Family holidays to Madeira: a guide to visiting Madeira with kids
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Family holidays in Madeira
Considering a Madeira family holiday?
Madeira has long had a reputation for attracting an older clientele. However, as today’s tourism leaves no stone unturned, more and more inquisitive travellers – with and without children – are discovering places which have previously remained below the radar. Madeira is no exception. Just like its Spanish neighbours, the Canaries, this Atlantic outpost is an excellent destination for a family holiday.
Madeira is a compact island and yet it offers a fantastic range of attractions – history and culture in the capital, high-octane adventures in the mountains and interior, hotel complexes for lazy holidays in the sun, as well as decent food and drink.
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Things to do in Madeira
Here’s a quick overview of the best things to do in Madeira so you can decide if it’s the right holiday destination for you:
- Hike a levada trail – hiking, in my opinion, is the best reason to visit Madeira.
- Travel down the hills of Funchal on a wicker toboggan.
- Marvel at the island’s luxuriant scenery on a road trip.
- Sample the local food – scabbard fish, steak, custard tarts, cakes, exotic fruits.
- Summit a mountain peak – easier than it sounds!
- Watch the fishmongers at work in Funchal’s market.
- Taste the local wine and rum.
- Ride the cable car to Monte.
- Go whale and dolphin watching.
- Indulge in an ice cream every day.
- Wander through one of Funchal’s colourful gardens.
- Pay homage to Madeira’s footballing legend, Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Swim in seawater pools next to the Atlantic Ocean.
During our 8 day trip to Madeira, we spent a few days exploring Funchal, then enjoyed exploring the island by car and hiking in the mountains before ending with a couple of days chilling in the sunshine on the south coast.
Where is Madeira?
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago located around 250 miles north of the Canary Islands and about 250 miles from Morocco, in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s made up of the main island of Madeira plus the smaller island of Porto Santo and the Desertas islands (which are a nature reserve).
How big is the island of Madeira?
Madeira measures in at a modest 286 square miles. To put that in perspective, it’s about twice the size of the Isle of Wight (147 square miles) but around a third of the size of Tenerife (786 square miles).
What is Madeira like?
The scenery of Madeira is sufficiently spectacular to win the admiration of even the most grumpy, screen addicted young person. Waterfalls are everywhere, sheer rock faces loom steeply around every corner and clouds part to reveal craggy peaks far above you.
Madeirans have farmed every square inch of the land around them – crops grow on steep terraces containing lines of potatoes, stands of sugar cane and rows of banana plants. Lonely cows and goats munch on tiny patchworks of grass and all the while, colourful flowers and myriad luxuriant plants emerge from the rocks, the gardens and the roadside to gain their place in the sun.
Aside from hiking in Madeira, there are plenty of other attractions for active visitors including water sports, canyoning and rock climbing.
Is Madeira a family friendly holiday destination?
What is there to do in Madeira with kids? The capital is small and easy to explore on foot with ice cream parlours handily positioned around every corner. If the grown ups in your party want a culture fix, Funchal is a win-win destination with a number of key child-friendly attraction to keep kids entertained. More on this below.
Madeira is great for active families who enjoy being outdoors. While it is a year round destination, Madeira is not a beach holiday destination in the same way its Atlantic neighbours, the Canaries, are. Beaches in Madeira are mostly black sand or pebbles along with a couple of manmade white sand beaches.
However, if you’re after a fly and flop type of holiday, there are several family-friendly hotels which tick that box – with the added bonus of Funchal as a genuinely interesting city to explore if you tire of the pool.
Madeira holidays with a toddler
If you’re visiting Madeira with a toddler, you’re in luck – there are playgrounds everywhere. Little ones will also enjoy the Madeira Theme Park in Santana.
As with mainland Portugal, locals in Madeira offer children a warm welcome. There are child-friendly menus in restaurants, sweet treats to sample at the market in Funchal and plenty of cakes and biscuits to gobble in cafes and bakeries.
The famous levada hikes are not ideal for toddlers – some are very narrow and can be dangerous for little feet. However, there are plenty of walks in Madeira which toddlers will enjoy such as the Fanal Forest and the colourful gardens in Funchal.
There is a small range of hotels offering family rooms and swimming pools and there’s a growing contingent of self catering apartments across the island along with plenty of villas (with and without pools).
What is the weather like in Madeira?
