Though an island, we’re not talking about beaches: rather, the utterly gob-smacking viewpoints everywhere you turn; dramatic cliffs as tall as skyscrapers; and banana- and vineyard-strewn terraces that envelop the hillsides like gravity-defying labyrinths of sustenance. In other words, Madeira doesn’t dabble in subtlety. Here are some stunning ways to take it all in.

Marvelling at miraculous viewpoints

Madeira’s jaw-dropping vantage points, each more dramatic than the last, pack the island’s biggest punch. You can slowly mosey onto the glass-bottom lookout at Cabo Girão, which sits atop one of the highest sea cliffs in the world (from below, the menacing 580 m-high rock wall rivals ‘the wall’ from Game of Thrones); or hike the cinematic mountain-strewn landscape at Pico do Areeiro(1818 m), Madeira’s third-highest peak, showered in yellow gorse and purple massaroco flora in spring. Or there’s Baía d’Abra, which frames a showstopping view over Ponta de São Lourenço, a narrow, snaking peninsula at Madeira’s most eastern point that juts out to the sea like an outstretched arm reeling in the sunrise. If you arrange a highly recommended 4WD tours , you can knock these and plenty more out in a single day. You can check the tours here.

Book your flightsrent a caraccommodation, as well as your tours and activities to discover and discover the best of Madeira.

Hiking at the Pico do Areeiro ©dennisvdw

Ditching the beach for spectacular seaside pool complexes

Madeira may be an island, but it’s certainly no tropical beach destination. Its volcanic geography offers mainly vertigo-inducing sea cliffs and rocky basalt seashores. Fret not, however; the island is chock-full of both natural and man-made pool complexes that hug the sea, none more idyllic than the Complexo Balnear do Lido in the capital Funchal. Dating from the 1930s, these see-and-be-seen public baths were renovated in 2016 and now offer two saltwater swimming pools (with direct sea access, so you can choose to hit the ocean as well) and all the infrastructure needed to while away a day.

Madeira is home to some stunning natural pools © VW Pics

Trekking the levadas

Madeira is covered in levadas – narrow irrigation canals – which were dug as far back as the 15th century and have been used over the centuries to disperse water. The island counts an astonishing 2100km of these man-made channels, many of which now parallel highly-organised hiking paths. Traversing the island’s Unesco-recognised laurisilva forest via these levadas is one of best ways to experience Madeira’s wondrous natural setting. The 28 routes are well-marked and signposted, but employing a guide from a local trekking and canyoning expert will greatly enhance your walk in the woods.

Book your flightsrent a caraccommodation, as well as your tours and activities to discover and discover the best of Madeira.

Stopping to admire a waterfall on a levada trek © Iñigo Fdz de Pinedo

Eating your way through Madeira’s traditional dishes

Perhaps expectedly given its remote location in the middle of the Atlantic, Madeira’s culinary pedigree includes several homegrown dishes uncommon on the mainland. Madeira’s most ubiquitous dish is black scabbardfish with banana and passion fruit sauce, but more memorable specialities include bolo do mel (honey cake) from Fábrica Santo António, gaiado (dry pickled skipjack tuna), black scabbardfish sandwiches and Madeira’s own beloved passion fruit soda, Brisa. The Wine and Food. A Tour is a perfect intro.

Traditional cake bolo de mel, plus Madeira wine and coffee in Funchal © Ekaterina Pokrovsky 

Arriving in Funchal in style on historic toboggan sledges

A tradition dating back 100 years, Madeirans came up with a unique way to commute down into Funchal from the steep mountainous slopes of Monte village. Men known as carreiros, wearing special tyre-bottomed shoes for braking, transport passengers down the steep streets in special wicker sledges on wooden rails that reach speeds of up to 38kph. These days a cable car has eliminated the need for commuting in this way, so the sledges have become the island’s best one-of-a-kind amusement. The 2 km ride even zooms past traffic wardens in place to halt vehicles at intersections.

Book your flightsrent a caraccommodation, as well as your tours and activities to discover and discover the best of Madeira.

A ride on a sledge driven by carreiros is the most fun way to reach Funchal © Nikiforov Alexander 

Sampling the local hooch

Madeira is the only place in the world that produces fortified Madeira wine and Blandy’s wine lodge in Funchal is one of the best places to sample the local tipple. But Madeira’s lesser known firewater should be on your to-drink list as well. Poncha, originally invented by the fishermen at Câmara De Lobos, comes in several variations, but count on high levels of sugar cane rum, fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice and honey, mixed on the spot by gaggles of fishermen, grandmothers, amateur distillers and everyone in between. The honey is churned in to order with a small traditional muddler commonly referred to as a caralhinho (‘little cock’ in Portuguese!). Downing a couple of glasses of this extremely potent punch at a local poncha tavern, like Mercearia da Poncha in Funchal, is one of Madeira’s best and booziest times.

Poncha, Madeira’s signature cocktail © Emily McAuliffe 

Book your flightsrent a caraccommodation, as well as your tours and activities to discover and discover the best of Madeira.

Recommended Jeep Tours:

Text Source: Loleny Planet