Things to do in Madeira

Madeira rises steeply out of the Atlantic, its volcanic peaks often standing above a sea of cloud at dawn. Funchal, the capital, is a harbour town of gardens, markets and tiled churches, and the base for almost every excursion on the island.

Walkers come for the mountain trails between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo and the levada paths that follow old irrigation channels. The wilder east has the bare cliffs of Ponta de São Lourenço and the thatched houses of Santana.