Hiking in Madeira Without a Car: The Ultimate Guide
Don’t trust anyone who tells you that you can’t go hiking in Madeira without a car.
While you won’t be able to reach each and every hike on the island, it’s still possible to have a rewarding day on the trails.
Driving in Madeira comes with a unique set of challenges, so if you’re opting out, you should be happy to know that most of the island’s most popular hikes are accessible by transfers or guided tours.
There are also plenty of hikes that you can reach by bus from Funchal.
In this guide, I will cover the specifics of hiking in Madeira without a car, including first-hand tips from my 6+ months on the island.
If you’re looking for a complete car-free itinerary, don’t forget to check out my ultimate guide to visiting Madeira without a car.
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. If you decide to click through and make a qualifying purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you – thanks for your support.
The Basics: How to Go Hiking in Madeira Without a Car
If you’re not renting a car, don’t worry. It’s not only possible to go hiking in Madeira without a car – it’s pretty easy.
Will you be able to reach each and every trail on the island? No. However, you will be able to reach the most popular hikes (and a handful of others if you plan carefully using this guide).
There are three main ways to go hiking in Madeira without a car:
- Take the bus. If a bus route is available, you can go hiking on the cheap. Unfortunately, most (but not all) of Madeira’s hiking trails are not accessible by bus.
- Arrange a hiking transfer. Transfers will take you to and from the trailhead, leaving you to hike in peace. They’re ideal for point-to-point hiking trails like the PR1.
- Take a guided hiking tour. Group tours include a professional local guide and hotel drop-off and pick-up within Funchal. You’ll arrive, hike and leave as a group.
Remember to check the up-to-date list of trail closures in Madeira before you go hiking in Madeira.
Where to Stay in Madeira If You’re Going Hiking in Madeira Without a Car
Where you stay is very important if you’re hiking in Madeira without a car.
If you’re renting a car, you can get away with staying pretty much anywhere on the island; almost everywhere is within 1.5 hours’ drive.
However, if you’re only using buses and transfers/tours, you ideally need to stay in Funchal.
Most hike transfers and hiking tours will only pick up guests from hotels in Funchal.
One alternative is to stay in Caniço, which has a 30-minute direct bus to Funchal. However, for tours, you will need to take this bus to Funchal for an early-morning pick-up.
Best places to stay in Funchal without a car
The trick is to stay in a hotel that’s as central as possible. This is the standard pick-up area for tours and transfers.
That being said, it doesn’t matter too much if you stay on the outskirts of Funchal (e.g. in Lido), as you can easily take a bus or Bolt taxi to the centre of Funchal.
Hotel Madeira (£££)
Pestana CR7 Funchal (£££)
Barceló Funchal Oldtown (£££)
1. PR1: Pico do Ariero to Pico do Ruivio without a car
Hike length: 8 kilometres Incline: 955 metres
️ AllTrails: PR1 map
The PR1 (Pico do Areiro to Pico Ruivo) hike is perhaps the most famous hike in Madeira due to its narrow ridges, dramatic mountain scenery and steep stairs.
The point-to-point trail is 8 kilometres long and connects the island’s two highest mountains, Pico do Areiro (1,818 metres) and Pico Ruivo (1,861 metres).
There are no public buses to Pico do Areiro or Pico Ruivo, the start and end point of the trail. However, the hike is well-served by hike transfers and guided group tours.
The main question is: do you want to hike alone or with a guide?
If you’re not an experienced hiker, you might want to take a group PR1 hike with an experienced local guide.
The hike is fairly challenging, with a total of 955 metres (3,133 feet) of incline, and does have some areas that are prone to rockfall.
That being said, ‘Pico to Pico’ is a well-trodden, busy route with very good signage. It takes most people four to five hours to complete.
Therefore, if you’re well-versed in hiking mountains, you should be absolutely fine going alone, and you can check the availability for the self-guided hike (at sunrise or in the morning).
2. Vereda do Larano without a car
Hike length: 9 kilometres Incline: 953 metres
️ AllTrails: Vereda do Larano map
Vereda do Larano may not be one of Madeira’s numbered trails, but it’s one of the island’s most famous coastal walks – and, I argue, far more scenic than Ponta de São Lourenço.
The coastal trail hugs the cliff on the east coast of Madeira and comes with views of the sea, steep cliffs and São Lourenço.
From the beginning of the trail, you can also see the town of Porto da Cruz and its distinctive mountain Eagle Rock.
There are two main variations for the hike, and I have done both: you can either follow the coastal path out-and-back from the cable car station in Porto da Cruz or follow the popular circular trail, which begins in the same place, and climbs up to Pico do Furado.
On GetYourGuide, the only tour for Vereda do Larano is the hiking trip with a local, which visits Vereda do Larano on Tuesdays only.
