Ten days
Ten days on Madeira, arranged so no day retraces another
The short answer
This ten-day route works the south and east from Funchal, moves to the north coast, then west to Porto Moniz, drops to the south-west for Rabaçal and returns along the south coast. Every classified trail on it needs a paid timeslot booked on SIMplifica before travelling.
Madeira is small and slow. The distances are short, the roads are not, and the weather on one coast tells you almost nothing about the other. A route that hops between the north and the south every day spends the trip in tunnels.
So this one is grouped: three days out of Funchal, three on the north coast, two in the north-west, one in the south-west and one back along the south. No day crosses the island twice, and every day has an alternative for when the north is under water, because on this island that is not a nicety.
Since 1 January 2026 every Classified Walking Route managed by IFCN needs a paid, dated timeslot booked through the SIMplifica portal. Slots lock when capacity is reached. The single busiest trail on the island sells its early slots first, and rain is not a refundable reason.
Day 1 · based in Funchal
Arrive, and stay at sea level
The airport is at Santa Cruz, east of the city. The Aerobus runs into Funchal at €6.70, source: Jornal Oficial da RAM, from 1 April 2026, read August 26, 2026 paid on board, or €5.55, source: Jornal Oficial da RAM, from 1 April 2026, read August 26, 2026 pre-purchased onto a GIRO bilhete card. No official distance or drive time between the airport and Funchal is published anywhere, so this page does not give one.
Picking up a hire car on day two rather than at arrival costs nothing and removes the worst version of a delayed flight. Nothing on this day is booked, deliberately.
- Mercado dos Lavradores — closed Sunday, and shuts early on Saturday
- Funchal old town on foot — no car needed, and none wanted
If it is raining on the north side: Blandy’s Wine Lodge in the centre of Funchal is entirely indoors and the Premium Tour runs forty-five minutes.
Day 2 · based in Funchal
Monte, without touching the car
Everything today is reachable on the cable car and the bus. The Teleférico climbs from the seafront at Rua Dom Carlos I to Largo das Babosas: €22.00, source: Teleféricos da Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026 return, €16.00, source: Teleféricos da Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026 one way. Monte Palace is €18.00, source: Monte Palace Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026 and its gate is beside the top station. The Botanical Garden is €10.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 and has its own separate cable car from Monte.
The toboggan runs down towards Livramento at €30.00, source: Carreiros do Monte, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for one, €40.00, source: Carreiros do Monte, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for two and €60.00, source: Carreiros do Monte, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for three. Do not put this day on a Sunday: the toboggan runs Monday to Saturday only, and the classic up-and-down plan collapses without it.
- Teleférico do Funchal — buy a return if it is a Sunday
- Monte Palace Madeira — steep site, a lot of steps
- Carros de Cesto do Monte — tickets on the day, on site only
- Jardim Botânico da Madeira — prices changed on 1 January 2026
If it is raining on the north side: Drop the toboggan, which withdraws three-person rides in the wet anyway, and spend the time in the Monte Palace museum and the Botanical Garden instead.
Day 3 · based in Funchal
The eastern peninsula, when the mountains are shut
East along the south coast, past Caniçal, to the end of the road at Baía d’Abra. This is the driest and lowest corner of Madeira, which makes it the right call on a day when the peaks are in cloud.
PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço is €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 with a booked timeslot. There is no shade anywhere on the peninsula and the wind does not stop. Machico is the obvious base for lunch and the departure point for boat trips.
- PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço — book the timeslot on SIMplifica
- PR5 Vereda das Funduras — optional, and the emptiest trail in the east
If it is raining on the north side: São Lourenço is genuinely unpleasant in wind and rain with nowhere to shelter. Machico and Santa Cruz work instead, and a whale and dolphin watching trip from Machico if the sea allows.
Day 4 · based in Santana
The high peaks, and the transfer north
Up to Pico do Areeiro before dawn, driving up from Funchal. The viewpoint at 1,818 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 is free; parking is €4.00 per hour, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026. PR1 to Pico Ruivo is €10.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 and it is one way beyond Miradouro da Pedra Rija.
That matters more than anything else on this day, and this route uses it rather than fighting it: the walk finishes at Pico Ruivo and exits on the Santana side by PR1.2 to Achada do Teixeira, close to tonight's base rather than back over the massif to Funchal. IFCN states it provides no return transport to the car left at Areeiro, so a second car, a taxi or a shuttle has to be arranged at the same time as the ticket — routed on to Santana, not back to the trailhead.
