Tips and Recommendations, helping you create your own perfect Journey to the Beautiful Island of Madeira, Portugal

In this post we will be discussing, where to eat, some general travel tips, how best to get around the island, as well, we will be sharing a local recipe and the how, when and why of one of our favourite photos form the island. For more information on where to stay, more restaurant options and where to enjoy Funchal’s night life, read our post, Tips and Recommendations, helping you create your own perfect Journey to Funchal, Portugal. For information on the top experiences in Madeira, or for a 7-day itinerary for the island, read our posts, Top Ten Experiences in Madeira, Portugal and How to get the most out of your Seven-day visit to Madeira, Portugal.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I would get a small commission if you decided to make a purchase through one of my links, at no extra cost to you!

Table of Contents:

1. A few places to eat around the Island
2. A few helpful recommendations
3. Our fav photo from Madeira
4. Local Recipe
5. References
6. The wrap up

1. A Few Places to eat around the island:

1. Sea View Restaurante.This one is located in Porto Moniz, on the North West side of the Island, at Rotunda Da Piscina #3 9270-156. This restaurant is part of the Aqua Natura Madeira Hotel and over looks the Natural Ocean Pools and the Atlantic Ocean. The views are amazing! We had lunch here after enjoying the Natural Pools and had a table on the balcony, which was a great spot. Everyone enjoyed their meals of delicious seafood.
2. O Terrace. Located in Santana on the East side of he Island, at Rua do Til 1 9230-116. It’s open everyday from 10:00am to 9:00pm, but closed on Wednesdays. This Restaurant has a casual atmosphere with modern European cuisine. It was a perfect spot for lunch and has a small patio that looks out onto one of the Thatched Roof houses.
3. Rabacal Nature Spot Cafe. This cafe was a great find, it is located in Calheta, at the beginning of the Levada do Risco and 25 Fontes hikes, it as delicious homemade food, sweets and gelato. It also has free washrooms. It’s perfect for lunch, a snack before or after your hike, or you can pick up and have a picnic on your hike.
4. Casa do Sardinha, Sea Spot Cafe. Located at Ponta de Sao Lourenco, in Canical, open daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm. This Casual café can only be reached by doing the Ponta de Sao Lourenco peninsula hike, which is amazing, or by boat. This is a great option for some delicious homemade food, you can enjoy lunch or a snack and a drink after a challenging hike, then you could either finish off the loop or take a boat tour around the point, then back, or closer, to the parking lot. This was the option we choose!
5. Patio das Babosas. Located at Largo das Babosas 16. This restaurant is up at the top of the cable car from Funchal to Monte, there are great views from here as well as tasty food and comes with good reviews. They are open Mon. to Fri. 10:00am to 10:00pm, Sat. 10:00am to 9:00pm and Sun. 10:00am to 8:00pm. Great place for lunch. Visit them on Facebook or Instagram.
6. Restaurante Snack-Bar Faisca. Located at Estrada da Laurissilva 9230, Santana. Open daily from 8:30am to 7:00pm. Serving Portuguese cuisine, they have a 4.5 star review and would make a perfect lunch stop when exploring the Levada dos Balcoes.
7. Ribeiro Frio Restaurant. Located at ER103 9230-209 Santana. Open daily 9:00am to 6:00pm, serving Portuguese cuisine. Another option for when you’re exploring Levada dos Balcoes. Visit them on Facebook.

2. A few helpful Recommendations:

1. Car Rentals:

We rented a car when we were in Madeira and where happy we did so. Having a car gives you a lot of flexibility in timing and getting around to more remote areas. We used both Budget and Europe Car, booking through Airmiles and Expedia and things went smoothly for both. We did opt in for the full insurance package, which I do recommend for peace of mind, as driving can get a little hairy at times! There are car rental counters inside the Airport, which is not very big and signage is good. You can get automatic, but there seemed to be far more 5-speed rentals offered. Madeira is not an overly big island, which is great for exploring by car, most places take under an hour to get to from Funchal.

Now for those of you who do not wanting to drive, this can also be an option for the island, especially if you’re staying in Funchal. Being in Funchal without a car is not a problem, you can take a bus to and from the airport, friends of ours used it and it worked out well for them. Within Funchal there is public transportation or taxis, but no Uber. Funchal is very walkable, whether you are staying right in town or in the hotel district, walking is definitely a good option. Not only can you get around town, but from the main part of town, you can take the Gondola up to Monte, you can catch a Whale watching cruise or take the ferry over to Porto Santo for the day and enjoy their beautiful white sandy beaches! For touring around the island, there are buses that can take you to and from many of the other towns, but they just may not be able to take you everywhere you want to go. Other options would be to join one of the many tours offered from Funchal. They generally pick you up at your hotel, or have a meeting point or two, then tour you around a certain point of interest, sites, hikes, food themed, there are a lot. They have full or half day excursions, a little something for everyone. These can be book on Viator or GetYourGuide, or from most hotels or tourist offices.