3. PR8: Ponta de São Lourenço without a car
Hike length: 7.6 kilometres Incline: 448 metres
️ AllTrails: Ponta de São Lourenço map
Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8) is Madeira’s most famous coastal hike. Located at the easternmost point of the island, the hike explores the island’s long, volcanic peninsula.
With basalt and limestone rock, the peninsula has a dusty, brown-red appearance. The unique landscape is home to many rare plants and nesting seabirds.
Personally, Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço is not my favourite hike on the island because it gets very busy.
However, it does offer a sensational sunrise. If you select the 6am drop-off for the self-guided PR8 hike, you can make it to the trailhead for the ocean sunrise.
In summertime, the sun typically rises around 7:40am in Madeira.
If you don’t fancy waking up early, the 8.30am or 10am drop-off times are far more reasonable.
However, they are also very busy, as not only will you be hiking with other late risers, but you’ll see the early risers heading back in the opposite direction.
It takes most people around 3 hours to hike Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço.
It’s an out-and-back trail and very well sign-posted, but if you’re hiking for sunrise, you will need a head torch (and ideally a backup torch) to find your way safely.
4. PR6: Levada das 25 Fontes without a car
Hike length: 7.2 kilometres Incline: 465 metres
️ AllTrails: PR6 map
Here’s a hike that’s totally different from the first three: Levada das 25 Fontes (25 Fontes) is one of the most popular waterfall hikes in Madeira.
There are many spectacular waterfalls in the Rabaçal Valley. which has complex levada irrigation channels. Many of them can be reached along levada trails, like Levada das 25 Fontes.
25 Fontes (meaning ’25 Waterfalls’) refers to the waterfall’s unique crescent appearance, which creates many (or 24, if the name is to be believed) small trickles.
There are several different routes to 25 Fontes, including the very flat, very easy Levada do Risco.
However, most tours (including this Rabaçal Valley guided walk) will usually take the most scenic route, Levada das 25 Fontes, which has 465 metres of incline and takes around 3 hours.
On this route, you will see additional waterfalls in the distance. Keep your eyes peeled at the beginning of the trail, before you enter the tunnel.
5. PR9: Levada do Caldeirão Verde without a car
Hike length: 11.9 kilometres Incline: 1,333 metres
️ AllTrails: Levada do Caldeirão Verde map
Beginning near Santana, on the northeast side of the island, Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9) is a slightly more challenging waterfall trail.
It heads out and back to a 100-metre waterfall, which plunges into an amphitheatre-like pool.
Passing mostly through the laurel forest, the hike has a nice variety of views over the mountains, forest and ocean.
It also heads through several mossy tunnels, which help to cut down the amount of elevation. Nevertheless, with 1,333 metres of incline, the hike is still quite challenging and takes most people 4-5 hours without breaks.
You can easily do the PR9 hike without a car by booking a PR9 hike transfer to the beginning of the trail (at Queinmadas) and downloading the Levada do Caldeirão Verde map on AllTrails.
The guided hiking trip with a local also visits the PR9 trail on Wednesdays. If that fits in with your itinerary for hiking in Madeira without a car, it could be handy.
6. Nun’s Valley (Curral das Freiras) hike without a car
Hike length: 2.6 kilometres (downhill route) Incline: 230 metres (downhill route)
️ AllTrails: Curral das Freiras hike map
For this hike, you don’t need to book a hike transfer. The hike from Eira do Serrado viewpoint to Curral das Freiras (Nun’s Valley) can be easily done by bus from Funchal.
As long as you don’t mind walking downhill, this is one of the easier hikes on this list. The hike begins at the Eira do Serrado viewpoint (complete with a café, gift shop and toilets) and is completely downhill.
You can then catch the same bus from the bottom of the valley back to Funchal. If you really want to, there’s also the option to hike back up the same route, but that means hiking completely uphill.
Here are the details for the downhill-only route. First of all, you need to take the no. 81 bus (for Curral das Freiras) from the bus station next to the Funchal Cable Car.
You can check the Horarios do Funchal no. 81 bus timetable in advance online (select interurban routes).
To reach the Eira do Serrado viewpoint, you need to look for the buses marked with b) or e) on the timetable.
Once you arrive at the viewpoint, you can take some time to stroll along to the viewpoint or grab a coffee in the café/gift shop – both have spectacular views over the Nun’s Valley.
When you exit the café/gift shop, there is a wooden signpost on the left for Curral das Freiras.
This points to the beginning of the hike, which is basically a zig-zag path down the side of the mountain.
From there, it’s very easy to follow, although you can use the AllTrails Curral das Freiras hike map as a guide if needed.
Just note that the map shows the out-and-back route, starting in Nun’s Valley rather than Eira do Serrado; you’re technically doing it backwards.