- Pico do Areeiro — sunrise, and a car park that fills
- PR1 Vereda do Areeiro — one way past Pedra Rija
- PR1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo — the exit, covered by the PR1 ticket
If it is raining on the north side: If the ridge is closed or clouded, the Pico do Areeiro to Pedra Rija out-and-back is a separate cheaper ticket, or drop to PR11 Vereda dos Balcões at Ribeiro Frio, which is sheltered by forest.
Day 5 · based in Santana
Walk into the laurisilva
PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde starts at Queimadas Forest Park, which is free to enter and has a car park too small for the trail it serves. The walk is €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 and, taken all the way to Caldeirão do Inferno and back, it is a full day rather than an afternoon.
The tunnels are unlit and dripping. A torch is equipment, not a precaution. Turning back at Caldeirão Verde is a complete walk in itself.
- PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde — torch, waterproofs, early slot
- Parque Florestal das Queimadas — free, and the car park fills first
- Casas Típicas de Santana — twenty minutes, not an afternoon
If it is raining on the north side: The laurisilva is arguably better in drizzle and the tunnels are wet regardless, so the walk holds up with a torch and full waterproofs. If IFCN has closed the trail, the Santana houses and the Rocha do Navio cable car fill the day.
Day 6 · based in Santana
Ribeiro Frio, and a levada that ends elsewhere
Both of today’s walks start at Ribeiro Frio on ER 103 and ER 303. PR11 Vereda dos Balcões is short, near level and sheltered. PR10 Levada do Furado runs one way across to Portela on ER 102, and finishing there means a second car, a bus or a booked taxi.
Two or more trails on the same day are charged at €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 rather than €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 each, and SIMplifica applies the cheaper rate at checkout. Each one still needs its own dated slot.
- PR11 Vereda dos Balcões — the named view needs a clear day
- PR10 Levada do Furado — ends at Portela, not where you parked
If it is raining on the north side: Do PR11 alone. It is short and forest-sheltered, so it works in poor weather, though the view of the central peaks disappears in cloud.
Day 7 · based in Porto Moniz
West along the north coast to the sea pools
West along the coast road from Santana, Seixal comes first: a parish of the same municipality as Porto Moniz, where the black-sand beach and Poças das Lesmas at €2.50, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 sit close together. All of it is exposed to Atlantic swell and the sea closes it on rough days.
Porto Moniz is a little further on. The ticketed Piscinas Naturais complex there is €3.00, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for anyone over three, with changing rooms, a bar and lifeguards. The Cachalote pools immediately alongside are free and not equivalent.
- Praia do Seixal — free, and used by bodyboarders for a reason
- Poças das Lesmas — read the wave warning on the official page
- Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz — ticketed, lifeguarded, open all year
If it is raining on the north side: Sea pools are miserable in swell and often closed outright. The Madeira Aquarium in Porto Moniz works, or drive inland for Fanal, which is at its best in fog.
Day 8 · based in Porto Moniz
Up onto the plateau for Fanal
Up onto Paúl da Serra on ER 209. Fanal itself is free. PR13 Vereda do Fanal and PR14 Levada dos Cedros both leave from that road, both are point to point, and both are €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 or €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for the pair.
The fog that makes Fanal photogenic is the same fog that makes ER 209 a serious drive. There is no version of this day that gets one without the other.
- Fanal — free, and ordinary on a clear day
- PR13 Vereda do Fanal — point to point on ER 209
- PR14 Levada dos Cedros — muddy, and worth it
If it is raining on the north side: Mist is a bonus here, but heavy rain on top of fog on ER 209 is not worth driving in. Ribeira da Janela, the Véu da Noiva viewpoint and the Achadas da Cruz cable car are the fallback.
Day 9 · based in Calheta or Ribeira Brava
Rabaçal, and the walk before the walk
Rabaçal is reached from ER 105 on the Paúl da Serra plateau. The access road down to the Casa de Abrigo is 2 km, source: Câmara Municipal de Calheta, read August 31, 2026, narrow and restricted, so the choice is to walk down or take the shuttle, and the climb back up comes at the end of the day.
