Useful Information
This green sub tropical island with its steep lush valleys, dramatic coastline and rugged mountain ranges has excellent mild weather all-year-round.
Global Gateway: Seamless Flights to Madeira (FNC)
Madeira offers excellent, year-round flight options connecting Europe, the UK, the USA, and Canada. This small island is exceptionally well-catered for, securing its place as a prime European destination and a major winter stopover for cruise liners.
Direct European & UK Connectivity
The island benefits from daily direct flights from the UK and numerous European countries. Key routes are reliably served by full-service carriers like TAP Air Portugal, British Airways, and Azores Airlines. Additionally, convenient direct routes from regional UK and European airports are offered by leading budget airlines, including EasyJet, Jet2, and Norwegian.
Madeira also benefits from growing long-haul connectivity. Seasonal and charter flights from North America, the Middle East and selected African hubs provide travellers with direct access to the island without European stopovers. These routes are expanding each year, supported by Madeira’s strong tourism demand and upgraded airport capacity. For visitors coming from global gateways such as New York, Toronto, Dubai or Cape Verde, connections are typically efficient and timed to reduce layovers. This worldwide reach makes Madeira a practical option not only for European holidaymakers but also for long-haul travellers seeking a mild-climate destination with easy onward transport and reliable airport services.
​
The Aerobus offers a fast and convenient transfer from Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport to central Funchal. It departs directly from the Arrivals area and stops at major hotels along the coast before ending at Formosa Beach. Tickets are affordable—€6.50 for adults, €3.50 for children, or €8.00 return—making it one of the easiest ways to reach the city. If your flight is delayed, the Aerobus will wait for up to one hour, ensuring a reliable connection even on busy travel days.
​
Schedules and the routes can be found in the link below:
​
Beyond the shuttle option, travellers arriving at Madeira Airport have several alternatives to reach Funchal or the rest of the island:
-
Taxi or rideshare — Official taxis wait just outside the Arrivals hall. A ride to central Funchal takes about 20–25 minutes, with typical fares around €25–€35 (depending on time/day and luggage). Some app-based services (e.g. ride-hailing) also operate on the island, which can be convenient especially for late arrivals when public transport may be limited.
-
Public bus (regular network) — For budget travel, local buses (e.g. operated by SAM) connect the airport to Funchal and other towns. Fares are modest (typically a few euros), though journey times are longer (about 40–60 minutes) and luggage space may be limited.
-
Car rental — The airport hosts several rental-car companies. Renting a car gives full flexibility — useful if you plan to explore beyond Funchal or reach more remote areas of the island. Driving time to Funchal is ~20 minutes.
-
Pre-booked private transfer / shuttle — For more comfort or group travel, private transfers or shared shuttle services can be arranged in advance. These often include meet-and-greet at arrival, fixed rates, and sometimes extra services (luggage support, child seats).
​
Getting around Madeira
By Road:
The infrastructure on the island is exceptional with well maintained tarmac roads and an impressive tunnel network. The Madeirans drive on the right in keeping with other European countries and there are currently no toll roads in Madeira.
​
Car Hire: For the best car rental deals on the island use Autoeurope car rental deals and travel tips.There are plenty of car hire places available on the island, at the airport or in Funchal and other main cities. Vehicles are generally fairly new and range from super mini to people carrier. Fuel is a little lower in price than the UK. There are different speed limits along the motorway and in the cities and these will be clearly sign posted. Mopeds and bicycles are also available for hire and a European style license (with photo ID) is required for all motorised vehicle hire.
Public transport: there is a good public transport service which covers the whole island, or taxis can be arranged if you prefer private transfers.
http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/images/stories/pdf/mapaurbano.pdf
http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/images/stories/pdf/mapainterurbano.pdf
https://www.sam.pt/en/network-map.html
By Ferry:
The Lobo Marinho (the Porto Santo line ferry) runs daily between Funchal and Porto Santo and takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes.
By Taxi:
Taxis are an excellent way of getting around as many drivers speak English and prices are competitive compared to the UK. The yellow taxis are generally quite new and safe and of a high standard.
