.
It starts with some light incline. Not too difficult initially but it is incredibly hot and we have no water and no idea who long the ride will take. We soldier on.
It starts to get a bit more treacherous and apparently when you use the lower gears to “help” you pedal it makes the pedals spin with ease while you barely inch up the hill. So, yeah, it’s not as difficult but it takes 100 years.
We crest the first hill and are rewarded for a minute of downhill riding….until we reach the sewage treatment plant that nearly knocks us off our bikes. It’s horrific. Like swimming in sewage. We cannot ride fast enough away from the smell. At the bottom of the hill the smell dissipates but the road gives way to a hairpin turn that takes us up a hill twice is steep and long as the one we just completed minutes ago. We give it a shot because this is the way to an apparently epic vantage point. It. Is. Hell. My legs are spinning like a cartoon character’s and I am barely inching up the hill. At this rate it will take hours to get to wherever the top is. I’m having a heart attack. And an asthma attach. And a panic attack. I have to stop biking. I’m having an existential crisis. The only thing that saves my sanity is looking up to see that my husband our friend have also stopped biking. Ok so I’m not the only on struggling.
Ages later we reach a dirt path that appears to lead to the vantage point. Upside: it’s downhill. Downside: it’s rocky and sandy so we’re fishtailing all the way down. This “vista” better be worth it. We ditch the bikes and walk the rest of the way. I have to say, the views are amazing and there’s a private beach (albeit with caution signs all over). We spend some time enjoying the sights and catching our breath for the ride back.
The ride back is initially easier; mostly downhill. Then we realize that the first uphill ride back is by the sewage plant. Before we were holding our breath and racing by as quickly as possible. Now we’re pedaling uphill for dear life trying not to breathe although we are gasping for air up the hill. Torture. Eventually, after some biking and some walking and lots of cursing, we reach the Porto Santo Golf Course (which looks really nice and we talk about potentially golfing) and stop in for a snack and a drink. We are sweating profusely. We probably smell like sewage.
Roundtrip the “bike ride” takes about 2 hours. Would I do it again? Maybe with a e-bike. Maybe. But with a regular mountain bike? Not without some serious training. You’ve been warned.
Beach Day
There are loads of beaches to choose from here, we picked the place that was closest to our Airbnb. The mornings here were typically overcast until about midday when the clouds burned off and the days turned sunny and hot. We absolutely should have bought an umbrella, if we had planned to do more than two beach days, the 40€ umbrella would have paid for itself, but we decided instead to be heroes and try to bake in the sun all day. No amount of cold beers and dips in the ocean could take the place of having shade. There are spots on the beach where you can rent tents or umbrellas. We just didn’t take advantage of that option.
The beaches here are gorgeous. Soft sand, calm blue water, no current, sand bars, and views of the lush mountains in the distance. It was a blissful experience.
Town of Porto Santo
Very charming. Walk down the pier - you can swim from it if you like. Wander into town to explore. Seems like there is some shopping. I don’t have a lot more to say on this topic to you’ll have to choose your own adventure here.
THE LOGISTICS
Travel Date | July 2023
Flights | AMS > FNC on Transavia
Transportation | Taxi to / from Airport
Pro Tips |
There was a giant line for people waiting to buy tickets to ride the gondola. Use the QR code on the posters outside of the station to buy your tickets on your phone so you can just walk in and get in line. Saved us about a half hour of waiting.
Traditional food and drinks to try in Madeira:
Bolo do caco - A buttery garlic pita. If you have the chance to have a sandwich on this bread, do it. You will not regret it.
Espetada - Cubed beef rubbed with garlic and salt and grilled on a skewer. Best thing I ate on this vacation, hands down.
Poncha - Made with fresh orange juice, honey and rum (at least that’s the way we had it), it’s strong and very tasty. This could be the ultimate ‘hair of the dog’ concoction.
Bring layers and sunblock for the safari ride
The Porto Santo ferry is super easy to get back and forth between Madeira and Porto Santo
#195Postcards
