Known worldwide for its stunning landscape, the Portuguese Island of Madeira is a hiker’s paradise.
This blog is the long version of: The Best Family-Friendly Hikes on Madeira.
Perhaps the most famous hike in Europe, the P.R. 1 trail is known for its dramatic cliffs, sheer dropoffs, and awe-inspiring landscape. However, this hike can be dangerous for inexperienced hikers, those prone to vertigo, and children.
The same issue plagues most hiking trails in Madeira. The trails are impressive, the cliffs high, and the drop-offs dangerous.
I’ve seen plenty of families utilizing this Child Safety Harness when hiking the steep slopes of Madeira. Here, no one will bat an eye at a parent keeping their child safe.
Our baby was learning how to crawl at the beginning of our time here. He was happy to spend most of his time in our Ergobaby Carrier, and we didn’t have to worry about him falling off the side of a cliff – at least, without one of us falling with him.
Six months later, the world is different. He’s now a walker and enjoys toddling around in nature. We’ve had to shorten and adjust our hikes to ensure his safety and happiness. We have a couple of trails we keep coming back to, because they have the perfect combination of easy trails, safe paths, and plenty of flat spots to play in.
Defining a Hike as Family Friendly
Before I walk you through our favorite hikes (pun intended), I’d like to share our criteria for calling a hike family-friendly.
- Safe – Hiking always has a small amount of risk, but these trails minimize that. The paths are wide, and the dropoffs are either fenced off or not terrifyingly steep.
- Accessible – These trails are located close to a parking lot.
- Flat – Madeira is not flat. But these trails are pretty close to it! There are no long, hard climbs.
- Tested – These are all trails we’ve hiked ourselves.
TLDR – the Summary.
No matter what job I’ve worked in, the most common critique of my work has always been that I’m too wordy. So, here’s the short version of everything you can see below.
- Balcões
- Easiest trail on Madeira. Flat, wide trails, and a yummy snack bar on the trail. Stunning views.
- Very popular – fills up in the afternoon. Parking and traffic can be challenging in Ribiero Frio.
- Achadas Da Cruz
- My favorite spot on the island. The cable car ride is an experience, and the trail is tranquil.
- The trail is wide, paved, and taken care of. There is a restaurant open during the week but closed on weekends. Cable Car is open from 9-12 and 13-17:15.
- Quiemadas
- A nature preserve near Santana. Easy, paved paths with handrails on both sides.
- Parking is paid. You need change and small bills to pay – NO CARDS ACCEPTED.
- Fanal Forest
- Located high in the mountains, this forest is beautiful on rainy and sunny days.
- This nature preserve features numerous broad, flat grassy areas, ideal for children to run around and play. Be careful – there are cows (and cow patties) grazing freely.
- Lombo Do Mouro
- This hike is technically not a hike. You can park near and walk along the bottom or top of a closed road leading up the mountain.
- It’s stroller-friendly, although it’s quite steep in both directions.
Balcões
In my personal opinion, this is the easiest trail on Madeira. It’s flat, wide, and has no steep dropoffs – and the view at the end is AMAZING! P.R. 11, the Vereda dos Balcões, is a short 3 km long out-and-back hike. (1.5 km out and 1.5 km back).
Located in Ribiero Frio, the trail to the Balcões Viewpoint is clearly marked. The trail is popular, and tour buses full of tourists are common. I recommend arriving as early as possible – advice I’ve never taken, as our family tends to head out for day trips around 10 am.
Ribeiro Frio is one of the few places in Madeira, besides Funchal, where you can expect to encounter traffic. The road is narrow and winding, and people park their cars on the side, turning a skinny two-lane roadway into a one-lane nightmare.
The hike itself is worth the stress. On clear days, you can see the highest peaks of Madeira, Pico Areeiro, Pico Ruivo, and Pico dos Torres.
Once you’ve parked your car, it’s time to hit the trail. Balcoes is wide, flat, and even strollerable! We took our B.O.B. stroller up until the last little bit, where the trail turns skinny and is paved with large stones.
We left our stroller parked in the woods and headed on foot, carrying the baby.
You can feed birds directly from your hand here, so bring some birdseed with you on the hike! We arrived at the viewpoint in the afternoon, and the birds were full and less willing to approach people.
There are multiple snack bars and restaurants near the trailhead. I recommend snacking at Snack Bar Flor da Selva halfway through the trail. We stopped here for a drink on the way in and lunch on the way out. The owner is friendly, like most Madeirans, and will come out to chat with his guests. The food is delicious and freshly prepared! We had the Prego Especial, a steak sandwich with egg, ham, and cheese.
What to think about:
Balcões is located in the middle of the mountains, so it’s a long, steep drive both there and back. Inexperienced drivers may be better off hiring a taxi or taking a bus to the trailhead.
Balcões is a very popular hike, so it will get full as the day goes on. This means limited parking and more people on the trail, as well as traffic on the way to and from the trailhead.
Achadas Da Cruz
This is my absolute favorite place on the entire island of Madeira. It’s far away from Funchal and not easily accessible, but once you’re there, it’s like being on a completely different planet. Few people trek out to Achadas Da Cruz, so it’s never overcrowded like some other hikes found here.
Achadas Da Cruz is a small, sleepy town reachable only by cable car.
The cable car is open from 9am – 5 pm, with a one hour lunch break from 12 pm- 1pm.
If your baby naps like ours, meaning for exactly forty minutes twice a day, you’ll need to time your trip carefully. We’ve arrived at the lunch break every single time we’ve aimed to visit Achadas Da Cruz – but that meant we got to enjoy some delicious food before taking the cable car down.
