Madeira’s hidden gems, from someone who grew up here
The places I take friends to when they want to feel Madeira the way we do, not just see it. A swim under the airport runway, a quiet viewpoint at Seixal, poncha in an old market shop, a sunset at the end of the west coast. More are added as I remember them and as the site grows.
By Michael Martinez · Updated 21 October 2026
Hidden from visitors, not from locals
These are places where Madeirans feel the island in a different way from the postcard version. A swim off a ladder where you drive past on the fast road. A poncha in a shop that still sells grains. A plate of picadinho at lunchtime. None of them is a secret in Madeira itself, and all of them are easy to miss as a visitor.
The point is not to tick off another viewpoint. It is to spend a few hours inside what it is like to be Madeiran. I have been going to these places for years, and I go again every time I am home. The list is not closed: new places are added whenever I remember another one worth sending a friend to, and opening days and prices change, so check before you make a special journey.
How a Madeiran does it
The same trip, done two ways. None of this costs more; it just takes knowing where to turn off.
-
Most visitorsFly in, pick up the hire car and drive straight to the hotel.
What I would doMake the arrival your first day out. The last time I came with friends, we landed and went to Bar da Chupa in Machico, then Caniçal, a swim at Airport Beach, a poncha at O Moega, the sunset at Garajau and espetadas at Talho do Caniço before the hotel. Start in Machico
-
Most visitorsDrive past the airport on the fast road and never look down.
What I would doSwim at Airport Beach, under the runway. It is a few minutes from the terminal, so it works on the first day as well as the last. Airport Beach
-
Most visitorsLunch on the main tourist strip.
What I would doA plate of picadinho at O Picadinho in Caniço, for €10 to €15 a head. Caniço
-
Most visitorsPoncha at a polished waterfront bar.
What I would doPoncha in a traditional venda, or at A Mercadora, an old market shop in Funchal. Where locals drink poncha
-
Most visitorsA beach day on the golden sand at Calheta.
What I would doCalheta’s sand is imported, and it suits small children best. I go to Jardim do Mar or the pebble beaches of Paúl do Mar. Jardim do Mar
-
Most visitorsWatch the sunset from the hotel balcony.
What I would doWatch it from the seafront at Maktub Pub in Paúl do Mar, with a caipirinha and music, after a day at the beach. The sunset
Hidden gem Santa Cruz
Airport Beach, the swim under the runway
Beside the Santa Cruz marina, under the pillars that carry the airport runway, there is a stretch of coast where people go to swim. Locals call it Praia do Aeroporto, the airport beach. It continues on from the Santa Cruz promenade, and most visitors drive straight past on the fast road without knowing it is there.
It is one of my favourite beaches in Madeira, though it is not a beach in the sandy sense. There is almost no shallow water: you get in down a ladder or by jumping in, and the sea is deep straight away. The water is clear, and a recently opened bar is there for afterwards. Bathing facilities are planned but not there yet.
How to get there
- From the Funchal to Machico fast road (VR1), take the Santa Cruz and airport exit.
- Follow the signs for Santa Cruz centre. The road drops towards the coast and runs under the pillars of the runway.
- At the roundabout by the sea you will see the Santa Cruz marina and the swimming area. There is parking right next to the beach.
If you are already in Santa Cruz, you can walk here along the promenade. In Google Maps, search for Porto de Recreio de Santa Cruz.
Good to know
- It is only for confident swimmers. The water is deep from the first step, so it does not suit small children or anyone who wants to stand in the shallows.
- There is no lifeguard for now. This is open Atlantic, not a pool: look at the sea before you get in, and stay out when the swell is up.
- Wear shoes you can walk on rock in. The edge is rock and breakwater, and you get in by the ladder or by jumping.
- The airport is a few minutes away, so it fits the first day or the last. The last time I came with friends, we swam here a few hours after landing.
Hidden gem Seixal
The Seixal viewpoint most people walk past
On the road down to the beach, look for the large “SEIXAL” sign. On the left is a small public entrance with a view across the bay and the cliffs. It is quieter than the beach and the angle I use for the wide landscape shot.
Stay on the public path and do not climb walls, cross fences or go near an exposed edge for a photo.