7. Pico do Facho (Machico) without a car
Hike length: 3 kilometres Incline: 443 metres
️ AllTrails: Pico do Facho map
If you’re keen to go hiking in Madeira without a car, Pico do Facho is another hike you need to know about.
The short but scenic mountain hike is located in Machico and is easily accessible from Funchal by bus.
All you need to do is take SAM bus no. 113 from the SAM bus stop in Funchal to the Machico bus terminal. You can check the no.113 bus schedule online.
Better yet, as I explain in my detailed Pico do Facho hike guide, once you have climbed up and down the 517-metre mountain, you can go for a dip at one of Madeira’s only sandy beaches, Praia de Machico.
Alternatively, if you want to extend the hike, you can continue from the summit to Praia da Ribeira de Natal, a pretty, uncrowded pebbly beach on the edge of Caniçal.
This will add some length to the hike, but it is more than doable in one afternoon by following the AllTrails Pico do Facho to Praia Ribiera de Natal Beach map.
The bog-standard hike is super easy to do directly from the sandy beach. Follow the stairs upwards from Praia de Machico, and when you reach the road, walk left until you reach the beginning of the lavada after the parking area.
From there, you will follow the levada towards the sea as it hugs the bottom of the mountain, before ascending up the stairs. using the Pico do Facho AllTrails map as a light guide.
You’ll know you’re on the right track when you see the views of the dusty São Lourenço peninsula.
8. PR13 (Vereda do Fanal) or PR14 (Levada dos Cedros) without a car
Hike length: 11 – 23 kilometres Incline: 541+ metres
️ AllTrails: PR13 map; PR14 map
Fanal Forest, an ancient subtropical laurel forest, is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Madeira.
That, alone, should make it worthy of a spot on your car-free itinerary.
The laurissilva forest, with its old, dramatic trees, is easy to reach even if you don’t rent a car. In fact, using a round-trip transfer to Fanal, you can take your pick from two hikes:
Vereda do Fanal (PR13) is the longer, harder hike, amounting to 22.5 kilometres. With over 1,000 metres of incline, it has an estimated 7-8 hours of walking time.
On the other hand, Levada dos Cedros (PR 14) is a shorter, 10.6-kilometre trail with half the amount of incline (541 metres).
It takes a far more reasonable 3 – 4 hours, and still has beautiful views of the laurel forest.
Levada dos Cedros follows along one of the oldest levadas in Madeira, built in the 17th century, and has a nice, varied circular route.
9. PR11: Vereda dos Balcões without car
Hike length: 2.9 kilometres Incline: 140 metres
️ AllTrails: PR11 map
Vereda dos Balcões (PR11) is the easiest hike I have done in Madeira. If you’re travelling with small children or older family members, this is a really nice way to experience one of the island’s trails without walking too far.
Covering about three kilometres, the trail is pretty much flat the whole way; the 140 metres of incline is gradual.
The trail begins in a pretty forest next to Ribeiro Frio and follows along the side of Levada da Serra do Faial until it reaches the Balcões viewpoint.
The Balcões viewpoint overlooks a green, forested valley. When I visited, it was a rainy day, so I couldn’t quite see the coast, but the views go that far on clear days.
The viewpoint is also well-known for Madeira firecrest birds, who are very friendly and often lie in wait looking to pick up tourist crumbs.
It’s a short but sweet hike, and easy to get to by taking a full-day eastern Madeira tour. The tour includes the hike, a drive up to Pico do Areiro and visiting the typical Madeira houses in Santana.
10. PR18: Levada do Rei
Hike length: 10.5 kilometres Incline: 721 metres
️ AllTrails: Levada do Rei map
If you’re going hiking in Madeira without a car, another levada walk worthy of your consideration is Levada do Rei.
It’s a nice challenge taking just upwards of four hours, but it’s still not quite as difficult as some of the other hikes in Madeira. There’s only really one steep climb, which is fairly near the beginning.
Levada do Rei, which features on the hiking trip with a local Friday itinerary, remains one of my favourite trails in Madeira.
While it’s technically a levada trail, it also features views of mountains, the sea and passes directly through tunnels and underneath waterfalls. Yes, you might get wet…
It’s such a good hike, and yet, it’s not ridiculously busy like many of the trails in Madeira.
That’s all right now for my guide to hiking in Madeira without a car, although I still have a few more hikes up my sleeve that I’ll add in the coming months.
As you can tell, it’s absolutely possible to hike in Madeira without renting a car using a combination of bus, transfers and tours.
Leave a comment to let me know how your hike goes – I’d love to hear from you.
Suggested reading:
- Madeira without a car – Start here for the ultimate car-free guide!
- Driving in Madeira: Things to consider
- Getting around Madeira: complete transport guide