PR6 Levada das 25 Fontes now runs as a controlled one-way loop, out along the channel and back on the Bypass. The PR6 network starts here, so the €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 day rate almost always beats singles. On the tourism board's own times, PR6, PR6.1 and PR6.3 together already come to 6 hours 30 minutes, source: Visit Madeira, One of the three addends; PR6.1 and PR6.3 carry their own Visit Madeira pages, both retrieved the same day, read August 26, 2026 on foot — before that access road, walked twice, on top.
- PR6 Levada das 25 Fontes — the busiest trail on the island
- PR6.1 Levada do Risco — short, level, better after rain
- PR6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento — graded Easy, and the climb out is not
If it is raining on the north side: PR6.1 Levada do Risco alone is short, easy and better after rain because the fall carries more water. If the plateau is shut, drop to the coast at Calheta and Jardim do Mar.
Day 10 · based in Funchal
Back along the south coast to the flight
Work east along the south coast so the trip ends where it departs from. Cabo Girão is €5.00, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026, paid through the SIMplifica portal, and the promontory is given by the tourism board as 580 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026.
Cabo Girão, Câmara de Lobos and Curral das Freiras are all inside Câmara de Lobos municipality. Curral das Freiras is the exception to this route’s no-backtracking rule and the only one: it sits in a deep bowl of a valley ringed by mountain peaks, reached and left by the same road, and the Eira do Serrado viewpoint is a spur off that road taken on the way in. The climb inland to Curral das Freiras is steep and tightly wound, and the view worth having is from the Eira do Serrado viewpoint at 1,095 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 rather than the valley floor.
- Cabo Girão Skywalk — glass floor, and two circulating prices
- Câmara de Lobos — a working harbour, not a set piece
- Curral das Freiras — the viewpoint above it is the point
If it is raining on the north side: A glass floor over cloud and a viewpoint into cloud are both worthless. Blandy’s Wine Lodge in Funchal, or the Botanical Garden if day two skipped it, replace the whole afternoon.
Why this order
Days one to three work out of Funchal and cover the south and the east. Day four crosses the high peaks towards Pico Ruivo and moves base to the north coast, because the one-way exit at Achada do Teixeira already lands close to Santana — the same crossing either way, so the route makes it the transfer rather than a there-and-back. It stays on the north coast for three nights. Day seven moves west to Porto Moniz for two more. Day nine drops to the south-west for Rabaçal, and day ten returns along the south coast to the airport side of the island.
The point of grouping it this way is not efficiency for its own sake. It is that Funchal weather predicts nothing about a trailhead: over January to July the north-coast station records roughly 1.97 times, source: IPMA, The Funchal half of the ratio; the Santana half is summed from the monthly Boletins, read August 28, 2026 the rainfall of the Funchal station. Basing near where you intend to walk means the decision is made looking out of the window, not after an hour in the car.
What has to be booked before you fly
Every Classified Walking Route managed by IFCN needs a paid, dated timeslot reserved online through SIMplifica. IFCN takes no bookings and no payments at its premises or anywhere else physical. Each day is divided into entry slots with roughly fifteen minutes of tolerance either side, and slots lock automatically when carrying capacity is reached.
On this route that means PR8 and PR5, PR1, PR9, PR10 and PR11 together, PR13 and PR14 together, and the Rabaçal trails. Return transport for PR1 belongs in the same booking session, because that is the trail where forgetting it ruins the day.
Arrive Monday to Thursday. Day 1 and Day 2 are the only two days on this route that care what day of the week it is, and they are adjacent: the Mercado dos Lavradores closes on Sunday and closes early on Saturday, and the Monte toboggan runs Monday to Saturday. A ten-day trip always contains a Sunday. Arriving Monday to Thursday puts that Sunday on days five to nine, where nothing on this route depends on the day.
The constraints that break plans
The Monte toboggan does not run on Sundays. Mercado dos Lavradores closes at 14:00 on Saturday and all day Sunday. PR1 is one way beyond Pedra Rija and IFCN provides no return transport. PR10 and PR13 and PR14 all finish somewhere other than where they start.
Refunds are given only where IFCN or another competent authority officially closed the trail on the booked date, and requests have to be made within ten working days. Rain, illness, a missed flight or a change of mind forfeit the fee. That is the rule as published, and it is the reason the wet alternatives on this page exist.
Why there are no drive times on this page
No authority publishes a drive time between these places, including the one everybody wants, from the airport into Funchal. Modelled minutes are a different thing from a published time, and this site does give those where they are useful: the town pages carry free-flow routing output, labelled as modelled rather than measured. The airport operator’s own site could not be read at source and no regional government page states a figure.
