Villas in Madeira: Best Areas and What to Check (2026)

In short

• Calheta alone has 1,145, more than Funchal, where most holiday lets are flats.
• Houses are small: the typical one sleeps 6, over a third sleep 4 or fewer, and only 6% sleep 10 or more.
• Check the AL registration number on the listing in Portugal’s national register before you pay.

There are 3,804 houses registered as holiday lets in Madeira, and the typical one sleeps 6, according to Portugal’s national register of local lodging in October 2026. Almost half are on the sunny south-west coast around Calheta and Ponta do Sol, which suits couples and families with a car. Funchal suits a villa with the city close by, the north suits hikers, and large groups have little choice.

Villas in Madeira by area

The areas differ in sun, views and driving time. The figures count houses, the moradia category of the register, not flats or guesthouses, grouped by the councils around each base.

• Couples who want sun and sunsets: Calheta or Ponta do Sol.
• Families: Calheta, for its sheltered sandy beach, or a house near Funchal.
• Restaurants and evenings out: Funchal and its hills.
• Hikers: a house in the north for a few nights, after the south.
• Groups of 10 or more: search early in Funchal or Santa Cruz, where the large houses are.

1Calheta, Ponta do Sol and the sunny south-west

The south-west has the most villas on Madeira: 1,145 houses in Calheta, 352 in Ponta do Sol and 282 in Ribeira Brava. In Calheta, 87% of all registered holiday lets are houses.

This is often the sunniest part of the island. Most houses sit on terraces above the sea, among banana fields, with an ocean view and a pool. Calheta has a marina and one of Madeira’s few sandy beaches, made with imported sand and sheltered by breakwaters, which makes it the family choice.

The houses here are small: 39% of those in Calheta sleep 4 or fewer, and 44% in Ponta do Sol. Jardim do Mar, below the cliffs between them, is a tiny car-free village known for its surf. All three are closer to the western levadas around Rabaçal and to Porto Moniz than Funchal is.

Roads on the terraces

Check the road to the house. Many houses are reached by steep, narrow lanes off the main road, and some have tight parking. Ask for the route and whether a mid-size hire car fits before you book.

3Funchal and Câmara de Lobos

These two suit a villa with the city close by. Funchal has about 3,300 registered holiday lets, but only 674 are houses; most of the city’s holiday lets are flats.

The houses sit on the steep amphitheatre of hills above the bay, many in gardens with views over the harbour. The market, the old quarter and the cable car to Monte are a drive or a taxi below. Funchal also has the largest share of big houses on the island, with 9% sleeping 10 or more.

Quintas

Quintas, the old manor houses of the Funchal hills, are part of the island’s character, with gardens of tropical flowers and views over the bay. Many are now small hotels; a few are let whole, so check whether you are booking a house or a room.

Câmara de Lobos, the fishing village just west of Funchal, has 117 registered houses, with the Cabo Girão cliff viewpoint a short drive above it.

The east and the north

These are the two less obvious villa bases, one for short transfers and one for hikers.

Santa Cruz and Machico

Santa Cruz and Machico, around the airport, have 518 houses between them. Machico has a sheltered bay with a golden-sand beach, and the São Lourenço peninsula walk is close. The east is windier and drier than the rest of the south coast, and the airport approach runs right past it.

São Vicente, Porto Moniz and Santana

São Vicente, Porto Moniz and Santana, on the north coast, have 573 houses, mostly small country homes: 46% of those in Porto Moniz sleep 4 or fewer. They are close to the northern levadas, Pico Ruivo and the lava pools of Porto Moniz.

The trade is weather. The north faces the prevailing winds and is greener, wetter and cloudier than the south in every season, so a pool gets less use. For hikers, a few nights here work best after the south.

What to check before you book a villa in Madeira

Check these six things before paying for a house:

• The registration number. Every legal holiday let in Portugal is on the national register of local lodging, with a number ending in /AL. You can look it up in Turismo de Portugal’s RNAL search, which shows the type of property and the number of guests.
• Group size. Only 6% of Madeira’s registered houses sleep 10 or more, so large groups should book early or take two houses close together.
• The pool. Ask whether it is heated: in Funchal, winter nights average about 14°C to 15°C (IPMA), so an unheated pool is cold from November to April.
• The car. Villas outside central Funchal need one; hire it with the house and check the parking.
• Rain on your side. Funchal averages 1.3 mm of rain in August but 91 mm in October and 95 mm in December, and the north is wetter than that.
• Local taxes and terms: ask whether a municipal tourist tax, cleaning and a deposit are included in the price.

When a villa in Madeira is the wrong choice

In these cases a hotel in Funchal serves better:

• Without a car. Only central Funchal works on foot; the villa areas need a car for everything.
• For a first short visit centred on Funchal’s market, old quarter and cable car.
• For a group of 12 or more, unless you book well ahead or take two houses.
• If you dislike mountain driving: the roads to many houses are steep, narrow and full of hairpins.
• For a hiking trip based in the south: the drive to the northern trails is long each day.

For hotel areas, see where to stay in Madeira; for the weather by month, the best time to visit Madeira; and to plan the days out, the Madeira itinerary. The island overview is in the Madeira guide, and the mainland in the Portugal guide. For a Mediterranean island villa, compare villas in Mallorca.

This page compares areas, not individual houses: we do not name villas we have not assessed, and the illustrations show the style of each area, not a specific property. Read the editorial policy for how facts are checked.

Common questions