The five best views in Madeira, Portugal

 

 

Madeira is a gorgeous Portuguese island situated in the Atlantic Ocean and is known for its wine, culture and the annual New Years celebration where the fireworks show is regarded as one of the best in the world. But the crowning jewel of the island, located on a long-dormant volcano, are the absolutely stunning views. While the coastal capital of Funchal is the main base of most tourists, you’ll be seriously missing out if you don’t venture outside to check out the five best views Madeira Portugal.

 

Where to find the best views in Madeira

 

 

 

Pico do Arieiro

Driving up to Pico do Arieiro is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Madeira. With an impressive altitude of 1,818 metres, you’ll be happy to know that it’s easily accessible by car. The twisting roads weave through towering forests as you spiral upwards through the clouds towards the third highest peak on the island. There’s even a gift shop up there to pick yourself up a nice souvenier. The view is astounding as you look out across the highest parts of the island with whisps of cloud floating around you. It’s even spectacular on overcast days – if a little cold – as you stand amongst the clouds!

 

 

 

Nun’s Valley

The view from here is absolutely insane. From Eira do Serrado, you look out over a small village nestled in a valley between two cloud-topped mountains in the heart of Madeira. It’s thought that the valley was either formed by erosion or by volcanic activity in the past. You won’t regret making a visit to the centre of the island to see this.

 

 

Cabo Girão

This famous viewpoint is well-known for its transparent glass platform which sticks straight out over the ocean, allowing people to gaze straight down over the second highest sea cliff in the world. It was even featured by Condé Nast in 2014 as the fifth most beautiful cliff view on the planet! The panoramic views across the Atlantic Ocean and along the coastal areas across Madeira are unparalleled so you don’t want to miss out on this spectacular view.

 

Pináculo Viewpoint

For great views of Funchal, this is where you want to go. One of the most popular attractions in Funchal is to take the cable car up to the Botanical Gardens in Monte but honestly the view from Pináculo is so stunning that it’s definitely worth the drive. We went up at sunset and the sky turned the most gorgeous golden colour which lights up the entire  island with a dreamy glow.

 

 

Flying in

This is a slightly unusual one to finish with but Madeira airport is famous as one of the most dangerous in the world to land at. The runway extends out over the ocean on stilt-like structure which always makes me feel a little apprehensive! But with high winds around the volcanic island, the plane usually has to turn before approaching to land on the runway. If you look out of the window here, seeing the island in all its glory is a beautiful sight.

Have you ever been to Madeira? What are your favorite views?

 

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Bio of guest writer – Laura Gois

Wander with Laura

Hey! I’m Laura, an affordable travel writer originally from Liverpool in the UK. I love to travel (and eating all the food while I do so!) and left my job for an epic 10 month adventure in 2016. My travel and lifestyle blog is filled with adventures, stories and advice about backpacking around the world. Follow my adventures on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or subscribe to my blog to keep up with the latest updates and I hope you enjoy reading my post for Noel’s blog today!

 

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