Inter-island flights:
Only Binter Canarias operates the short 15 minute hop between Madeira and Porto Santo. http://bintercanarias.com
Weather:
The weather on Madeira is great all-year-round. However as a sub-tropical island with many micro climates around the island there can be the occasional torrential rain which cause rivers and levadas to flood that sometimes cause land slides and rockfall. November to March are the months when you can expect some rainfall and even some snow in mountainous areas.
Location and climate:
The Madeira Archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean, in the African plate 978 km south of Portugal, and approximately 33 degrees north latitude and about 700 km west of the African coast, and only has a total area of 796 km2.
Because of its volcanic origins, it has a very rugged landscape with high mountains and deep valleys, with a proliferation of different vegetation and shades of green.
The mild climate in Madeira Island is not a recent phenomenon. While the rest of Europe suffered from effects of the last glaciation, the island’s Atlantic location protected it from the most destructive temperatures. This ensured that in Madeira we can still find the original laurel forests of Europe.
The topography and the prevailing winds ensure the island has many micro-climates which, combined with the exotic vegetation, is one of the important attractions for the tourist industry.
Precipitation is highest in the northern part of the island and there are large temperature variations throughout the year from the north to the south of the island.
The island’s mild climate ensures that almost all agricultural products thrive and allows the extremely interesting sub tropical fruits and vegetables to grow as well as the traditional Mediterranean produce.
​The same applies to the extraordinary flowers where the exotic flowers like strelitzias, orchids and anthuriums, mingle with common species such as hollyhocks, hydrangeas and hibiscus, and roses dotting the landscape with a multitude of colours.
The Autonomous Region of Madeira is composed of 11 counties and 54 parishes.
Funchal is the most populous county and the capital of Madeira which is subdivided in 10 parishes. The population of the whole island has only approximately 250,000 inhabitants overall.
There is a famous Farmers Market designed by architect Edmundo Tavares which is steps away from the old historic area and was designed in the art deco style. The main door opens onto square where local fruit and vegetables are sold daily. There is a flower section loaded with the native tropical flowers such as camellias, proteas, strelitzias and orchids. At one end of the building is the traditional fish market displaying the seasonal typical Mediterranean fish as well as the local tropical fish from the warm waters of the gulf stream.
The heart of the city is at the cathedral built in 1485 and the majority of public buildings that surround it have kept their original design. The construction of the Cathedral in 1485 and completed in 1514 was ordered by King Manuel who gave precise instructions for its location and funding.
​There are dozens of streets and squares to visit all lined with traditional Portuguese cobblestone sidewalks. The Sacred Art Museum has a rich collection of Flemish paintings, evocative splendor of the sugar trade is housed in the former Bishop’s Palace. Many of the paintings were purchased by the merchants of the sixteenth century. One of the museum’s façade is facing the Town Hall Square with the center filled with a fountain designed by architect Raul Lino in 1942.
​The area of Sao Pedro and Santa Clara was where the most important families first settled. Further uphill there is the Santa Clara Convent and church. The convent was founded by the son of Joao Gonsalves Zarco. The Joao Carlos Abreu Universe of Memories museum displays various sculptures, paintings and a library. Across the street is another museum called the Quinta das Cruzes in the house where Joao Gonsalves Zarco lived and is surrounded by lush gardens where you will be able to see an archaeological park, lapidary stones and Orquideario.
Located at the Arriaga Avenue are the San Francisco cellars also known as the Old Blandy Wine Lodges. The wine stores hundreds of vintage bottles with over a hundred years, ready to sell to the public.
Across the street is the fortress and national monument called the St. Lawrence palace which is a beautiful example of a seventeenth century military architecture and the residence of the island’s governors between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Further down the road is the Baltazar Dias Municipal Theatre built between 1884 and 1887 and inspired by the famous “La Scala” in Milan.
In the city there is accommodation for all pockets and tastes. The standards of the services provided here in Madeira is very high. One of the most inspired hotels of Madeira is Reid’s Palace Hotel which is like taking a trip back in time. The hotel is the creation and dream of William Reid, a Scotsman who came to Madeira with 14 years and with only five pounds in his pocket and worked tirelessly to build one of the most luxurious hotels in Europe. Oscar Niemeyer, the famous Brazilian modernist architect designed a remarkable hotel and complex in the second half of the 1970’s. Seen from above the hotel is the moon and the casino is the shape of the sun.
