Digital Nomad Guide for Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic ocean, not far from the Canary Islands, which in recent years has gained a lot of popularity among the digital nomad community.
And for good reasons: the stable and mild climate, the breathtaking nature, the friendly people and the relatively affordable prices, make Madeira an excellent nomad destination.
I was always very curious about it and when I visited, I finally understood what the fuss was all about!
Read below my thoughts and recommendations on Madeira as a digital nomad destination.
Quicklinks:
Things To Do & See
Stroll around Funchal city
Funchal is the main city in Madeira and situated right on the coast. It is a lovely little town, and I specifically enjoyed strolling on the promenade along the sea and the harbour area. You can find loads of cafes, restaurants and little shops in the city centre as well.
Take the Cable car up to the Monte Palace Botanical Gardens
Perhaps my favourite place in Madeira are the Jardim Monte Palace Botanical Gardens and taking the cable car up! You can hop on the cable car in Funchal and in 15 minutes you find yourself on the mountain.
The entrance to the botanical gardens is very close to where you get off from the cable car. In my opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever seen. Inside, you’ll also find an art gallery, a cafe, Oriental gardens, flamingoes and even turtles. The entrance ticket to the gardens costs 18 euros and I think it’s definitely worth it.
To go back, you can either take the cable car again or take the sleds down, which makes for a fun experience!
Hike your heart out
Madeira is super famous for their hiking paths, taking you along gorgeous view points, tropical scenery and grand mountain vistas.
One of the most popular and also easiest hikes is PR11 (called “Vereda dos Balcões”), a beautiful 1.5km hike which takes you to Ribeiro Frio, a popular viewpoint, where birds will hop on your hand and you can feed them birdseeds!
Other popular hikes include:
Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo (PR1) - this is a more challenging 7-8km hike that takes you to the mountain tops of Madeira
Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9) - a hike taking you through a rainforest, rock tunnels and waterfalls. By the way, you can also book a hike transfer that will take you to the hike and back, in case you don’t want to rent a car.
Good to know: if you want to hike in some of the more popular spots, you need to reserve a spot in advance on this website: https://simplifica.madeira.gov.pt/
If you’re not really into hiking, you can also join one of the many tours that take you by van or car to the main sights and viewpoints on the island. For example, I did this day tour via GetYourGuide, which was a small group of 6 people in total and we saw most of the main sights on the Eastern side of Madeira.
Take a dip in the natural rock swimming pools
Madeira is a volcanic island and therefore, there aren’t many nice, sandy beaches around the island where you can chill out and relax.
Instead, they built pools along the coast line, and using the sea water to fill the pools. You can find various such natural pools along the coast of the island (mostly on the Northern side) and it’s perfect for a pool day.
Here are a few options:
Check out the Cristo Rei statue
The Jesus statue here also marks on of the most stunning viewpoints on the island. Apparently, back in the days, the people on Madeira - all devout Catholics - used to throw heretics (i.e. protestants) from the cliffs here.. eek! Other than this morbid piece of history, it is really a stunning spot, especially at sunrise or sunset.
From here, you can also take the cable car down to a idyllic rocky beach.
Go plane watching
The airport in Madeira is famous for having a very short runway so pilots that land on the islands need to be experienced to be able to land and take-off. Therefore, it’s also very fun to watch the planes coming and going.
Seek out the Dolphins at sea
There is a lot of marine life around Madeira and as such, you can join many a boat tour that goes out to sea to spot dolphins. It seems that the chance to see dolphins is pretty high - more than 90%.
Check out this dolphin and whale spotting tour on GetYourGuide for example, which sets sail in the morning and you’re at sea for half a day.
Where To Eat Out
Specialty Coffee Spots
Here are a few specialty coffee spots that I personally loved:
Arbor Food & Coffee - set next to a gorgeous tropical garden, this cafe not only serves delicious coffee but also has some amazing breakfast dishes.
Motya Cafe - Here I found the best specialty coffee I tried in Funchal, and they also serve delicious mochi’s
Beanup Specialty Coffee - Another specialty coffee spot at the harbour in Funchal. They also serve brunch dishes.
Restaurants
Kampo by Chef Julio Pereira, Upscale restaurant - for a fancier place to eat, check out this spot for excellent steak and seafood dishes.
