4 Day Madeira Itinerary For First Time Visitors

Last Updated on 1st April 2024

ad This post about the perfect 4 day Madeira itinerary is written in collaboration with Jet2 who offer incredible package holidays to Madeira. The post also includes affiliate links; please see my disclaimer for more.

4 Day Madeira Itinerary For First Time Visitors

Are you planning a trip to the beautiful island of Madeira? Do you need some help putting together an epic 4 day Madeira itinerary for your trip? You’ve come to the right place as in my ultimate guide below, I’m sharing everything you need to know about visiting Madeira for four days!

Madeira is a destination that had been on my travel wishlist for the longest time, so when the incredible opportunity arose to head there on a press trip with Jet2 and Visit Madeira, I couldn’t pass up the chance to visit!

The astonishingly beautiful archipelago of Madeira is located on the European continent, in the Atlantic Ocean, and while it is technically geographically closer to Africa than to Europe, Madeira is actually a Portuguese island, just a 90-minute flight from Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon.

Spanning an area of 741 km² and boasting remarkable year-round sea temperatures of around 18ºC and 22°C, Madeira makes for the perfect holiday destination at any time of the year!

In my huge Madeira itinerary below, you’ll find everything you need to know about visiting the spectacular Portuguese island, including the best things to see, do and eat on the island, how many days to spend in Madeira, where to stay in Funchal as a base for your trip, plus so much more!

It’s the perfect itinerary for first-time visitors to Madeira looking to see as much of the island as possible!

MADEIRA TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Flights to Madeira with Jet2
Activities/tours: Get Your Guide / Viator
Travel insurance: SafetyWing
eSIM: Airalo
Packing list essentials: Amazon

Top tours for your 4-day Madeira travel itinerary

If you want to pre-book all of your Madeira tours and attractions in advance, check out some of the top sights, attractions and tour options across Madeira island below!

How many days is enough for Madeira?

I think that four days is just about enough time to get a feel for what Madeira has to offer as it gives you the chance to visit many of the island’s iconic destinations and attractions.

However, you could easily spent 10 days to 2 weeks on the island if you want to experience a proper Madeira road trip and visit as many places as possible, while still enjoying the relaxed vibes of the island.

From the wild and rugged coastline to the adorable Old Town in Funchal to the many remarkable walks and hikes to be enjoyed all over the island, 4 days in Madeira provides you with the perfect opportunity to get a feel for what the island has to offer!

How to get to Madeira

There are two main ways to get to Madeira; by flying into Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport located in Santa Cruz in the east of the island (approximately 25 minutes by car from Funchal) or by entering via boat/cruise ship at the Port of Funchal.

Flights from Manchester Airport to Madeira with Jet2 take around four hours, and if you book with Jet2holidays, you get 22kg hold baggage and 10kg hand luggage included as standard!

International flights from other European cities and countries take anywhere between 90 minutes and four hours, so it’s super easy to get to Madeira from most major airports in continental Europe.

How to get around Madeira Island

The best way to explore more of Madeira beyond Funchal and the other major municipalities on the island is to hire a car for the duration of your trip or to book tours and transfers to take you to the hotspots of the island.

During our 4 days in Madeira, we had a private transfer company who took us to and from the airport, as well as to various sights and restaurants across the island. This was very kindly provided by the Madeira Promotion Bureau as part of our press trip with Jet2.

If a private transfer/tour company isn’t the right option for you, you can also hire a car for the duration of your trip to Madeira.

Some of the most popular car rental companies in Madeira include:

If you’d prefer not to drive yourself around the island, Madeira also has an excellent taxi/bus service, including a Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour in Funchal.

Where to stay in Madeira

Madeira is home to some truly stunning hotels and resorts and for our four day trip, we stayed at the gorgeous Next at Savoy Signature Hotel in Funchal.

I’ve been lucky enough to stay in many wonderful hotels over the years and the Next Hotel in Funchal might just be up there with the best of the best! I’ve written an entire hotel review of my stay at the Next Hotel here, so I won’t give too many spoilers about it in this guide, but I will say that it makes for the perfect base for your 4 day Madeira itinerary.

Complete with two pools (including a rooftop pool on the 7th floor and a ground-level pool with sea access), multiple dining options, stunning rooms with balconies overlooking the sea, friendly and accommodating staff and a super convenient location close to many of Funchal’s main attractions, Next at Savoy Signature is 100% worth staying at for your four days in Madeira!