​Monte is a village located 600 meters above sea level which means that the climate is cooler and the landscaper is greener. Every year on the 15th of August, the largest procession of the island occurs called the Senhora do Monte. It is here in the church that the former emperor of Austria Charles I was buried whilst in exile in Madeira. Down the road is where the famous toboggans descend down to the town centre which is an adventure not to be missed. Ernest Hemingway wrote “this is one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.”
The area of Machico has 68.31 km 2 and approximately 22,000 inhabitants and is divided into 5 parishes. It was in this county that the discoverers of Madeira Joao Gonsalves Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeira first landed between 1418 and 1420.
Ribeira Brava has 65.40 km 2 and approximately 14,000 inhabitants is divided into 4 parishes. The origin of this counties name is due to its river Ribeira Brava meaning wild river that in the rainy season has a very strong flow. Situated just fifteen kilometers from Funchal, the municipality of Ribeira Brava has a cultural heritage. There is much to see with Ribeira Brava Parish Church, a small fortification called the Sao Bento Fort, the Madeira Ethnographic Museum which is housed in an old house that worked from the nineteenth century as plantation of sugar cane crushing and production of brandy and a small core museum dedicated to religious art.
In the ancient manor dating from the eighteenth / nineteenth century where Francisco Heredia Correia the Viscount of Ribeira Brava is located the town hall. Inside a magnificent garden with many natural species still exists.
Santa Cruz has 81.50 km 2 and approximately 46,000 inhabitants, divided into 5 parishes. The Santa Cruz village is one of the oldest of the island, dating from the fifteenth century beginnings. The municipality was created on June 26, 1515, was elevated to city status to August 2, 1996. Santa Cruz Parish Church, built by King Manuel I, began as a small chapel, Camara de Lobos has 52.15 km 2 and has approximately 37,000 inhabitants and is divided into 5 parishes. The Camara de Lobos municipality was created in 1835 and the village was elevated to city status on 2 August 1996.
​
In this county is produced universally famous Madeira wine. Camara de Lobos is also renowned for its fishing especially the black scabbard, an activity that gives the main visual feature of the city.
Calheta has 115.65 km 2 and approximately 12,500 inhabitants subdivided in 8 parishes. Calheta is the Madeira largest municipality and became a village 72 years after its founding on July 1st 1502.
Ponta do Sol has 46.19 km2 and 9,500 inhabitants (and is divided into three parishes. The settlement of Ponta do Sol dates back to 1425, shortly after the discovery of the island by Portuguese settlers coming from Minho, the Beiras and the Algarve. Its is said to have the most fertile soil in the island and is one of the most active agricultural production areas, especially for sugarcane.
Sao Vicente has 78.82 km 2 and approximately 6000 inhabitants subdivided in 3 parishes. The settlement of Sao Vicente took place in the mid-fifteenth century, colonised later than the southern part of the island for due to greater fertility of the soil. The county has a healthy tourist sector combined with rural tourism.
Porto Moniz has 82.93 km 2 and approximately 3000 inhabitants divided into 4 parishes. Colonized at the beginning of the third quarter of the fifteenth century. Francisco Moniz, the Elder a noble and natural from Algarve is known as one of the earliest settlers. Currently the municipality is well known for its natural pools.
Santana has 95.56 km 2 and approximately 8000 inhabitants divided into 6 parishes.
This settlement toke place around 1550 with people from Minho (Braga), north of Portugal.
Porto Santo has an area of 42.48 square kilometers. It is one of the six municipalities of Portugal that have a single parish, which has the same name. It is often referred to as the Golden island by the islanders due to its long stretches of fine sandy beaches.
According to the story Christopher Columbus inhabited this island, having married one of the daughters of his first captain donee Bartolomeu Perestrelo.
Madeira Island Nature:
One of Madeira’s biggest tourist attractions is its raw and unspoilt nature which is rich in biodiversity of endemic Fauna and Flora species. Classified as a World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Laurel Forest (Laurissilva) covers 15,000 ha, 12,000 of which are protected under the umbrella of the nature reserve.
