MADEIRA, the INSANE island gem of Portugal!!!
TRAVEL RESOURCES
PACKING: Browse my travel necessities and adventure gear on my Amazon Shop!
INTERNET: Stay connected on your phone anywhere without needing Wi-Fi or a physical sim card, with Airalo esim!
ACCOMMODATION: Find the best deals and most comprehensive & reliable accommodations on booking.com
INSURANCE: Cover yourself in case of travel or medical emergencies with SafetyWing insurance.
*I only share my genuine + trusted recommendations with you! This website contains affiliate links, and if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are entirely my own, and your support helps me continue sharing my honest travel advice so THANK YOU!!!
Ok this blog post is a little different than my others because I had too many tips, and this destination was too epic, to pack it all into this blog post for you! So i have packaged it all into a more interactive and user-friendly trip planning platform that I’ve linked at the end!
But to summarize…
Madeira is, to put it simply, MIND BLOWING. 🤯🤯🤯
This island does not feel real. Waterfalls cascading down left right n centre, lush cliffs glowing in the sunlight, mountains too steep to comprehend — the whole thing looks like it’s a utopia made by AI.
however, this is not a stress-free holiday; having travelled to 55+ countries, i can honestly say these were the SKETCHIEST ROADS i have ever driven on!! two-lane roads where one lane is completely blocked by parked cars, so it’s now a one-lane road, except you’re on the edge of the cliff and there is nowhere to pull over as cars are coming hurling at you from the other direction. the sharpest hairpin bend leading directly into the steepest vertical incline you’ve ever seen, cars stalling and struggling to even make it up the hill. cars doing 18-point turns to just get onto their parking lot which is also perched on a platform with no barriers. it was actually WILD and NOT for the faint of heart!! so make sure you are adventure-ready when you come here!!
my absolute favourite parts were:
Seixal Beach at sunrise, and brekkie at Avista Navios Snack Bar — just insane views on this black-sand beach set against the lush green cliffside, a waterfall cascading literally onto the beach and another one in the distance. so wild.
our first evening we had the most fiery magical sunset ever at Miradouro do Perro and Ponta do Sol, which is where we stayed and i think the cutest little town (maybe tied with Seixal) set against a massive cliff mural. Cascata dos Anjos (Waterfall of the Angels) was epic as well!!
drove along the west coast one evening and it was just ALL HAPPENING. golden raindrops falling from the sky, light beams for days, multiple rainbows, everything was glowing.
Fanal Forest was super cool and unique and speaks to the crazy eco-diversity of this island
Pico do Areiro to Pico Ruivo hike was amazing, the sunrise above the clouds, the stairway to heaven, etc, but just WAY TOO CROWDED when we went!!! :( read my honest thoughts and tips on how to do it right here.
Of course you can follow along on all my daily updates on Instagram with the above links and my IG highlights and hashtag #stage5summerclinger, but since we conquered Madeira like champs during our 4-day stay and i have some very strong advice, i am trying an exciting new platform to share my travel advice for this jam-packed island gem!!!! I have displayed all my recommendations on an exciting new platform called Rexby where you can find all my top locations pinned on an interactive map, as well as a custom 4-day itinerary and my top tips shared exclusively on my Rexy guide. I worked really hard on this and i hope you use for your trip and enjoy!!! :)
for here, I will leave you with pics for your viewing pleasure!! Trust me this place is a photographer/Instagrammer’s paradise!