Widely quoted numbers for that journey exist on secondary travel sites, with no method attached. They are not recorded here, because a figure with nothing behind it is worth less than an admission, and a modelled minute presented as a drive time is the same figure wearing a method it does not have. What this page gives instead is the route and the road number: ER 105 for Rabaçal, ER 209 for Fanal, ER 103 and ER 303 for Ribeiro Frio, ER 102 for Portela.
What the tickets add up to
Walking every classified trail on this route comes to €51.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 in IFCN fees: PR8 and PR9 at €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 each, PR1 at €10.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026, and three combined days at €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for the Ribeiro Frio, Fanal and Rabaçal pairs. Multi-day rates exist at €22.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 and €52.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026, and SIMplifica applies whichever is cheapest at checkout.
On top of that the paid attractions on this route are Cabo Girão at €5.00, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026, the Porto Moniz pools at €3.00, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026, Poças das Lesmas at €2.50, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026, Monte Palace at €18.00, source: Monte Palace Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026, the Botanical Garden at €10.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026, the cable car at €22.00, source: Teleféricos da Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026, the toboggan at €30.00, source: Carreiros do Monte, 2026, read August 26, 2026 and Blandy’s Premium Tour at €23.00, source: Blandy's Wine Lodge, 2026, read August 26, 2026.
Porto Santo is a separate island and a separate day: the crossing is by ferry from Funchal, not a drive, and it does not fit inside a route built around road distances. It is deliberately not among these ten.
Questions people actually ask
Do you need a car for ten days on Madeira?
For this route, in practical terms yes. The trailheads at Rabaçal on ER 105, Fanal on ER 209, Ribeiro Frio on ER 103 and ER 303, Achada do Teixeira, Queimadas and Baía d’Abra are all rural road ends. A Funchal-only stay does not need one.
How much are the trail permits in total?
€51.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for every classified trail on this route, using the combined day rate where two trails fall on the same day. The multi-day rates are €22.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 and €52.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026.
What happens if it rains on a booked trail day?
The fee is forfeited. IFCN refunds or reschedules only where the trail was officially closed or restricted on the booked date, and requests must be made within ten working days.
Can you cross the island on foot on the classified trails?
Not at present. IFCN states there is currently no east to west crossing available on Classified Walking Routes.
How long does it take to drive between these places?
No official source publishes drive times on Madeira, so none are given here. The routes and road numbers are on each day instead.
Single classified trail, per person over twelve
€4.50
Booked as a dated timeslot on SIMplifica. Free for ages twelve and under, who still have to be on the booking.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026PR1 full route, Areeiro to Pico Ruivo
€10.50
Also covers PR1.1 and PR1.2, and PR1.3 only when it reopens.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Two or more trails in one day
€9.00
Excludes PR1. Each trail still needs its own slot.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Two or more trails across three days
€22.50
Excludes PR1.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Two or more trails across seven days
€52.50
Excludes PR1.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Trail fees for this whole route
€51.00
The sum of the IFCN rates for every classified trail on these ten days, using the combined day rate where two fall together, and counting both of Day 3’s trails. Walking Day 3 as PR8 alone, which is how the day’s own paragraph reads, makes it €46.50.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 202620 more sourced figures on this page
Aerobus, adult fare on board
€6.70
Child fare €3.30. Excluded from the Bilhete Diário but included in the Bilhete Regional Turístico.
Jornal Oficial da RAM, from 1 April 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Aerobus, adult fare pre-purchased
€5.55
Loaded onto a GIRO bilhete card. Child fare €2.75.
Jornal Oficial da RAM, from 1 April 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Funchal to Monte cable car, return
€22.00
Teleféricos da Madeira, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Funchal to Monte cable car, one way
€16.00
Teleféricos da Madeira, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Monte Palace Madeira, adult
€18.00
Children up to fourteen free with an adult.
Monte Palace Madeira, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Jardim Botânico da Madeira, over twelve
€10.00
The rate in force from 1 January 2026.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Monte toboggan, one person
€30.00
Monday to Saturday only.
Carreiros do Monte, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Monte toboggan, three people
€60.00
Withdrawn in rain or wet conditions.
Carreiros do Monte, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Blandy’s Premium Tour
€23.00
Forty-five minutes, three wines, includes the family museum.