Madeira tourist map for 4 days

As you can see from the Madeira map above, this Madeira road trip route takes you all over the island over the course of four days. We didn’t actually explore much of the west of Madeira, so this itinerary mainly focuses on the north, east and south of the island, but you can easily add a visit to the west of Madeira onto day 4 of this itinerary if you skip the beach/pool afternoon!

4 days in Madeira itinerary summary

Day 1 – Funchal, Monte, Cable Car, Toboggan Ride
Day 2 – Canyoning in Ribeiro Frio & Funchal Culture Tour
Day 3 – Full-day Jeep Tour around Madeira Island
Day 4 – PR18 Levada do Rei & Beach/Pool Afternoon

This Madeira guide is based on the exact 4-day itinerary we experienced as part of a press trip to Funchal with Jet2holidays, so if you’re looking for inspiration for your next summer holiday, you’ve come to the right place!

Day 1 – Funchal, Monte, Cable Car, Toboggan Ride

Day 1 of 4 days in Madeira - Funchal, Monte, Cable Car, Toboggan Ride

Your first day in Madeira sees you experiencing many of Funchal’s iconic sights and attractions, including the Teleférico Funchal-Monte (Funchal Cable Car), the famous toboggan wicker sledges and you can also enjoy a fantastic tour and wine-tasting experience at Blandy’s Wine Lodge before heading to dinner at one of my favourite places to eat in Funchal; Kampo by Chef Julio Pereira!

Day one’s itinerary can all be enjoyed on foot, although you may want to arrange a transfer/taxi back down to Funchal once you’ve finished the toboggan ride otherwise it’s a very long walk back down!

Plastic Mero (fish sculpture) – 4 day Madeira itinerary

Assuming you’re staying at the magnificent Next Hotel for your four days in Madeira, it’s just a short 10-minute walk to the first stop of the day; the Plastic Mero fish sculpture that was created from recycled ocean waste by Portuguese street artist Artur Bordalo (Bordalo II).

While it’s not exactly the most exciting way to start your four days in Madeira, it is an important piece of art on the island and as it’s situated along the main walkway in Funchal, it’s worth seeing briefly as you make your way into the city.

CR7 Museum & Cristiano Ronaldo Statue

Adjacent to the Plastic Mero sculpture, you’ll find the CR7 Museu which is a museum that’s dedicated to the mega-successful career of football icon, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The museum is home to over one hundred individual and collective trophies that Cristiano Ronaldo has won over the years, as well as many stories and collections dedicated to the footballer’s success.

Fans of the legendary footballer can also enjoy a private tour that takes you to some of the most notable places dedicated to Ronaldo’s career and personal life.

If the museum isn’t for you, you can continue straight past and just check out the life-sized statue of Ronaldo instead, before heading to the next stop on your itinerary.

Book a private Cristiano Ronaldo tour here!

Lunch/drinks at Beerhouse

Depending on where/what you ate for breakfast (if you’re staying at the Next Hotel, I would highly recommend taking advantage of the enormous breakfast buffet there!), you might want to pay a visit to Beerhouse which is a lovely restaurant/microbrewery situated just next to the Marina do Funchal.

With a vast selection of ales, pilsners, lagers, stouts and wine, as well as the chance to indulge in a spot of beer-tasting, Beerhouse makes for the perfect place for a lunchtime drink in the sunshine.

There’s also a brilliant food menu on offer, with dozens of meat and seafood specialities, as well as plenty of lighter bites if you haven’t quite worked up a big appetite just yet.

Praça do Povo (People’s Square) – Madeira itinerary for 4 days

Continuing along Avenue do Mar, you’ll come across Praça do Povo, also known as People’s Square. Here you’ll find the bright and bold ‘Madeira’ sign, as well as stunning palm tree-lined fountains that offer a glorious vantage point out to the marina.

This is a great part of Funchal to snap some of those iconic tourist pictures and to simply just soak up the beauty of it all!

Teleférico Funchal-Monte (Funchal Cable Car)

From People’s Square, it’s less than a 10-minute walk to the Teleférico Funchal-Monte, also known as the Funchal Cable Car!

