MADEIRA · DAY HIKES
The trails worth the early start.
The 15 madeira hikes worth lacing up for. A short list of the trails hikers finish grinning about, with the distance, the price and who guides them.
Guided Madeira hike from Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. Hotel pickup, certified guide, coffee, and epic high-peak views in about 8 hours.
Most Popular“Our guide was excellent - very friendly and informative. Hiking route was absolutely stunning with almost constant breathtaking scenery.”
Self-guided Madeira hike from Rabaçal to 25 Fontes and Risco Levada, with early van pickup to beat crowds and a cafe stop.
“Nice hike with beautiful trees & nature views with a lovely cafe at the end”
Hotel pickup sets up a self-paced Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike. Sunrise views, tunnels, and the stairway to heaven.
“amazing, the alternative hike while they repair the forest fire was so good!! bring warm clothes for the morning!”
A smooth transfer plus a self-guided Levada hike through Queimadas Natural Park, with tunnels, waterfalls, and ancient forest.
“Fantastic walk, a gentle gradient and very well maintained paths with amazing views. Our guide was helpful with tips for the tunnels and took us to a great view point on the way home. Highly recommend this trip”
Madeira sunrise at Pico do Arieiro plus the Guindaste glass platform and the Vereda do Larano coastal hike—small group, big views.
“Sunrise was breathtaking. Make sure you wrap up warm though. It was cold in the mountains so was thankful of coat and fleece. Gloves would have been good too. Only 4 of us on this trip. Ros Bert, our guide, was brilliant. Explained lots about Madeira as we traveled. Great coffee stop. Set us off…”
Sunrise hike on Pico Ruivo from hotel pickup. Climb 260m in the dark, watch stars, then sip tea with golden sunrise views.
“Perfect trip to the peak, tour guide was excellent. He offered us a refund before we went up because he didn’t think we’d see the sunset but we went up anyway and did see it briefly as it was very cloudy that day but still a great experience”
Transfer-only hike in Madeira from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo and down to Achada do Teixeira, with pickup from Funchal or Caniço.
“Great experience! Our driver, Radko, was super friendly, knowledgable and timely! We had an amazing time.”
Sunrise shuttle to Pico do Arieiro for the Pico Ruivo hike to Achada do Teixeira, with small-bus transfers from Funchal and Caniço.
“The listing is not correct. We were contacted after booking that PR1 is currently closed and we were given an alternative hiking route. The alternate was beautiful. We were disappointed that the drive by the Santana houses was not included despite being listed. I think the whole tour listing should be updated for accuracy. The…”
Guided Larano cliff hike from Machico to Porto da Cruz with ocean views, São Lourenço Peninsula stops, and hotel pickup from Funchal.
“This was the best hike I did in Madeira. It has little bit of everything - you get to see jaw dropping views but you also experience a levada close to the city of Machico. I would absolutely do it again.”
Guided Madeira hike in UNESCO Laurisilva to Risco Waterfall and 25 Fontes, with levada history, pickup, and a natural tunnel.
“Great trip from start to finish. Lovely walk not too difficult. Good pace, communication and details of surrounding area. Highly recommended.”
Madeira’s Rabaçal hike links two levadas to 25 Fontes waterfalls, then returns via the Cavaleiro tunnel. Small-group guided day.
“Area was beautiful as expected. Guide was amazing. Passionate about flora of the area and went above and beyond to look after all the guests. Highly recommend.”
Roundtrip bus transfer from Funchal/Caniço/Garajau to Rabaçal for a self-guided 25 Fontes hike, arriving ~9:15 and returning 2:30.
“Really lovely walk, although it doesn’t take anywhere near as long as the time allowed. To walk Risco/25 Fontes was just under 2 hours (with stops) and another 40 mins from the cafe to pick-up. That said, the cafe is lovely so we happily wasted a few hours here. To reach the pick-up stop from…”
A guided 5-hour hike in Madeira’s Queimadas Natural Park along the historic Caldeirão Verde levada with tunnels, views, and sea air.
“An enjoyable walk but it took 2 half hrs to arrive at the walk/starting point and not enough emphasis on equipment (Torch) which is vital when walking though the dark low tunnels. Disappointed when we thought we had returned to the starting point (8 miles) but then had too walk a further mile and a…”
Guided hike through Fanal Forest’s centennial trees in Madeira, with photo stops, viewpoint time, and north coast views.
“Ik kan allen maar enthousiast zijn. Over de gids: hij deed het super rustig, iedereen kon zijn tijd nemen met het nemen van foto's. Hij waarschuwde iedere keer weer als het sliplerig kon zijn. Hij vertelde veel tijdens de rit ernaar toe. Stopte op deze fantastische stop waar je onder de rots doorloopt. Vooral de…”
Private hiking in Madeira with a local guide: UNESCO Laurissilva forests, sea cliffs or levadas, pickup and drop-off, small groups.
“Dino is an experienced hiker and knows so much about the island. He described in details everything we saw - from views, to animals and vegetation. He is very kind and always loom after the group. So grateful that we had the Vereda do Larano hike with him and we had the chance to experience…”
Day hikes worth the early start, region by region.
