The waterfalls, springs and hiking trails at Rabaçal are an easy-going highlight of Madeira's outdoor world. You can spend all day cooling off in the cascades and pools, inspecting the ferns and counting the 25 Fontes (25 waterfalls). Trips leave daily from Funchal – there's no public transport. A new abrigo (mountain guesthouse) means you can now stay the night here, though it only has a handful of beds. The waterfalls are 60km northwest of Funchal, off the ER105.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
14.88 MILES
Now a museum, the Quinta das Cruzes is a quintessential old Madeiran manor house complete with gardens and a private chapel. Originally the home of João…
15.58 MILES
Once a run-down area between the Mercado dos Lavradores and the Fortaleza de Santiago, in recent years the 'Old Zone' of merchant's houses and 19th…
15.45 MILES
Built in 1940 by architect Edmundo Tavares, Funchal's art deco market is one of its top attractions as well as still serving as the island's best fresh…
15.25 MILES
Funchal's 16th-century cathedral once oversaw the world's largest diocese – all of Portugal’s overseas territories from Madeira to Brazil to Angola – and…
13.76 MILES
Anyone who says Madeira has no beaches should hop on bus 1 or 43 to the boulders and browny-black sand of this wild strand in Funchal's western suburbs…
15.47 MILES
One of the island's top tourist attractions, Madeira's famous botanical gardens are a must for most visitors. Extending over 80,000 sq metres, the gardens…
15.12 MILES
Run by the fifth generation of the D'Oliveira family, this is Funchal's most easily accessible wine experience. Anyone can enter the strongly aromatic…
10.1 MILES
Dramatically set at the bottom of a mammoth cauldron of rock, the village of Curral das Freiras is one of the most popular daytrips from Funchal. Some…
Nearby Madeira attractions
3.89 MILES
Calheta's old sugar refinery building starts as a half-hearted 'museum' and ends as a shop where you can buy the bolo de mel (molasses cake), molasses,…
4.01 MILES
Housed in an almost Minecraft-like building high above Calheta, this contemporary arts space has a gallery, shop, cafe, auditorium and workshop area. The…
4.04 MILES
Two well-protected artificial beaches (created with sand from western Sahara) face each other off on Calheta's seafront, one of the sunniest places on the…
4.32 MILES
High above the central valley at the eastern end of the Paúl da Serra plateau is a place called Bica da Cana. Apart from serving as a picnic spot for…
4.36 MILES
Wedged into the mouth of an impossibly deep creek, tiny Madalena do Mar has a long stony beach and a quiet, undisturbed atmosphere that feels a long way…
4.5 MILES
Seixal's black-sand beach can be accessed through an arch in the rock. It receives fewer visitors than beaches on the south coast, but check the weather…
4.76 MILES
Road number 101 once struck fear into the heart of every Madeiran driver until it was retired to Room 101 by the modern VE2. The old route was the island…
8. Grutas e Centro do Vulcanismo
5.73 MILES
Top billing on Madeira's north coast goes to this two-for-one attraction just south of São Vicente. The first part of the experience is a guided tour of…