The Funchal Cable Car takes you on a 3,200m scenic gondola journey from the heart of Funchal into the mountains of Monte. The journey takes between 15 and 25 minutes each way, depending on how busy it is and how many times it has to stop to let people on.

The journey from Funchal Town to Monte costs €12.50 one-way for adults (€6.50 for children aged 7-14) and €18.00 for a round-trip for adults (€9 for children aged 7-14).

If this cable car journey alone doesn’t satisfy your desires of seeing Funchal from high above, you can also ride the Botanical Garden Cable Car which connects the Botanical Garden to the parish of Monte.

If you want to experience both cable cars and the Botanical Garden, you can get a combined ticket that includes a round-trip ride on the Madeira Botanical Garden Cable Car, a round-trip on the Funchal Cable Car and the Madeira Botanical Garden for €35 for adults, €22.50 for juniors (aged 13-14) and €18 for children (aged 7-12).

Once at the top of Monte, you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views across all of Funchal and beyond!

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte (Church of Our Lady of Monte)

Located just across from Monte Palace Tropical Garden, you’ll find the beautiful Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte situated atop a 74-step staircase; literally translating to “Church of Our Lady of the Mount”.

The original church dates back to 1470, but construction on the catholic structure that takes its place today took place between 1741 and 1747. This beautiful religious monument is definitely worth visiting while you’re in Monte.

Carreiros do Monte (Toboggan Wicker Sledges)

The Monte wicker toboggans are one of the most famous and popular attractions you can experience in Madeira and if you have time during your 4 day itinerary, I would highly recommend heading up to Monte for a ride!

The renowned wicker sledges originally date back to the early 19th century when they were first used as a means of travelling downhill from the village of Monte to Funchal via “public transportation” by the local residents.

This “public transportation” method was, in fact, wicker sledges that were pulled, steered and powered by two sledge drivers known as “Carreiros”.

Today, these “toboggan drivers” are dressed in white and wear traditional straw boater hats and rubber-soled boots, so that they are able to use them as brakes to steer and stop the sledge when necessary. Although once a traditional and old-fashioned means of travelling from Monte to Funchal, the toboggans are now a world-famous tourist attraction in the heart of Madeira.

Queues for the wicker toboggans can be extremely long and even with pre-booked tickets, you can still be waiting in line for over an hour, so bear this in mind when planning your own Madeira itinerary.

The wicker sledges can accommodate up to three people at a time and they operate from 9 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Saturday. The toboggan rides cost €27.50 for one person, €35 for two people and €52.50 for three people in one sledge, so they’re not the cheapest tourist attraction on the island, especially considering the journey is only 2km long and takes around 10 minutes to complete.

However, I thoroughly enjoyed the toboggan ride while we were in Madeira; it’s such a thrilling experience, especially when they reach speeds of up to 30 km/h!

Once you have concluded the wicker toboggan ride, you’ll have to make your way back down the mountain into Funchal city.

There are several ways to get back to Funchal, with the easiest and most convenient way being taxi or transfer pick-up which you can pre-arrange or just hail a taxi once you have finished. However, there is also a bus service that takes you back into the city centre; just turn right at the end of the road once you’ve reached the toboggan ride arrival spot.

You can find the starting point of the toboggans here and the arrival destination here.

Blandy’s Wine Lodge – Madeira itinerary 4 days

Once you’re back at sea level in Funchal Old Town, you can head for a wine tour and a fantastic Madeiran wine-tasting experience at Blandy’s Wine Lodge.

During our 4 days in Madeira, we enjoyed a brilliant wine tour of Blandy’s where we learned all about how Madeiran wine is made, the remarkable 200+ year history of this famous wine lodge and we also took part in a small sampling of some of Blandy’s finest produce.

There’s also a great museum to explore which depicts the fascinating history of the Blandy family and how their wine came to be so iconic on the island of Madeira and there’s also a brilliant wine cellar where you can see some of the oldest bottles of Madeira wine on the island!

They also have a special “wine of the month” offer, so I picked up a bottle for just €10 to bring home to Matt!

Dinner at Kampo by Chef Julio Pereira

After a quick change and freshen up back at the hotel, it’s time to head out for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants in Funchal; Kampo by Chef Julio Pereira.

Kampo is a tremendous restaurant located in the heart of Funchal that specialises in local Madeiran and Portuguese cuisine, with dishes such as sirloin steak, market fish and sardines making a regular appearance on the menu.