The weather in Madeira is mild throughout the year with plenty of sunshine and rain. As with Tenerife, Madeira has a drier, sunnier south coast and a wetter, cooler northern side. Madeira experiences more rain in the winter months as well as snow on higher ground. Summers are hot. Spring and autumn are great for a visit to Madeira – fairly reliable weather and fewer visitors than the summer months.
We visited Madeira during early April. Before our trip, the weather app on my phone suggested the island would be around 18 degrees and rainy all week. In reality, it was 30 degrees on the south coast and between 15 and 20 in the mountains and the north.
We had warm, dry weather in Funchal (although it rained as we departed), cooler weather in the north with lots of fog and some rain in the mountains. In our last few days – by the pool on the reliable south west coast – we had hot, breezy weather.
Best time to visit Madeira
Madeira is a year-round destination. The best time to visit Madeira depends on what your interests are. Spring and autumn are perfect for hiking while summer is great for sun worshippers. Winter is popular with northern Europeans looking for some winter sun. For cultural highlights, Funchal’s new years celebrations and its carnival in February are both highlights which attract visitors to the island.
Where to stay in Madeira for families
Madeira is a small island so you can spend your whole week in Funchal and easily do day trips across the island. Most places are no more than about an hour’s drive from the capital and there are plenty of tour companies and taxis keen for your business. However, if you enjoy exploring and like to be independent, it’s worth splitting your time between a few places if time allows.
During our 8 day trip to Madeira, we spent three nights in Funchal, three in Santana in the north of the island and then our final two nights were at a beach hotel in Calheta on the south west of the island. This felt like a good split of time although we’d have happily had a bit longer chilling at the end of the holiday.
Aside from Funchal, I don’t think it really matters where you stay in Madeira. Distances are not great so you could look for accommodation based on price and style rather than location. There are lots of small settlements across the island so it’s worth staying in one of these if you fancy escaping the crowds.
If you’re keen to do some hiking, you could book somewhere which is close to the start point of your hike. Santana and Sao Vicente are both useful bases in the north of the island close to several hikes.
The north does see more rain than the south but we enjoyed our three nights in Santana as it gave us a chance to stay in a less touristy part of the island. If you’d prefer to stay in the sunny south, Calheta, Ponta do Sol and Ribeira Brava all have plenty of holiday accommodation.
Where to stay in Funchal
Holiday Accommodation in Funchal is found in two main areas of the city – the old town and the lido area. In the old town you’ll find bijou Airbnb style properties plus some traditional tourist hotels and apartments. Over in the west of the capital is the so-called hotel quarter near the lido where the vast towering holiday complexes vie for views of the ocean. It’s here you’ll find Reid’s Palace and other famous names.
The hotel quarter felt rather soulless although it’s a great way to contain all the tourists and ensure the rest of the city doesn’t succumb to mass tourism. I wonder if the government will keep a hold on the development which is clearly happening in the old town.
It’s a walk of about 20 minutes, or a short taxi ride from the hotel area into the more interesting parts of the city. From the characterful Airbnb areas of the old town it’s a mere few minutes walk to the cable car station, the market and the elegant avenues which crisscross the city centre.
We stayed in an apartment in the old town called Fort of Old Town Apartments – it’s a spacious two bedroom apartment with a balcony overlooking the fort, with glimpses of the ocean through the trees. The bedrooms are next to a cobbled street which cars rumbled over during the evening so if you’re a light sleeper it might not be convenient but we didn’t mind – the location was really handy. There are lots of restaurants close by as well as a bakery for picking up pastries each morning.
Where to stay in Santana
We stayed three nights at Casas de Campo do Pomar, located on the outskirts of Santana. This is a collection of holiday cottages set amid luxuriant gardens. The houses are all different shapes and sizes. Ours had three bedrooms and a hammock on the terrace.
Although the houses have well equipped kitchens, a generous breakfast is served each morning at Casas de Campo do Pomar. There’s also a bar and evening meals are advertised – neither of these were available during our April stay however.
Find out more about Casas de Campo do Pomar
Where to stay in Calheta
My family convinced me to try an all-inclusive hotel for our last two nights. I don’t think you should go to Madeira and stay all-inclusive – the whole point of visiting the island is to go out and explore, not stay in a hotel all day long. However, after a week of exploring Madeira it was fun to relax by the pool for a few days.
