Madeira — The Atlantic's Floating Garden 🌺
A volcanic island of terraced vineyards, laurel forests and clifftop viewpoints, where subtropical gardens tumble down to the Atlantic and Funchal's harbour has welcomed travellers for over a century. Hand-picked stays and must-book experiences — every link takes you straight to Trip.com to check live prices and book.
🏨 Where to Stay
- Reid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Madeira's grande dame since 1891, a coral-hued clifftop palace on its own peninsula with ten acres of subtropical gardens, a private beach lift and a history of hosting Winston Churchill.
- The Cliff Bay ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — smart pick — perched on a natural promontory above Funchal Bay, with direct sea access via a private pontoon and the two-Michelin-starred Il Gallo d'Oro restaurant.
- Quinta Jardins do Lago ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — hidden gem — an 18th-century manor house set in botanical gardens with 600 plant species above Funchal, ranked #1 of nearly 170 Madeira hotels, complete with a resident giant tortoise named Colombo — a genuinely tranquil, garden-wrapped retreat.
✈️ Flights
🎟️ Experiences
- Monte Palace Tropical Garden — a 70,000m² hillside garden of nearly 100,000 plant species, oriental gardens and a museum of minerals and African art, best reached by cable car from Funchal's old town.
- Cabo Girão Skywalk — a glass-floored platform suspended 580 metres above the Atlantic on one of Europe's highest sea cliffs, with views along Madeira's south coast to Funchal.
🚗 Car Hire & Transfers