I haven’t shared any pictures of the food I ate at Kampo in this guide, so if you want to see all nine of the dishes that I ate, head over to my Madeira food and drink guide!

*I would highly recommend making reservations at all of the restaurants featured in this guide to ensure that you get a table for your desired dining time.*

Day 2 – Canyoning in Ribeiro Frio & Funchal Culture Tour

Day 2 - Canyoning in Ribeiro Frio & PR18 Levada do Rei

I’ve always had the misconception that Madeira was better suited to older generations who preferred a more relaxing holiday vibe, and while the island does certainly provide this kind of experience, I was delightedly surprised to discover that Madeira is also a haven for outdoor activities and adventure sports!

Day 2 of this 4 day Madeira itinerary involves a lot of those adventurous, outdoor activities that I mentioned above, but if you’d prefer slightly easier and more moderately-paced outdoor pursuits, check out some of the tour options below.

If you are happy to pursue the adventurous side of Madeira, let’s get stuck into day two’s escapades!

Canyoning with Harmony in Nature

After a relaxing breakfast at the hotel, my second day in Madeira began with a thrilling canyoning tour with Daniel and Pedro from Harmony in Nature, who specialise in crazy canyoning, coasteering and climbing adventures all over the island!

As we were all pretty much beginners, we headed off on the ‘Level 1’ canyoning tour (which is still very tiring and trying at times, so just be aware if you’re not super athletic!) along the aptly named Ribeiro Frio (literally translating to ‘Cold River’!).

Canyoning with Harmony in Nature - 4 day Madeira itinerary

Daniel and Pedro provided us with all the necessary safety measures and precautions and then it was time to head off on our canyoning adventure. I’d never really done anything like it before and it’s safe to say that I was extremely proud of myself once our 2-hour tour had concluded, especially after navigating the cold water, abseiling next to waterfalls and rappelling down uneven rock surfaces!

If you’re looking for a taste of Madeira’s incredible adventure experiences, I really couldn’t recommend canyoning enough, especially with the awesome team at Harmony in Nature! Not only did this experience push me out of my comfort zone, but it also showed me a completely different side to the island that I wasn’t expecting at all!

The entire experience, including hotel pick-up and drop-off takes around four hours, so be sure to allocate enough time during your day to experience this activity. All canyoning equipment will be provided by Harmony in Nature, but remember to bring a swimsuit for underneath your wetsuit and a towel to dry off with afterwards!

The Level 1 canyoning experience with Harmony in Nature costs €65 per person and I 100% think it’s worth every cent!

Lunch at Next Hotel – 4 days in Madeira itinerary

To recuperate after an exciting morning, I would suggest heading back to your hotel (in this case, Next Hotel!) for lunch!

We ate at the Recharge Bar & Restaurant which is located next to the sea-level pool and boasts a fantastic menu with everything from Japanese dishes to scrumptious seafood to Hawaiian-inspired cuisine and more!

As with the other restaurants featured in this Madeira Portugal itinerary, I haven’t shared pictures of the food that I ate at Next Hotel, but you can head over to my Madeira food guide to check out pictures of what I ate!

Rua de Santa Maria – 4 day Madeira itinerary

Once you’ve enjoyed a lovely, leisurely lunch, I would recommend booking a Funchal Tour with an official Madeira Tourist Guide.

For our culture tour in Funchal, we were hosted by the lovely Elda who took us on a fun and educational tour of the Old Town.

One of my favourite places in Funchal is Rua de Santa Maria; one of the most colourful and beautiful streets in the city. Here you can see many of the famous painted doors and wall art that line the cobblestone street.

Rua de Santa Maria is also lined with many bars and restaurants that are very popular amongst both locals and tourists, so if you wanted to skip lunch at the hotel, there are plenty of incredible food and drink choices to be discovered down this adorable alleyway.

Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmers’ Market)

Situated just metres from the west entrance/exit of Rua de Santa Maria, you’ll find the incredible Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmers’ Market).

The market is famed for boasting excellent local produce, including a vast array of both local and exotic fruits, stunning flower stalls, and a sizeable fish market where you can purchase giant tuna and one of Madeira’s most notable seafood dishes; the black scabbard fish!

