3 days · No car · Funchal base
Three Days Without a Car
Funchal, the levadas and the south coast — all by bus and on foot.
You don't need to drive to fall for Madeira. Based in Funchal, this long weekend leans on the island's buses, the cable car and a couple of easy organised trips to reach the highlights — markets, miradouros, a fishing village and a gentle levada walk.
3 days · 11 stops
Funchal old town & the market
- 09:30
Mercado dos Lavradores
Activity · Funchal
Madeira's farmers' market — tropical fruit, flowers and fish. Taste before you buy.
- 11:00
Wander the Zona Velha & the painted doors
Activity · Rua de Santa Maria
The Painted Doors art project runs the length of the old town.
- 13:00
Lunch — espetada & bolo do caco
Food & drink · Zona Velha
Beef skewers on bay-laurel skewers; garlic flatbread on the side.
- 15:00
Cable car up to Monte
Activity · Teleférico do Funchal
Glide over the rooftops; visit the Monte Palace tropical gardens at the top.
- 16:30
Monte toboggan ride down
Activity · Monte
Wicker sledges steered by two carreiros — a Madeira tradition since the 1850s.
Levada walk by organised transfer
- 09:30
Levada dos Balcões (easy)
Activity · Ribeiro Frio
A flat 30-min walk to a balcony viewpoint over the central peaks. Reachable by bus 103 or a half-day tour.
- 12:30
Trout lunch at Ribeiro Frio
Food & drink · Ribeiro Frio
The trout farm restaurant serves what it raises.
- 15:00
Santana A-frame houses
Activity · Santana
The thatched triangular casas de colmo — quick stop if your tour continues north.
Cabo Girão & Câmara de Lobos
- 10:00
Cabo Girão skywalk
Activity · Cabo Girão
A glass platform 580 m above the sea — one of Europe's highest cliffs. Bus 154 from Funchal.
- 12:00
Câmara de Lobos fishing harbour
Activity · Câmara de Lobos
The painted boats Churchill came to paint. Try a poncha at a bar on the front.
- 13:30
Seafood lunch on the waterfront
Food & drink · Câmara de Lobos
Lapas (limpets) and the catch of the day.
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