Madeira Itinerary

Five days in Madeira

1. Day 1 — Funchal: the market, the old town and the cable car to Monte, with the toboggan ride back down.
2. Day 2 — The peaks: Pico do Arieiro at sunrise and, if the trail is open, the ridge walk towards Pico Ruivo. Santana’s thatched houses in the afternoon.
3. Day 3 — The north-west: Cabo Girão on the way west, the natural pools at Porto Moniz, and the black sand at Seixal.
4. Day 4 — A levada: 25 Fontes and Risco from Rabaçal in the west, or Caldeirão Verde from Queimadas in the north.
5. Day 5 — The east: the Ponta de São Lourenço walk in the morning, and a slow afternoon back in Funchal.

Swap day 2 with any other day if the mountain forecast is poor. The peaks are the one part of the itinerary that depends on the weather.

A week in Madeira

1. Days 1-5 — as above.
2. Day 6 — a second levada, in whichever region day 4 did not cover.
3. Day 7 — a spare day: repeat the peaks if day 2 was clouded out, or spend it on the south-west coast at Ponta do Sol and Calheta.
4. Hikers can move to the north coast for days 4 to 6 and shorten the drives to the northern trails.

Three days in Madeira

1. Day 1 — Funchal and Monte.
2. Day 2 — The peaks at sunrise, then Santana.
3. Day 3 — The north-west coast and Porto Moniz, or a levada.
4. Three days means choosing between the coast and the levadas.

Planning around the mountain weather

The central peaks are often above the cloud at sunrise and inside it by midday. That single fact decides the itinerary more than distances do.

1. Check the mountain forecast and trail status the evening before, not in the morning.
2. Leave early: sunrise at Pico do Arieiro is the usual target.
3. Keep a warm layer and a rain jacket in the car on every day.
4. Bring a torch for the tunnels on the levada paths.
5. If a trail is closed, the Pico do Arieiro viewpoint is still reachable by road.

How the season changes the itinerary

These figures are the 1991-2020 IPMA climate normals for Funchal, on the south coast; the mountains are cooler and wetter.

1. July and August are almost dry in Funchal, at 1.7 mm and 1.3 mm — the most reliable months for the full itinerary.
2. May, June and September suit the hikes best: dry and not hot.
3. From October to January Funchal averages 80-95 mm of rain a month; keep two spare days in the plan.
4. In winter, trail closures after storms are more frequent, so check every walk.