Getting Around Madeira

Madeira is small but mountainous, with steep, winding roads and tunnels linking its coasts. Here’s how to get around the island: by hire car, by bus, by taxi, or on organised tours.

Quick answer: a hire car gives the most freedom, but the roads are steep and narrow, so choose a car with enough power and drive carefully. Tours and taxis are the easiest way to reach the mountains and trailheads. In Funchal, walk or use city buses. Regional buses link the main towns but are slow.

Which option suits you

• Staying in Funchal, mainly sightseeing: walk, take the cable car and add two or three day tours.
• Hiking several trails: hire a car, or book tours and taxis for the one-way walks.
• Touring the whole island: a hire car for at least part of the trip. See the Madeira itinerary.
• On a tight budget: buses for the coast towns, and one shared tour for the high mountains. See Madeira on a budget.

Hire car

• Pros: flexibility for viewpoints, pools and hikes, and early starts before the clouds and crowds.
• Roads: the fast road (VR1) and its tunnels make the coasts quick to reach. Funchal to Porto Moniz in the far north-west takes roughly an hour. Old mountain roads are steep, narrow and twisty, with hairpin bends.
• Car choice: a car with a decent engine helps on the hills. An automatic makes hill starts much easier if you’re not used to them.
• Parking: limited in central Funchal and at popular trailheads, some of which charge. Arrive early at places like Pico do Arieiro and Fanal.
• Pick-up: most firms have desks at the airport, about 20 minutes east of Funchal.

A good plan for many visitors is to spend the first few days in Funchal without a car, then hire one for two or three days to explore the west, the north coast and the mountains. See car rental and driving in Portugal.

Tours and taxis

Day tours cover the west, the east and sunrise at Pico do Arieiro with hotel pick-up, which is ideal for one-way hikes. Jeep tours reach rougher mountain tracks. Taxis can be hired for the day or for a set trip, such as dropping you at one end of a walk and collecting you at the other. Agree the price before you set off. See the best Madeira tours.

Madeira’s taxis are yellow with a blue stripe, and you’ll find ranks in central Funchal, at the airport and in the main towns. Portugal’s new national taxi tariff (from 23 October 2026) only applies in Madeira if the regional government adopts it, so check the fare with your driver. Uber and Bolt prices can rise sharply at busy times, as there’s no longer a legal cap on surge pricing. For longer trips, a fixed price agreed in advance is usually the simplest option.

Buses

Since July 2024, Madeira’s buses have run as one public network called SIGA. It’s cheap, but services to the north and the far west are infrequent and slow. On 9 March 2026 every route was renumbered with three digits, so ignore old route numbers in older guides and blogs.

• Horários do Funchal: the yellow city buses, including routes up to Monte, the Botanical Garden and Curral das Freiras.
• SIGA Rodoeste: the west, including Câmara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava, Ponta do Sol, Calheta, Porto Moniz and São Vicente.
• CAM (Companhia de Autocarros da Madeira): the east and north-east, including the airport, Machico, Caniçal, Camacha and Santana.
• Airport bus: the Aerobus, now part of the SIGA network, links the airport with Funchal.
• Tickets: you can usually pay on board, or load journeys onto a rechargeable Giro card, which works across the whole network.
• Tips: timetables differ on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and some routes run only a few times a day. Check the return bus before you leave, using the timetables on the official SIGA website.

Getting around Funchal

• Walk the seafront and old town. The centre is flat near the sea but climbs steeply behind it.
• The cable car to Monte leaves from the seafront in the old town. A second cable car links Monte with the Botanical Garden. See the Monte toboggan.
• The toboggan: the wicker sledges back down from Monte cost €30 for one person, €40 for two and €60 for three (prices since May 2026), and you pay in cash.
• Taxis and ride-hailing for the hills. Apps such as Bolt work in Funchal.

Hikers: trail bookings

Madeira’s official walking trails now need a booked slot and a fee per person, paid through the regional SIMplifica system. Most trails cost €4.50, and PR1 (Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo) costs €10.50. Book before you set off, and plan transport for linear walks, which end far from where they start. PR1, for example, runs one-way for about 7km and finishes at Achada do Teixeira, a long drive from the start. See Madeira levada walks and Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo.

Porto Santo

The Lobo Marinho ferry from Funchal takes about two and a half hours. Short flights from Madeira airport take around 25 minutes. See Porto Santo.

Practical tips

• Weather: it can be sunny in Funchal and wet in the mountains. Check the forecast and webcams for the peaks.
• Driving times: distances are short, but mountain roads are slow. Don’t pack too much into one day.
• Fuel: fill up before heading into the hills, where petrol stations are few.

FAQ

Do you need a car in Madeira?

Not if you stay in Funchal and use tours for the mountains. A car is worth it if you want to hike several trails, see the west and north at your own pace, or stay outside the city.

Is driving in Madeira difficult?

The fast road and its tunnels are easy. The old mountain roads are steep, narrow and full of hairpins, so take them slowly and choose a car with a decent engine, ideally an automatic.

Can you get around Madeira by bus?

Yes, the SIGA network reaches every town, and it’s cheap. Services to the north and far west are slow and run only a few times a day, so check the return times before you go.

How do you get from Madeira airport to Funchal?

The Aerobus (€6.70 one way) runs to Funchal, or take a taxi or pre-booked transfer, which takes about 20 minutes.

Landing at Madeira airport? Book a fixed-price pickup with Welcome Pickups. An English-speaking driver meets you at arrivals with a name sign, tracks your flight if it’s late, and child seats can be added when you book.

More: the Madeira itinerary and where to stay in Madeira.

See also: Madeira airport to Funchal.

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