Madeira with children

The most beautiful hikes, fun things to do, and tastiest delicacies

Our love for mountains and hiking began on Madeira. Known as the hiking island, Madeira features a rugged landscape. The Portuguese island enjoys a mild climate, with temperatures ranging from 18 to 24 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Due to its rugged terrain, Madeira has several microclimates, reflected in the diversity of exotic plants, flowers, and varying nature. In this blog, we share our tips for a family vacation in Madeira.

This blog is written by Ellis.

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Hiking on Madeira with children

The many hiking trails on Madeira are so diverse that there are suitable walks for everyone. Additionally, the famous levada walks are mostly flat, making them accessible for children to join in as well. You can easily adjust the length of the hiking route to suit your kids.

Our top 3 most beautiful hiking trails with children are:

PR1: The Skywalk from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo
PR8: Ponta de São Lourenço, the easternmost point of Madeira. Take the speedboat back!
PR9: Levada do Caldeirão Verde, one of the most beautiful levada walks.

Tip: on vakantiesmadeira.nl/wandelvakantie, you can read all about hiking in Madeira.

What to do in Madeira with kids?

In addition to hiking, Madeira offers much more. You can immerse yourself in culture in the capital, Funchal. Funchal used to be an important port city and is rich in history. We took a tour with the Hop-on Hop-off bus, which takes you past all the attractions. You can easily order tickets online.

Various museums teach you all about the history of Portugal and Madeira. Or visit the natural pools in Porto Moniz. These pools were formed by solidified lava, and the sea rolls in and fills the pool. You won’t find a better wave pool than this!

Due to the high cliffs and rugged landscape, there are many beautiful viewpoints. For example, Cabo Girão, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. The cable car at Achadas da Cruz is also highly recommended. A very steep cable car takes you down to a village at the foot of the cliffs. You’ll need to keep your nerves under control! If you enjoy hiking, you can also walk down and take the cable car back up.

Food and Drinks in Madeira with Kids

And we haven’t even talked about the delicious food and drinks in Madeira. The local specialties include:

Bolo do Caco, a type of bread made with sweet potato among other ingredients. These thin, round buns are placed in the oven with a generous amount of garlic butter. Delicious!
Espada com Banana. The name says it all—something with banana. Don’t Google the black scabbardfish (or hairtail fish), just try it! Surprisingly delicious.
Limpets. These are shell horns, a delicacy in Madeira. Here too, they are topped with a generous amount of garlic or herb butter, baked briefly in the oven, and you have a tasty snack.

About Ellis

We are an adventurous family who have traded everyday life for a traveling lifestyle. This wasn’t always who we were, but we needed a change. We sold our house and wanted to travel for a year. Ultimately, we traveled for 5 months through Southern Europe in our camper and over 4 months through Southeast Asia.

When we returned to our old hometown, we noticed that it no longer fit at all. We had changed too much. We started to figure out how we could travel full-time again, this time with online work. This has succeeded, and starting June 1, we will be traveling full-time again.

Follow Ellis on Instagram: @ourjourney.nl and read all their travel stories on their website ourjourney.nl

Book your family vacation to Madeira with kids

You can easily find family-friendly accommodations in Madeira through Booking.com, and the cheapest flights can be found with Skyscanner. Prefer a fully arranged vacation? Then check out TUI.
For fun excursions, boat trips, and activities, take a look at GetYourGuide.com, and you can conveniently rent a car through Sunny Cars.

Still exploring options for a family-friendly holiday? On our homepage, you’ll find an overview of popular destinations for families.

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