A Madeira guide written by a Madeiran family.
I write it. My mum, a tourism graduate, and my dad, whose work keeps him on the island’s roads, make sure it holds up on the ground.
Hi, I’m Michael. Madeira is home.
I was born and raised in Madeira. Friends have been asking me for tips before their trips for years, and I have shown plenty of them around the island myself. This site puts those tips in one place: what is worth the early alarm, where to eat beyond the busy spots and which rules changed this year.
I started Madeira Trip Planner in October 2026. The guides are new; the knowledge behind them is not. I write and check every page, and my parents, who live on the island, are the people I ask when something needs a local answer.
Three ways we know Madeira
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Michael Martinez
Writes and checks every guide
I grew up with the sea, weekend drives and the places friends ask about before they visit. I don’t live in Madeira now, but I go back three to five times a year to photograph, check and write what you read here.
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Sónia Vasconcelos
Tourism graduate and travel consultant
Sónia has a degree in Tourism and has lived in Madeira for more than 30 years. She plans trips for other people, not only to Madeira, and shares them on her Instagram channel @porta.de.embarque. She knows the questions visitors ask before they land.
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Manuel Martinez
The person we call for directions
Manuel has lived in Madeira for more than 30 years and his work keeps him on the island’s roads. Ask him how to get somewhere or where to eat nearby and he will have an answer, usually with a better road or a less obvious stop on the way.
The kind of advice that only comes up in conversation
My favourite beach is Reis Magos in Caniço. There is another small beach below the airport runway that most visitors never find, where planes come in to land over your head while you swim. I explain how to get there in the hidden gems guide.
Beyond the sea, I like a good bar, a glass of poncha and a sunny afternoon. If you only have time for one poncha, make it Taberna da Poncha in Serra de Água, with peanut shells on the floor and notes from visitors all over the walls.
Explore places worth the trip
Local knowledge still needs checking.
Living close to the island means we hear quickly when something changes: a new parking rule, a trail closure, a restaurant that is no longer worth the drive. But a tip from a cousin is not a source. When a fact can change, we check it at the official source and show the date on the page.
This page was last updated on .
- Changing facts
- Trail fees, bookings, prices and opening hours are checked with Visit Madeira, IFCN (the forests and nature conservation institute) and madeira.gov.pt, and each one shows the date we checked it.
- How often
- Car hire prices every three months, trail opinions every six, events before and after each season. When a source changes a fact, we change it on every page that uses it.
- Recommendations
- Places we know first-hand. Never chosen because a link pays a commission, and we say when a tour or a place is not worth it.
If something goes wrong on the island
Sónia and Manuel live in Madeira, so when a visitor runs into a problem we know who to call and what to ask. We are looking at a concierge service for travellers who want that help during their trip. It is not available yet.
What we haven’t done
Michael has not done the jeep or buggy tours, snorkelling or scuba diving. Those pages are built from the operators, traveller reviews and what he knows about the beaches, and they say so. You should know where the advice comes from.
An independent guide, first.
Some links on this site are affiliate links for car hire, tours and hotels. If you book through one, we may earn a small commission and you pay the same price. Madeira Trip Planner is not a travel agency and does not take bookings or payments.
How we make moneyQuestions about us
Who writes Madeira Trip Planner?
Michael Martinez, who was born and raised in Madeira, writes and checks every guide. His parents, Sónia Vasconcelos (a tourism graduate and travel consultant) and Manuel Martinez, have lived on the island for more than 30 years and add their local knowledge.
Is Madeira Trip Planner a travel agency?
No. It is an independent travel guide. We do not take bookings for flights, hotels, cars or tours. The only thing we sell is our own personal plan, a day-by-day plan for your trip made by the family. Some links are affiliate links for car hire, tours and hotels: if you book through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
How do you check the information?
Facts that change, like trail fees, booking rules, prices and opening hours, are checked against official sources such as Visit Madeira, IFCN and madeira.gov.pt and dated on each page. Local tips come from our own visits and from family who live on the island.
When did the guide start?
Madeira Trip Planner started in October 2026. The knowledge behind it is older: a lifetime on the island for Michael and more than 30 years for his parents.
Can I ask you a question about my trip?
Yes. Send a message through the contact page. Michael reads every one.
Planning a trip and stuck on something?
Send us a message. I read every one.