Even if you don’t intend to purchase anything from the market, it’s still worth a visit, especially during the weekend mornings when all the locals descend on the market to buy their fresh produce for the week.

Fábrica Santo Antonio – Madeira itinerary for 4 days

With a history spanning more than 130 years, Fábrica Santo António was the first biscuit factory, and therefore biscuit producer, on the island of Madeira.

The premise of the store came about when Francisco Roque Gomes da Silva discovered that there were many English families residing on the island and therefore endeavoured to recreate the English tradition of eating biscuits and cookies at tea time!

The store is located in the same building as the factory, in the heart of Funchal, and with products such as chocolate and oat cookies, pumpkin and walnut jam, traditional Madeira sugarcane honey cake and the famous Maria Biscuits, there is a treat to satisfy every sweet tooth at Fábrica Santo António!

Paços do Concelho do Funchal (Town Hall)

From the beloved biscuiteers, it’s just a 2-minute walk to the next stop on this Funchal culture walking tour; Paços do Concelho do Funchal, also known as the Town Hall.

Funchal City Hall is a historical palace that was originally built in 1758 to serve as the residence of the Count of Carvalhal. Today, this iconic architectural landmark houses the City Council of Funchal and welcomes visitors from all over the world via public tours of the hall on weekdays.

Igreja de São João Evangelista do Colégio do Funchal

Just across from the Town Hall resides the Church of Saint John the Evangelist of the College of Funchal which is definitely a bit of a mouthful to say, but still worth checking out nonetheless!

Dating back to the 17th century, the church held the title of the largest structure built in the city until the 19th century. The grand interior is just as marvellous as the exterior, so be sure to add it to your 4 day Madeira itinerary.

Uau Cacau

Just a few blocks away, you’ll find the highly coveted Uau Cacau chocolate shop who specialise in spectacular sweet treats such as cakes, pastries, tarts and truffles.

As well as choosing your own box of chocolates to take away with you, Uau Cacau also offer an espresso and a chocolate treat for just €1, so it’s the perfect place to visit on a walking tour of Funchal.

I purchased a box of 10 chocolates and they were eaten within one hour of me arriving home in the UK, so I think that tells you all you need to know about Uau Cacau!

Sé Catedral do Funchal (Funchal Cathedral)

The next stop on your cultural walking tour of Funchal should be the city’s cathedral; Sé Catedral do Funchal.

While it might not be quite as grand or elaborate as many of Europe’s famous cathedrals, Funchal’s offering is still a beautiful place to visit.

With its features from the Manueline and Gothic periods, Funchal Cathedral was declared a National Monument in the early 1900s and still remains as one of the most important religious structures on Madeira island today.

Jardim Municipal do Funchal – 4 day Madeira itinerary

The last stop on your walking tour of Funchal takes you to the city’s Municipal Garden which is home to myriad flora and charming water fountains, right in the heart of the city.

The garden might be relatively small compared to many of Madeira’s vast open spaces, but the Jardim Municipal do Funchal is a stunning part of the city and one that’s definitely worth experiencing before leaving Funchal.

Dinner at Restaurante Já Fui Jaquet

For dinner on day 2, I would recommend booking a table at Já Fui Jaquet, a fun and somewhat unusual restaurant which boasts a modern take on classic cuisines.

The restaurant is located in Funchal’s Old Town, just over the road from Mercado dos Lavradores, so it’s in a super convenient location for getting to and from your hotel in Funchal.

Head over to my Madeira food and drink guide to see pictures of everything I ate at Já Fui Jaquet!

Day 3 – Full-day Jeep Tour around Madeira Island

Day 3 of this epic Madeira itinerary involves admiring the vistas from numerous viewpoints around the city, off-roading in a 4WD vehicle, rum-tasting and even more delicious food!

As part of our press trip to Madeira with Jet2, we enjoyed a full-day Jeep tour (which was actually in a Land Rover!) with Lewis from Adventureland Madeira! Lewis was undoubtedly the funniest and craziest tour guide I’ve ever had and he made the whole day such a memorable experience!

Here are just some of the things you can expect to get up to on a full-day Jeep tour around Madeira island!

Pico do Arieiro Viewpoint – 4 day Madeira itinerary

The first stop on our full-day Jeep tour was the Pico do Arieiro Viewpoint, which is the third-highest point on the island of Madeira, with an altitude of 1810 metres!

