From Funchal to Ribeira Brava
Our first stop is Ribeira Brava. This coastal town is named after a wildly (brava) flowing river (ribeira) — at least when it rains heavily, which happens from time to time. The river proved its power in 2010 when heavy rainfall destroyed bridges and parts of the coastal road. The town has a beautiful historic center along the shopping street Rua do Visconde. Also worth seeing are the town hall and an old pink Quinta from the 18th century. The Igreja de Dao Bento is well worth a visit, and if you're interested in history, check out the Museu Etnografico da Madeira, a folk art museum housed in a 17th-century manor house. Once you reach the beach, you can climb a spiral staircase to a viewpoint on the left side of the beach, offering lovely views across the shore.
From Ribeira Brava to Ponta do Pargo
We take the coastal road and pass Madalena do Mar, a village almost entirely surrounded by banana terraces.
Our next stop is Ponta do Sol. The town sits between two tall cliffs and has just a handful of houses, but a lovely little waterfront promenade and a few restaurants and cafés. There's a miradouro (viewpoint) on the cliff to the left of the beach near the restaurant Do Cais.
We continue through the municipality of Canhas, which has particularly many banana plantations, to Calheta. Calheta became famous for sugar cane, which is why there's still an operating sugar cane factory here — the Sociedade dos Engenhos da Calheta. We tour the intact sugar mill and enjoy a tasting; for just €0.60 per glass you can try the rum and other drinks like the local sugar cane juice.
You can also visit the Casa das Mudas Centro das Artes with various exhibitions and the Igreja do Espirito Santo with its unique ceiling. And if you head down to the beach, you should know that the light sand was actually imported from Morocco.
If you'd like to spend more time here and try something adventurous, you can go paragliding at the international paragliding center run by Hartmut Peters — a tandem flight costs around €75. More information at: madeira-paragliding.com.
We skip Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar, two fishing villages that are among the oldest settlements on the island, and also Faja da Ovelha (a village perched high on a hilltop with some very old and traditional houses).
Ponta do Pargo
Via the old and very scenic mountain road, we pass the miradouro at Lombada dos Marinheiros. Unfortunately, the viewpoint is completely engulfed in fog — visibility is zero.
Next, we stop at Ponta do Pargo. The highlight here is the lighthouse, named after its location. The village sits at the westernmost point of the island and was founded in 1560. The surrounding area is characterized by flat highland terrain where you can spot cows grazing.
The lighthouse, built in 1922, is arguably the most beautiful lighthouse on Madeira. It stands 312 meters above sea level, making it the highest-positioned signal light in Portugal. Its beam reaches approximately 80 nautical miles.
From the "Miradouro" sign near the restaurant Casa de Cha o Vio, we set off on a short hike along the cliff coast with several photo stops. Afterwards, we stop in at Casa de Cha o Vio. This restaurant with its cozy little garden, homegrown herbs, and rustic interior is a perfect place for a light meal — be sure to try their homegrown tea, it's delicious.
We then drive the bumpy road to the lighthouse and the rocky platform beyond it. From here, you have a spectacular view across the ocean and along Madeira's coast.
Achadas da Cruz & Teleferico Achadas da Cruz
Via a stunning mountain road near Ribeira da Vaca, we arrive at Achadas da Cruz. Here, a very special highlight awaits: the Teleferico Achadas da Cruz. For just €3 per person, this cable car takes you from the top of the cliff at 409 meters altitude down to sea level. Without any intermediate pylons, you descend steeply in about 5 minutes with breathtaking views. Once at the bottom, we enjoy a short coastal hike along cultivated fields, vegetable gardens, and the rugged Atlantic.
Porto Moniz
Just before sunset, we reach the miradouro high above Porto Moniz. The town lies on the coast in the far northwest of Madeira and, together with the villages of Ribeira do Janela and Achadas da Cruz, forms the municipality of Porto Moniz. The town was restored in 2005 and has since lost some of its original character.
Porto Moniz is famous for its natural swimming pools and its unpredictable coast with lava rocks. At high tide, the rocks are washed over, filling the pools with fresh seawater — more or less, depending on the sea conditions.
From the swimming pools, a lovely promenade leads to the small harbor, passing the old fortress of Sao Joao Batista, which sits opposite the Hotel Moniz Sol and has also been restored. There's even a helipad here.
If you like, you can visit the Porto Moniz Aquarium with over 70 species of marine life. For hikers, there's a spot near Lamaceiras with facilities and a barbecue shelter — this is the starting point for the Levada da Ribeira do Janela hike, which runs over 25 km to Fonte do Sispo.
Night falls and we head back to our hotel by the quickest route.
