Exploring Maderia without a car. My experience and advice

The short answer is yes. It is very possible to visit Madeira without a car and still fully enjoy the island. I was able to do it as someone who cannot drive. Even if you can drive, I don’t think you need a car, unless you are planning to stay for quite a long time (several weeks).

I recently embarked on an adventurous trip to Madeira by myself. This was all well and good, but I cannot drive and if you have read most blogs, or watched numerous videos, then you will know that most people recommend driving. I understand as it is the easiest way to see the island. However, as someone who cannot drive, I found other ways to explore safely. If you do intend on driving, then it is good to know that he island is very hilly and has a lot of steep roads.

Tours

The best and easiest way to view the island without a car is with tour companies. If you only plan on staying for a few days to a week, then tours are the best way to see everything within a short amount of time. A lot of companies offer day trips. For example, some will do North/West tours for the day and then East tours for another trip. This allows you to see all the iconic places within a day. Of course there are down sides to it, like not getting to choose how long you stay in one area. I felt okay with this because now I have been, I know where I want to go back to and stay for longer. Tour guides often offer advice and information on tourist traps. This is a great way to know more before falling into the traps. They also often provide information about the history which is also nice as you will get to explore and learn.

Stay in Funchal

If you don’t drive, it is best to stay in Funchal. I would recommend this to people anyway because it has the largest population on the Island. There are more places to stay, more restaurants and a few more things to do. They also have transport (buses etc), so if you do decide to do something without a tour, you may be able to get a bus to the location easily. However, I read that transport is not always fast and common so if you may be limited on time in a place.

BOLT

Download Bolt. You can use bolt to get around on many occasions. Similarly to the public transport, be carefully using it as some drivers may not want to go too far. If you use it to get to one destination, you may struggle to get a bolt back to your accommodation depending on how far you are. There are also taxi’s, but I was told these are a lot more expensive.

Madeira is known for it’s beauty and magnificent hikes. If you don’t have a car and don’t want to do a regular tour, you can always do self-guided tours. You can find these tours from a few companies on the island. As I went alone, I was a bit nervous doing a solo-hike. However, a lot of the popular hikes are filled with people so I never felt like alone. Of course, you may not like this as pictures and videos may be filled with people, but this isn’t such a big issue. Additionally, be careful on the hikes. The island itself is relatively safe (or I thought so), but be careful on some of the hikes (like the PR9) as the trail can be narrow and high up. It may also be slippery so hiking boots are definitely needed!

If you are thinking of doing some tours then I booked mine off of https://www.getyourguide.co.uk/. I am sure there are some other online websites you can use or even book in person, but some dates may not be available so it is best to book in advance. Just a pre-warning, the weather is unpredictable on the island. Even if you think it’ll be sunny, a day before it could change.