However, as it’s one of the highest points on the island, it also means that the weather at the top of the mountain is extremely temperamental, and unfortunately, we experienced the “viewpoint” when it was completely covered in cloud and just 3°C at the very top (I was severely unprepared for this kind of weather, as you can tell from the picture above!).

When the viewpoint isn’t completely covered in clouds, you can enjoy breathtaking 360° views and according to the Madeira Promotion Bureau, Pico do Arieiro is also one of the best places to watch the sunrise on the whole island!

PR11 Levada dos Balcões to Balcões Viewpoint

From Pico do Arieiro, we journeyed in the Land Rover with our guide Lewis to one of the island’s famous levada walks; Levada dos Balcões. I’ll share much more about the levadas in day four’s agenda below, but I think if there’s just one spot that I can recommend visiting during your 4 days in Madeira, it would have to be the Balcões Viewpoint!

The PR11 Levada dos Balcões is a short 1.5 km trail that takes you along a levada route to the Balcões Viewpoint where you can enjoy some of the most astonishing scenery on the entire island.

Despite the weather starting out super cold and very cloudy at the first stop of the day, we were treated to gorgeous blue skies and sunshine as we approached the Balcões Viewpoint, which was made even more magical and Disney-esque thanks to the many birds that call the viewpoint their home.

I took some of my favourite pictures of the entire trip at this viewpoint and it was a sight that I know I’ll never forget! If the PR11 Levada dos Balcões walk isn’t on your Jeep tour itinerary, I would seriously suggest that you request your driver/tour guide to add it to the schedule as it’s a view you won’t want to miss!

Coffee at Cafe Restaurant Jardim do Vale

If you don’t want to complete the return journey of the levada walk, you can come off the trail and head to Cafe Restaurant Jardim do Vale for a bite to eat or just a hot drink.

We enjoyed a delicious hot chocolate at this lovely little roadside cafe and it made for the perfect break between the many stops on our busy tour!

Off-roading in Miradouro da Eirinha – Madeira itinerary 4 days

After our refreshments, we continued the tour with a spot of off-roading along the road of the Miradouro da Eirinha observation deck.

Of course, as it was an intense off-roading experience along the towering mountaintops, it can make you feel a little car sick/a bit nervous of the heights, so just make your driver aware of any reservations you have of the experience and hopefully they will endeavour to accommodate your fears!

Casas Típicas de Santana

Heading into the municipality of Santana on the north coast of the island, we made a brief visit to the Casas Típicas de Santana, AKA the typical houses of Santana.

These adorable, yet peculiar houses were built with the materials that are a testimony to the resources that were historically available in the region many years ago. Today, they house local vendors selling traditional craft products.

Lunch at Restaurante Quinta do Furão

For lunch, we continued north to Restaurante Quinta do Furão which is both a remarkable hotel and restaurant that boasts dramatic coastal views.

Unfortunately, the food here was probably my least favourite of the entire trip and the service was very slow compared to many of the other places we ate at during our time in Madeira, but I would still recommend it for the balcony dining experience with the incredible views out to the sea and coastline below.

Miradouro da Quinta do Furão – how to see Madeira in 4 days

As I mentioned above, Restaurante Quinta do Furão resides just next door to another one of Madeira’s fantastic viewpoints; Miradouro da Quinta do Furão.

Whether your tour guide for the day decides to take you to dine at Restaurante Quinta do Furão or not, they might still take you to this wonderful viewpoint as it truly is very special.

Rum-tasting at Engenhos do Norte (North Mills Distillery)

Cruising back down along the north east coast of the island, you’ll likely head to North Mills Distillery for a spot of rum-tasting and to see the mill that is still used to produce sugarcane brandy today.

Located in the parish of Porto da Cruz, the distillery is one of the three old mills that are still active in Madeira, so not only does the experience lend itself to that of a museum where you can see machinery from the Industrial Revolution times, but you can also witness the production of sugar cane brandy (rum) as done by the original methods.

Afterwards, you’ll also get to sample some of the hard stuff; just make sure you’re not driving anywhere afterwards as this stuff contains up to 50% alcohol!

Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto

The final stop on the full-day Jeep tour was Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto which is renowned for being yet another one of the most scenic lookout points on the island, located in the very eastern tip of the archipelago.