Read the full Seixal guide
Hidden gem Paúl do Mar
Sunset at Maktub Pub, at the end of the west coast
Paúl do Mar is a traditional fishing village, and the one place I tell every friend not to miss. Spend the day in the sea by the harbour, then walk 10 to 15 minutes along the seafront to Maktub Pub. Order a caipirinha and watch the sun drop into the Atlantic, with music and good company once it has gone. For me it is the best sunset on the island.
Read the full Paúl do Mar guideHidden gem Caniçal
Prainha, the natural sand beach at the eastern tip
The sand at Machico and Calheta was brought in. Prainha’s was not: just east of Caniçal, it is a small beach of dark, coppery volcanic sand below the road, close to the start of the Ponta de São Lourenço walk. It reminds me of Seixal on the north coast. The scenery is less dramatic, but it is much closer to Funchal and the airport, and far less known.
Read the full Caniçal guideWhere to eat and drink like a local
None of these is polished, and that is the reason I like them.
Hidden gem Funchal
A Mercadora
It feels like an old market shop, and some local people still come for small everyday purchases such as grains. Go for a poncha in a family-run, old-Funchal setting, not a polished cocktail-bar version of it.
More about FunchalHidden gem Caniço
Venda do Bello
A traditional venda, the sort of place where you sit down, have a drink and take your time. I go for the ponchas and the pregos, and it makes a very good unhurried lunch.
More about CaniçoHidden gem Caniço
O Picadinho
Order the picadinho: pieces of meat with chips and sauce, one of the classic Madeiran comfort-food plates. Budget around €10 to €15 per person and confirm the price when you order. It is on Estrada das Eiras in Caniço.
More about CaniçoHidden gem Machico
Bar da Chupa
An old tasca with a small grocery shop, up the valley from Machico’s seafront. The poncha is the traditional kind, not the modern fruit versions, and the people drinking it are mostly locals. It is the first place I take every friend when we land, since the airport is minutes away.
More about MachicoOpening days, prices and menus change, so check before you make a special journey.
Local tips run through everything we write
This page is the clearest example, but not the only one. Our guides and our trip plans are full of the same kind of knowledge: where to park, what time to go to avoid the queue, where to eat away from the tourist streets, and the small things only someone from Madeira would think to mention. It is the main reason a plan from this site feels different from one built from a standard list of attractions.
“Hidden gem” is a tired phrase, so here is what I mean by it. These are places I go to myself, that I can describe from experience, and that visitors rarely reach on their own. I do not take payment to feature a place.
The better-known stops get the same treatment in the Porto Moniz, Seixal, Caniço and Funchal guides, and the trip planner is where these tips end up in a day-by-day plan.
Questions about Madeira’s hidden gems
What are the best hidden gems in Madeira?
These are the ones on the page so far, and the list grows as I add them: Airport Beach, a swimming spot under the airport runway in Santa Cruz; a quiet public viewpoint at the entrance to Seixal; A Mercadora, an old market shop that serves poncha in Funchal; Venda do Bello, a traditional venda in Caniço; O Picadinho, a cheap local lunch also in Caniço; Bar da Chupa, an old tasca in Machico with traditional poncha; and Prainha, a natural sand beach in Caniçal.
Is there a beach below Madeira Airport?
Yes, though not a sandy one. Airport Beach (Praia do Aeroporto to locals) sits beside the Santa Cruz marina, under the pillars that hold up the runway, and continues on from the Santa Cruz promenade. You get in by a ladder or by jumping, the water is deep straight away, and there is no lifeguard for now. The Funchal to Machico fast road (VR1) passes right next to it, with parking next to the beach.
Do you need a car to visit these places?
A car makes it easier, because most of these places are east of Funchal or on the north coast. Funchal and Caniço are served by buses and taxis, and Santa Cruz is on the bus route east of the airport. Check current timetables before you go.
Where do locals eat in Caniço?
Michael recommends O Picadinho for a plate of picadinho at roughly €10 to €15 per person, Venda do Bello for ponchas and pregos, and Talho do Caniço for choosing your own meat and grilling it next door.
Are these places hidden from locals too?
No. Locals know all of them. They are hidden gems for visitors, who tend to follow the same list of famous viewpoints and tour stops and never see these.