Disclaimer: I haven't been everywhere or seen everything. This is my top ten list of the best views in Madeira, which is almost certainly incomplete and debatable. Please leave a comment at the bottom if you agree, disagree, or have other suggestions!
Map tips: click a marker to learn more about the spot, and click the star in the map header to save the entire map under Your Places in Google Maps.
One more thing before we get to the list - please follow the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace when in nature: plan ahead and prepare; travel and camp on durable surfaces; dispose of waste properly; leave what you find; minimize campfire impacts; respect wildlife; and be considerate of other visitors.
Now, on to Madeira
Madeira is a stunning Portuguese island directly west of Morocco. Mountains, beaches, volcanoes, forests, and waterfalls make it one of my favorite islands in the world. These must-see spots are the best views in Madeira that we saw on our 5-day trip. Most are on the west side of the island, but the best ones are towards the east side. You need to explore it all!
10: Cascata dos Anjos
- Ease of access: tricky – have to find a legal parking spot and walk from there
Cascata dos Anjos (Waterfall of the Angels) is the famous waterfall that drops right onto the road. It’s a bit out of the way, near Ponta do Sol along the coastal road towards the southwest part of the island. Because of the growing popularity, the part of the road by the waterfall was designated to be locals-only. Many people weren’t following that rule, unfortunately. There are residential areas on both ends of the local-only part, so you need to find legal parking and walk. That can be a challenge in the best of circumstances, even more so when crowded.
I have mixed feelings on if going here is worth the hassle. It can be dangerous if cars are driving along the narrow road and I’ve read that they closed the road to cars entirely since we were there in 2024. Consider skipping it, but if you have to see it, please abide by all the signs and respect the locals.
9: Terra Grande
- Ease of access: steps from the parking lot
Terra Grande is only labeled “Miradouro” (which means viewpoint) on Google Maps and is found near the dead-center of the island. As you’re driving up ER105 from south to north, there is a signed pull-off on the right side of the road around a curve that goes to the left. The lighting is better in the later part of the day, but still awesome in the morning.
Bonus view! Less than 1 minute away, north of Terra Grande, is a small parking lot on the opposite side of the road. This is for Miradouro Pica da Murta, where you can see what is sometimes referred to as the Matterhorn of Madeira. There is a very distinct sharp point high above a village on a hillside.
You may need to turn around in order to pull in the parking lot as it is a very sharp angle. A stone staircase begins right at the lot and leads to the viewpoint. You’ll get an amazing 360-degree view after you ascend a second staircase, maybe 2-3 minutes after leaving your car.
This view faces the opposite direction of Terra Grande, so it’s best in the earlier part of the day. Unless you’re going one way in the morning and coming back the same way later in the afternoon, you’ll have less-than-ideal lighting for one of those views. Both are still worth it at any time!
8: Levada do Alecrim
- Ease of access: 1-hour RT easy hike
Levadas are narrow channels designed to take water from one place to another. Levada hikes, where the trail follows those channels, are all over Madeira. I chose Levada do Alecrim because it was relatively short and had an awesome feature: the water rushing down the levada with stairs leading up the side of an incline. The trail is well marked at a very popular area with multiple parking lots. A couple other well-known hikes, 25 Fontes and Risco Waterfall, also start near the trailhead. You may see lots of cars and people but might have this pleasant hike all to yourself.
In addition to the other aforementioned hikes, this is relatively close to and can be easily combined with a stop at Fanal Forest (number 3 view below).
7: Cascata Agua d’Alto
- Ease of access: view from the car
This waterfall is right beside a tunnel just west of Sao Vicente, at the very north center of Madeira. It’s best viewed heading west on ER101, the coastal road that loops the whole island. You can pull off at multiple places and walk to get a picture no matter which direction you’re heading, however. You’ll likely drive past it on your way to Seixal (number 5 below).
It’s worth mentioning that there is another waterfall called Agua d’Alto on Madeira. That’s more of a hike and closer to the eastern side of the island, however.