Blandy's Wine Lodge, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Cabo Girão Skywalk, over twelve
€5.00
Paid through the SIMplifica portal. Free for children twelve and under.
Visit Madeira · check it · read August 26, 2026Cabo Girão promontory
580 m
Described by the regional tourism board as the highest in Europe.
Visit Madeira · check it · read August 26, 2026Porto Moniz natural pools, over three
€3.00
The free Cachalote pools are alongside.
Município do Porto Moniz, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026North-coast rainfall against Funchal, January to July
1.97 times
A derived figure. No single document publishes this ratio. Funchal’s 283.7 mm is the sum of the seven January-to-July monthly normals on the IPMA Funchal station sheet, which is where this link goes. Santana’s 557.9 mm is the sum of its seven monthly values, each read from that month’s Boletim Climatológico, because IPMA publishes a standalone normals sheet for only two stations in the archipelago — Funchal and Porto Santo — and Santana is not one of them. The month-by-month figures behind both halves are set out on the weather guide.
IPMA, The Funchal half of the ratio; the Santana half is summed from the monthly Boletins · check it · read August 28, 2026PR6, PR6.1 and PR6.3 combined, tourism board times
6 hours 30 minutes
A derived figure: the sum of the tourism board's own time for each of the three trails that start at Rabaçal on this day — 3 hours for PR6, 2 hours for PR6.1 and 1 hour 30 minutes for PR6.3, each given on that trail's own page. No single document publishes the combined total.
Visit Madeira, One of the three addends; PR6.1 and PR6.3 carry their own Visit Madeira pages, both retrieved the same day · check it · read August 26, 2026Access road, ER105 car park to the Casa de Abrigo, one way
2 km
Walked twice — once down, once back up — and not part of any of the three trails' own published times. Neither the Calheta municipality nor IFCN publishes a walking time for this road; it is extra time on top of the trails, not inside it.
Câmara Municipal de Calheta · check it · read August 31, 2026Where this came from
- IFCN: Percursos Pedestres Classificados — taxas e reservas (FAQ). ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/pt/atividades-de-natureza/percursos-pedes Read August 26, 2026.
- IFCN: Percursos Pedestres Recomendados — registo e estado dos percursos. ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/pt/atividades-de-natureza/percursos-pedes Read August 26, 2026.
- Governo Regional da Madeira: SIMplifica — reserva de percursos pedestres classificados. simplifica.madeira.gov.pt/services/78-82-259 Read August 26, 2026.
- Jornal Oficial da RAM: Portaria n.º 128/2026, de 23 de março — tarifário SIGA, Anexo II. joram.madeira.gov.pt/joram/1serie/Ano%20de%202026/ISerie-051-2 Read August 26, 2026.
- IPMA: Normais climatológicas 1991–2020 — Funchal, Observatório (estação 522). ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_FUN Read August 26, 2026.
- Porto Santo Line: Porto Santo Line — cruises and fares. portosantoline.pt/en/ Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: Pico do Areeiro. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/madeira-peaks/pico Read August 26, 2026.
- Teleféricos da Madeira: Teleférico do Funchal — tickets and times. madeiracablecar.com/en/ Read August 26, 2026.
- Monte Palace Madeira: Monte Palace Madeira — visit. montepalacemadeira.com/en/visit/ Read August 26, 2026.
- IFCN: Jardim Botânico da Madeira — informação ao visitante. ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/en/quintas-e-jardins/jardin-botanico-da-m Read August 26, 2026.
- Carreiros do Monte: Carros de Cesto do Monte — prices and hours. carreirosdomonte.com Read August 26, 2026.
- Blandy's Wine Lodge: Blandy's Wine Lodge — tours. blandyswinelodge.com/en/tours/ Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: Cabo Girão. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/south-coast/camara Read August 26, 2026.
- Município do Porto Moniz: Praias e piscinas naturais. portomoniz.pt/pt/residentes/lazer/praias Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: Poças das Lesmas. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/north-coast/porto- Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: Curral das Freiras. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/south-coast/camara Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: PR 6 - Levada das 25 Fontes. visitmadeira.com/en/what-to-do/nature-seekers/activities/h Read August 26, 2026.
- Câmara Municipal de Calheta: PR 6 - Levada das 25 Fontes. cmcalheta.pt/en/visit/walking-routes/list-of-routes/pr Read August 31, 2026.