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Island now

Island now: Today on Madeira

Funchal · 32°39′N 16°55′W Weekly · Sunday

Madeira Journal

Notes from an Atlantic island — walks, weather, tables, and daily life.

Guides

Field guides

Evergreen English notes. The walks and weather hubs carry the live figures. These pages stay put.

Walks

A flat levada channel runs beside an earth path through ferns and eucalyptus, with a lone walker far ahead

Best levada walks in Madeira for beginners (2026 guide)

A narrow levada path hugs a mossy cliff in misty laurel forest and leads into a small rock tunnel

Levada do Caldeirão Verde: distance, difficulty, and closures

Looking down at hiking boots on a wet, narrow levada path with a cable railing above a misty drop

Levada safety tips before you hike

A hand holds a phone in front of a wooden trail gate leading into misty laurel forest

SIMplifica explained: how to book Madeira's hiking trails and what the fees are

Mountains

Two hikers on a railed stone path along a volcanic ridge at dawn above a sea of clouds

Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo: what to pack and when to go

Weather

A palm-lined seafront promenade with patterned cobblestones and a flowering jacaranda by a calm sea

Funchal weather by season: what to expect

Low cloud and drizzle over steep green cliffs and a rough sea on Madeira's north coast

Is Madeira rainy in winter? What visitors actually get

Sun on Funchal and its harbour while clouds sit over the mountains, with bougainvillea in the foreground

Madeira weather by month: Funchal vs the mountains

Rain on the lens over Funchal's ochre São Tiago fort, the white hotel beside it, and wet basalt at the Zona Velha shore

Madeira in November: is it worth it, what's on, and what to do when it rains

Porto Santo

A quiet street of low whitewashed houses and a small church below dry hills on Porto Santo

Porto Santo day trip by ferry: a practical guide

Footprints on a long golden sand beach beside turquoise water, with brown hills on the horizon

Porto Santo beach: getting there without a car

The foaming wake behind a ferry's rear deck, with Madeira's mountainous coast fading behind

Porto Santo ferry from Madeira: timetable tips and day-trip plan

Madeira's red volcanic headland in front, with the low outline of Porto Santo on the horizon

Porto Santo vs Madeira: which island for your first trip?

Table

Beef espetada skewers on a stand with garlic bolo do caco, fried milho cubes and a glass of poncha

Madeira espetada, bolo do caco, and poncha: what to order

Outdoor restaurant tables on a cobbled old-town street in Funchal, lit by warm light from open doors

Where to eat in Funchal: a first-week food map by neighbourhood

Living

A simple furnished flat with keys on the table and an open balcony door facing Funchal's hillside

Mid-term housing in Madeira for digital nomads (1–6 months)

An ordinary Funchal apartment block with shutters, balconies, laundry and air-conditioning units

How much does it cost to rent in Funchal in 2026?

A closed laptop and a glass of water on a balcony table above banana terraces and the sea

Digital nomad life in Madeira: visa, internet, and routine

Laptops on a shared wooden desk by a window overlooking Funchal's red rooftops and the Atlantic

Coworking in Funchal: how to choose the best space for remote work

View through a car windscreen of a narrow mountain road curving past terraced green valleys under low cloud

Do you need a car in Madeira? Renting, driving, and the no-car option

Arrivals

Palm trees bend in strong wind above a rough sea while a plane circles over the coastal runway

FNC airport wind delays: how locals plan around them

A traveller's sneakers next to a black suitcase on a sunny pavement, with a bus and taxis beyond

Madeira Airport (FNC) arrival guide: taxi, bus, and first night

Guides

Two carreiros in navy fleeces and straw boaters steer a wicker Monte toboggan with two passengers down the road towards Funchal (AI-generated illustration)

Funchal cable car and the Monte toboggan: prices, hours, and the way back

Strings of warm lights and glowing stars over a wet cobbled street in Funchal's old town at night

Christmas in Madeira 2026: Funchal lights, Noite do Mercado and key December dates

Fireworks burst over Funchal bay at night above the lit hillside city and two cruise ships

Funchal New Year's Eve fireworks 2026: where to watch, what time, getting home

A cobalt purse, coins and a small house sit above a bay of terraced hills on a cream tile

Madeira tourist tax 2026: Funchal's €2 charge, and the €4 proposal

Three dolphins' grey backs and dorsal fins surface in the deep blue Atlantic, with the coast on the horizon and a boat railing in the corner

Whale and dolphin watching in Madeira: what you can see, month by month

Clear turquoise seawater in black lava rock pools as Atlantic waves break on the outer rocks

Porto Moniz natural pools: tickets, parking, and whether to go in winter

A hiker holds a phone on a misty levada path in Madeira's laurel forest

PROCIV Madeira: the civil protection app and emergency numbers

All guides, A to Z, on the old index

Friday Island Check

What's happening on the island this weekend

Weather, events, trails, and ferries, in the Sunday letter. Free, once a week, on Sunday. Confirm by email.