The short answer, checked on 2 Nov 2026: no. There is no regular passenger or car ferry between mainland Portugal and Madeira, from Lisbon, Portimão or any other port. Visit Madeira names two ways in: the airport and the Port of Funchal, which receives cruise ships. Visit Madeira, How to get here. A new line is being studied and debated, but no start date has been set. IMT study, final report (PDF).
The only passenger ferry in the archipelago is the Lobo Marinho between Funchal and Porto Santo. Fares and this month’s sailings are in our Porto Santo ferry guide.
How to get to Madeira instead
- Fly. Flights from Lisbon take about 90 minutes, and from major European cities about three to four hours. Visit Madeira. Landing tips: Madeira airport arrival guide.
- Arrive on a cruise. Cruise ships call at the Port of Funchal. Visit Madeira. A cruise is a holiday route, not a ferry service.
- Rent a car on the island rather than bringing one. Whether you need one at all: Do I need a car in Madeira?.
Shipping your own car
Moving to Madeira with a car? It goes by cargo ship, without you.
- GS Lines carries light passenger and commercial vehicles up to 2,500 kg, in a container or on deck, between Lisbon or Leixões and Caniçal on Madeira. GS Lines services, GS Lines FAQ.
- To book, you contact the agency at the port of departure, send a copy of the vehicle registration document (DUA) and the sender’s and receiver’s details, and collect the bill of lading at the destination agency to release the car. GS Lines FAQ.
- No belongings may travel inside the car. Transport insurance is not included: the car travels on deck at the owner’s risk, and you can take out transport insurance yourself. GS Lines advises handing over the car with as little fuel as possible. GS Lines FAQ.
- GS Lines publishes a monthly Madeira itinerary of its ships. November 2026 itinerary (PDF).
- Transinsular (Grupo ETE) also runs weekly cargo services between mainland Portugal and Madeira and lists vehicles among the cargo it carries. Grupo ETE, maritime transport.
Neither company publishes a price for a car online, so ask the agency for a quote.
Was there ever a ferry?
Yes, twice.
- 2008 to early 2012: a year-round line ran, operated by the Spanish shipowner Naviera Armas. It ended in 2012. Público, 24 Sep 2018.
- Summers of 2018 and 2019: Grupo Sousa, the operator of the Porto Santo ferry, ran a summer route between Funchal and Portimão with a ship chartered from Naviera Armas. The first season had 24 crossings and carried 10,424 passengers and 2,300 cars. Público, 24 Sep 2018. Grupo Sousa told the 2026 study that the experience was economically very unfavourable, with about 10,000 passengers in the first year and 14,000 in the second. IMT study.
What the 2026 study says
The Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT) commissioned an economic and financial study of a regular passenger and vehicle ferry between Madeira and the mainland. Its final report was reported on in August 2026. DNoticias, 24 Aug 2026, IMT study.
- Six scenarios, all ending in Funchal and starting from Portimão, some moving to Lisbon or Setúbal from 2031. Seasonal versions run fortnightly in the high season (14 sailings a year); year-round versions run weekly (104 sailings a year). IMT study.
- None pays for itself. No scenario is financially or economically viable on its own revenue. The least negative is a high-season fortnightly line from Portimão, moving to Setúbal from 2031, with a financial net present value of about −€18.60 million. The best year-round option comes to about −€144.21 million. IMT study.
- No start date. The study assumes a start in 2028 only to fix its forecasts, and says this is not a decision on when a service would begin. IMT study, section 2.1.1.
- Ports: according to the port authorities interviewed, repairs to Portimão’s quay and ro-ro ramp are due to finish at the end of 2026, and only the Port of Funchal can currently receive a passenger ferry in Madeira. IMT study.
Where the decision stands
- The President of the Regional Government said in August 2026 that the ferry is not a priority of his government, that it is only viable with compensation payments, and that the decision lies with the national government. Observador, 26 Aug 2026.
- In October 2026 the Madeira regional parliament debated two resolutions: one asks for money in the 2027 State Budget, the other for a study of a ferry linked to the existing Iberia–Canary Islands routes. SAPO, 13 Oct 2026.
Until a tender is launched and a ship is contracted, the practical answer stays the same: fly to Madeira, and use the Lobo Marinho only for Porto Santo.
Weekly notes from the island: subscribe to Madeira Journal.
Sources
Checked on 2 Nov 2026.
- IMT, Estudo económico-financeiro de uma linha regular de transporte de passageiros e carga rodada de navio ferry entre a Região Autónoma da Madeira e o continente, final report, PDF via the Assembleia da República.
- DNoticias, 24 Aug 2026, on the study’s publication.
- Observador, 26 Aug 2026 and SAPO, 13 Oct 2026, on the political status.
- Público, 24 Sep 2018, on the 2018 season and the 2008–2012 line.
- Visit Madeira, How to get here.
- GS Lines FAQ, services and Madeira itinerary; Grupo ETE / Transinsular.
Written with AI assistance from official and cited sources. Report an error: hello@madeirajournal.com.