6: Miradouro da Garganta Funda
- Ease of access: 15-minute RT easy hike/stroll
I really enjoyed the Garganta Funda waterfall. We went a bit out of the way to see it and am so glad we did; it’s not really a convenient stop unless you’re circling the whole western side of the island. After parking in the small stone-and-dirt lot, head downhill along an obvious path for a few minutes. You may hear the water crashing down almost 500 feet before you see it. You can continue on to get closer to where the land meets the ocean, but we were content to stop at the lookout and gaze at the straight-on view of this gigantic waterfall.
Note that it can be a trickle at times when there isn’t much waterflow, so it may not be worth it.
5: Seixal Natural Pools
- Ease of access: Steep but short walk down a paved road from the parking lot
The drive along the northwest coast of Madeira is littered with amazing spots. Seixal Natural Pools is one where you could spend a lot of time, especially on a sunny day.
The best place to park is is the small lot on Est de Santo Antao, across from Inocencia’s Bar, and walk from there. You could take your car down the very steep access road down to a parking lot closer to the pools, also. However, it is a serious grade (I know, seemingly everything is on the island) and one that I was happy to walk instead of drive.
The pools are free so you can explore and enjoy them as much as you want. Volcanic formations form the landscape and there are multiple areas to enjoy. There are also public bathrooms and some stands that sell food and drinks. Loved our time here.
Another bonus view! Less than 10 minutes further west from Seixal is Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela. This is a rocky beach with neat sea stacks that didn’t make the top ten but is unique. Might not be worth the detour unless you’re circling the island, though it is another quick stop that you can see in a few minutes.
4: Miradouro do Veu da Noiva
- Ease of access: steps from the parking lot
Less than 5 minutes east of Seixal is Miradouro do Veu da Noiva. This is one of the most famous spots on the island, with a waterfall coming down a huge cliffside straight into the ocean. There is a small parking lot that might be full, but spots should cycle through quickly. The viewpoint is fenced off so you can’t venture far from the lot. Many people are hitting the road again after just a few minutes, so passing by multiple times to find a spot might not take too long.
We were there in the early afternoon and the sun was already on the other side of the mountains. Lighting is best in the morning.
3: Fanal Forest
- Ease of access: 5 minute walk from the parking lot
The neatest tree on earth is in Madeira. I’ve seen it called “The Witch Tree,” but I feel like it’s something out of a Dr. Seuss book. While there are plenty of trees and miles to walk through the forest, this personified tree is only a few minutes away from the parking lot.
Fanal Forest is a perfect rainy day destination, as the trees take on a whole different feel when it’s cloudy and moody. Combining this with a levada hike, preferably one with a waterfall, makes for a great day when the weather isn’t ideal. It’s probably still worth it in nice weather but I don’t think it’d be as special.
2: Miradouro do Abismo
- Ease of access: 30 minute RT hike with a little elevation gain
Miradouro do Abismo is in the far northeast part of the island. It is the high point between two other, better-known viewpoints: Ponta do Rosta and Miradouro de Sao Lourenco (both worth a stop). A short uphill diversion from the PR8 Vereda da Ponta de Sao Lourenco trail will take you to the lookout. It is not signed but it’s very easy to see where you have to go and there’s a concrete structure at the top.
You don’t have to do the full 5-mile trail of PR8 to appreciate this unique peninsula. Going to Sao Lourenco and back, with a detour to Miradouro do Abismo, hits most of the highlights. You do not want to miss this general area as there are amazing views all around.
1: Stairway to Heaven
- Ease of access: Along a longer hike, but the stairway is about a 30 minute RT hike from parking lot
I could do a separate list of ten amazing views on the PR1 Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo trail, but the Stairway to Heaven is the best without a doubt. You can read my Hike Guide here for all the details and to see more pictures.
The first picture above is looking up at the stairway and the second is the view shortly after descending it looking the opposite direction. You actually descend the staircase first, so you may not even realize you’re on it unless you turn around.
I was extremely lucky to have good weather on the way out, as you can see in the second photo. I was even luckier to have the clouds in the first photo on the way back, because that makes the staircase look like it really does lead to heaven. You can get to the staircase and back in around 30 minutes but you’d be doing yourself a great injustice. This is one of the best hikes I’ve ever done and you should do the whole thing!
Other spots that I didn’t get to visit but look awesome:
- Miradouro de Sao Cristovao
- Rocha do Navio
- Levada do Caldeirao Verde
- Risco Waterfall
- Achadas da Cruz
- Vereda dos Balcoes
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