Fauna and Flora
Effectively, there are no prehistoric remains or ruins of of any historical importance. The presence of humans begins according to data with the arrival of the Portuguese in the fifteenth century.
One of the jewels inherited from the past is the prehistoric bay forest that only survived here to the last ice age. Madeira has one of the best preserved vegetation of Macaronesia. The native flora, called Palearctic by botanists, is akin to the northwest of Europe, and the seeds have been carried by the wind, the birds and the ocean currents. The soil is acid and low in calcium and potassium, but rich in humus. There are more than 150 endemic species (plants grown only on Madeira) with new species being identified all the time. The Madeiran godiera, an extremely fragile orchid with white petals that lives between 300 and 800 meters.
Although the total area does not exceed 737 km2, plant biodiversity is extremely varied. Near the sea, where it is the agricultural land, the weather is dry and hot throughout the year, developing numerous herbaceous species in the sea cliffs.
Laurisilva forests grow between 300 and 1300 m of altitude, and are a replica of the forests that once covered much of Europe until the last ice age. Classified by UNESCO as a Natural Heritage, it is the largest bay forest in the world. An enchanted forest full of secrets with an enormous biological diversity. Almost all the plants and animals that live here are exclusive from the laurel forest, such as the wood pigeon. The evergreen tree leaves of the laurisilva once covered 60% of the island but with various fires, agriculture and human settlement, the area has now reduced to 20% which is approximately now15,000 hectares, most of which is in the middle and the north coast of the island.
The temperature is a crucial factor for these forests as they grow best in deep, moist ravines sun as Ribeiro Frio and Ribeira da Janela. Here the coastal fogs are frequent and humidity levels exceed 80%. There are also the tilde, the Barbusano, the mahogany or beech trees as well as the Madeiran Cheesewood, White Stick and Madeira Elderberry.
The floor is covered in green and red tones from the ferns, lichens and mosses. These forests are vital to the nature and island economy as they help to conserve water not only rain and but also fog descending from the highlands. Without them, the Levadas would not ensure the irrigation of crops throughout the whole island. Above the altitude 1300 m, where the laurel is no longer suited grow small and heather shrubs which is resistant to cold and precipitation.
Wildlife
When the first settlers arrived in Madeira, the only mammals that they found were bats, one of these being the endemic Madeiran bat. All other terrestrial mammals that now exist such as rabbits, rats, horses, goats, cows and dogs, were introduced by man. Of the approximately 3300 species of invertebrates cataloged, thirty percent are unique to Madeira.
On the archipelago there are 42 species of birds of which nine are endemic. The islands are part of two of the largest sanctuaries of seabirds in the world: the Desertas and the Selvagens Islands which is vital to their nesting. The freira-da-Madeira, an extremely rare bird and that was thought extinct, was rediscovered in 1969. It became known as Freira-da-Madeira or Zino’s petrel. This small black and white marine bird, mates in the central mountains of the island and only lays one egg per year with an estimated population of 40 couples, this being one of the species where both partners remain faithful to each other for life.
The Madeira pigeon only exists in the laurel forest area with a total estimated population of 10,000 individuals. Equally interesting are the mountain swallow, the run-ways, the calcamar, the chaffinch, the firecrest and the cigarette. A few amphibians and reptiles, exception made to Madeira endemic lizards are very common in the gardens of Funchal.
The waters of Madeira are a haven for marine mammals the most famous of which is the monk seal, also known as wolffish thought o be only approximately 500 spread from the north west coast of Africa to Madeira. A colony of more than 20 members live in the Desertas Nature Reserve, making frequent forays to the Ponta de Sao Lourenco. Dolphins of various species live here all year round as well as a 18 kinds of whales.
The Garajau Natural Reserve is located east of Funchal and occupies approximately 376 hectares of sea. Other species to be seen in this nature reserve is, painted morays, garden eels, rays and turtles. With crystal clear waters this is a great place to dive and discover marine life.
Many big game fishing enthusiasts flock to Madeira to catch marline specially from May to September, blue or record tuna, whose weight exceeds 300 kg. Other species much appreciated by lovers of big game fishing are the white Marlin, swordfish, Indian mackerel, rabilha, bigeye, albacore, skipjack and barracuda.