We stayed two nights at Calheta Beach All Inclusive. The accommodation was comfortable – we had a suite with a bedroom and separate living room where the kids slept. The staff were lovely – we played volleyball with them and they ran activities which our teen and tween enjoyed (there’s also a kids club for little kids). The food was ok – there was a different theme each evening and lots of choice – however, I don’t think it was sufficiently good that I’d want to stay more than a few days.
Find out more about Calheta Beach All Inclusive
Is Funchal good for families? Things to do in Funchal with kids
Funchal is a really fun capital to explore with children. The cable car up to Monte and the wicker toboggans which whiz you back down the hill again are undoubtedly highlights for kids. If you have football fans, a visit to the CR7 museum – packed with Cristiano Ronaldo’s trophies and medals – is essential.
There are lots of ice cream parlours in Funchal along with countless cafes offering affordable treats so an energy boost is always close at hand.
The narrow lanes of the old town were fun to explore with our kids. Each door is hand painted to liven up the area so our children enjoyed checking out the artwork.
Our kids enjoyed marvelling at the giant cruise ships and watching them depart at the end of the day. They were also mesmerised by the waves bashing the rocks when we explored the western end of Funchal.
I was surprised by how taken the boys were by the fish market – they were transfixed by the fishmongers wielding their huge knives and slicing through the flesh and bone of large chunks of tuna and filleting the shiny black scabbard fish.
Upstairs in the market, expert market traders help tourists part with large sums of money for exotic fruits – dragon, custard apple and all manner of bananas. Next to the exotic fruits are the more familiar fruit and veg which are sold for a fraction of the price to local folk.
What clothes to pack on a trip to Madeira
If you’re planning to hike on your Madeira holiday, ensure you bring good quality, waterproof hiking boots, quick drying clothing and plenty of layers. Waterproof jackets and trousers are a good idea if you plan to do some of the more adventurous hikes – some involve walking through waterfalls.
It was mild during our April trip to Madeira so we were in shorts and T-shirts for much of our stay. Evenings remained mild on the coast while up in the mountains it tended to be cooler.
Hiking with kids in Madeira
Levadas are man-made water courses which run from the wet north to the drier south. They were first built in the 15th century to help irrigate the sugar cane crops.
Many people come to Madeira for the world class hiking opportunities. There are hundreds of walking trails to choose from, ranging from short walks with rewarding views to challenging all day- and all- terrain hikes.
There are plenty of relatively easy but incredibly rewarding hikes to do with kids in Madeira. You needn’t tackle a challenging walk to get those iconic views which the island is famous for (but you do need a bit of luck with the weather!).
The weather should be a factor in deciding which hike to tackle in Madeira. Social media is swamped by images of the “Stairway to Heaven” and other viewpoints. However, you might find that on the day you’ve set aside to hike a particular trail, the weather completely wipes out the far-reaching scenery. It’s a good idea to have a few other hikes on your list which do not rely on good weather. There are some incredible trails which do not require cloudless skies.
Bear in mind that many of the hikes in Madeira are “out and back” rather than a circular walk so you’ll walk from one point to another and then retrace your steps. Providing the trail is interesting (which is usually the case in Madeira), this shouldn’t be a problem.
Tourism in Madeira
Madeira, as with so many other beautiful locations, is suffering from “overtourism”. Funchal receives frequent visits from cruise ships – there were at least two each day during our visit. This can swamp the city but obviously brings with it an important source of revenue.
Thanks to social media, some of the hikes on Madeira can be overrun with visitors trying to get the perfect photo of sunrise or sunset in the mountains. A tourist had died a couple of days before we arrived allegedly because they had stepped over a barrier to get a better photo. However, it is of course easy to escape the crowds.
As a general rule of thumb, avoid the places which frequently appear on social media and you should be fine. We had planned to hike the popular Levada do Caldeirão Verde but the access road was closed so we opted for Levada do Rei which was stunning and fairly quiet.
Money and paying in Madeira
Madeira is much more of a cash island than many other European holiday destinations. We frequently spent money in places where cards were not accepted so ensure you have some Euros handy.
On several occasions we needed small change to pay for car parks. Those pots of coins which had been gathering dust at home came in handy.
Madeiran food
As with most places these days, Madeira has it’s fair share of pizza joints and plenty of menus have simple meat and chips dishes.
