Planning a trip to Madeira

Island Layout

The capital of Madeira, Funchal, is the focal point of the island and the gateway to its outlying villages. When Zarco landed in 1419, the sweet odor of wild fennel led him to name the town after the aromatic herb (funcho in Portuguese). Today this southern coastal city of hillside villas and narrow winding streets is the island's most luxuriant area, filled with fertile fields, hundreds of flowering gardens, and numerous exotic estates.

A long, often traffic-clogged street, Avenida do Mar, runs east-west along the waterfront. North of this is Avenida Arriaga, the "main street" of Funchal. At the eastern end of this thoroughfare is the Sé (cathedral), and at the western end is a large traffic circle that surrounds a fountain. As Avenida Arriaga, site of several hotels, heads west, it changes its name to Avenida do Infante. As it runs east, it becomes Rua do Aljube. Running north-south, the other important street, Avenida Zarco, links the waterfront area with the heart of the old city.

To explore and savor Madeira, adventurous visitors (definitely not the queasy), with time to spend, go on foot across some of the trails strewn around the island. Hand-hewn stones and gravel-sided embankments lead you along precipitous ledges, down into lush ravines, and across flowering meadows. These dizzying paths are everywhere, from the hillsides of the wine-rich region of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos to the wicker-work center of Camacha. A much easier way to go, of course, is on an organized tour or on local buses, or you can rent a car and risk the hazardous driving on hairpin curves.

If you'd like to take a circular tour of the entire island, you can take N101 either east or west of Funchal, which traverses the coast of the entire island. Heading west from Funchal, you'll pass women doing their laundry on rocks, homes so tiny that they're almost like dollhouses, and banana groves growing right to the edge of the cliffs that overlook the sea. Less than 10km (6 1/4 miles) away is the coastal village of Câmara de Lobos (Room of the Wolves), the subject of several paintings by Sir Winston Churchill. A sheltered, tranquil cove, it's set amid rocks and towering cliffs, with hillside cottages, terraces, and date palms. The road north from Câmara de Lobos, through vineyards, leads to Estreito de Câmara de Lobos (popularly known as Estreito), the heart of the winegrowing region that produces Madeira's wine. Along the way you'll spot women sitting on mossy stone steps doing embroidery, and men who cultivate the ribbonlike terraces wearing brown stocking caps with tasseled tops. (Incidentally, the islanders' blond locks were inherited from early Flemish settlers.)

Lying 16km (10 miles) west of Câmara de Lobos, Cabo Girão is one of the highest ocean-side cliffs in the world. You can stand here watching the sea crash 580m (1,902 ft.) below while also taking in a panoramic sweep of the Bay of Funchal.

From Cabo Girão, return to Funchal by veering off the coastal road past São Martinho to the belvedere at Pico Dos Barcelos. In one of the most idyllic spots on the island, you can see the ocean, mountains, orange and banana groves, bougainvillea, and poinsettias, as well as the capital.

By heading north from Funchal, you can visit some outstanding spots in the heart of the island. Past São António is Curral das Freiras, a village huddled around an old monastery at the bottom of an extinct volcanic crater. The site, whose name means Corral of the Nuns, was originally a secluded convent that protected the nuns from sea-weary, woman-hungry mariners and pirates.

If you go north in a different direction, one destination to visit is Santana, which many visitors have described as something out of Disney's Fantasia. Picture an alpine setting with waterfalls, cobblestone streets, green meadows sprinkled with multicolored blossoms, thatched cottages, swarms of roses, and plunging ravines. The novelist Paul Bowles wrote, "It is as if a 19th-century painter with a taste for the baroque had invented a countryside to suit his own personal fantasy."

Southwest of Santana, is Queimadas, the site of a 900m-high (2,952-ft.) rest house. From here, many people make the 3-hour trek to the apex of Pico Ruivo (Purple Peak), the highest point on the island, 1,860m (6,101 ft.) above sea level. This is a difficult, long, hot climb and is recommended only for the hearty and those with no fear of heights. The best access to Pico Ruivo is from Pico do Arieiro because the trail from there is the most scenic.

Southeast of Santana, heading for Faial, a colorful hamlet with tiny A-frame huts, the road descends in a series of sharp turns into a deep ravine. The lush terraces here are built for cows to graze on, not for produce.

In the east, about 30km (19 miles) from Funchal, is historic Machico, where Portuguese explorers first landed on Madeira. The town is now visited mainly because of the legend of "the lovers of Machico," an English couple who were running away to get married but whose ship is said to have sank here in 1346. In the main square of the town stands a Manueline church constructed at the end of the 15th century, supposedly over the tomb of the ill-fated pair. The facade contains a beautiful rose window. In the interior are white marble columns and a frescoed ceiling over the nave. Try to view the village from the belvedere of Camões Pequeno.

On the way back from Machico, you can detour inland to the village of Camacha, perched in a setting of flowers and orchards. It's the island center of the wickerwork industry. You can shop here or just watch local craftspeople making chairs and other items. You'll find that though the stores in Funchal are amply supplied, some items are as much as 20% cheaper in Camacha.

Getting Around

Remember that distances are short on Madeira, but you should allow plenty of time to cover them because of the winding roads.

By Bus -- The cheapest, albeit slowest, way to get around Madeira is by bus. If you want to tour on your own, you can make excursions on local buses that go all over the island at a fraction of the cost the tour companies charge, but you will miss the commentary of an organized tour, of course. A typical fare in Funchal is 1.15€ to 2.10€; rides in the countryside can cost 4€. Sometimes only one bus a day runs to the most distant points. Some of the rides into the mountains can be quite bouncy and uncomfortable. There is no bus station in Funchal, but you can buy tickets for anywhere on the island at any of the newsstands in the center of Funchal. For information about schedules, call tel. 29/170-55-00.

