How To Reach Madeira

Madeira is a Portugese island-city 850 km away from the rest of the country. It is surrounded by the gigantic Atlantic Ocean and enjoys stunning natural beauty due to its isolated geographical location. It is best reached via air or ferry as it is not connected via road or rail to the rest of Portugal. The 2 main airports are Santa Cruz and Vila Baleira Airport which have a good frequency of flights with most of the other significant cities in and around Portugal and the rest of Europe. The Funchal Port is the focal point for most of travel via ferry. This form of transportation is however seasonal and during the monsoon the routes are closed due to the erratic sea levels and intensity. Getting around locally is also easy, with taxi and bus services from the airports and port areas making it highly convenient to get into the island city. To learn more about the best ways to reach, check out the article below. 

The best way to reach the island of Madeira is via a 90 minute flight from Lisbon. Madeira Airport is reasonably well-connected to multiple cities in and around Portugal and even a few, select parts of Europe. The airport is located in the capital city of Funchal. The journey from the airport into the city is around 15 to 20 minutes are there are multiple taxi and bus services for visitors to choose from. 

Being an island city, Madeira is not connecting highway system to the rest of Portugal, meaning it is only possible to reach via sea or air. However, on reaching Madeira Airport or Funchal Port, there are several public and private taxi and bus options for visitors to choose from. The journey from the airport into the city is hardly 15 to 20 minutes. The local bus services are extremely affordable and take visitors in and around the city. 

Unfortunately there is no railway system connecting the island of Madeira with the rest of Portugal. Other than catching a flight, the only way to actually reach this destination is via a ferry or boat to the island. There are more than a few commercial ferries travelling to Madeira and back during season. The Port of Funchal is the major city port and is well-connected to various other Portugese and European ports. Tickets can be purchased online or in-person. 

The island can be scaled locally via a number of affordable and efficient ways. There are bike and scooter rental services that tend to be popular. However, rental prices and availability tends to vary based on the tourist concentration in Madeira. Additionally, there are local taxi and bus services galore for visitors to choose from. Additionally, certain parts of the island city are best scaled on foot.