Where to stay in Madeira: the 5 areas to know in 2026
On Madeira, the side of the island chooses your base. In the south, Funchal and the Calheta coast get sunshine almost every day. In the north, the laurel forest holds on to the clouds, and the villages of Santana and Porto Moniz often wake up in the mist. Thanks to the expressway, none of them is more than an hour from Funchal.
A simple guesthouse starts at around $79* a night, a good four-star hotel costs between $135 and $250*, and Funchal's grand hotels go beyond $400*. Five areas follow, from the capital to the island of Porto Santo.
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One base or several?
One base is often enough, because the expressway puts the whole island within an hour of Funchal. A second one is only worth it for early hikes in the north, or to finish at the beach.
- A long weekend: One base, in Funchal: the old town, Monte, and a morning at Pico do Arieiro, forty minutes' drive away.
- One week: One base in Funchal or Ponta do Sol, with day trips out. Or two bases: five nights in the south, two in the north, in Santana or Porto Moniz, to set off on foot before the clouds.
- Ten days: Three bases: four nights in Funchal, two in the north, then three or four on Porto Santo for the beach. Save the sandy island for the end, your legs will thank you.
How much driving between two bases?
Times by car, outside Funchal's rush hour. The expressway runs along the south through tunnels; as soon as you leave it, the roads climb and twist: allow plenty of time.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Airport → Funchal | 25 min | 19 km on the expressway |
| Funchal → Caniço | 20 min | 11 km |
| Funchal → Machico | 30 min | 22 km |
| Funchal → Ponta do Sol | 30 min | 24 km |
| Funchal → Calheta | 40 min | 34 km |
| Funchal → Pico do Arieiro | 40 min | 20 km uphill |
| Funchal → Santana | 50 min | 40 km |
| Funchal → Porto Moniz | 1 hr 05 | 50 km |
| Calheta → Porto Moniz | 40 min | 32 km |
| Porto Moniz → Santana | 55 min | 41 km along the north coast |
| Funchal → Porto Santo | 2 hr 30 | by ferry |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in Madeira
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Funchal and Câmara de Lobos The capital, its old town and seafront, and the fishing harbour next door
for a first visit, and for doing everything on foot in the evening
Basalt-cobbled streets climbing up from the harbour, the Lavradores market with its piles of passion fruit, the painted doors of the old town, and the cable car rising over the rooftops to Monte. In the evening, you walk to dinner. Ten minutes west, the harbour of Câmara de Lobos keeps its colourful boats and its little poncha bars. The downside: the beach is all pebbles, and the Lido hotels are a good half-hour walk from the centre.
The towns in this area
Where to stay in this area
Belmond Reid's Palace Luxury
On its cliff above the Atlantic, in four hectares of subtropical gardens, with a seawater pool right by the waves.
The Cliff Bay Luxury
Clinging to the cliff in the Lido area, with a seawater pool at the foot of the hotel, at ocean level.
Castanheiro Boutique Hotel Mid-range
In historic buildings in the centre, a few streets from the cathedral, with a rooftop pool and bar looking over the bay.
PortoBay Santa Maria Mid-range
Adults only, on the seafront at the edge of the old town, a short walk from the cable car: balconies, kitchenettes and two pools.
Hotel do Carmo city.oudormir_tier_economique
A three-star hotel right in the centre, with a rooftop pool and views over the rooftops and the sea.
Pros
- Restaurants, museums and gardens within walking distance
- The hub of the expressway: everything is under an hour away
Cons
- Pebbles, not a sandy beach
- Steep streets, and little parking in the centre
Caniço and the east Caniço, Santa Cruz and Machico, between Funchal and the São Lourenço peninsula
for peace and quiet, the sea, and the airport a few minutes away
A coast of gentle cliffs and small coves, a quarter of an hour from Funchal. In Caniço, you swim from purpose-built rock platforms. Machico, the island's first town, has a beach of imported golden sand and opens onto the São Lourenço peninsula, Madeira's driest hike. The downside: little going on at night, and planes pass over Santa Cruz.
Where to stay in this area
Quinta Splendida Mid-range
Rooms scattered through a botanical garden in Caniço, with a spa: the garden alone is worth the stay.
Dom Pedro Madeira Mid-range
Facing Machico bay, less than ten minutes from the airport. The decor has aged, the sea view has not.
