Madeira beach holiday

Overview

Whether you’re travelling as a family, as a couple or with friends, our Madeira beach holiday is the perfect two-week summer break.

You’ll spend your first week on the main island of Madeira, exploring the magnificent mountain scenery by jeep, whale watching by boat, and canyoning in the hidden river gorges of the north coast. All our holidays are tailor-made and you can always swap canyoning for horse riding, or whale watching for mountain biking. For your second week, we’ll fly you to the small island of Porto Santo for a relaxing week on the beach. Porto Santo’s 9km Fontinha beach is one of Portugal’s best kept secrets – unspoilt and never busy; there just aren’t enough people on the island to ever fill the beach.

Accommodation is key to a great holiday – as always, we’ve included the best hand-picked hotels in beautiful locations, giving you a feel for the real Madeira: the Enotel Baia Hotel in Ponta do Sol, and the Torre Praia Hotel on Porto Santo. If you’d prefer to self-cater, we can also personalise your trip with a stay in a traditional cottage at Calhau Grande or a villa at Quinta d’Alegria.

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Itinerary

Day 1

You’ll begin your holiday flying direct from Gatwick to Madeira. You’ll be collected on arrival in Funchal by our driver for your transfer to Ponta do Sol (a forty-minute drive).

Day 2

We’ll leave your first day free, so you can relax by the pool and swim in the ocean.

Day 3

You’ll spend today exploring eastern Madeira with our resident guide, including visits to the miradouro at Pico do Ariero, the forest park at Ribeiro Frio, the Engenho do Norte rum distillery, and the Ponta de Sao Lourenco peninsula.

Day 4

You’ll head north-east today, to the Lomba das Faias with our resident canyoning guide. You’ll follow a mountain stream through a narrow forest gulley as it winds its way down to the valley floor, abseiling down a series of waterfalls.

Day 5

Your hire car will be delivered, and you’ll head into Funchal; the capital city of Madeira. In the morning, you could take the Teleferico cable car up to the beautiful Monte Palace Gardens, before returning to the city riding the famous Carro de Cesto taboggans. In the afternoon, you’ll head down to the local marina for a whale and dolphin watching trip.

Day 6

It’s a short drive along the coast to the Cabo Girao miradouro, where the famous glass skywalk extends out above one of Europe’s highest sea cliffs (580m). Inland, you could spend the afternoon exploring the Curral das Freiras - the Nuns Valley.

Day 7

One of our favourite drives takes you through the central mountains at Encumeada, to Complexo Balnear de Porto Moniz: one of the best swimming spots on the island.

Day 8

You’ll return your hire car to the airport before flying to the island of Porto Santo.

Day 9

Porto Santo is all about the beach – your hotel’s pool and terrace lead you directly onto the sand, and friendly beach-front pizzeria and O Corsario bar will keep you fed and watered.

Day 10

Take a stroll into the nearby town Vila Baleiro – there’s a nice selection of shops and restaurants around Vila’s main square, and live music at the outdoor teatro and beach club.

Day 11

You might like to hire bikes or scooters: to ride to the Miradouro das Flores - southern-most tip of the island.

Day 12

Back on the beach, you could spend the day learning to windsurf or standup paddleboard.

Day 13

You could include walk the Terra Chã trail to the preserved traditional house at Casa da Serra, to learn more about on Porto Santo’s lost agricultural past.

Day 14

You’ll fly back to Madeira today, for a final afternoon and evening in Funchal. Many of our favourite restuarants are in the Zona Velha – the old town district which is a short, five-minute taxi ride from your hotel.

Day 15

You’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

From £1900 per person

We can create a tailor-made holiday to suit your budget.

INCLUDED: direct return flights from the UK and return inter-island flights. Accommodation in twin/double en-suite rooms on a B&B basis, return airport transfers, a full-day guided tour of eastern Madeira, a half-day canyoning trip, and a whale and dolphin watching trip.