The main draw of the geographical position of the Ponta do Rosto viewpoint is that you can see both the north and south coasts of the island, which makes for a very cool and unique vantage point!

While the pictures above suggest that we had excellent weather at Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto, it was actually one of the windiest places I’ve ever visited; the wind was so bad that it was too dangerous to get too close to the edge for fear of being blown off the cliff!

Dinner at Horta Restaurant – 4 day Madeira itinerary

To conclude an exciting day of new experiences, I’d recommend booking a table at Horta which might have been my favourite restaurant of the whole trip!

Every single thing I ate at Horta was absolutely delicious and you can see more pictures and food descriptions in my Madeira food guide!

Day 4 – PR18 Levada do Rei Walk & Beach/Pool Afternoon

The final day of this Madeira 4-day itinerary involves both an active walk along one of the island’s famous levada trails, as well as a relaxing afternoon by the pool to conclude a very busy four days!

PR18 Levada do Rei Walk

I’ve already mentioned how amazing the Levada dos Balcões walk was on day three’s itinerary above, so if you’re in the mood to experience another one of Madeira’s iconic levada trails, I’d highly suggest completing the PR18 Levada do Rei Walk.

This 10km round-trip route takes you on a beautiful walk along one of the many levadas that run through the island of Madeira. Comprising more than 1,400km of water channels, the levadas of Madeira are used to transport water from the north of the island to the south.

This particular walk begins just opposite the Quinta Levada do Rei Restaurant and follows a 5km long trail (10km return) towards the Levada do Rei waterfall.

The track doesn’t involve any inclines at all, but it is exceptionally narrow at times, with sheer cliff drops below, so it’s worth bearing in mind that you’ll need to be prepared to navigate often-tricky terrain on this hike.

Even in the summer months, the path that the levada follows can be incredibly wet and muddy, so it’s a good idea to wear strong and sturdy walking boots to ensure that you’re fully prepared.

Once you arrive at the waterfall, there are plenty of places to enjoy a pre-made picnic (which is exactly what we did!) before following the trail back to the start.

Beach/pool afternoon at Next Hotel

After an incredibly jam-packed 4 day itinerary, I thought it was a good idea to include an afternoon of relaxation back at the hotel to rest and recover before departing the island.

If you’re staying at the Next Hotel, you’ll have the choice of two spectacular pools, as well as sea access for your afternoon of unwinding.

Head over to my Next Hotel guide to see my full review of what you can expect from the hotel!

Dinner at Audax Restaurante

For the final dinner of your Madeira trip, I would recommend reserving a table at Audax restaurant which is famed for its progressive Madeiran cuisine.

Here you’ll find reinvented dishes that are so beautiful; both to look at and to eat!

The tasting menu at Audax certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone at times as there was a lot of food I’d never even attempted to try before, but it was one of my favourite dining experiences of the trip and I’m so glad we ate there on our final evening!

4 days in Madeira itinerary highlights

Day 4 - Funchal Culture Tour & Beach/Pool Afternoon

Take a trip on the Funchal Cable Car
Stroll through the Jardim Monte Palace Madeira
Ride the famous Carreiros do Monte (Toboggan Wicker Sledges)
Dine at Kampo by Chef Julio Pereira
Go canyoning in Ribeiro Frio
Wander down Rua de Santa Maria
Pay a visit to the Mercado dos Lavradores
Admire the views from Balcões Viewpoint
Indulge in rum-tasting at North Mills Distillery
Enjoy the scenery at Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto
See nature on the PR18 Levada do Rei Walk
Experience fine dining at Audax Restaurante

Conclusion – is Madeira worth visiting?

As you can see from my raving review in the Madeira island itinerary above, I think that Madeira is 100% worth visiting!

For the longest time, I had the misconception that Madeira was aimed more towards older generations who wanted a relaxing holiday by the pool, and while there are definitely places in Madeira that cater towards this kind of holiday, there is also so much to do for younger generations, too!

From adventure canyoning to days-long hikes to mountain biking, surfing, diving and more, Madeira really does have something for everyone and I’m beyond delighted to have experienced this wonderful island for the first time with Jet2 and the Madeira Tourism Board!

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Pin for later – Madeira itinerary 4 days

Is Madeira somewhere you’d like to visit one day? Do you have anything else to add to this 4-day itinerary for Madeira? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.