Red-tiled villas above Funchal Bay and the Atlantic, Madeira
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Luxury in Portugal

Madeira

An Atlantic island of cliffs and flowers: Reid’s Palace on its headland above Funchal, the laurel forest, the wine lodges and a mild climate all year.

Funchal, MadeiraPhotograph: Dimitry B

Bem-vindo

The island of eternal spring

Madeira rises steeply from the Atlantic about 500 kilometres off the coast of Morocco, a Portuguese island since the fifteenth century. Its mild climate, spring-like all year, made it a winter retreat for European society long before the Mediterranean resorts.

Reid’s Palace opened on its cliff above Funchal in 1891, and its guests have included Winston Churchill, who came to paint in 1950, and George Bernard Shaw. Afternoon tea on its terrace remains one of the island’s rituals.

Inland, the Laurisilva, an ancient laurel forest, is World Heritage, crossed by the levadas, the old irrigation channels that now make walking paths. Madeira wine, aged in the warm lodges of Funchal, has been shipped around the world since the age of sail.

A few words of Portuguese
EnglishPortugueseSay it
HelloOláoh-LAH
PleasePor favorpoor fah-VOR
Thank youObrigado (said by a man) / Obrigada (said by a woman)oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah
Good eveningBoa noite (from early evening; boa tarde earlier)BOH-ah NOYT
The bill, pleaseA conta, por favorah KOHN-tah, poor fah-VOR

Where to go

Madeira at a glance

When to go, the one best hotel and table, and how to arrive privately.

Madeira

Best time to visitMadeira is mild all year, with day highs of 20–27°C (68–80°F): April to June and September to October are ideal for the gardens and the island's walks, and the sea is warmest from August to October.

  • Stay
    Reid's Palace, A Belmond Hoteltwo MICHELIN Keys

    The clifftop grande dame above the bay of Funchal, receiving guests since 1891.

  • Dine
    Il Gallo d'Oro

    At The Cliff Bay in Funchal, chef Benoît Sinthon's restaurant holds two MICHELIN stars.

  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo International (FNC / LPMA), about 13 km from Funchal, about 20 to 25 minutes by car; its 2,781-metre runway takes every class of private jet.
By helicopter
Not a regular option.
By sea
No superyacht marina here yet meets our standard. The marinas in Funchal's harbour, in the city centre, take smaller yachts only.
Good to know
Madeira's airport has strict wind limits and pilots need additional training to land there, so allow for delays and plan a fallback.

Stay

Luxury hotels in Madeira

The finest hotels in and around Madeira: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Dine

The best restaurants in Madeira

The finest tables of Madeira and around.

Two MICHELIN stars

Cruises

Madeira by sea

How the ships arrive in Madeira, and the luxury lines that call.

Ships berth at the Pontinha pier in Funchal, at the edge of the town.

The luxury line that calls here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Experience

Events and things to do in Madeira

The Madeira year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

Wine estates that receive visitors

  • Blandy's Wine LodgeFunchal (Madeira)

    The lodge of the Madeira house founded by John Blandy in 1811, in 17th-century buildings in the heart of Funchal, offers tours, vintage and vertical tastings, and a museum of Madeira's estufa and canteiro ageing. Visit website ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Madeira

A home in Madeira: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Portugal Sotheby's International RealtyLisbon and Cascais

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Portugal, with offices in Lisbon and on the Cascais coast, in Porto, in the Algarve and in Madeira.

All the leading agencies in Portugal ›

Looking for a home in Madeira? Write to [email protected] and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Madeira and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Madeira

Where is Madeira?

In the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 kilometres west of Morocco and nearly 1,000 kilometres south-west of Lisbon. Madeira airport takes private jets and is about 20 minutes from Funchal.

What is Madeira famous for?

Reid’s Palace, its mild climate all year, the World Heritage laurel forest and its levada walks, Madeira wine, and the New Year’s fireworks over Funchal bay.

When is the best time to visit Madeira?

Madeira is mild all year, with day highs of 20–27°C (68–80°F): April to June and September to October are ideal for the gardens and the island's walks, and the sea is warmest from August to October.

Where are the best luxury hotels in Madeira?

Reid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel (two MICHELIN Keys).

How do you arrive in Madeira by private jet?

Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo International (FNC / LPMA), about 13 km from Funchal, about 20 to 25 minutes by car; its 2,781-metre runway takes every class of private jet.

Which are the best restaurants in Madeira?

The finest table on our list: Il Gallo d'Oro, Funchal.

Do you tip in Madeira?

Service is usually included in menu prices, so a tip is a gesture: about 5–10%, and about 10% in fine dining. Small change in cafés; round up taxi fares. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.

What should you wear in Madeira?

Dress respectfully in churches. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart dress for fine dining.

Beyond Madeira

More in Portugal

Lisbon, Comporta, the Algarve and Porto, and the Mediterranean beyond.

PortugalLuxury Portugal Holidays: Lisbon & AlgarveExplore PortugalThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Madeira, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Madeira

How Portugal does things.

Language
Portuguese. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and leading restaurants in Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve and Madeira. Speaking Spanish is best avoided: the languages are close, but it is not appreciated, and a few words of Portuguese go much further.
Greetings
A firm handshake with eye contact on first meeting; two cheek kisses, right cheek first, among friends and family. Use senhor / senhora until invited to be less formal, and greet by time of day: bom dia until noon, boa tarde in the afternoon, boa noite from early evening.
Dress
Dress respectfully in churches. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart dress for fine dining.
Dining
Lunch typically 12–2 pm, some restaurants serving until 3 pm; dinner from about 8–9 pm, later at weekends. Book ahead for well-known restaurants. Bread, olives, butter or cheese brought to the table at the start (the couvert) are charged unless you send them back; the couvert is not a tip. Meals are unhurried.
Tipping
Service is usually included in menu prices, so a tip is a gesture: about 5–10%, and about 10% in fine dining. Small change in cafés; round up taxi fares. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.
Good to know
Eat with a knife and fork, even fruit. To decline the couvert, a polite não, obrigado (or obrigada) is enough. If invited to a Portuguese home, bring a small gift such as wine or flowers.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.