Most buses depart from the large park at the eastern part of the Funchal waterfront bordering Avenida do Mar. Buses to Camacha or Caniço leave from a little square at the eastern sector of Rua da Alfândega, which runs parallel to Avenida do Mar near the marketplace.

By Taxi -- The going taxi rate is about 90€ per day, but three or four passengers can divide the cost. Always negotiate (many taxi drivers speak English) and agree on the rate in advance. Most taxis are Peugeots or Mercedes, so you'll ride in relative safety and comfort and won't have to worry about navigating the nightmarish roads. If you're in Funchal, you'll usually find a line of taxis across from the tourist office along Avenida Arriaga.

By Car -- Unless you're a skilled driver used to narrow roads, reckless drivers, and hairpin turns, you should not rent a car on the island. If you need to, however, most hotels can make arrangements for car rentals.

Avis (tel. 800/331-2112 in the U.S.; www.avis.com.pt) has offices at the Aeroporto da Madeira, in Santa Cruz (tel. 29/152-43-92), and in Funchal, at Largo António Nobre 164 (tel. 29/176-45-46). Hertz (tel. 800/654-3001 in the U.S.; www.hertz.com) has a kiosk at Aeroporto da Madeira, in Santa Cruz (tel. 29/152-30-40). Budget Rent-a-Car (tel. 800/472-3325 in the U.S.; www.budget.com) has an outlet at Estrada Monumental 239 (tel. 29/176-65-18). You can also rent vehicles at Europcar, Aeroporto da Madeira (tel. 29/152-46-33; www.europecar.com).

Fast Facts

Area Code -- The country code for Portugal is 351; the area code for Madeira is 29.

Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) -- Most ATMs (available 24 hr. a day) are found in Funchal. But there are also some ATMs in towns throughout the island.

Business Hours -- Shops are usually open Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 3 to 7pm, and Saturday 9am to 1pm. They're closed Sunday. Municipal buildings are open Monday to Friday 9am to 12:30pm and 2 to 5:30pm. All banks are open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 3pm.

Consulates -- The Consulate of the United States is on Rua da Alfândega 10 (tel. 29/123-56-36), off Avenida do Infante. The Consulate of the United Kingdom is on Rua da Alfândega 10, third floor (tel. 29/121-28-60). All other consulates are located only in Lisbon.

Dentist -- A good English-speaking dentist, John de Sousa, has an office in Marina Shopping on the third floor, office 304, Avenida Arriaga (tel. 29/123-12-77), in Funchal.

Doctor -- A good English-speaking doctor is Francis Zino, in the Edificio Zino, Avenida do Infante (tel. 29/175-91-55), in Funchal.

Drugstores -- Drugstores (chemists) are open Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 3 to 9pm. The rotation emergency, night service, and Sunday schedules are posted on the door of all drugstores. A reliable, centrally located chemist is Farmácia Honorato, Rua da Carreira 62 (tel. 29/120-38-80). Dial tel. 118 to locate a pharmacy that's open.

Emergencies -- Call tel. 112 for a general emergency, tel. 29/120-82-00 for the police, tel. 29/174-11-15 for the Red Cross, and tel. 29/170-56-00 for a hospital emergency.

Hospital -- The island's largest hospital is the Hospital Distrital do Funchal, Cruz de Carvalho (tel. 29/170-56-00).

Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- Try Lavandaria Donini, Rua das Pretas (tel. 29/122-44-06), Funchal. Clothing can be laundered or dry-cleaned in 1 or 2 days. It's open Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm.

Lost Property -- The Lost Property office is at Rua da Infancia 28, in Funchal (tel. 29/120-82-00).

Newspapers & Magazines -- The island stocks a good selection of such English-language publications as Newsweek, Time, and the International Herald Tribune, as well as periodicals in French, German, and Spanish. Especially useful is a locally produced English-language publication, the Madeira Island Bulletin -- distributed free at the tourist office and in many of the island's more visible hotels -- which features descriptions of island activities and lists special events.

Police -- Dial tel. 29/120-82-00.

Post Office -- If you've had your mail sent Poste Restante (general delivery), you can pick it up at Funchal's Zarco Post Office, Av. Zarco 5-7, 9000-069 (tel. 29/120-28-31), near the tourist office, as long as you bring your passport to identify yourself. From here, you can also place long-distance phone calls (without steep hotel surcharges) and send telegrams, faxes, and telexes. The office is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 8pm, and Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

Other post offices offering the same services are Calouste Gulbenkian, Avenida Calouste Gulbenkian (Mon-Fri 9am-6:30pm), near the Monument of the Infante Dom Henrique; Monumental, on Estrada Monumental, near the Lido swimming pool (Mon-Fri 8:30am-7pm); and Mercado, Rua do Arcipreste, near the Municipal Market (Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:30pm). Signs in the center of Funchal that read CORREIOS point the way to the nearest post office, or you can look for mailboxes on the street.

Safety -- In terms of crime statistics, Madeira is safer than mainland Portugal, especially Lisbon. However, as in any area that attracts tourists, there is a criminal element that preys on visitors. Pickpockets and purse-snatchers are the major villains. Protect your valuables, as you would at any resort.

Taxes -- Madeira imposes no special taxes other than the value-added tax (VAT) on all goods and services purchased in Portugal.