2. The Whatsapp, app:

In my travel experience over the last several years, I’ve noticed that a lot more people are using Whatsapp for keeping in contact. We’ve used it with our Airbnb hosts, tour operators, drivers and friends we are travelling with. It’s a free app, can be used with WIFI and is great for making group chats and sending photos. It also works well with our Hippocket wifi, discussed in #2.

3. Phone service:

When travelling in Europe we use Hippocket wifi. They are based in France, but you can simply order it online and they mail it to you 3 days before you leave for your trip. It comes with a small carrying case, charger, including a car charger if needed and an addressed return mailing envelope. The great thing about this is that if you are traveling with other people, you can all use it and share in the cost. You can have up to 10 users at the same time. If you have multiple users, I recommend getting the unlimited options, as the 1GB/day option may not be enough. The unlimited works out to be approximately 8.00 to 9.00 euros per day, including all shipping. It’s a great option, check it out at: https://hippocketwifi.com/en/

4. Start your Day off Early:

Starting your day off early, will always be my suggestion! When I say early, I’m talking 6:30/7:00am, but I know that’s not for everyone, so just get started as early as you can and always keep in mind open/closing hours and open/closing days for the attractions that you really want to see. If there is something you really want a photo of without people in the shot, start there! For more information on the advantages of get up early, check out my post “Three Significant Reasons to Get Up Early, while on Travelling”.

5. Speaking the Language:

For some people speaking different languages comes easy and for some, it does not, I’m the latter. Although it’s not easy, I always make an effort to learn at least the pleasantries when I’m travelling. It’s actually one of my favourite things! I also carry a language pocketbook with me and I have google translate on my phone! I also like the free language app, Duolingo!

**All pricing, opening/closing hours and days listed here are as of May 2024 and are subject to change, so be sure to check before you go. I like this websites: www.visitmadeira.com for all your current information.

3. Our Fav Photo from Madeira:

While touring around the beautiful Island of Madeira, I took a lot of photos! This one, another doorway, spoke to me for a few reasons. This scene is in the small village of Seixal on the north/west side of the island in-between Porto Moniz and Sao Vicente. We were exploring Seixal and I just happened to take a staircase up to a path and as I turned the corner I saw this beautiful old doorway, the turquoise/blue colour was the first thing to catch my eye, I loved the greenery above it, I loved that there was a date built into the sidewalk in front, made out of little stones and most of all, I loved the view you could see when you peeked through the open door! The view is of the pretty, little town of Sao Vincente, which has towering, giant mountains on either side of it. If the door had of been closed, it still would have been pretty, but I thought that the view made it extra special. As most of my doorway photos I took this one in portrait and as far as edits to the photo, the only thing I did was to deepen the colour a little bit to bring out the turquoise on the door a little more. This photo made me think, you never know what’s around the corner, travel is an adventure!

4. Local Recipe:

This delicious, traditional Tomato and Onion Soup is served with a poached egg on top and bread or croutons. We enjoyed this soup several times while visiting the beautiful island of Madeira. We love to try as many new local foods as we can when we travel, one of our many favourite things to do! So, this one was a must to share, hope you enjoy it as much as we do. For the recipe check out our post: How to make Sopa de Tomate e Cebola (Tomato and Onion Soup with a Poached Egg and bread).

5. References:

All of this information, research and suggestions came from my own experiences, while exploring this truly amazing Island. As well, I spent countless hours reading reviews, travel books, like DK Eyewitness, Portugal and DK Eyewitness Top 10 Madeira, as well as Walking on Madeira (an island hiking book). I also read multiple Travel blogs and Portugal/Madeira tourism websites like, https://visitmadeira.com/en/travel-info/

6. The Wrap up:

I hope these tips and recommendations help you plan an amazing adventure filled with new experiences! Don’t forget to try new things, talk to the locals, indulge in traditional foods, people watch, enjoy nature, speak a little of the local language, but most of all, focus on the journey!

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Thank you,

From Focus on the Journey,
with Wild Meadow Studio
A Travel and Photography Blog

By: Beth de Verteuil