Fala Fala Vege Food, Vegetarian restaurant - a great place for a quick and tasty falafel meal
Jarana Tapas & Enchido, Tapas restaurant - a cozy tapas place that serve a mean cheese and cold cuts platter
Zebra Gelato, ice cream parlour - I found this spot by accident and thought their ice cream and frozen yoghurt were amazing
Where To Stay
The living room at Madeira Remote Casa do Pico Co-living space
If you’re coming as a digital nomad, then you probably want to stay at least a few weeks to a month, to truly get the most out of your stay and meet likeminded people.
When I was in Madeira, I stayed at the coliving place in Madeira called Madeira Remote Casa do Pico. The rooms are private with shared bathrooms, but there are also options with a private bathroom. I stayed in the Strelitzia room, which had a private bathroom. The house itself is stylishly decorated, and there is a big table and a cozy living room, two kitchens, and even a sunny terrace with a hot tub. The location is also great - just a 5 minute walk away from Funchal centre.
When you’re staying at the coliving space, you also get free access to the coworking space, called the Madeira Friends Hub, which is located in Funchal town and just a 15 minute walk away.
For other accommodation options, you can also check Booking.com - for instance:
Social Lodge Funchal Center - stylish one bedroom apartments, with a gorgeous view on the city
Madeira TURIM Santa Maria Hotel - More upscale boutique hotel right in the centre of Funchal
Where To Work From
If you stay at a co-living space, then usually a co-working space is associated with it, such as the Madeira Friends Hub that I mentioned above.
Here is a list of some coworking spaces across the island:
There are also many other co-working spaces on Madeira, you can find a complete list on this blog post: Best Coworking Spaces on Madeira.
When To Go
Madeira’s excellent location means that it has an extremely stable and pleasant climate, often called ‘eternal spring’ weather. The island has a temperature that ranges between 20-26C, throughout the year. So, it is never too hot and never too cold and always stays between this optimal temperature range. What I particularly enjoyed was the sub-tropical humidity and the ocean breeze in the air.
That being said, there are certain times of the year when it is less busy, which is usually in the months of May, June, September, October and November.
How To Get There
You can fly to Madeira from various locations, but most flights operate from Lisbon or Porto airports. The flight duration is not even 2 hours.
Bear in mind that due to the wind conditions, there is a small chance that the plane won’t be able to land and might need to return to Portugal mainland or divert to the nearby Canary islands. I’ve heard a few stories from people, but it seems like doesn’t happen that often anymore since they extended the airport runway.
Getting around
If you’re staying in the Funchal area or in another town, then it’s easy to get around by foot or by bus. However, if you want to see all the main sights on the island, it might be better to rent a car.
Bolt is also used frequently and is fairly affordable. It was the best way to get to and from the airport for instance. From Funchal, the airport is only a 20-25 minutes drive away.
Digital Nomad Community
As mentioned at the beginning of this post, Madeira is known to be a popular nomad destination. There is indeed a thriving community here, and every week there are loads of events happening where you can meet other travellers and nomads.
When you are a guest at a co-living or a member of a coworking space, such as the Madeira Friends Hub, you will automatically be part of the nomads Whatsapp group where they post all the events and happenings.
Living in a co-living space for the time I was on Madeira, it was really easy to connect with other people living there as well and I made some new friends:)
🏝️ Digital Nomad Resources for Madeira
As a digital nomad, I always get a travel insurance so that I can travel stress free. I always use SafetyWing, which is designed specifically for digital nomads and I think is great value for money. I have the Nomad Complete plan which covers both health and travel insurance in one.
Get an eSim to stay connected while you’re traveling. I use the Saily app, which I think is the easiest and most reliable. You can use TND10 to get 10% off your first plan!
Get a Wise card - to avoid ATM transaction fees and pay in a local currency with a Wise card - you can get one here.
Madeira as a DN Destination
After having visited Madeira, I can confirm that the island is a perfect destination for nomads - in particular for those who love nature, hiking, islands and the Portuguese lifestyle.
What I enjoyed and thought was quite special, was the very open and welcoming nomad community and the ease of joining digital nomad meetups. These are not only concentrated in the main city of Funchal, but also at other points on the island, such as Ponto do Sol. As such, it was easy to connect with other digital nomads and travellers and make new friends.
The only downside for me personally, is that there’s not really a city - so if you are a city person like me, it might be less interesting. Other than that, I have also heard Madeira becoming rather pricey - but this is felt across all of Portugal and the rest of Europe.
That being said, the lush nature and the sea views on the island are quite something and I couldn’t help but feel tranquil and relaxed while gazing at the horizon on the sea and feeling the ocean breeze on my skin.
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Have you ever visited Madeira? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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