Pros
- The airport less than twenty minutes away
- São Lourenço and its cliffs at the end of the road
Cons
- Few restaurants open late
- Planes flying over Santa Cruz
The south-west: Ponta do Sol and Calheta The sunny coast from Ribeira Brava to Calheta, with the Paul da Serra plateau above
for sunshine, sunsets over the sea and the Rabaçal levadas
The driest side of the island. In Ponta do Sol, white houses squeeze in between the cliff and a pebble beach, and the sun sets into the sea. Calheta has one of the island's rare sandy beaches, and the Paul da Serra plateau, the starting point for the Rabaçal levadas, is only half an hour away. The downside: forty minutes of expressway to Funchal, and not much going on after dinner.
Where to stay in this area
Saccharum Luxury
A five-star hotel on the beach at Calheta, between the mountains and the ocean, with a rooftop infinity pool.
Estalagem da Ponta do Sol Mid-range
Perched on the cliff above Ponta do Sol, with an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, and the sea stretching away at sunset.
Hotel Jardim Atlântico city.oudormir_tier_economique
On the heights of Prazeres, above Calheta: studios with balconies over the ocean, a pool and a sauna.
Pros
- The most reliable sunshine on the island
- The Rabaçal levadas half an hour away
Cons
- Forty minutes from Funchal
- Quiet villages, little to do in the evening
The north coast: Porto Moniz, São Vicente and Santana The north side, from Porto Moniz to Santana, at the foot of the central mountains
for the laurel forest, the big hikes and the cliffs
Here, the mountains drop straight into the ocean. In Porto Moniz, you swim in lava pools that the sea fills with every wave. São Vicente sits at the bottom of a green valley, and Santana, with its triangular thatched houses, is the starting point for Pico Ruivo and the Caldeirão Verde levada. The downside: more rain, frequent mist, and an hour's drive to Funchal.
Where to stay in this area
Aqua Natura Madeira Mid-range
A few steps from the natural pools of Porto Moniz, rooms with balconies over the ocean and a diving centre in the hotel.
Hotel Quinta do Furão Mid-range
On the clifftop above Santana, among the vines: a heated indoor pool, and a cellar for tasting Madeira wines.
Estalagem do Mar city.oudormir_tier_economique
Between the sea and the mountains, by the water in São Vicente: rooms with balconies, a pool and an indoor wellness area for rainy days.
Pros
- The big hikes start near your hotel
- The natural pools of Porto Moniz
Cons
- The rainiest side of the island
- An hour's drive to Funchal
Porto Santo, the sandy island The neighbouring island, north-east of Madeira, and its nine-kilometre beach
for a proper beach week, at the end of your trip
Everything Madeira lacks: a nine-kilometre golden sand beach, a calm sea and flat land. The island is dry, almost treeless, and life revolves around the small town of Vila Baleira. People come here after the hiking, to do nothing at all. The downside: two and a half hours by ferry, and an island that empties outside summer.
Where to stay in this area
Pestana Porto Santo Luxury
Right on the big beach of Porto Santo, all-inclusive, with a spa and activities for children.
Vila Baleira Porto Santo Mid-range
A large hotel with direct access to the beach of Porto Santo, and spacious rooms.
Pros
- The only big sandy beach in the archipelago
- A calm sea for children
Cons
- Two and a half hours by ferry from Funchal
- Little going on outside summer
Our tips for booking the right place
- Choose the side of the island before the hotel: On the same day, Funchal can be in sunshine while Santana is in the mist. If you are coming for the light and the pool, stay in the south, from Funchal to Calheta. If you are coming to hike, two nights in the north spare you an hour's drive before every start.
- Pick a hotel with parking: Outside Funchal, a car is essential, and in Funchal it becomes a burden: very steep streets and scarce parking. Check there is a space at the hotel before you book, especially in the old town.
- Book early for New Year's Eve and the Flower Festival: Between Christmas and New Year, and during the Flower Festival from late April to late May, Funchal is full and prices climb. Book months ahead, or stay in Caniço and reach the city in a quarter of an hour.
- Save Porto Santo for the end: Madeira has almost no beaches; its neighbour has one nine kilometres long. Put it at the end of your trip: after a week on the trails, three days on the sand make more sense than at the start.
- Booking in the north for a week of sunshine: it is the side of rain and mist.
- Taking a hotel with no parking in Funchal's old town if you are hiring a car.
- Choosing Madeira for a week on a sandy beach: that beach is on Porto Santo, not here.
- Staying in Porto Moniz and driving to the east of the island and back every day: more than an hour each way.
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