It costs 6 Euros per adult for a roundtrip ticket, and this is well worth it, considering the only other option is a long, steep hike.
Once you’ve arrived at the bottom of the cliff, the adventure begins. The “trail” is paved, wide, and has very few hills. Our baby loves running around here, and my husband loves chasing the lizards.
What to think about:
Achadas Da Cruz is isolated. Although there are two water fill stations available, there are no shops at the bottom of the cable car and only one restaurant. The restaurant is closed on weekends, so please plan accordingly.
Ensure you bring enough snacks and drinks to get your whole crew through the stay here. We generally stay around 2-3 hours before returning to our car – meaning we have 2 diapers, enough snacks to feed an army, and two water bottles with us.
Quiemadas
Located high above the hills of Santana, the natural preserve Quiemadas was created to preserve Madeira’s natural beauty and make it accessible for all.
This is one of my go-to natural areas for me and the baby. The trails are wide, flat, and safe – I can let him run around without worrying. The main trail here is called Caminho Para Todos, literally a path for all.
Located above the historic town of Santana (famous for it’s red-doored Casa Tipicas), Quiemadas is a natural park. The park itself is one of the most often photographed parts of Madiera, there are two historic houses here and the area is frequently encased in clouds, giving the houses a mysterious, etherial vibe.
The drive up to the park is steep, windy, and one-lane. Make sure to note the pull-off areas as you drive up (and down), as you may need to reverse into them to let oncoming traffic by.
Most visitors to Quiemadas come here to hike P.R. 9 – Caldeirão Verde. We’ve attempted to hike this trail with and without the baby, and I personally don’t think it’s very kid friendly. The trail itself is magnificent, almost 9 km through wild jungle, under waterfalls, and along impressive cliffs, but the path is narrow, meaning toddlers won’t get a chance to roam free.
Quiemadas has something different to offer its less mobile guests, the 2 km Caminho Para Todos. This trail is wide, flat, and has handrails on both sides, giving all members of your family a chance to walk on their own.
While hiking here, keep an eye on the Levada. You might spot some river trout swimming against the current!
There are also geese and ducks kept in enclosures, just waiting on your little adventurer to give them a snack.
What to think about:
Quiemadas is not a free parking lot. Visitors must pay at the visitor center. The machine only accepts coins and small bills, so make sure to bring some cash with you when hiking here.
Quiemadas Cafe serves delicious freshly baked cakes, quiches, and other delicacies. They are tasty but costly. Frugal travelers can purchase snacks in advance from the Continente in Santana and eat them up top.
Fanal Forest
Located high in the mountains of Madeira, the otherworldly vibes of Fanal Forest are world famous. It’s one of the only places in the world that photographs better on cloudy days – the clouds get caught in the trees and give the whole forest a mythical, dark fairy tale vibe.
The drive up to Fanal Forest is long, but worth it. If you’re lucky enough to get up here on a clear day you can see for miles!
Cloudy days give Fanal its signature look. Even though the view is obscured, you’ll still get some great photos.
This natural preserve is mainly large, wide open fields populated by local herds of cattle. Although the cows are used to tourists taking pictures, I wouldn’t get too close. Once, a friend and I were chased by a herd of angry cows in Germany. Those moo-ers are both fast and dangerous!
Nevertheless, flat open spaces are a rarity on Madeira and I love letting my baby run around. Watch out for cow patties though!
What to think about:
The weather on Madeira is unpredictable on the best days, but the top of the mountains are particularly unpredictable. Make sure to pack an extra layer of clothing for both you and the kids.
A raincoat and sunhat can be helpful depending on the weather – sunny days require an extra layer of sun protection and a raincoat comes in handy in case the clouds roll through!
Lombo Do Mouro
Although not technically a trail, Lombo Do Mouro belongs on this list. An out-and-back “hike”, this viewpoint is on an abandoned, yet high-quality, road. Hikers can park near the Miradouro da Encumeada or at the road closure near Miradouro da Bica Da Cana.
The most stunning viewpoints are near Bica Da Cana, so I highly recommend parking near the road closure sign an hiking down. This way, you can enjoy the views and add in another stop at Bica Da Cana before or after setting off on your walk.
The viewpoints here are stunning. Astounding. Awe-inspiring.
And the best part? This hike is stroller-friendly! It’s a push down and uphill, but it’s a great way to build a stroller nap into your day in the Madeiran Highlands.
I recommend building this walk in with another hike or lunch high up in the mountains, as arriving here from Funchal will take over an hour.
These viewpoints are incredible – there’s even a waterfall on the street!
This hike isn’t too strenuous if your goal is to get to both viewpoints, and you park at Bica Da Cana. It’s easily combined with a day trip to Fanal Forest or 25 Waterfalls.
I highly recommend eating lunch at Jungle Rain. It’s an experience in itself and kids (and adults) will love it!
What to Bring
The weather in Madeira can be wild, unpredictable, and variable. Making the most out of your time here involves making informed choices about the weather, and weather appropriate clothing.
We these things in our car to make sure we’re ready for every hike.
| For Baby | For Parents | Equipment |
| Sunscreen | Raincoats | Hiking Carrier I recommend trying a few different models before your trip. The Deuter Comfort fits in best with our nomadic lifestyle. |
| Sunhat | Sunglasses | Stroller We travel with our B.O.B All-Terrain |
| Rainsuit | Sunhat | Snacks |
| Fleece Layer | Sweater | Water Bottle, Thermos with a warm drink |
| Change of Clothes | Optional: Swimgear for the family, swim ring, and beach blanket. |
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