Interestingly, there were quite a few Indian and Nepalese restaurants in the old town, manned by people from the Indian subcontinent.
If you eat out in the touristy (but appealing) old town, expect to pay similar prices to the UK for evening meals. We found that prices were slightly cheaper the further away we went from the older part of the city.
Coffees and pastries are good value and cheaper than the UK. Lunch is also good value thanks to the delicious local bread, bolo do caco. Made from sweet potato and flour, this flat bread is used to make tasty sandwiches which are sold everywhere, ideal for keeping costs down.
For more adventurous eaters, there are fish dishes such as the scabbard fish – espada – usually served fried in batter and accompanied by a battered banana and passion fruit sauce. Rather sweet, but tasty. Not to be confused with the scabbard fish, espetada is another popular dish – beef skewered onto laurel sticks and barbequed with plenty of salt.
There are of course a multitude of delicious sweet snacks to try in Madeira. I love the pastel de nata, they’re sold everywhere in Madeira and they often only cost a Euro. Cakes made with sugar cane or honey are an enjoyable sugar hit at breakfast time if you’re heading out on a hike.
Driving and car hire in Madeira
If you’re staying in the old town for a few days before heading off to explore elsewhere on the island, avoid hiring a car at the airport. Parking is tricky in Funchal and the drivers are rather assertive. Roads are often narrow with very short slip roads when you’re joining a dual carriageway with drivers tending not to give way to vehicles joining the main road.
The Madeiran road network is incredible. We frequently questioned where all the money had come from to lay tarmac in such tricky to reach places. In most cases, the roads are well maintained. Terrifying coastal roads, now blocked by rock falls, have been replaced by an incredible network of tunnels which connect what must once have been very remote locations. As a result, all corners of the island are within each reach of the capital.
The island’s airport, just east of Funchal is a feat of engineering – the runway is on stilts.
When the Madeiran roads are not trundling through mountain tunnels, they are winding their way extremely steeply up the mountains. Sometimes these roads are very narrow with a predictably dramatic drop off to one side. Vertigo and Madeira definitely don’t mix. However, the exotic scenery does a pretty good job at distracting your attention.
Madeira without a car
Do you need to hire a car in Madeira? Absolutely not. One of the main negative impacts of tourism on this little island is the number of rental vehicles which head for the popular hiking trails. Car parks are modest and fill up quickly so you’ll be doing the island a favour if you forego the hire car and choose to book tours instead.
Obviously, I am a complete hypocrite in saying this, as we hired a car on our trip. However, if you would prefer not to hire a car, you won’t miss out. Many of the tour companies offer very affordable rates and take all of the hassle out of planning and car parking. You don’t need to book a guided hike either – you can book a transfer to and from the hike and do the actual walk independently at your own pace.
Best beaches in Madeira
Created by an underwater volcano, Madeira rises steeply from the ocean and does not have broad sandy beaches. Aside from the beach of Porto Santo, if you’re after a traditional beach holiday, Madeira isn’t where I’d suggest you go. Having said that, if you enjoy being by the ocean, there are some good sea water swimming pools, most notably the volcanic rock pools on the north coast at Porto Moniz. There’s a popular oceanfront lido in Funchal and the island has some fantastic coastal walks and dramatic sea cliffs.
Here’s a quick overview of Madeira’s most notable beaches:
Porto Santo – if you want a proper, long sweep of sand, you’ll need to head to the smaller island of Porto Santo where you’ll find nine kilometres of golden sandy beach.
Calheta beach – this is a man-made sandy beach on Madeira’s south west coast. It’s not particularly beautiful but it serves a purpose.
Machico – another man-made sandy beach, this one is located east of Funchal. It has good facilities including water sports and its gentle slope makes it a popular choice for families.
Formosa – this is the closest beach to Funchal and also Madeira’s largest beach. It’s a mix of black sand and pebbles.
Seixal beach – this black sand on the island’s north coast has a stunning green backdrop.
There are lots of hotels and holiday apartments with magnificent ocean vistas. So if its sea views rather than beaches which you’re after, you’ll be absolutely fine.
Final thoughts on visiting Madeira with kids
What we loved about Madeira was the variety – culture and history in Funchal, incredible scenery and fun hikes, and the warm sunny weather. If you’re an active family, or you all have different interests, there’s bound to be something for everyone on this little isle.
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